Anne Doyle on sat 24 feb 07
Hi everyone!
I need a recipe for making wax for the bottoms of mugs/bowls...
Someone had mentioned using wax with alumina and glycerin? That ring any
bells? What amounts of alumina and glycerin does this require? I need to
buy chemicals this week and i just wondered what quantities of alumina i
will need for this...
What reason is there for the alumina and glycerin? Curious...
Also: How melted does the wax have to be... do you melt it to translucent
or to liquid?
Does anyone have any experience using soy wax for this instead of parrafin?
I use soy wax for my candle-making. I recently found at the charity shop an
electric frypan, a very large rectangular one and i thought of using it to
coat the bottoms of pieces with wax.
Searched the archives and i found a few recipes with kerosene and motor oil
but i would really rather not go there...
Many thanx in advance for the input, as always, greatly appreciated.
Anne,
Saint-Sauveur, Quebec
Snail Scott on sun 25 feb 07
At 11:00 PM 2/24/2007 -0500, Anne wrote:
>I need a recipe for making wax for the bottoms of mugs/bowls...I need to
>buy chemicals this week and i just wondered what quantities of alumina i
>will need for this...
>What reason is there for the alumina...
The alumina is to keep highly vitrified clays
such as porcelain from sticking to the shelves.
Adding it to the foot-wax is just an efficient
and dust-free way of getting it in the right
place (and nowhere else).
Unless you are firing porcelain AND have had
past difficulty with the bare clay sticking
to the kiln shelf, you may not need to add
any alumina. If you do decide to use it, a
single pound of it will pretty much last you
for life. You don't add much to the wax.
>Also: How melted does the wax have to be... do you melt it to translucent
>or to liquid?
It needs to be liquid to be brushable or
dippable. I'd skip hot wax, though - messy,
and it needs a heating device. Wax emulsion,
which is liquid at room temperature, is so
easy and convenient that unless you are
doing production quantities, I'd just get
it instead. No melting needed. Any ceramics
supplier will have it, though they may not
ship in winter on account of freezing.
Emulsion means, in this case, that the wax
has been mixed with water, so it is prone
to freezing, with unfortunate results.
It's the drying of the mixed-in water that
causes liquid wax emulsions to set and
harden, instead of the cooling process
that occurs with a regular heated wax.
>Does anyone have any experience using soy wax for this instead of parrafin?
Any wax will do. So will latex, and almost
any other waterproof liquid that will burn
off in firing, or peel off beforehand.
(Don't heat the latex! ;)
>...I recently found at the charity shop an
>electric frypan, a very large rectangular one and i thought of using it to
>coat the bottoms of pieces with wax...
Electric skillets are indeed a handy way
to melt hot wax, but I'd still go for the
liquid wax emulsion.
-Snail
Liz Willoughby on sun 25 feb 07
>
>I need a recipe for making wax for the bottoms of mugs/bowls...
>Someone had mentioned using wax with alumina and glycerin? That ring any
>bells? What amounts of alumina and glycerin does this require? I need to
>buy chemicals this week and i just wondered what quantities of alumina i
>will need for this...
>
>Anne,
>Saint-Sauveur, Quebec
Hello Anne,
There are two ways that you can go here. You can use a cold wax that
you get in a jar from Tuckers or another pottery supplier. (If you
ever see the "Wax that Works" in Canada get it, it is terrific wax.
I got mine at NCECA last year and intend on buying more this year.)
To a cup of wax, add about 1 teaspoon of alumina. Stir well. I use
a banding wheel. Center an upside mug on the wheel, twirl the
banding wheel with your left hand, and apply using a brush while the
wheel is turning with your right hand; or vice versa if you are left
handed. You can reapply wax without the alumina if you are afraid of
the alumina of getting in your glaze when you are glazing. Sometimes
there is a powdery surface left behind on the wax.
I also use hot wax with alumina. But I do not use a frying pan,
because there is such a large area for fumes to go into the
atmosphere. I use mostly beeswax plus some paraffin wax, and a touch
of cooking oil for easy application. I melt some in a 14 oz. tin can
on a small mug warmer (that I got at Sally Ann), adding a little
alumina to the wax. I use a foam rubber sponge on a stick, and use
the same method for application, as above. The wax has to be melted
to a clear liquid for it to be applied.
I use porcelain, fire in reduction, so need the alumina in there to
prevent "plucking" (porcelain sticking to the kiln shelves). Alumina
is very refractory, and therefore keeps the pots from sticking to the
shelves.
