Axner Fix-It vs AMACO Bisque Fix

[Axner Fix-It vs AMACO Bisque Fix]

Have you tried them both?

[Axner Fix-It vs AMACO Bisque Fix]

How does AMACO Bisque Fix compare to Axner Fix-It 

[Cracking platters]

I tried the sand and I got the worst cracking ever.

[Making potato chip glazes stick]

I really like glazes such as lalone crawl and binger that tend to crack and peel off like potato chips when applied over other glazes. I have struggled with different ways to get them to stick on vertical surfaces. I think I finally found something that works. 

I noticed that when the potato chips would peel off they would have a layer of the underlying glaze on their bottom side. This to me meant that the potato chips were sticking but the underlying glaze was not strong enough to resist their pull. I have found that brushing a couple  of thick layers of CMC solution over the underlying glaze and letting it dry until it is still just slightly tacky strengthens it. The potato chip glaze  applied over it  sticks well to the still slightly tacky CMC without pulling up part of the underlying glaze.

[Reduction in an electric kiln]

3 hours ago, Hulk said:

Hi Doc,

This is the one I'm remembering (been hanging out here about a year and a half), where op led up to the cliff, "...I'm about to get to the part that explains the confusion involved with statements like these in the next installment on why reduction firing in an electric kiln is  possible and practical." and    never    came    back!

Ah bumped it.

https://community.ceramicartsdaily.org/topic/19108-electric-reduction-firing

Hope all is well with PDWhite.

 

Yep that's the one ... thanks  

I messaged PDwhite to see what he's up to

[Reduction in an electric kiln]

If I remember correctly, there was a thread on how to do reduction in an electric kiln by introducing a little propane. I thought I was subscribed to it. I haven't heard from it in a long time and I can't find that thread.  If I'm not delusional, can someone point me to that discussion.

By the way, I discussed this with Skutt technical support. They thought it was a good strategy to build a bomb

[Cotton fibers for paper clay]

I just dug out a quart of  paper clay from the back of my refrigerator.  I made it a couple of years ago with wood fiber and a few drops of chlorine bleach. There is not one black spot in it.  It smells sweet and is perfectly smooth.

[Fused glass on ^6]

As I sail over the edge of the earth

[Fused glass on ^6]

17 hours ago, preeta said:

Ok Doc i hope you dont mind my reply. But i no longer suffer fools.

Glass and clay dont mix. Period. There are a lot of cutesy ceramic glass coasters and stuff people make. (Can’t stand cutesy inane stuff) Ultimately the glass is going to pop out at some point of time. You know like Corporations who are there to make a few bucks. Not to watch out for what’s good for mankind. Businesses  who are putting clay and glass together dont really care for the longevity or safety of their client. They make sure its good for a while so they wont be sued. 

There is nothing wrong in experimenting and discovering what happens. The curious mind should be encouraged. 

When science can discover how to put clay and glass together (a way to never have the glass pieces pop off, whether in a year or 10 years) when there is definite results i will use glass. 

Having said that i can get the glass look. Unfortunately that’s because i have access to a gas kiln which turns the bottom of my Oribe bowls into bright glass like green (if everything is in order and the kiln gods say yes).  Porcelain (and I’m sure white clay body) and transluscent glazes have a glass like look. By glass like look i mean bright colors and the ability to see through the glaze. Even layers of colors. Which you dont get with UG and clear glaze. 

Ceramics is complicated enough, without adding glass to the picture. 

 

I am the captain of the "Ship of Fools".

[How to make this texture]

Bar's stuff is truly strange.

Also being an art welder makes fabrication of gizmos easier. 

[How to make this texture]

Thanks for researching that out for me. I looked at some of her other videos and they were so vacuous I didn't pursue it further, though apparently I should have.

I was hoping for some more mechanized approach rather than just manually poking holes.I will have to give that some thought since I'm the gizmo guy 

 

[How to make this texture]

Does anyone know how this texture is made?    https://wh25pg4ymc-flywheel.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/j-tavill05.jpg

[Fused glass on ^6]

Travill's  work is very interesting. Do you know how she makes that texture with a lot of little different size holes? 

[Cracking platters]

Good stuff... Thanks all.

[Cracking platters]

That is helpful.

[Fused glass on ^6]

Preeta

 

What do you mean by "Personally until the science changes i stay away from glass"?

[Truly clear ^6 oxidation glaze]

Thanks for the link. That looks good. I will mix some up and give it a shot.

Tony Hansen's pretty amazing guy

[Truly clear ^6 oxidation glaze]

All of the cone 6, Supposedly clear glazes, that I've mixed up are a milky white when they get very thick. The best I have found is Laguna WC 520 commercial glaze. Does anyone know of a truly clear glaze?

[Fused glass on ^6]

The pots that I posted pictures of in my cracking platters post were destined to have fused glass decoration. 

I have tried glass by putting a little colored glass in the bottom of a bowl and firing it in a cone six glaze firing. I've gotten some interesting results. I thought it was time to start using a separate cooler glass fusing firing after the glaze firing. Has anyone experimented with this?

[Cracking platters]

16 minutes ago, oldlady said:

doc, how thick is the average area on your platters?   a lot of people think thick is better for strength.   it ain't necessarily so.  

alice   (the person who makes a lot of long or big platters less than 1/4 inch thick, dries them immediately on drywall and single fires on sand after glazing)

They are about 3/8 thick. What would be optimal?

[Cracking platters]

Min

The sharp edges are a good observation. Yes, they are very sharp.  During bisque firing, would sand, upside down and slow cooling be the answer... Or something else?  Are certain kinds of sand better for this?

Babs

My new standard operation will be flicking platters and pitching if they don't ring true.

What's the logic of not firing all platters?

 

How slow should I dry these things?

 

 

[Cracking platters]

Min

The sharp edges are a good observation. Yes, they are very sharp.  During bisque firing, would sand, upside down and slow cooling be the answer... Or something else?  Are certain kinds of sand better for this?

Babs

My new standard operation will be flicking platters and pitching if they don't ring true.

What's the logic of not firing all platters?

What's the minimum distance you would have  between the edge of a platter in the elements?

Callie ... Pres

The ultra long drying was an attempt to solve this cracking problem. How slow should I dry these things? Pres talked about a week and 1/2 from throwing to glaze firing? 

[Cracking platters]

Thanks for the input.

Sand, firing upside down and slower cooling it will be.

[Cracking platters]

No, I have not tried putting sand under the platters. I have been putting  five or six 5/16 inch ceramic rods  radiating out from the center of the platter.  Maybe sand would be better.

[Cracking platters]

I'm having severe cracking problems on large 20 inch platters. I think it's from hairline cracks developing during drying. The platters were dried upside down for about four months inside large plastic bags. Every week or so I would open the end of the bag and flush some fresh air through to clear out some of the condensation on the inside of the bag.

Some of the platters were thrown in the traditional pull a cylinder and spread it out technique. Others were made from a slab laid on the bat on the wheel head. It doesn't seem to make any difference which way they were made. Attached are pictures of various styles of cracks.

 

Suggestions please