search  current discussion  categories  materials - kiln wash 

bisque wash or not????

updated thu 8 jun 06

 

JPat Voss on sun 4 jun 06


Dear Mud Duck,

Count me among those who use the damp sponge technique to prepare pots
for glazing, just make sure that your sponge is CLEAN & that your water
is changed when it looks cloudy. However, on highly textured pieces I've
found rinsing to be the best way to go.

An intact sponge is important too. Using the damp sponge allows you to
glaze much much sooner too.

Best wishes, J. Pat Voss

Victoria E. Hamilton on sun 4 jun 06


I clean all bisqueware with a damp sponge - sort of like dusting. Even when
a piece has just come out of the bisque kiln, it may be covered with ceramic
dust, depending on the clay body. I do it as a precaution, and I teach it
in my classes. Seems to work out fine.

Vicki Hamilton
Millennia Antica Pottery
Seattle, WA

-----Original Message-----
From: Clayart [mailto:CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG] On Behalf Of Mud Duck
Pottery
Sent: Sunday, June 04, 2006 11:41
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Subject: bisque wash or not????

Just curious as to how many of you wash your bisque before glazing. I know
the advantage is to remove any contamination that might be on the bisque but
are there any disadvantage to washing.

If you do wash what is the preferred method??? Sponge wash, rag wash or
dipping your bisque in to water. How long do you let your washed bisque dry
before applying the glaze???


As I said I was just curious.

Thanks!!!
Gene & Latonna
mudduck@mudduckpottery.net
www.mudduckpottery.net

____________________________________________________________________________
__
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.

Dave Finkelnburg on sun 4 jun 06


Gene, and others interested in this,
Washing bisque-fired ware to remove dust and
prevent crawling also has another benefit. As Randy
McCall pointed out, pinholing can be reduced. Here's
why.
The kaolin particles in clay are dehydrated in
bisque firing. As a result, the surface of the kaolin
becomes hydrophobic, thus difficult to wet. When you
wash or sponge the bisque you rehydrate the clay
surface, making it hydrophylic again. Thus when you
glaze, the glaze readily wets the ware and you tend
not to have air bubbles trapped betweeen the ware
surface and glaze.
If you leave the bisque sit long enough in moist
air it will rehydrate on its own. Trouble is, in most
studios it also collects dust that can cause crawling.
:-(
In my experience, porcelain seems to benefit a lot
from a good washing. Whether you glaze the ware after
it is fully dry again or while it is still damp is, in
my experience, less critical than the washing step.
Remember, your mileage may vary, etc, etc, etc...
Dave Finkelnburg

--- Mud Duck Pottery wrote:

> Just curious as to how many of you wash your bisque
> before glazing.

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
http://mail.yahoo.com

Mud Duck Pottery on sun 4 jun 06


Just curious as to how many of you wash your bisque before glazing. I =
know the advantage is to remove any contamination that might be on the =
bisque but are there any disadvantage to washing.

If you do wash what is the preferred method??? Sponge wash, rag wash or =
dipping your bisque in to water. How long do you let your washed bisque =
dry before applying the glaze???


As I said I was just curious.

Thanks!!!
Gene & Latonna
mudduck@mudduckpottery.net
www.mudduckpottery.net

lela martens on sun 4 jun 06


I cover the bisque ware I can`t glaze right away with a sheet to ward off
dust.
Even so, I do a quick dunking and wipe with a sponge. I usually wait a few
hours
before I dip glaze.

Best wishes from Lela on the sunny Canadian prairie.


>From: Mud Duck Pottery

>>Just curious as to how many of you wash your bisque before glazing. I know
>>the advantage is to remove any contamination that might be on the bisque
>>but are there any disadvantage to washing.

_________________________________________________________________
Take charge with a pop-up guard built on patented Microsoft® SmartScreen
Technology
http://join.msn.com/?pgmarket=en-ca&page=byoa/prem&xAPID=1994&DI=1034&SU=http://hotmail.com/enca&HL=Market_MSNIS_Taglines
Start enjoying all the benefits of MSN® Premium right now and get the
first two months FREE*.