Please remember Anne that the fumes from hot wax are toxic and you
need a space with good ventilation if you are going that route.
Liz from Grafton, Ontario, Canada.
p.s. Been in St. Saveur, visited there after being in 1001 Pots in
Val David, lovely spot!
Anne Doyle on sun 25 feb 07
Hi Liz & Snail,
Thanx for the info.
Liz, I go to 1001 pots every summer and used to dream and drool... took my
course there last summer, thats when i really got bit with the clay bug!
As for the wax, i was thinking i could melt the wax and sit the mugs/bowls
in the frypan and coat them evenly that way, seemed much easier than
applying with a brush... Am i wrong here, will it not do a good job? I
though it would make a nice even ring around the bottoms...
Also, Snail suggested that i only need to add alumina if i use porcelain, i
don't but i use a very white ^6 clay ...do i still need the alumina?
I have been using wax resist so far but i thought this would do a good
job ... I find the wax resist doesn't always resist everything when i dip
and theres a lot of cleanup involved on freshly glazed pots which i would
prefer to just not handle too much once they're glazed...
Thanx!
Anne
jim on sun 25 feb 07
---------- Original Message -----------
From: Anne Doyle
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Sent: Sun, 25 Feb 2007 10:18:36 -0500
Subject: Re: Wax for bottoms
>
> As for the wax, i was thinking i could melt the wax and sit the mugs/bowls
> in the frypan and coat them evenly that way, seemed much easier than
> applying with a brush... Am i wrong here, will it not do a good job?
> I though it would make a nice even ring around the bottoms...
>
>
> Thanx!
> Anne
>
> __
I have used an electric skillet for years with parafin wax along with the
stub ends of old candles etc. Now granted if gotten too hot it can fume and
smoke some or if I were waxing bottoms all day... But I am a casual potter
that may do one kiln load every two to three weeks and by using the method
of just keeping enough wax in the skillet to dip the pot into it and out I
don't think I need more than 10 minutes to coat all my pieces. A few to
heat up the skillet and a few more until it cools enough to harden again.
Has worked well for my application for years. And yes if you keep the level
the same as what you put on the bottoms you slowly set it in until it hits
bottom, take it out, and it is nice and clean line.
Jim
____________________________________________________________________________
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
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------- End of Original Message -------
louroess2210 on sun 25 feb 07
On Feb 25, 2007, at 8:18 AM, Anne Doyle wrote:
> .. I find the wax resist doesn't always resist everything when i dip
> and theres a lot of cleanup involved on freshly glazed pots
This happens when you don't give the wax enough time to dry. Once
it's really dry just a quick swipe with a damp sponge will get off
any glaze on the wax. Try letting the wax dry overnight before glazing
Best, Lou
Lisa E on sun 25 feb 07
I just did a kiln load where I used both wax resist and paraffin. I had to
use wax resist on my larger items that wouldn't fit in the electrical
skillet where I heat up my wax. The paraffi/hot wax bottoms took a fast
swipe to clean. The wax resist bottoms took a considerable amount of time
to clean off all the excess glaze. The paraffin was a nice clean line and
took a mere second to dip in the hot wax. The was resist took a lot longer
to brush on and I didn't get the nice clean line as I did from the hot wax.
My 2 cents but I prefer hot wax. I never let it get too hot to smoke and it
s usually only one for a maximum of ten minutes.
Lisa E
On 2/25/07, Anne Doyle wrote:
>
> Hi Liz & Snail,
> Thanx for the info.
> Liz, I go to 1001 pots every summer and used to dream and drool... took my
> course there last summer, thats when i really got bit with the clay bug!
>
> As for the wax, i was thinking i could melt the wax and sit the mugs/bowls
> in the frypan and coat them evenly that way, seemed much easier than
> applying with a brush... Am i wrong here, will it not do a good job? I
> though it would make a nice even ring around the bottoms...
>
> Also, Snail suggested that i only need to add alumina if i use porcelain,
> i
> don't but i use a very white ^6 clay ...do i still need the alumina?
>
> I have been using wax resist so far but i thought this would do a good
> job ... I find the wax resist doesn't always resist everything when i dip
> and theres a lot of cleanup involved on freshly glazed pots which i would
> prefer to just not handle too much once they're glazed...
>
> Thanx!
> Anne
>
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> 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.
>
--
Lisa E
Sunny Daze Design Pottery Studio
SunnyDazeDesign@gmail.com
Squamish, BC Canada
www.lisaelbertsen.com http://picasaweb.google.com/SunnyDazeDesign
Kathy McDonald on sun 25 feb 07
I have started to use the following combination
for my wax pan.
