Jennifer Smith on wed 24 may 06
I'm teaching myself to throw porcelain (^6) and have two questions:
1) I've picked up a few tips from the archives and have had to
totally change the way I throw (dry instead of wet, throw thicker
then trim, etc. etc.). Everything is rockin' but I'm sure there are
even more tricky tricks to learn... does anyone know of any videos
that focus on throwing porcelain? I haven't heard of any but that
doesn't mean they're not out there. Even if it's just a video in
which the potter uses porcelain and not a video specifically geared
toward porcelain techniques I'm sure I 'd pick up something (the
rhythm they throw in for example). Very often what interests me is
not what they are saying but what they do unconsciously. Anyone have
any titles to suggest?
2) I have also been reading about how some pugmills don't get along
with porcelain. I'm okay with aluminum changing the color of the
clay as long as it has no major impact on throwing/glazing/firing.
However some people mention hard chunks forming IN SOME TYPES of
porcelain but not in others. Has anyone narrowed down what in the
the clay is reacting to the metal enough to make hard chunks? Is
it more likely to happen with a more traditional (^10/^12) porcelain
rather than ^6 or vice versa? If anyone can shed some light on this
I would appreciate it. I 'd like to be able to go to my supplier
armed with informed questions about both the clay and the equipment.
Jen
Michael Wendt on thu 25 may 06
Jen,
Both aluminum and stainless steel corrode
rust like iron. The difference lies in the products
of the corrosion.
With aluminum, the oxide is of course aluminum
oxide. The hardening you see is most likely a
type of concretion reaction. Funny, but many
ceramic materials react chemically to form
concretions, possibly because of the aluminum?.
I have not seen this reaction with stainless steel
for some reason.
As to the porcelain throwing video, if you contact
me off list, I can give you the details on my video
showing how to make plates and platters using the
rod-restand method. I can also easily add segments
to it that show other topics you might find useful.
Regards,.
Michael Wendt
Wendt Pottery
2729 Clearwater Ave
Lewiston, Idaho 83501
USA
wendtpot@lewiston.com
www.wendtpottery.com
Jen wrote:
I'm teaching myself to throw porcelain (^6) and have
two questions:
1) I've picked up a few tips from the archives and have
had to
totally change the way I throw (dry instead of wet,
throw thicker
then trim, etc. etc.). Everything is rockin' but I'm
sure there are
even more tricky tricks to learn... does anyone know of
any videos
that focus on throwing porcelain? I haven't heard of
any but that
doesn't mean they're not out there. Even if it's just
a video in
which the potter uses porcelain and not a video
specifically geared
toward porcelain techniques I'm sure I 'd pick up
something (the
rhythm they throw in for example). Very often what
interests me is
not what they are saying but what they do
unconsciously. Anyone have
any titles to suggest?
2) I have also been reading about how some pugmills
don't get along
with porcelain. I'm okay with aluminum changing the
color of the
clay as long as it has no major impact on
throwing/glazing/firing.
However some people mention hard chunks forming IN SOME
TYPES of
porcelain but not in others. Has anyone narrowed down
what in the
the clay is reacting to the metal enough to make hard
chunks? Is
it more likely to happen with a more traditional
(^10/^12) porcelain
rather than ^6 or vice versa? If anyone can shed some
light on this
I would appreciate it. I 'd like to be able to go to
my supplier
armed with informed questions about both the clay and
the equipment.
Jen
David Beumee on sun 28 may 06
Hi Jennifer,
From my experience the chunks scaling off the sides of a pugmill barrel into the porcelain have to do with the particular alloy of the metal used to cast the barrel. The elder Bluebird pugmill in the old Boulder Potters Guild clay room had this problem, and you can imagine what it was like to clean out the mill and wire brush the inside of the barrel. Bluebird changed the alloy of the metal they used, and the Model 440 deairing mill that I own has never scaled chunks into my porcelain.
I'll be producing many videos in the future for the book that I'm writing, including a video on the subtle art of throwing porcelain. Sorry I don't have it ready for you now. Your suggestion of the value of unconscious content is fascinating. I'll think about that one very carefully.
Porcelain by David Beumee
www.davidbeumee.com
-------------- Original message ----------------------
From: Jennifer Smith
> I'm teaching myself to throw porcelain (^6) and have two questions:
>
> 1) I've picked up a few tips from the archives and have had to
> totally change the way I throw (dry instead of wet, throw thicker
> then trim, etc. etc.). Everything is rockin' but I'm sure there are
> even more tricky tricks to learn... does anyone know of any videos
> that focus on throwing porcelain? I haven't heard of any but that
> doesn't mean they're not out there. Even if it's just a video in
> which the potter uses porcelain and not a video specifically geared
> toward porcelain techniques I'm sure I 'd pick up something (the
> rhythm they throw in for example). Very often what interests me is
> not what they are saying but what they do unconsciously. Anyone have
> any titles to suggest?
