|
|
October 2006 Issue
#43
Published by
Gary R. Ferguson – Raku Artist
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~--~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
In This Issue
* While the Smoke Clears – Books, Books, Books
* Hang Tags in time for Christmas
* Unstoppable Glaze
* Two Halves of the Same Pot
* Global Warming with Raku
* Raku Links
* Workshops
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
* Unstoppable Glaze
Len wrote:
While I was receiving instructions concerning the repair
(installation of new elements) of my electric kiln, the
expert told me to be sure to remove the glaze drips from
the bottom of the kiln, as they would eventually produce a
hole in the bottom of the kiln as they gradually work their
way through the brick. Yesterday, during a Raku fund
raiser, a piece of kiln shelf wound up with a hole
completely through the shelf. I saved the shelf piece,
which clearly shows a hole and glaze on both sides of it.
Is this the same phenomenon? Can glaze actually work its
way through glaze shelves if you don't chip it off and
apply kiln wash?
Very interesting question.
First I attempt to explain the glaze on brick phenomenon.
Firebrick is very porous (full of holes like Swiss cheese).
When the glaze drips on the brick it fills some of these
holes. Then when it cools (and shrinks), it actually
breaks some of this fragile brick. If the glaze is left on
there for repeated firing, the glaze will continue to
liquefy, seep further into the brick, cool, solidify, and
break/crack the brick more. If this process repeats enough
times, yes the glaze can "eat" all the way through the
brick.
Now a kiln shelf on the other hand is a little different. A
kiln shelf is made of much tougher stuff and is not as
porous as kiln brick. The main reason you want to get the
glaze on kiln shelves is to keep them smooth and flat and
to prevent them from fusing to kiln furniture or your
pieces. I would think it would be highly unlikely the kiln
shelf developed a hole with the same process as the kiln
brick above. I would think someone would have had to grind
a hole through (or almost through) the kiln shelf (by
repeatedly removing dripped glaze) and then possibly during
the lasting firing a glaze drip finally "broke" through the
shelf.
Just a guess, but I think it would take more than just
glaze to "eat" through a kiln shelf.
~-~-~
After reading Sue's book I discovered dozens of tips,
techniques, and methods of creating Raku beads and jewelry
that I never would have thought of. The hundreds of color
photos are not only instructional but inspiring as well.
There is a new idea to try on almost every page. This book
is a gold mine!" http://www.rakubeadjewelry.com
~-~-~
.
|
|
|
Books
Raku
Glazes
Raku
Secrets
Raku
Beads
Learn
Dozens of Hints, Tips and Techniques in the free monthly newsletter
Just
Raku
Just enter the primary email address above and click subscribe
Privacy
Policy - Your email address or other personal information will only be
used for this newsletter. It will never be given, rented, or sold to any
other party for any other purposed.
|
Raku Secrets
Raku Glazes
Raku Beads
Got Raku?
|