It is large and able to hold a lot of wax.
I buy the paraffin pellets,
2 cups pellets
1 tsp alumina hydrate
2 tblsp of additive ( in summer turpentine , in winter
petroleum jelly (if indoors well ventilated)
Melt at 360 turn down to 330 it has to be just the right
height in the pan
or displacement makes for very uneven waxing.
There is a picture here in the "tools" album.
http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y130/claylady/?start=40
Kathy
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2/19/2007
Snail Scott on sun 25 feb 07
At 10:18 AM 2/25/2007 -0500, you wrote:
>...i was thinking i could melt the wax and sit the mugs/bowls
>in the frypan and coat them evenly that way, seemed much easier than
>applying with a brush. Am i wrong here, will it not do a good job? I
>though it would make a nice even ring around the bottoms...
To get an even-height wax coating, you would
need to keep the wax level constant, topping
it off as it gets used up, or else dip carefully
by eye. Even a 1/4" variation (1/2 cm) makes
a big difference on a trimmed pot-foot.
One of the cleverest systems I've seen is an
electric skillet with several short-nap paint
rollers mounted across it, side-by-side. The
pottery gets rolled across the rollers, which
pick up the wax from the skillet below and
transfer it to the clay. The depth of the wax
line is controlled by the length of the roller
nap. Alan Walter came up with this, I think,
and showed it to me. I don't use it, though.
Hot wax makes more sense for regular, frequent
users, and I seldom use wax anyway.
Personally, I'd rather wipe the bottoms, much
as Mel described, than deal with wax (whether
emulsion or hot). Wax always seems to end up
somewhere it shouldn't, and a wiped foot is
aneasy way to get a clean, consistent-height
line. I use wax (in emulsion form) only for
occasional decorating effects, not for feet.
>...Snail suggested that i only need to add alumina if i use porcelain, i
>don't but i use a very white ^6 clay ...do i still need the alumina?
Generally speaking, only porcelain is vitreous
enough to have likely problems with plucking.
Whiteness ain't the culprit, glassiness is,
and porcelain is halfway to being a glaze! ;)
If you've never had trouble with your clay
body before, that won't change unless you
suddenly start firing it much hotter.
It sounds like you don't need any alumina.
>I have been using wax resist so far but i thought this would do a good
>job ... I find the wax resist doesn't always resist everything when i dip
>and theres a lot of cleanup involved on freshly glazed pots which i would
>prefer to just not handle too much once they're glazed...
Hot wax won't prevent those little beaded-up
bits of glaze residue any more than an
emulsion wax resist will; it's not the silver
bullet you may be hoping for. Keep your wax
thin; the biggest problem I see with emulsion
wax is the tendency to apply it too thickly,
resulting in much slower drying and a greater
tendency for glaze to stick to the damp spots.
(If it doesn't dry almost instantly as a result
of the absorbency of the bisque, you're putting
it on too thickly.) More wax is not better;
even a very thin layer will resist just the
same. The general practice of applying emulsion
by brush and applying hot wax by dipping leads
to a false sense of a huge difference between
the materials, when it's mainly a difference
in process. You will probably still have to
wipe off some glaze droplets either way, but
it shouldn't lead to major damage to your
glaze layer. You may need to harden you glaze
coating, if it's very fragile.
All you emulsion-brushers out there - why not
dip? Just pour it into a shallow dish, dip,
top off as needed, then pour the excess back
in the jar. This eliminates the biggest
perceived difference between the two waxing
methods. If you dislike hot wax, but hate
brushing, why are you still brushing the darn
stuff? (Just wondering...)
-Snail
Anne Wellings on mon 26 feb 07
On Sun, 25 Feb 2007 19:05:54 -0600, Snail Scott
wrote:
>All you emulsion-brushers out there - why not
>dip? Just pour it into a shallow dish, dip,
>top off as needed, then pour the excess back
>in the jar. This eliminates the biggest
>perceived difference between the two waxing
>methods. If you dislike hot wax, but hate
>brushing, why are you still brushing the darn
>stuff? (Just wondering...)
>
> -Snail
Brushing on wax resist is very fast with the pot in a Giffin Grip upside
down on the wheel. For me, putting it in a shallow dish to dip the bottoms
would not work because of the different shapes, foot depths, etc. of the
different pots I make, and would require too much monitoring of the depth
of the wax. And how would I wax the inside of a lidded jar where the lid
rim will sit? It might be good for waxing some of the lids themselves,
though, which are a bit of a pain to wax with a brush. I did try waxing
with melted paraffin in a tray years ago but gave it up because wax resist
seemed easier and less messy.
