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Red Iron Oxide


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During class we all signed our pieces with something called red iron oxide, our teacher had it all mixed up in a jar with a paint brush ready to go. I bought a little packet of red iron oxide in powdered form to mix up to sign the pieces I am making at my home studio between classes so I can take the finished pieces up signed and ready for the kiln when class starts up again.

 

Do I just eyeball it and mix it with water until runny enough to sign with a paint brush or is there a formula use? Do I need to mix it with something like Gerstley Borat to get it to "stick" to the bottom of the pots, or would doing that make it stick to the kiln shelf? Also are there any toxic issues I should be aware of handling it, other than to wear a proper mask which I am now a proud owner of thanks to help here on the forum.

 

I have been reading loads and loads of books on ceramics and am only getting to the point of understanding the basics when it comes to mixing glazes and such up and what adding this that or the other thing does. I do know that gerstley borat is a flux and will help what ever chemical, mineral, stain it is mixed with melt at a slightly lower temperature and stick to the ceramic body without smudging after bisque firing. Beyond that I am still reading with a book in one hand and google in the other to try and decipher what some of the terms mean.

 

Any pointers would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again everyone.

 

Terry

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Terry... red iron oxide isn't toxic and you don't need gloves or a mask just to mix up some to sign pots with. Add a little water stir until it is like ink. Use a brush to sign chards or whatever until you get it right for you. You don't need to add anything to it to make it stick but you're right in guessing that adding gerstley b might make it stick to the shelf so don't.

 

Jim

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During class we all signed our pieces with something called red iron oxide, our teacher had it all mixed up in a jar with a paint brush ready to go. I bought a little packet of red iron oxide in powdered form to mix up to sign the pieces I am making at my home studio between classes so I can take the finished pieces up signed and ready for the kiln when class starts up again.

 

Do I just eyeball it and mix it with water until runny enough to sign with a paint brush or is there a formula use? Do I need to mix it with something like Gerstley Borat to get it to "stick" to the bottom of the pots, or would doing that make it stick to the kiln shelf? Also are there any toxic issues I should be aware of handling it, other than to wear a proper mask which I am now a proud owner of thanks to help here on the forum.

 

I have been reading loads and loads of books on ceramics and am only getting to the point of understanding the basics when it comes to mixing glazes and such up and what adding this that or the other thing does. I do know that gerstley borat is a flux and will help what ever chemical, mineral, stain it is mixed with melt at a slightly lower temperature and stick to the ceramic body without smudging after bisque firing. Beyond that I am still reading with a book in one hand and google in the other to try and decipher what some of the terms mean.

 

Any pointers would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again everyone.

 

 

 

 

Terry

 

Iron oxide is a pretty nice clay stain too.

 

 

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Terry... red iron oxide isn't toxic and you don't need gloves or a mask just to mix up some to sign pots with. Add a little water stir until it is like ink. Use a brush to sign chards or whatever until you get it right for you. You don't need to add anything to it to make it stick but you're right in guessing that adding gerstley b might make it stick to the shelf so don't.

 

Jim

Had similar ? Before. I do rio and h20. And I've been testing RIO with 3140 Ferro frit. The later shows better. And hasn't stuck in kiln yet. The RIO alone can and will rub off if handled. The later also works better for under/over glaze designs. Both settle out quickly. I use a small mason jar and shake, sometime I scrape sludge on bottom with back of brush. The sink is your friend here, it can get messy fast. Look for other post others gave much info.

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During class we all signed our pieces with something called red iron oxide, our teacher had it all mixed up in a jar with a paint brush ready to go. I bought a little packet of red iron oxide in powdered form to mix up to sign the pieces I am making at my home studio between classes so I can take the finished pieces up signed and ready for the kiln when class starts up again.

 

Do I just eyeball it and mix it with water until runny enough to sign with a paint brush or is there a formula use? Do I need to mix it with something like Gerstley Borat to get it to "stick" to the bottom of the pots, or would doing that make it stick to the kiln shelf? Also are there any toxic issues I should be aware of handling it, other than to wear a proper mask which I am now a proud owner of thanks to help here on the forum.