Kitty on sun 4 jun 06


So far I've been using my school's spraybooth air compressor at around
40psi (under a vent hood) to blow off dust and such from bisque.
I've switched to porcelain since I tried sponge washing, but it was
murder with my toothy clay: ate the sponge alive.

~Kitty
just outside of Asheville, NC


Mud Duck Pottery wrote:

>Just curious as to how many of you wash your bisque before glazing. I know the advantage is to remove any contamination that might be on the bisque but are there any disadvantage to washing.
>
>If you do wash what is the preferred method??? Sponge wash, rag wash or dipping your bisque in to water. How long do you let your washed bisque dry before applying the glaze???
>
>
>As I said I was just curious.
>
>Thanks!!!
>Gene & Latonna
>mudduck@mudduckpottery.net
>www.mudduckpottery.net
>
>______________________________________________________________________________
>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.
>
>
>
>

Paul Herman on sun 4 jun 06


Lela,

I don't wash bisque before glazing, unless it's been sitting around
the shop for a long time and has visible dust on it. Then they are
rinsed, but I try to let them dry completely before glazing.

Best,

Paul Herman

Great Basin Pottery
Doyle, California US
http://greatbasinpottery.com


On Jun 4, 2006, at 2:32 PM, lela martens wrote:

>
>
>>> Just curious as to how many of you wash your bisque before
>>> glazing. I know
>>> the advantage is to remove any contamination that might be on the
>>> bisque
>>> but are there any disadvantage to washing.
>>>
>
>

John Hesselberth on sun 4 jun 06


On Jun 4, 2006, at 2:41 PM, Mud Duck Pottery wrote:

> Just curious as to how many of you wash your bisque before glazing.

Hi Gene and Latonna,

I rarely dust bisque before glazing and never wash it. The need to do
this may depend on whether or not you sand your greenware. I don't. I
try to finish it in the wet or leather stage so no sanding is needed.
On the rare occasion I dust bisque I do it with a barely damp sponge.
But, as someone else suggested, do what works for you.

Regards,

John

Lee Love on mon 5 jun 06


On 6/5/06, Mud Duck Pottery wrote:

> Just curious as to how many of you wash your bisque before glazing. I know the >advantage is to remove any contamination that might be on the bisque

There are some other advantages. Someone has mentioned reducing
pinholing already.

But also, it allows for a lower bisque temp. I bisque to cherry
red in my woodkiln, high temp only cone 012.

It allows for a closer inspection of cracks because the
moisture exposes the cracks. During my apprenticeship, I was the
one who gave the bisque the last inspection.

Also, if you sponge like I do, it gives you some control over the
thickness of the glaze application: more water, thinner glaze.
Less water, thicker glaze.


> If you do wash what is the preferred method??? Sponge wash, rag wash or dipping
>your bisque in to water. How long do you let your washed bisque dry
before applying
>the glaze???

I sponge with a close-celled sponge. It gives you a lot of control.
Sponge so that you are only wetting the bisque, but are not dripping
water over the surface. Takes some practice. Sponging will remove
dust that dipping won't.

I glaze immediately after sponging, for uniformed glaze application.

--
Lee In Mashiko, Japan
http://mashiko.org
http://seisokuro.blogspot.com/

"The way we are, we are members of each other. All of us.
Everything. The difference ain't in who is a member and who is not,
but in who knows it and ho don't."

--Burley Coulter (Wendell Berry)

Neal on mon 5 jun 06


I rarely wash my bisque pieces in my home studio.
Most of the time, I unload the bisque kiln and wax
the pots one day then glaze and reload the kiln
the next day.

In the city and university studios, I will use a
damp sponge if a piece looks like it has dust on
it. Occasionally, I've had pieces that needed to
be washed. I set them aside to dry a few hours.