Incidentally, of the wax resists I've tried, I like Axner's best for the
bottoms of pots, as it flows smoothly and dries quickly to a slick finish,
with no overnight drying needed. I also like Aftosa's wax, especially for
deeply textured decorated areas, but it generally needs to dry overnight.
Some other wax resists may resist well but dry to a stickier finish, which
is annoying when wiping off any glaze droplets.
I cannot imagine using nothing at all and just wiping off the pot. Whenever
I have forgotten to wax a pot and then dipped it in glaze, it has been a
major project to get the glaze off; you have to work fast while it is still
wet, and I've tended to have to scrub glaze out of the pores. But
everyone's work is different, and if this works for some, that's great.
Anne
Phyllis Tilton on mon 26 feb 07
I did not have luck with the hot wax in the electric skillet and realize now that I didn't have the right mix of some diluent--turp, olive oil, petroleum jelly, etc. The parrafin wax pulled away from the bottom on some of the pots and let the glaze get inside that line. Made for some uneven glazing. I have the patience to brush wax on--and when I get it out of line, I pull it and bisque it again. Seems that alcohol, sanding, and other methods just didn't take my 'booboo' off the pieces.
It is important for potters to have patience but they all must have vision. To take that lump of clay, work it some way, fire, decorate with glaze---the whole process requires looking ahead. Same thing with gardeners--put that seed in the ground and visualize what will grow.
AND I am visualizing all the happenings at NCECA ;-)
Phyllis Tilton
Rikki Gill on mon 26 feb 07
I find it very easy to use a sponge brush dipped in liquid wax with some
alumina hydrate mixed in, on the bottom of pots. It is certainly the
fastest way to do it, at least for me. I put pots upside down on a ware
board and go from one to the next. I glaze pots of the same height
together, so I can quickly load a kiln.
best,
Rikki Gill
rikigil@sbcglobal.net
www.rikkigillceramics.com
www.berkeleypotters.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Anne Wellings"
To:
Sent: Sunday, February 25, 2007 9:48 PM
Subject: Re: Wax for bottoms
Lisa E on mon 26 feb 07
Phyllis;
I had my wax pull away from my bottoms once also. The reason it happened
was because the wax was not hot enough. I used to melt the wax and then
turn it off and wax all my bottoms. The last few pieces peeled back but
that was because the wax was not hot enough.
Hope that helps,
Lisa
On 2/26/07, Phyllis Tilton wrote:
>
> I did not have luck with the hot wax in the electric skillet and realize
> now that I didn't have the right mix of some diluent--turp, olive oil,
> petroleum jelly, etc. The parrafin wax pulled away from the bottom on some
> of the pots and let the glaze get inside that line. Made for some uneven
> glazing. I have the patience to brush wax on--and when I get it out of line,
> I pull it and bisque it again. Seems that alcohol, sanding, and other
> methods just didn't take my 'booboo' off the pieces.
>
> It is important for potters to have patience but they all must have
> vision. To take that lump of clay, work it some way, fire, decorate with
> glaze---the whole process requires looking ahead. Same thing with
> gardeners--put that seed in the ground and visualize what will grow.
>
> AND I am visualizing all the happenings at NCECA ;-)
>
> Phyllis Tilton
>
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> 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.
>
--
Lisa E
Sunny Daze Design Pottery Studio
SunnyDazeDesign@gmail.com
Squamish, BC Canada
www.lisaelbertsen.com http://picasaweb.google.com/SunnyDazeDesign
Anne Wellings on tue 27 feb 07
On Mon, 26 Feb 2007 09:32:52 -0800, Rikki Gill
wrote:
>I find it very easy to use a sponge brush dipped in liquid wax with some
>alumina hydrate mixed in, on the bottom of pots. It is certainly the
>fastest way to do it, at least for me. I put pots upside down on a ware
>board and go from one to the next. I glaze pots of the same height
>together, so I can quickly load a kiln.
Using a sponge, or sponge brush, does sound worth trying. But it still
seems like it would be most efficient for the pot to be rotating
mechanically as the wax is being applied, instead of having to turn it with
your hand in order to get a clean line on all sides. A lot would depend on
the shape of your pot bottom/foot and how precise you need to be, I guess.
Anne
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