Monthly Tech-Tip from Tony HansenI will send practical posts like these (from thousands I maintain). No ads or tracking. We are troubleshooting the confirm email, for now you will be subscribed immediately (the first monthly email will provide one-click unsubscribe). BlogHere is my setup to make brushing glazes and underglazes by-the-jar![]() Let's make a low SG version of G2934BL, totally DIY. Weigh out a 340g batch of dipping glaze powder. Include 5g Veegum (to gel the slurry to enable more than normal water) and 5g CMC gum (to slow drying and impart brushing properties). Measure 440g of water initially (adjusting later if needed). Shake-mix all the powder in a plastic bag. Pour it into the water, which is blender mixing on low speed, and finish with 20 seconds on high speed. This just fills a 500ml jar. In subsequent batches, I adjust the Veegum for more or less gel, the CMC for slower or faster drying and the water amount for thicker or thinner painted layers. Later I also assess whether the CMC gum is being degraded by microbial attack - often evident if the slurry thins and loses its gel. Dipping glaze recipes can and do respond differently to the gums. Those having little clay content work well (e.g. reactive and crystalline glazes). If bentonite is present it is often best to leave it out. Recipes having high percentages of ball clay or kaolin might work best with less Veegum. Keeping good notes (with pictures) is essential to reach the objective here: Good brushing properties. We always use code-numbering (in our group account at Insight-live.com) and write those on the jars and test pieces. This is so worthwhile doing that I make quality custom labels for each jar! Context: CMC Gum, Where do I start.., Glazing large bowls inside-and-out.., Brushing glazes on large.., Blending an engobe and.., Medium fire white bodies.., Two low fire transparent.., Make and sell your.., A 2oz jar of.., Amaco PC-2 vs Ravenscrag.., Here s how we.., Control gel using Veegum.., Learn to mix any.., Two methods to make.., Blender Mixing, Brushing Glaze Tuesday 11th February 2025 What is the best 3D mechanical design software for ceramics in 2025?![]() CAD software and 3D printing are a potential revolution in vessel mold-making for ceramics (3D modelling is another topic). But there are two big problems: There is no way a potter, hobbyist or even small manufacturer can afford the typical software cost. While it is true most have free or low-cost trial or hobby versions, the strings attached are deal breakers. The second problem is the complexity of learning - that can be a bigger obstacle than cost. Context: G-Code 3D Printer instructions.., Fusion 360 on YouTube , Getting a consultant on.., All-in-one 3D printed block.., 3D Modeling, 3D Design, 3D-Printing Monday 10th February 2025 Marbling stained porcelains - Watch out for firing shrinkage differences![]() Stains can and do influence the degree of vitrification of a porcelain. Some stains will make a porcelain more refractory (decreasing fired shrinkage), others will make it more vitreous (increasing the firing shrinkage). Obviously, the greater the percentage of stain the greater the effect. Stained porcelains having differing fired shrinkages will stress at boundaries in accordance with the degree of difference in their fired shrinkages. In this piece, you can see how the boundary between the red (more vitreous) and green (less vitreous) porcelains is the point-of-failure. The only solution is to adjust the porcelain recipe to move the fired maturity in a direction that counterbalances the effect of the stain. For example, you could employ three recipes (regular, more vitreous, less vitreous) and use the indicated one for each stain added. Context: Marbling, Firing Shrinkage Monday 10th February 2025 Testing your own native clays is easier than you think![]() Some simple equipment is all you need. You can do practical tests to characterize a local clay in your own studio or workshop (e.g. our SHAB test, DFAC test, SIEV test, LDW test). You need a gram scale (preferably accurate to 0.01g) and a set of callipers (check Amazon.com). Some metal sieves (search "Tyler Sieves" on Ebay). A stamp to mark samples with code and specimen numbers. A plaster table or slab. A propeller mixer. And, of course, a test kiln. And you need a place to put all the measurement data collected and learn from it (e.g. an account at insight-live.com). Context: Shrinkage/Absorption Test, How to Find and.., Mother Nature's stoneware and.., These are behind the.., A must-have Laboratory variable.., Heavy duty mixer mounted.., Niko Leung finding and.., Get a kitchen blender.., Why you need to.., Case Study Testing a.., Characterization, Clay body, Native Clay, Brick Making, Digitalfire Insight-Live, Physical Testing, Slurry Up Wednesday 29th January 2025 Standard 3/8 inch mold natchAvailable on the Downloads page ![]() Once you try