 

I have been reading loads and loads of books on ceramics and am only getting to the point of understanding the basics when it comes to mixing glazes and such up and what adding this that or the other thing does. I do know that gerstley borat is a flux and will help what ever chemical, mineral, stain it is mixed with melt at a slightly lower temperature and stick to the ceramic body without smudging after bisque firing. Beyond that I am still reading with a book in one hand and google in the other to try and decipher what some of the terms mean.

 

Any pointers would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again everyone.

 

Terry

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During class we all signed our pieces with something called red iron oxide, our teacher had it all mixed up in a jar with a paint brush ready to go. I bought a little packet of red iron oxide in powdered form to mix up to sign the pieces I am making at my home studio between classes so I can take the finished pieces up signed and ready for the kiln when class starts up again.

 

Do I just eyeball it and mix it with water until runny enough to sign with a paint brush or is there a formula use? Do I need to mix it with something like Gerstley Borat to get it to "stick" to the bottom of the pots, or would doing that make it stick to the kiln shelf? Also are there any toxic issues I should be aware of handling it, other than to wear a proper mask which I am now a proud owner of thanks to help here on the forum.

 

I have been reading loads and loads of books on ceramics and am only getting to the point of understanding the basics when it comes to mixing glazes and such up and what adding this that or the other thing does. I do know that gerstley borat is a flux and will help what ever chemical, mineral, stain it is mixed with melt at a slightly lower temperature and stick to the ceramic body without smudging after bisque firing. Beyond that I am still reading with a book in one hand and google in the other to try and decipher what some of the terms mean.

 

Any pointers would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again everyone.

 

Terry

 

 

 

Being rather cautious with all the oxides and chemicals etc, I do wear gloves when I can. Just as a precautionary measure.

 

Roberta

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this was just covered within the past few weeks. you can use the iron straight, with water - like watercolor. if you want better results, you'll need to add some sort of flux to help make it fuse with the piece, or it can come off on your hands after being fired (or even volatilize slightly and migrate in a gas kiln). personally, i like to mix up "marking iron" with some flux and some clay (like an underglaze, but less flux and clay). you can even take your iron and add a little bit of a clear glaze to it, then water it down with some CMC gum solution (I would try a spoonful of iron, 1/4-1/2 spoon of glaze, then dilute with CMC gum solution - this should cover the flux and the clay content enough for what you're doing)

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Almost anything in your studio is dangerous if you inhale it (especially water), but putting on gloves and a respirator just to mix a spoonful of RIO in water to sign pots is ridiculous.

 

Jim

 

 

I gotta agree with this. I probably get more exposure from the rust on my truck. However gloves may be a good idea because iron oxide stains everything that gets within 5 feet of it!

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Guest JBaymore

Almost anything in your studio is dangerous if you inhale it (especially water), but putting on gloves and a respirator just to mix a spoonful of RIO in water to sign pots is ridiculous.

 

Jim

 

 

I gotta agree with this. I probably get more exposure from the rust on my truck. However gloves may be a good idea because iron oxide stains everything that gets within 5 feet of it!

 

 

Inhaling dihydrogen oxide kills a lot of people every year.

 

best,

 

...................john

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Wearing a respirator to mix up a small batch of RIO signing wash is like wearing body armor to make a cake because under certain conditions flour can explode.

 

Jim

 

 

I know man, flour is dangerous! But so is RIO, always wear a respirator when working with dry ceramic materials.

 

 

 

Safety first!

