Monday 12 November 2012

Glaze Firing #2


... well, it was better. Glaze is now looking much clearer, thicker and shinier... all good things. I'm still having an issue with the glaze coming off on rims and fine points, but nothing like it was last time. It's getting so nearly there. The colour is better too, both of the pot body and the glaze.. i added some iron to the glaze... i need to add a little bit more to get what i want. Now, if i could only figure out how i can get the glaze to just stay put. Next I'm going to tweak the glaze temp, i only changed the bisc temp this time, i didn't want to change both and not know where i was. It's going to be tricky as I'm restricted by the mini cone choices, although i can tweak this with the position of the cone on the pins.
Anyway, now i need to make some more stuff to test. This means more throwing practice for me! I want to put some photos up of them , but my camera (well, phone) doesn't want to work with me on that one! I'll get some soon. here's a little snap to keep you going (he lost the glaze off the tip of his nose : ( )







3 comments:

  1. glad things went better. I have thrown out so many kiln loads, I hate to even think about it. Wish there was an easier way to get pottery made, but then everyone would be doing it! Test test test!!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Good to hear!! Yay! I have no idea why that glaze is popping off. Keep at it man.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Neither have I Ron, but i wish it wouldn't!.. it does take the stress out of dipping them in the glaze as i don't have to worry about ruining the pot, the kiln will do that for me! I'm now figuring whether to take the bisc down one more, it's 09(but that's mini cone, which are one out from regular as they're dainty and melt one sooner) or whether to focus on the glaze temp, which is mini 03, and i'm assuming around the 1093ºC range... going on 100º/hr, don't see how i can get my kiln to work 60º and be more like 1086º. The next available mini cone 04 is too low 1070º. Oy vey! That's why I'm thinking i can slide the cone towards it's thinner end and get the 1093 down into the 1080's. So there's still some more pain to come my way! but it was nice to see things nearly looking like pots and the areas coming off are much finer. I was worried it was more the slip and the glaze, but i have a bare clay pot and that lost some on the rim too. Well, i did take this up as a challenge and to learn! I'll figure it out, but it's holding me back on the making side!!!!
    Tracey, i hear ya... it's nice to see the progress though and that's how you learn.. if it had all gone right the first time, i wouldn't have understood anything, I'd just keep repeating it. I would have great pots though!! damm!

    ReplyDelete