>
> 2) I have also been reading about how some pugmills don't get along
> with porcelain. I'm okay with aluminum changing the color of the
> clay as long as it has no major impact on throwing/glazing/firing.
> However some people mention hard chunks forming IN SOME TYPES of
> porcelain but not in others. Has anyone narrowed down what in the
> the clay is reacting to the metal enough to make hard chunks? Is
> it more likely to happen with a more traditional (^10/^12) porcelain
> rather than ^6 or vice versa? If anyone can shed some light on this
> I would appreciate it. I 'd like to be able to go to my supplier
> armed with informed questions about both the clay and the equipment.
>
> Jen
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at melpots@pclink.com.
Vince Pitelka on sun 28 may 06
Jennifer -
Porcelain is fine with aluminum and stainless steel pugmill barrels.
Porcelain and whiteware bodies don't work with mild steel pugmill barrels,
and the older bluebirds (like the one that Kelly so brilliantly resurrected)
are mild steel - that refers to the standard ordinary steel used in
fabrication - the stuff that rusts.
I have a mild steel Harry Davis pugmill that I built 20 years ago, and when
I was making pots full-time in Northern California I tried to do porcelain
in the pugmill. If I was reprocessing a batch of scrap and then cleaning
out the mill right away it was no problem, but if I left the porcelain in
the mill for any duration of the time, the porcelain that was in direct
contact with the mild steel barrel, shaft, blades, and helixes would go some
sort of chemical reaction with the steel and would turn blue-gray and become
rock-hard. Chunks of this material would come loose, contaminating the
clay enough to make it unuseable. Also, the hard layer inside the barrel
would eliminate the blade clearance that is necessary to make the mill work
properly, so the whole thing would start to bog down. At the time I didn't
really have a strong commitment to porcelain - most of my work was done with
the venerable Rod's Bod, originally a Westwood body, now sold by Laguna. I
replaced the porcelain with Westwood Danish White with sand, and didn't have
any further problems.
If you just make sure that the barrel is aluminum or stainless steel and all
the other clay-contact parts are stainless steel, you will have no problem.
- Vince
Vince Pitelka
Appalachian Center for Craft, Tennessee Technological University
Smithville TN 37166, 615/597-6801 x111
vpitelka@dtccom.net, wpitelka@tntech.edu
http://iweb.tntech.edu/wpitelka/
http://www.tntech.edu/craftcenter/
LindaC on sun 28 may 06
On 5/28/06 2:36 AM, "David Beumee" wrote:
Dear David Beumee, When you have your porcelain video done--could I get a
copy? Let me know---lindac@ohno.org Thanks!
> Hi Jennifer,
> From my experience the chunks scaling off the sides of a pugmill barrel into
> the porcelain have to do with the particular alloy of the metal used to cast
> the barrel. The elder Bluebird pugmill in the old Boulder Potters Guild clay
> room had this problem, and you can imagine what it was like to clean out the
> mill and wire brush the inside of the barrel. Bluebird changed the alloy of
> the metal they used, and the Model 440 deairing mill that I own has never
> scaled chunks into my porcelain.
> I'll be producing many videos in the future for the book that I'm writing,
> including a video on the subtle art of throwing porcelain. Sorry I don't have
> it ready for you now. Your suggestion of the value of unconscious content is
> fascinating. I'll think about that one very carefully.
>
> Porcelain by David Beumee
> www.davidbeumee.com
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> -------------- Original message ----------------------
> From: Jennifer Smith
>> I'm teaching myself to throw porcelain (^6) and have two questions:
>>
>> 1) I've picked up a few tips from the archives and have had to
>> totally change the way I throw (dry instead of wet, throw thicker
>> then trim, etc. etc.). Everything is rockin' but I'm sure there are
>> even more tricky tricks to learn... does anyone know of any videos
>> that focus on throwing porcelain? I haven't heard of any but that
>> doesn't mean they're not out there. Even if it's just a video in
>> which the potter uses porcelain and not a video specifically geared
>> toward porcelain techniques I'm sure I 'd pick up something (the
>> rhythm they throw in for example). Very often what interests me is
>> not what they are saying but what they do unconsciously. Anyone have
>> any titles to suggest?
>>
>> 2) I have also been reading about how some pugmills don't get along
>> with porcelain. I'm okay with aluminum changing the color of the
>> clay as long as it has no major impact on throwing/glazing/firing.
>> However some people mention hard chunks forming IN SOME TYPES of
>> porcelain but not in others. Has anyone narrowed down what in the
>> the clay is reacting to the metal enough to make hard chunks? Is
>> it more likely to happen with a more traditional (^10/^12) porcelain
>> rather than ^6 or vice versa? If anyone can shed some light on this
>> I would appreciate it. I 'd like to be able to go to my supplier
>> armed with informed questions about both the clay and the equipment.
>>
>> Jen
>>
>>
_____________________________________________________________________________>>
_
>> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>>
>> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
>> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>>
>> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
>> melpots@pclink.com.
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
> melpots@pclink.com.
>
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