Neal O'Briant

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
http://mail.yahoo.com

Karin Hurt on mon 5 jun 06


I run water over my pots and glaze the next day. I was taught that unless I wax the bottom of my pots I should briefly dip them in water before glazing. I was the bottom of my pots.



Lee Love wrote:
On 6/5/06, Mud Duck Pottery wrote:

> Just curious as to how many of you wash your bisque before glazing. I know the >advantage is to remove any contamination that might be on the bisque

There are some other advantages. Someone has mentioned reducing
pinholing already.

But also, it allows for a lower bisque temp. I bisque to cherry
red in my woodkiln, high temp only cone 012.

It allows for a closer inspection of cracks because the
moisture exposes the cracks. During my apprenticeship, I was the
one who gave the bisque the last inspection.

Also, if you sponge like I do, it gives you some control over the
thickness of the glaze application: more water, thinner glaze.
Less water, thicker glaze.


> If you do wash what is the preferred method??? Sponge wash, rag wash or dipping
>your bisque in to water. How long do you let your washed bisque dry
before applying
>the glaze???

I sponge with a close-celled sponge. It gives you a lot of control.
Sponge so that you are only wetting the bisque, but are not dripping
water over the surface. Takes some practice. Sponging will remove
dust that dipping won't.

I glaze immediately after sponging, for uniformed glaze application.

--
Lee In Mashiko, Japan
http://mashiko.org
http://seisokuro.blogspot.com/

"The way we are, we are members of each other. All of us.
Everything. The difference ain't in who is a member and who is not,
but in who knows it and ho don't."

--Burley Coulter (Wendell Berry)

______________________________________________________________________________
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.



Thank You,
Karin Hurt
www.laughingbearpottery.com
Arizona

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
http://mail.yahoo.com

lela martens on mon 5 jun 06


Hey Paul,
Just to clarify. Mud Duck Pottery asked the question. Not me.
I just replied with my short answer.
Keep well, Lela


>From: Paul Herman
>Reply-To: Clayart
>To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
>Subject: Re: bisque wash or not????
>Date: Sun, 4 Jun 2006 14:53:31 -0700
>
>Lela,
>
>I don't wash bisque before glazing, unless it's been sitting around
>the shop for a long time and has visible dust on it. Then they are
>rinsed, but I try to let them dry completely before glazing.
>
>Best,
>
>Paul Herman
>
>Great Basin Pottery
>Doyle, California US
>http://greatbasinpottery.com
>
>
>On Jun 4, 2006, at 2:32 PM, lela martens wrote:
>
>>
>>
>>>>Just curious as to how many of you wash your bisque before
>>>>glazing. I know
>>>>the advantage is to remove any contamination that might be on the
>>>>bisque
>>>>but are there any disadvantage to washing.
>>>>
>>
>>
>
>______________________________________________________________________________
>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.

_________________________________________________________________
Powerful Parental Controls Let your child discover the best the Internet has
to offer.
http://join.msn.com/?pgmarket=en-ca&page=byoa/prem&xAPID=1994&DI=1034&SU=http://hotmail.com/enca&HL=Market_MSNIS_Taglines
Start enjoying all the benefits of MSN® Premium right now and get the
first two months FREE*.

Ivor and Olive Lewis on tue 6 jun 06


Dear Dave Finkelnburg,=20

I'm getting a bit confused here.

As I understand things, we dry our clay out to remove all the free =
water. This seems to be a process completed by the time the temperature =
gets up to 500 deg C. Surely this is Dehydration.

Then as we continue to heat the clay it starts to decompose. This =
decomposition results in breaking down the Hydroxyl component and =
removing it from the clay, via a chemical reaction that changes the -OH =
fractions to free water. Since we are taking Hydroxyl ions from the clay =
we are Dehydroxylating it. During this phase we call the solid residue =
"Meta Kaolin". My reference for this is Cardew,"Pioneer Pottery" p 67.