these you will never go back to making molds without them. Unfortunately, these are not easy to get in North America. Or even online. But you can 3D print them yourself (we use PLA filament). This design interlocks with standard 3/8" natches used in industry. There are more aspects to printing and using these than meets the eye, here are some aspects to know: Context: Coming soon Throw the.., 3D printed three-piece jigger.., CAD drawing for 3D-printing.., Mold Natches, F3D Wednesday 29th January 2025 The best way to make black clay: Don't.![]() To prove that using an engobe is the best way to make a black cone 6 stoneware clay surface consider the mug on the left, a version of L4768E. This is not the best way but it is the one most used (and what Plainsman Clays does with Coffee Clay). This is a DIY mix, the darkest that it is practical (I used the hyper-red burning C-Red clay as a base, thus needing much less umber to darken it). While it looks black beside red burning bodies, beside this true black it doesn't, First, it is not a body, it is just a thin veneer of stained porcelain engoben (if the surface is all we see why stain it all the way through?). That being said, some people need a totally black and safe clay, like this one, and can afford to make it themselves (if that is you try using the L4053B recipe as a starter). Get a plaster table and a propeller mixer and you will be unstoppable! Context: A special gummed engobe.., L3954J black engobe on.., Stained engobes can be.., Brushing engobe fitted to.. Monday 27th January 2025 What does Goldart look like if you fire it by itself?![]() Goldart (left) compared to Plainsman Midstone (right). Goldart is a buff and vitreous stoneware at cone 10R. These are fired at cone 7, 8, 10 oxidation and 10 reduction (bottom to top). Soluble salts in the Goldart impart a darker coloration to the reduction fired bar). The Midstone has some coarser particles that make for larger speckles in reduction. Saturday 25th January 2025 Are you a doctor? Prescribe pottery!![]() These two AI dotors are really with the plan! Everyone knows the calming effect pottery can have, no wonder it is recommended over chemicals as a way to deal with stress. Pottery acts as a form of meditation, creative therapy, and stress relief all rolled into one. The MidJourney.com AI doctor on the right is perfecting his skills at home before recommending them to patients. His six-fingered hands doubtless improve quality of the ware. The Google Gemini doctor on the left is very serious about the potential of pottery, having integrated her potter's wheel right into her office desk. She is a very clean thrower also. Pottery offers a unique combination of benefits that can be therapeutic for those dealing with stress and depression: Context: Where do I start.. Thursday 23rd January 2025 New Facebook group: CAD+3D = Molds for Ceramics![]() It is about using consumer 3D printers (and mostly PLA filament) and professional CAD software (now available for DIYers) to make plaster molds for ceramics. It prioritizes being green, learning to formulate and use your own casting bodies and glazes. Here is what you'll gain: Context: Join our Facebook group.. Thursday 23rd January 2025 Stained engobes can be applied thinly yet fire opaque![]() This black engobe, L3954F, is on a cone 6 buff stoneware (at leather hard stage). It contains only 7.5% Mason 6600 black stain. How is that possible? Why do people add so much more to their underglazes? Because this recipe has been tuned to have the same degree of maturity as the body - it therefore fires totally opaque. This contrasts with underglaze/engobe recipes containing significant frit, among other issues, their vitreous nature renders them translucent. Thus, up to 40% stain is needed to crowbar their opacity enough to intensify color. And a thicker application (that carries other issues). Context: Absolutely jet-black cone 6.., The best way to.., Engobe Thursday 23rd January 2025 | Contact MeUse the contact form at the bottom on almost all the pages on this site or let's have a Other ways to Support My WorkSubscribe to Insight-Live.com. It is about doing testing and development, not letting the information slip away. Starts at $15 for 6 months. Help Me on Social
Login to your online account Chemistry plus physics. Maintain your recipes, test results, firing schedules, pictures, materials, projects, etc. Access your data from any connected device. Import desktop Insight data (and of other products). Group accounts for industry and education. Private accounts for potters. Get started. Download for Mac, PC, Linux Interactive glaze chemistry for the desktop. Free (no longer in development but still maintained, M1 Mac version now available). Download here or in the Files panel within your Insight-live.com account. What people have said about Digitalfire
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