over reduction disaster

Just make new pots. You'd probably spend more time trying to fix those pots than you'd spend making new ones.

Regards, June

Thanks Donna, I'll give it a try.

Laura

: > On the good side, in my last glaze firing, the unglazed portions of : > stoneware were all toasty and gorgeous. The bad thing is, areas in my old : > updraft kiln that got extra heavy reduction, well...the pots and plates in : > those parts of the kiln came out covered in blisters and pinholes and : almost : > a volcanic rock type texture in some spots. These defects were on glazes : I : > have been using for years so I am 99% positive it was caused by over : > reducing, starting with a 1 hour body reduction at cone 06, ending at a : > heavy reduction for 30 minutes at cone 9-10. I even got red in copper : glazes : > that are always green, so I know I reduced more than I ever have before : and : > wont be doing that again. Nothing about this firing was different other : than : > reducing more than my usual from 06 up till cone 9. The reduction i did at : > the end was the same as always. : >

: > My question is... : > Can I salvage these pots? I have been grinding down and smoothing the bad : > areas with my Dremmel and am hoping to put some more glaze on top of the : > ground down areas and refiring with my next kiln load tomorrow and : > everything will heal. Will refiring with a bit of glaze on top heal the : bad : > areas? Is reglazing really necessary or will the remaining glaze just : > re-melt and smooth out? Not being a chemist, I assume the defects were : from : > some sort of gas escaping or bubbling and the glaze for some reason did : not : > smooth out, but i really dont know. : >

: > I'm keeping my fingers crossed I can save these blasted things. : >

: > Thanks in advance for any advise you can give me : >

: > Laura : >

: >

: :

Hi June, I have a show opening in 12 days and this defective stuff would hopefully bring in quite a bit of money so I'd really like to rescue them if possible. There isnt enough time to get replacements made unfortuneately. I'd follow your advice if it wasnt physically impossible. Thanks for the reply :-)

Laura

"ShantiP1" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@mb-m23.aol.com... : Just make new pots. You'd probably spend more time trying to fix those pots : than you'd spend making new ones. : : Regards, : June :

I doubt if you could save those pots if they are all blistered and pinholed. In 12 days you could make and fire enough pots for a small kiln load. I don't know how big a kiln you have to fill or what kind of work you do; but for regular production work, it is not an impossibility. If those pots have been as overly reduced as you say, there is a good chance the body has been weakened due to carbon coring. Better to do a show with less than to show inferior or damaged pots which can damage your reputation.

Regards, June

Laura, from past experience I have to agree with June; go for (fewer) new pieces and keep your reputation.

Steve Bath UK

In article , ShantiP1 writes

Thanks Steve, I wont be showing any inferior or damaged pots in my show, so unless I have too much wine at the reception and decide to dance on top of a pedestal, I think my reputation will remain intact. I have the stuff refiring now. If the refires look good when they come out I will break one and check for carbon core. If that's not present I will consider showing them. This exhibit is not heavy on functional ware, in fact its 95% is "artsy stuff" with gold and silver leaf, lots of wire and adornments, I'm not worried terribly about "weakened ware" and my reputation being sullied.

June, thanks again for your input. I am not a production potter, what I do doesn't go real fast, sorry I didn't mention that. There sadly aren't enough hours in 12 days to make a small kiln load of stuff to replace the work in question. The work has to be "made", then photographed and included in the catalog. I am a slow moving old woman.

I have the cruddy pots in the kiln with my last minute show stuff. I'll know in about 36 hours if the pinholes and bubbles smoothed over. If not, I wont waste time with refiring if it should happen again.

Laura

: >Regards, : >June : >

Good luck!

Steve

In article , Laura writes

what if you:

assemble a box in the kiln with various kiln shelves stacked up as the walls, fully kiln washed.

stack the overfired pieces into this box in a hap-hazzard maner.

fire the batch as a group ~ they will all stick to each other in a square large clump shaped by the kiln shelf walls.

pull them out, buff away the kiln wash.

mount them on a nice board.

title them:

"disaster relief program"

or

"i wasn't watching"

or

"durable shelf ware"

i'd stack the fired batch in the backyard adding to my already growing yard art...

see ya

steve

steve graber

YES!!!!!! And I will still have time to get a lovely brass plaque made to mount on the board. You are a creative genius.

: >Hi All, : >Can you wise potters out there give me some much needed advise about what to : >do with a bunch of pieces that were over reduced? : >

: >On the good side, in my last glaze firing, the unglazed portions of : >stoneware were all toasty and gorgeous. The bad thing is, areas in my old : >updraft kiln that got extra heavy reduction, well...the pots and plates in : >those parts of the kiln came out covered in blisters and pinholes and almost : >a volcanic rock type texture in some spots. These defects were on glazes I : >have been using for years so I am 99% positive it was caused by over : >reducing, starting with a 1 hour body reduction at cone 06, ending at a : >heavy reduction for 30 minutes at cone 9-10. I even got red in copper glazes : >that are always green, so I know I reduced more than I ever have before and : >wont be doing that again. Nothing about this firing was different other than : >reducing more than my usual from 06 up till cone 9. The reduction i did at : >the end was the same as always. : >

: >My question is... : >Can I salvage these pots? I have been grinding down and smoothing the bad : >areas with my Dremmel and am hoping to put some more glaze on top of the : >ground down areas and refiring with my next kiln load tomorrow and : >everything will heal. Will refiring with a bit of glaze on top heal the bad : >areas? Is reglazing really necessary or will the remaining glaze just : >re-melt and smooth out? Not being a chemist, I assume the defects were from : >some sort of gas escaping or bubbling and the glaze for some reason did not : >smooth out, but i really dont know. : >

: >I'm keeping my fingers crossed I can save these blasted things. : >

: >Thanks in advance for any advise you can give me : >

: >Laura : >

: >

: >

: >

: >

: >

: >

: >

: : : steve graber

ROFLMAL - I have to say - this really works for me. I don't know how many potters will be at your show but at least they would enjoy the image (painfully of course)...

P.S. I would love to hear how the show went...