 

Darrel

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Thank you everyone, I asked the question here again after reading the last question of this subject and the answers were over my head. I have no idea what RIO is or CMC gum solution or ferro frit are. most other chemica,l minerals, mysterious substances I am learning to recognize the names when I read them but am not really sure how to use or handle them. I only just figured out what flux is and that's how I know that gerstley borate is one. Currently I am only using commercial products and such knowing its better to wait and experiment with my own when I know A LOT more than I do now. My tiny bags of red iron oxide, gerstley borat and a couple mason stains are the first and only powdered ceramic items I have purchased so far, it took me 2 weeks to get up the nerve to even open the bag of Gerstley borate and a mason stain to mix up a test transfer tile. I've been looking at the bag of red iron oxide mystified by how to get it into liquid form safely. I have purchased a respirator for ceramics use and use it whenever I handle anything dry even wiping down my tables in case I cause clay dust to arise.

 

Again thank you for helping to educate me I read the forum posts old and new but it sometimes takes a awhile to actually figure out and understand what it is I am reading. Sometimes its rather like reading Greek street signs you know the sign in front of the train station says Train Station but you have no idea what the letters printed are. I know eventually ill figure it all out but the learning curve is massive at this point.

 

Terry

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Thank you everyone, I asked the question here again after reading the last question of this subject and the answers were over my head. I have no idea what RIO is or CMC gum solution or ferro frit are. most other chemica,l minerals, mysterious substances I am learning to recognize the names when I read them but am not really sure how to use or handle them. I only just figured out what flux is and that's how I know that gerstley borate is one. Currently I am only using commercial products and such knowing its better to wait and experiment with my own when I know A LOT more than I do now. My tiny bags of red iron oxide, gerstley borat and a couple mason stains are the first and only powdered ceramic items I have purchased so far, it took me 2 weeks to get up the nerve to even open the bag of Gerstley borate and a mason stain to mix up a test transfer tile. I've been looking at the bag of red iron oxide mystified by how to get it into liquid form safely. I have purchased a respirator for ceramics use and use it whenever I handle anything dry even wiping down my tables in case I cause clay dust to arise.

 

Again thank you for helping to educate me I read the forum posts old and new but it sometimes takes a awhile to actually figure out and understand what it is I am reading. Sometimes its rather like reading Greek street signs you know the sign in front of the train station says Train Station but you have no idea what the letters printed are. I know eventually ill figure it all out but the learning curve is massive at this point.

 

Terry

 

 

Sorry, Terry, I used the abbreviation RIO for Red Iron Oxide. While it is obviously good to error on the side of safety when handling clays and chemicals, some people take it to such an extreme that it is not only silly but a waste of studio time. Almost anything you inhale other than clean air is not good for you, but if you don't use gloves and a respirator to drive down a highway or ride a bike up a dirt trail or to watch your kid slide into home base or clean the cat box or sweep anywhere or put a kid in a sand box then you don't need gloves and a respirator to mix a little RIO (Red Iron Oxide) with water.

 

BTW, RIO is a main ingredient of ochres that our ancestors used to paint their bodies and cave walls and many people still used today to cover their entire bodies and is one of the many colors tossed into the air over crowds in India.

 

Jim (Who is still kicking a horse that died around post 10 of this thread and who doesn't like the expression "kicking a dead horse" but used it anyway.)

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Thank you everyone, I asked the question here again after reading the last question of this subject and the answers were over my head. I have no idea what RIO is or CMC gum solution or ferro frit are. most other chemica,l minerals, mysterious substances I am learning to recognize the names when I read them but am not really sure how to use or handle them. I only just figured out what flux is and that's how I know that gerstley borate is one. Currently I am only using commercial products and such knowing its better to wait and experiment with my own when I know A LOT more than I do now. My tiny bags of red iron oxide, gerstley borat and a couple mason stains are the first and only powdered ceramic items I have purchased so far, it took me 2 weeks to get up the nerve to even open the bag of Gerstley borate and a mason stain to mix up a test transfer tile. I've been looking at the bag of red iron oxide mystified by how to get it into liquid form safely. I have purchased a respirator for ceramics use and use it whenever I handle anything dry even wiping down my tables in case I cause clay dust to arise.

