John Rodgers on mon 16 oct 06
I have been using Peggy Heer's spooze and Lana Wilson's magic water for
quite a while now.They both work great. Recipes for these can be found
in the archives.
I make lidded pots with special handles on the lids that are in the
shape of a loop across the top. These handles are guaranteed to first
crack, then the crack pull open by about 1/8 to 1/4 inch every single
time as the lid dries. No exceptions. I have never had one do
differently. It frustrated me at first, until I finally decided it was
simply the nature of the beast and found a solution. That solution was a
combination of the spooze and magic water thing, with some paper fiber
added. I now mix together shredded and boiled paper fiber (toilet paper
or paper towel) and magic water per Lana Wilson, then add clay and
vinegar per Peggy Heer (I don't use the Karo Syrup - haven't found it
necessary). I mix this thoroughly and store refrigerated in a sealed
container. Depending on how much fluid one uses, it will be fluid or
stiff, but the vinegar will really stiffen it up. After it is made, I
use it to fill the gap formed in the handles by drying. I wet each end
of the separated pieces with magic water, then use the paper clay putty
to fill in the gap.This makes a very strong bridge and further cracking
does not occur. I have never had a repaired handle crack open in firing
- neither bisque nor glaze.
This paper clay putty is amazingly sticky for putting pieces together
and seems to work well for a wide range of moisture content. Just be
sure to store refrigerated, because it grows black mold like crazy
otherwise. The paper fiber is the food source for the mold.. I don't
know how chlorox or hydrogen peroxide would effect the chemistry.
Regards,
John Rodgers
Chelsea, AL
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