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About Rick Wise
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Rick Wise
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Jackson MS
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Wheel thrown functional pottery
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Flocculation Problem / Advise needed
Rick Wise replied to Rick Wise's topic in Clay and Glaze Chemistry
No, the ash was "washed" so most of the lime was gone. But then "washed" is kind of relative, right? There's always a little more lime to get out. -
Flocculation Problem / Advise needed
Rick Wise replied to Rick Wise's topic in Clay and Glaze Chemistry
Ooops. Any way to "undo" this? -
Flocculation Problem / Advise needed
Rick Wise replied to Rick Wise's topic in Clay and Glaze Chemistry
Uh .... that would be "advice needed". -
I recently flocculated my standard glazes with epsom salts for the first time. Happily, there was a noticeable improvement in the way they covered the bisqueware and in their resistance to "hard panning". In my enthusiasm, I then added some of the same epsom salt solution to my Ash Glaze even though it never settles out much and did not really need flocculation. To my surprise the only change has been that it now settles out much MORE than before. In other words, my attempt to flocculate appears to have backfired with that one glaze. (The glaze is just red earthen ware slip and wood ash
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I find that boxes of clay I purchase may hang around my studio for quite a while before being used. Does anyone have tips about the best way to store clay long term without it drying out? (I know all the methods for moistening a block if needed. What I'm looking for is a way to store clay that avoids the drying out in the first place.)
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2Relaxed reacted to a post in a topic: Flocculation and specific gravity
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Flocculation and specific gravity
Rick Wise replied to Rick Wise's topic in Clay and Glaze Chemistry
Back to my original question ("does flocculation change SG?") I'm with 2Relaxed above. No real change. To change SG one would have to add some mass (or weight) to the mixture (beyond the nominal weight of the epsom salt solution). That BC mountain air must promote clear thinking. -
Flocculation and specific gravity
Rick Wise replied to Rick Wise's topic in Clay and Glaze Chemistry
It threw me also the first time I read it but now I'm thinking that he is giving us a back-handed specific gravity read on it. -
Hulk reacted to a post in a topic: Flocculation and specific gravity
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Flocculation and specific gravity
Rick Wise replied to Rick Wise's topic in Clay and Glaze Chemistry
Indeed! -
Flocculation and specific gravity
Rick Wise replied to Rick Wise's topic in Clay and Glaze Chemistry
Very helpful article, thanks Peter. -
Flocculation and specific gravity
Rick Wise replied to Rick Wise's topic in Clay and Glaze Chemistry
My eyes have been opened to the benefits of flocculation! I had thought of it only as something you do when you encounter a problem with your glaze, as opposed to a regular step in the formulation of a good glaze. I flocculated my 3 standard glazes -- glazes that I thought were working fine -- and was amazed at the improvement. When I compared the results it was obvious how much better the newly flocculated glazes went on and how well they covered with a nice smooth, full layer of glaze. Would love to hear any advice about how often or under what circumstances one needs to "re-floccula -
Flocculation and specific gravity
Rick Wise replied to Rick Wise's topic in Clay and Glaze Chemistry
"I can't imagine why it would change as SG is simply a ratio of weight to volume." 2Relaxed Good point. That makes sense to me -
Flocculation and specific gravity
Rick Wise replied to Rick Wise's topic in Clay and Glaze Chemistry
But: If we assume that it is well stirred and that consequently all materials are suspended in the water prior to the flocking, will the flocking change the SG reading? -
I'm still trying to get my arms around this concept of "flocculation and deflocculation". Specifically, here is my question: If I measure a glaze's specific gravity, and it is "X", and I then flocculate the glaze by adding epsom salts, will I then find that the specific gravity of the glaze has changed? If so, will it be higher or lower? The flocculation process makes the glaze seem "thicker" so I am assuming the SG has increased, but ...........?