 

Again thank you for helping to educate me I read the forum posts old and new but it sometimes takes a awhile to actually figure out and understand what it is I am reading. Sometimes its rather like reading Greek street signs you know the sign in front of the train station says Train Station but you have no idea what the letters printed are. I know eventually ill figure it all out but the learning curve is massive at this point.

 

Terry

 

 

Sorry, Terry, I used the abbreviation RIO for Red Iron Oxide. While it is obviously good to error on the side of safety when handling clays and chemicals, some people take it to such an extreme that it is not only silly but a waste of studio time. Almost anything you inhale other than clean air is not good for you, but if you don't use gloves and a respirator to drive down a highway or ride a bike up a dirt trail or to watch your kid slide into home base or clean the cat box or sweep anywhere or put a kid in a sand box then you don't need gloves and a respirator to mix a little RIO (Red Iron Oxide) with water.

 

BTW, RIO is a main ingredient of ochres that our ancestors used to paint their bodies and cave walls and many people still used today to cover their entire bodies and is one of the many colors tossed into the air over crowds in India.

 

Jim (Who is still kicking a horse that died around post 10 of this thread and who doesn't like the expression "kicking a dead horse" but used it anyway.)

 

 

 

 

BTW,

 

Kumkum (the red pigment thrown in the air during hindu religious festivals like holi or Krishna Janmastami) is made from mercury sulfide, not iron oxide.

 

 

 

Darrel (who is offically done kicking the dead horse)

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(Just in case the horse was only playing possum....)

 

I continue to find this a valuable resource

 

http://ceramicartsdaily.org/daily/glossary/

 

Carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) — an organic gum used as a suspension/adhesion agent in glazes. Normally, a small amount of gum is added to a quart or so of warm water and left overnight. Once dissolved, this solution may be added in small doses to glazes, slips, and engobes to improve application performance. Source: Clay: A Studio Handbook

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Kumkum (the red pigment thrown in the air during hindu religious festivals like holi or Krishna Janmastami) is made from mercury sulfide, not iron oxide.

 

 

 

 

I was told that one of the pigments was just crushed and dried ochre--maybe an orange or yellow pigment instead of the red? But, obviously, you know more about this religious festival than I do so thank you for the info. BTW, without taking the time to look it up, I think I'd rather have red iron oxide thrown at me than mercury sulfide.

 

Jim

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(Just in case the horse was only playing possum....)

 

I continue to find this a valuable resource

 

http://ceramicartsda...daily/glossary/

 

Carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) — an organic gum used as a suspension/adhesion agent in glazes. Normally, a small amount of gum is added to a quart or so of warm water and left overnight. Once dissolved, this solution may be added in small doses to glazes, slips, and engobes to improve application performance. Source: Clay: A Studio Handbook

 

 

Not to go off on too much of a tangent, but a large percentage of the CMC gum will get eaten up by bacteria in a matter of a few days. It's good to have some sort of preservative to prevent this. Commercial mixes use a biocide (formaldehyde in the old days), which is why commercial glazes have a certain odor to them. For home use, a very small percentage of copper carb will do the trick, about .05% by dry weight, without affecting the color of the glaze.

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flour is dangerous! But so is RIO...

 

Only if you're scared of stains.

 

 

 

 

I apologize for kicking the dead horse (Red Iron Oxide) he's just so much fun to kick.

 

 

Dear All,

 

That was a great image posted.

 

I must say, that PDF list is pretty darn long...???

 

Part of me says download and paste on my wall. Another part says "treat anything with the possibility of being air born" as potentially toxic. I wonder if I would be wearing a mask full-time in the studio??

 

I think the message should be something like pay heed to the danger of the products we use. If exposure is significant than do without a doubt wear a respirator. If working closely with a toxic substance, again, wear a mask. If mixing a glaze, wear a mask. If doing any sanding or grinding wear a mask.

 

Please feel free to correct me on my thoughts if I am wrong.

 

Good reminder about studio safety.

 

Nelly

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