Now in step 1 above, introducing water to the clay will cause it, =
depending on the degree of heating, to rehydrate and resume its plastic =
condition again. So it is "Hydrophilic". But in step 2 it will adsorb =
water, suggesting that it is not "Hydrophobic", but not disintegrate and =
resume its plastic nature.

Perhaps you might wish to reconcile you position with that of Cardew.

If there is a problem with dust on bisque I see no reason for not =
washing, rinsing or sponging. But I would allow it to air dry to restore =
its ability to form a good glaze covering using the capillarity of the =
dry ceramic.

Best regards,

Ivor

Bonnie Staffel on tue 6 jun 06


I have a couple of systems. If my pot is simple and plain, I just do a =
damp
sponge wipe. However, when I do a lot of carving or clay additions, =
then I
put the pot under running water to make sure the dust is washed off.
Sometimes if one just dips the pot in a bucket, seems that some dust =
stays
on top of the water and when you pull it out, you redeposit the dust you =
are
trying to get rid of. I feel the running water under a faucet is the =
best
in this condition. =20

Works for me.

Bonnie Staffel

http://webpages.charter.net/bstaffel/
DVD Throwing with Coils and Slabs
DVD Beginning Processes
Charter Member Potters Council

Russel Fouts on tue 6 jun 06


>> Just curious as to how many of you wash your bisque before glazing. <<

I wash my bisque every saturday night whether it needs it or not. :-)

Actually, I only wash bisque if it's been sitting around the studio
for a REALLY long time (years) and looks dusty, then I sponge it.

To be sure, if you have bisque that's been sitting around for years,
the hammer is probably a better "cleaner"

My advice is to try not washing. If you have glaze application
problems like pin-holing, crawling, etc then get out the sponge.

Do as little of the "dumb" work as possible, save your energy for the
fun stuff like making, decorating, firing and enjoying pots

Russel


Russel Fouts
Mes Potes & Mes Pots
Brussels, Belgium
Tel: +32 2 223 02 75
Mobile: +32 476 55 38 75

Http://www.mypots.com
Home of "The Potters Portal"
Over 3000 Pottery Related Links!
Updated frequently

"The enumeration in the Constitution of certain rights
shall not be construed to deny or disparage others
retained by the people"

9th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America


--
No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Anti-Virus.
Version: 7.1.394 / Virus Database: 268.8.2/356 - Release Date: 05/06/2006

Ron Roy on wed 7 jun 06


Hi Gene and Latonna,

I never have - maybe just a damp sponge when work was dusty - or compresses air.

One problem with washing - it's hard enough to get consistant glaze
thickness without adding in another variable - if you can get around that
then why not.

If I were to wash I would certainly wait till the ware was dried out again.

If it was to help with pinholing I would certainly try the other methods of
pin hole reduction - like dealing with the clay, firing and glazes that are
a problem instead of introducing another process.

RR


>Just curious as to how many of you wash your bisque before glazing. I know
>the advantage is to remove any contamination that might be on the bisque
>but are there any disadvantage to washing.
>
>If you do wash what is the preferred method??? Sponge wash, rag wash or
>dipping your bisque in to water. How long do you let your washed bisque
>dry before applying the glaze???
>
>
>As I said I was just curious.
>
>Thanks!!!
>Gene & Latonna

Ron Roy
RR#4
15084 Little Lake Road
Brighton, Ontario
Canada
K0K 1H0

Lee Love on wed 7 jun 06


On 6/6/06, Ivor and Olive Lewis wrote:

> But I would allow it to air dry to restore its ability to form a good glaze covering
>using the capillarity of the dry ceramic.

Depends on how hard your bisque is. If you low temp bisque,
like I do, you do not need to allow it to dry. The advantage of a
soft bisque , is that you can adapt easily to thicker work, by
sponging more moisture into the bisque instead of adding water to the
glaze.

--
Lee in Mashiko, Japan
http://mashiko.org
My google Notebooks:
http://tinyurl.com/e5p3n

"Let the beauty we love be what we do." - Rumi