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Hulk

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Everything posted by Hulk

  1. Hulk
    neph sy, aka nepheline syenite - it's mostly silica and alumina, with significant amounts of sodium and potassium as well. All four are important components of clay and glaze, depending. https://digitalfire.com/material/nepheline+syenite
  2. Hulk
    Hi DJJ! Whilst waiting on response (from clay experts), could you post some pics of your clay (wet, formed, dry, fired...) and identify the location? Folk have been digging, analyzing, classifying, documenting, etc. clay deposits for quite some time; the location might help generate a helpful response - county (in North Carolina?) might be close enough. fwiw, I'm adding a small amount of 80% OM4 ball clay, 10%feldspar, 10% silica to my reclaim (commercial wet pugged); doesn't take much to change the working properties! Hopefully, experienced natural clay harvesters will chi
  3. Hulk
    Hi H! Your 1027 may be older than mine - it's over thirty, for sure! My lid has some flaking and a few worn spots that will shed bits, hence I'm very careful opening and shutting (since getting a few crumbs stuck in glaze, hmm). As you've no doubt found, Skutt can get you wall bricks ok, perhaps not prohibitively expensive, however, the lid and floor are one piece; looks like that lid (w/o hardware), is well over two hundred bucks (new). If your floor is in excellent shape, it may be possible to shift them, however, very likely your floor is not a lid candidate... From there, keeping
  4. Hulk
    Neighbors bbq with charcoal, lighting with lighter fluid - more pollutants for one chicken dinner than my kiln puts out all year. As for power, a firing does consume significant electricity (I'm firing electric), however, our solar array counts for somethin' (mainly for charging the car though). Materials all ship from elsewhere - classify with other crafts that consume equivalent mass? I'd like to think the product is worthwhile.
  5. Hulk
    Hi Sile! Any chance you can test drive some wheels? Your choice may come down to personal preference in shape, sound, pan, height, feel, vibration, control, ? Skutt is in Oregon; there are several big clay stores in Oregon as well (that carry several wheel brands). My opinion, handed-ness has naught to do with preferred wheel direction. I've driven several Brent models (at local JC lab) and my own Skutt, all fine wheels. I do prefer the heavy built in splash pan over the plastic removable - personal preference, eh? I can't imagine ever needing more twist than my Skutt
  6. Hulk
    Pyrometer Ventilation - kiln fumes are bad-oh!
  7. Hulk
    right
  8. Hulk
    Hi E! Good question, hadn't thought about any influence magnesium sulfate might have on my glazes... My guess is the sulfate part burns away in firing; from there, MgO is tracked in the glaze software I'm using - it's a low expansion oxide, yes? The amount I'm using to gel glazes is very small, my second guess is the magnesium part is not significant. It is magic! ...fwiw, I set my specific gravity before adjusting thixotropy (usually with Epsom salt, was using vinegar as well...).
  9. Hulk

