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Heat Work Or Atmosphere?


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If I fired the same glaze on the same pot with the same firing profile in different places ...

Say at sea level, mile high in Denver, dry on the desert or wet in Seattle ...

Would I be able to expect the same results?

 

How much does climate and altitude affect glaze results?

 

 

Hi Chris I'm surprised that no one has answered your question. perhaps someone who has a studio in the mountains. I pondered your question and decided that the lack of oxygen could make a difference in the reduction of a glaze in a oxidation firing. It may not be visible to the naked eye but some difference could be seen under a microscope I think of heat of the kiln would displace any difference in humidity levels. Of course I don't have to deal with any of those problems, I live in Kansas and were pretty much in the middle of the scales. I hope this question wasn' t a delayed April fools Joke that I didn't get but I hate to see a unanswered question floating around the forum that I may be able to help with. Denice

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No, not a joke at all.

I was wondering why so many people have trouble getting their glaze results to match the images in the catalogues.

 

Now, glaze companies employ chemists to formulate glazes that are consistent and predictable. So what happens between their factory and your cooled kiln?

To my mind, vague directions like fire to witness cone 5 are not much help. There are a thousand ways of doing that!

Would it help if they published exactly how they glazed and fired the piece or would you still be affected by where you lived?

 

I know there is no substitute for testing your own glaze on your own clay in your own kiln ... but is there some way to narrow the range of error?

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No, not a joke at all.

I was wondering why so many people have trouble getting their glaze results to match the images in the catalogues.

 

Now, glaze companies employ chemists to formulate glazes that are consistent and predictable. So what happens between their factory and your cooled kiln?

To my mind, vague directions like fire to witness cone 5 are not much help. There are a thousand ways of doing that!

Would it help if they published exactly how they glazed and fired the piece or would you still be affected by where you lived?

 

I know there is no substitute for testing your own glaze on your own clay in your own kiln ... but is there some way to narrow the range of error?

 

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I wish there was. That is the basis of my strontium topic, that didn't get much play either???

 

Steven Hill told me to read 'The many faces of iron" in the Ceramics Monthly book on clay and glazes. (It is also on line) to see the difference temp makes in glaze results. I know from my experience that my glaze colors are VERY different with different soak and cooling times.

 

I hope more people chime in here, this is an important topic to those who are seriously working at improving glaze results.

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I've come to the conclusion that it is all about your knowledge of your kiln and use of glaze. I'm still stumped on many! I've had commercial glazes come out both great and awful. Same with formulas that were great in (a now defunct) studio. The tried and true formula for Eggshell, once a semi matte, speckle is coming out a shiny beige with no speckles. I followed the directions to the T. However, my kiln is much smaller than the studio where we previously fired this glaze. At this point, all I can say is test, test, test. I really wish I could put a piece of commercially glazed work in the kiln and it come out like the photos. That is disappointing! I have gotten feedback from the manufactures when I whine and email. Do this, do that. Why don't they give you this info when you buy the product? Okay, off my soapbox...

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