Taylor Hendrix on thu 11 jan 07
Howdy all,
Quick question to those of you who have duplicated Watkins's terra sig
recipe in the Alternative Firing book. I just finished a batch and I'm
not sure if I did it right. I followed the recipe exactly, and let it
settle for 4 days. I weighed out the clay, measured the water and used
a syringe for the 30ml of water glass. Could i have a weak version of
water glass? I had less than a quarter of an inch of clear water at
the top by the finish time. I though I would see more than that. The
container was a big pickle jar, glass. There was over an inch of
thicker sludge in the jar though. Seems to be working on the test
shards I brushed. I guess Lezlie Finet will help me when she gets into
town.
Rock on Clayart!
--
Taylor, in Rockport TX
http://wirerabbit.blogspot.com
http://wirerabbitpots.blogspot.com
http://clayartmugshots.blogspot.com
Taylor Hendrix on fri 12 jan 07
Hey Vince,
You keep right on preachin, brother. Yes, I have seen your method, I
have read your book, I have discussed onlist with you and others
regarding terra sig, and I have made sig using your method.
Yours is one of many methods I have collected in my research and I
will try them all. Unlike you, I am looking for color response with my
terra sig. I am not a blackware producer.
Just an update: I siphoned off the Watkins terra sig last night and it
puts a good shine on the work. I did not have to evaporate and of the
water but rather used it straight from the bottle. I will try Charlie
Riggs's method next. Just bought a six pack (was the last ingredient I
needed). Hey Charlie, ever sold that kiln?
Keep on truckin'
Taylor, in Rockport TX
Vince Pitelka on fri 12 jan 07
Taylor wrote:
> Quick question to those of you who have duplicated Watkins's terra sig
> recipe in the Alternative Firing book. I just finished a batch and I'm
> not sure if I did it right. I followed the recipe exactly, and let it
> settle for 4 days. I weighed out the clay, measured the water and used
> a syringe for the 30ml of water glass. Could i have a weak version of
> water glass? I had less than a quarter of an inch of clear water at
> the top by the finish time. I though I would see more than that. The
> container was a big pickle jar, glass. There was over an inch of
> thicker sludge in the jar though. Seems to be working on the test
> shards I brushed. I guess Lezlie Finet will help me when she gets into
> town.
Taylor -
Please forgive me for what might seem like a rather self-righteous response,
but in many years of researching and using terra sig, I have not found
another method that works as well as the one I have refined over the years.
I have great respect for James Watkins and his work. We've had him present
workshops at the Craft Center a number of times, and he is a consummate
teacher and artist. But that doesn't necessarily apply to his terra sig
method. You've probably seen my method. If not, go to
http://iweb.tntech.edu/wpitelka/professional/terra_sig.htm - it works.
- 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/
Ivor and Olive Lewis on sat 13 jan 07
I had less than a quarter of an inch of clear water at
the top by the finish time. I though I would see more than that.
Dear Taylor Hendrix,=20
The purpose of the Water Glass, aka Sodium Silicate, is to deflocculate =
your clay, help it separate form the larger blocky minerals that are =
then able to settle to the bottom of the pot and form a sludge leaving =
true colloidal, well separated crystals of clay and their associated =
water hulls suspended and kept so by Brownian Motion.
Yes, the clear layer will contain some clay, the very finest sub micron =
stuff. Christopher Sellwood wrote in "Terra Sigillata Slip Coatings" p =
3 "The terra sigillata slip derived from the sedimentation process is =
invariably the layer of thin clay suspension found immediately below the =
upper most layer of clear water"
Sounds as though you have hit the jackpot. Make the most of it.
Best regards,
Ivor Lewis.
Redhill,
South Australia.
Vince Pitelka on tue 16 jan 07
> As an ironic aside, Vince. Two of my better saggar pieces are almost
> totally black! Two little pine cones in the saggar blacked 'em up
> good! Oops.
Taylor -
Forgive me for not absorbing this from earlier posts, but did you say you
are doing aluminum foil saggers? If so, I'm not surprised about the black
color. Pine is very pitchy, and pine cones are too, so they will produce a
lot of smoke for their size. Aluminum foil saggers are a good way to get
blackware without having to do a full-blown blackware bonfiring, as long as
you put in enough combustible materials to saturate the clay with smoke.
- 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/
Taylor Hendrix on tue 16 jan 07
And Vince is right about not having to burnish pots when brushing on
terra sig can do the same thing.
I use claybodies with a bit of grog in them (me likee the tooth) and
have done some burnishing as well as just ribbing off at the wheel.
Both pots still get the terra sig after bisque. There is, for me, a
difference in surface quality with these two methods. I have yet to
find a way to eliminate the faceting quality that arises when I
burnish my pieces. Some of you will understand what I mean when I say
that. Nothing like putting on the terra sig and then just rubbing with
the hands or a plastic bag.
As an ironic aside, Vince. Two of my better saggar pieces are almost
totally black! Two little pine cones in the saggar blacked 'em up
good! Oops.
Taylor, in Rockport TX
http://wirerabbit.blogspot.com
http://wirerabbitpots.blogspot.com
http://clayartmugshots.blogspot.com
Donald Burroughs on wed 17 jan 07
Try using a smooth round or oval stone that is not polished. A friend of
mine who use to make Greek style pots using terra sig perferred these to
ribs and the like. I cannot remember ever seeing any of the faceting that
you speak of on his wares. He was very meticulous in his research
regarding the use of terra sig on his Greek influenced wares.
Donald Burroughs
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