    IMG_2651.jpg

    Hulk commented on dhPotter's gallery image in Browse Member Galleries

    IMG_2651.jpg
    It's all about the curve! I'd been ribbing the outside, smoothing the rim, then shaping from the inside. Now I'm ribbing the outside, smoothing the rim, shaping from the inside - a bit past the curve at the bottom and into recurve at the top, then re-shaping with the rib from the outside - back into the curve, and finally, touching up the rim. ...might have it down in a few years...
  10. Hulk
    Hi Louise! Good news (might be) that it takes a while for the crazing to manifest - indicates slight misfit (as opposed, say, to an immediate bb sized craze pattern). Any road, if you're using the same glazes (not new bottles), same firing pattern, but new bag(s) of clay, look to the clay. Hopefully, there's only one new factor to look into...
  11. Hulk
    "I personally only need the wheel to turn one way." Aye, same here - t'other way; the switch would be for most e'body else.
  12. Hulk
    Congrats on your new wheel! If there's a plug, reversing is easy, "...unplug the power cord where it goes into the control box on the wheel and turn it 180 degrees and plug it back in this should reverse the direction of the wheel rotation..." The older models would require reversing wires - if that's the case, I'd install a switch whilst in there.
  13. Hulk
    "... 1 inch clay balls..." - great idea dh! To check spray thickness, I placed a small tape squares (turned an eighth, hence a diamond), which, when pulled off, reveals the thickness. I still poured the liners, then balloon masked the interiors for spraying the exterior, having waxed and cut a sharp line*. Brushing (imo) also involves skill and technique; I be dippin' an' pourin' for now... Here's some liner pours. From there, some will get dipped foot first, overlapping the outside glaze with the liner, just a bit; others will get waxed, cut*, and dipped the other way for a sh
  14. Hulk
    Hoping for good results! Please do post back how it goes. Measuring the wetness of glaze - specific gravity - allows for repeatability; else, it's a variable! Too wet/thin, takes longer to get thickness, then longer for the ware to dry, and more difficult to control drips. Too thick/dry, more difficult to get the desired thickness of glaze (guessing, haven't pressed that end of the spectrum)? More wet/thin, the time window for hitting the desired thickness is bigger, and, given the glaze gels well - has sufficient thixotropy - it levels well and doesn't drip. Yesterday, got through l
  15. Hulk
    measuring, adjusting, and keeping notes on specific gravity - each glaze, for some work better higher/lower - along with tweaking for thixotropy has made, err, is making all the difference in dipping, for me; eliminating runs and drips, consistent/repeatable thickness, faster as well. Should read less runs and drips, and more consistent thickness, still working on it - I have better luck waiting for the moment the glaze begins to change tone, whilst the drip is still liquid but starting to set up near the edge of it, to smooth with a dampened finger, over working with it dried. For thickn
  16. Hulk
    Hi LC! Very cool! Perhaps forum regulars who have experience digging, analyzing, treating, amending, and using "real" clay will chime in here; in meantime, found a reference - see pg B64 (it's pg 72 of the .pdf file) here: https://pubs.usgs.gov/bul/1199b/report.pdf (looks like a 1965 publish date) These docs might also be helpful: https://pubs.usgs.gov/bul/0750g/report.pdf https://pubs.usgs.gov/bul/0750g/report.pdf (extensive testing of clays) Search string "white clay noxubee county ms"
  17. Hulk
    ...bein' curious, was looking for a depiction of the 181 with blank ring, found this wirin' diagram https://skutt.com/images/14.8-181-Box-Wiring-Upgrade.pdf and this old manual https://skutt.com/images/1975-Kiln-Manual-Web.pdf Try searching "181" on Skutt's webpage - there are seven hits.
  18. Hulk
    Hi Nat, The "problem" clays include light red, cafe, very red, and black. Two bisque loads back, I extended the holds to ~20 mins at 750, ~30 mins at 1050, and almost an hour at 1500F; the subsequent glaze fire had no bloats in the black clay pieces... My kiln is fully manual, so it's check, set switches, repeat... That's where the notebook comes in handy, heh. I stuck with the same schedule for the most recent bisque, although almost all the work was "Venus White" and bmix - there were a few cafe (light brown) and light red pieces in there. I'd changed up three things - bisque sched
  19. Hulk
    fwiw, I'm seeing improved results (my problems weren't pin holes, however) from: extended bisque fire; a bit cooler glaze fire; and from there the aforementioned drop, hold and slow cool. ...re-reading this thread, not seeing any discussion of kiln atmosphere - are you venting during both bisque and glaze fires (assuming electric)? Oh, wait, you did add a vent - is it pulling from the kiln; can you smell wax and/or feel warmth at the exhaust end? That air movement through the kiln can make a big difference. The kiln space/room would need a path for "make up" air to enter the space, else t
  20. Hulk
    Hi Nat! You've tried other clays with same glaze, also firing to a lower (and higher) cone, longer/targeted bisque schedule, and holds. My guess was try firing at the lower end of the clay's maturation range... Have you tried an extended hold, e.g., an hour, after drop - perhaps 100F - from peak, then controlled cool (down through 1800F or so)? Wait, you're also getting pin holes using other glazes and clays? Wow, kudos for trying just about everything; hope the culprit, else an alternative, is found soon! Any chance the glaze in question is being used on the outside only?
  21. Hulk
    Hi Luka! If you don't get any response/suggestion, perhaps try contacting ceramic studios in your area and asking where they source supplies. Am seeing reference to "white Georgia clay" - hence, there may be local mines? ...looks like there's some big production near there, e.g. RAK Ceramics... Studio in Tbilisi: https://whitestudio.ge/contact/
  22. Hulk
    For blunging clay, using this - it works great! Got it for a mixing sanded grout - tile project, years ago. Start with at least a half inch drill - even then, careful not to overheat your nice drill motor. Kraft tool DC310
  23. Hulk
    I use a balloon wire whisk (aka "French" whisk) chucked up to my drill motor (added a centered pin in the handle, eh?) to stir glazes (I have a long square edged scraper to work the bottom corner of the bucket); it does a great job. That said, I'm still sieving each glaze for each glazing session. If I were glazing a load every week or so, perhaps I'd skip it ...perhaps.
  24. Hulk
    Hi Mariakat! Suggestions: Watch some accomplished throwers (video clips*); note the variation of techniques for moving clay upward, particularly the initial moves. Wet the clay inside and out before each pull - not too much, but not dry either; some throwers hold a sponge in the palm of their hand to supply water whilst pulling. Keep your fingernails off the wheel, and, as much as possible, and off of the moving clay as well, for they will last longer. Clay responds to pressure, but not immediately; apply your steady pressure and be patient - it will move. It t
  25. Hulk
    Hi Mud! While you're waiting (err, when you wake up?), post depictions of your kiln - images, dimensions/design, burners, etc.
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