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Oxide Wash


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Hi, I'm new on this forum. I'm Freanch and get pottery's virus in Taiwan :D

Anyway, Barry, one of my teacher, was using oxide wash in a bucket. Unfortunatly he passed away and I realised that I've never ask his recipe :angry:

I've search on internet, but most of the information were "vague".

So to make an oxide wash, we need oxide (OK) and water (OK) but in what proportion? And is there something else?

I've try but the result was bad. And with time the oxide settle at the bottom of the bucket, where with Barry the oxide never setlle.

Could you give me some advice or recipe of your own? :rolleyes:

Thanks in advance

Sean

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WELCOME

as far as mixes  ive only played with red iron oxide, and the  formula was also vague, and yes mine settled also.

teach says just mix it in until it  looks dark on clay.  i suppose my intuition worked cause the wash always worked out.

i only measured once with small batches and went from 2 %  to  6%   and all served their purpose.

i was thinking a little bentonite  my suspend rio.   but never tried,  i just shake, scrape bottom of pail,cover shake again.

 

you dont state what color or type of oxide wash.  there is more than just RIO.

 

by "Freanch" i assume you mean french?

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi Sean,

 

I keep a few oxide washes mixed at my studio. As mentioned above, the percentage of oxide is a matter of preference and aesthetic. I generally add about a tablespoon of RIO or BIO for every 6-8oz of water. I will often add a small amount - maybe a 1/2 teaspoon - of vee gum to help help suspend the oxide in the water and thicken the mixture up a bit.

 

For cobalt oxide, a trick I've picked up is to use potently brewed green tea rather than water. The thought being the acidity of the green tea helps to bring out the desired blue. I'm not sure if it really has any effect, but it sure smells nice. I tend not to use vee gum in the cobalt wash.

 

Cheers,

 

Chris

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  • 2 weeks later...

Sean,

 

My favorite oxide wash is a Rutile wash, just mix 50% rutile, 48% gerstley borate, and 2% bentonite. Mix with water until about skim milk consistency. This provides a warm yellow on majolica, a great brown at midfire, and a really cool textured orange under celadon at ^11.

 

Darrel

 

P.s. Bienvenue! Je suis content que vous utilisez cette grande ressource pour vos questions et préoccupations!

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is Vee-Gum-T same as bentonite?

 

Sort of. Bentonite is a fine, light-weight clay that helps things stay in suspension because it does not settle like other heavier ingredients. Vee Gum T is Bentonite that also has Sodium Carboxymethylcellulose added to it. So, Vee Gum T without the SCMC added to it is . . . Bentonite.

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Guest JBaymore

Try this one for cone 8-14.

 

Take a glass jar that is about 3" in diameter or so.  Put in a brand new Briillo pad.  The Brillo pad should just lie flat side down in the bottom of the jar.  Add enough water to 3/4 cover the Brillo pad depth-wise.  Put the jar someplace safe for a few days.  Wait until the Brillo pad has basically disolved (rusted away). 

 

Use this mixture of the chemistry of the soaps and the rusted steel for iron brushwork.

 

best,

 

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

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Guest JBaymore

Works at 6 too........ just not as nice.  You can use it all the way down to earthenware temps.  Best in reduction though. 

 

You can concentrate the liquid for more intense color..... evaporate or boil.

 

best,

 

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

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Absolutely brilliant !

 

I have to try it.

 

(For those who do not know - and I did not - a Brillo pad is a pad of steel wool impregnated with soap).

 

... Wait until the Brillo pad has basically disolved (rusted away). 

 

Use this mixture of the chemistry of the soaps and the rusted steel for iron brushwork.

 

best,

 

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

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(For those who do not know - and I did not - a Brillo pad is a pad of steel wool impregnated with soap).

 

 

 

Just for a change, Brillo pads are exactly the same thing under the same name in the UK.

 

Quite often when brand names are mentioned on here I have to resort to google to have any idea of what's what.

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Guest JBaymore

Babs,

 

Yes... soap and all.

 

ayjay,

 

Sorry about the "Americanism".

 

FredrickW,

 

Thanks.

 

best,

 

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

 

PS: I've had an assignment I developed for my ceramic mateials courses that I have been using since the 70's back at Massart. It asks students to make a ceramic glaze out of non-commercial, non-traditional, non ceramics supplier based materials. I've had recipes that consist of something like (this is not real... just an example of kinds of ingredients) 10 large Tums antacids, 5 tablespoons of Kaopectate, one large clam shell ground thru 80 mesh, 1/2 cup of garden dirt, and 10 drops of liquid MiracleGrow fertilizer. It creatively gets students thinking about ceramic chemistry and what is IN various products and what the proprotions of raw materials sources need to be. They hav a lot of fun with it. (I of course screen for inappropriate really toxic choices ^_^ .)

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  • 2 years later...

Oxide washes are a moveable feast - you can do pretty much what you like with them as far as mixing goes.

 

The simplest will be oxide + water:  moving on from there you could add a flux and some ball clay.

 

Lots of ideas here:-  http://www.shambhalapottery.com/oxidewashes.html

 

As I try to mix my own washes. I found this old topic useful. What kind of flux do you recommend to mix with oxide, water, and ball clay? I usually fire my sculptural works to ∆06~04 and functional ware to ∆5. I'm hoping to use the washes for both purposes. Does frit-3134 stay matte at low temperature?

 

The above website no longer exists. If you know any other sites that beginners could learn about oxide washes, I will appreciate it.

 

I've been using Mayco rutile wash, which fires from ∆06 to ∆11. As my supplier does not carry it, I'm hoping to make my own. I'll appreciate your help.

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Try this one for cone 8-14.

 

Take a glass jar that is about 3" in diameter or so.  Put in a brand new Briillo pad.  The Brillo pad should just lie flat side down in the bottom of the jar.  Add enough water to 3/4 cover the Brillo pad depth-wise.  Put the jar someplace safe for a few days.  Wait until the Brillo pad has basically disolved (rusted away). 

 

Use this mixture of the chemistry of the soaps and the rusted steel for iron brushwork.

 

best,

 

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

 

 

This made me think of a woodworking trick, basically the same idea, but using steel wool and vinegar. Was used to blacken a section of timber or give it the look of ebony. Might be an alternative for those that don't have brillo pads on hand, I imagine it would work about the same, but haven't tried it. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Here is a cup with black iron oxide stain wiped on. Sometimes the brown opaque glaze I use for this cup will bleed thru. (A plus)

 

Staining the bottom brings out the incised information...name, date, cone fired to, pounds of clay used to make the vessel, country of origin and date used.post-62571-0-00630300-1471871407_thumb.jpg

post-62571-0-00630300-1471871407_thumb.jpg

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