[Hermes]

The major aim of my posts in this series is to emphasize on keeping records of all what you in the studio. I can assure you this is extremely helpful to learn and to increase ones experience.
The posts started somewhat 'upside -down' with the intention to show that there is more than just keeping track of a recipe or a firing. Nevertheless, I repeat that everything related to your work is worth to be recorded.
I use Filemaker Pro as the database system. For sure, there are other means. It depends what is useful and available for you.
I try to put a screen dump of the main page (layout: 'Full Info') here. It is very big window and I need to scroll to see everything. The picture may by this be of low quality, sorry for that.

The best is that I give a breakdown what fields are used and what they contain per record. Each record contains the full information of one ceramic piece. Fortunately, Filemaker allows to make different layouts, so that one can obtain a customized window with less cluttered fields.



Fields Content

Bisque number: I use unique numbers for each piece. The format is: yymmdd plus a suffix for each object of that day.

Firing date: The date of the glaze firing

Clay: The type of clay used

Slip: The type of slip used if any

Glaze: The glaze code

Kiln type /program : Gas kiln or electric (with ramp program n°)

Atmosphere : Oxidation or Reduction

Reduction from : Temperature at which the reduction is started

Glaze T°: Cone number at which the glaze is fired

Cone T° range : If any, the temperature range in which glaze can be fired

Re-fired : If the piece had to be re-fired: date

Type: Earthenware, Stoneware, Porcelain, Raku

Object description : Brief description of the ceramic object

Glaze remark : Remarks on glaze: faults, appreciation...

Original comment : If the glaze came from a book or elsewhere: the comment of the author

General : General comment on the object: esthetics, faults, intended use, ...

Source : Reference to the article or book where the glaze came from

Score : (for fun) number of stars as appreciation from 0 (= destroyed) to 5 stars

Glaze recipe (box): The glaze recipe with the colorants added separately

Picture: Picture of the object

Detail : Macro picture of glaze detail

Firing diagram : As shown in part I

Si/Al plot : As shown in part II

Ternary plot : As shown in part III

Limit graph : As shown in part IV

Thermal expansion graph: As shown in part V

INSIGHT Data general : Si/Al, SiB/Al, thermal expansion, LOI, ...from INSIGHT

INSIGHT Chemistry : Unity formula, Limits and Molar %

Further, there are knobs and links to shortcut to other layouts, databases ...
Several fields contain drop-down menu's for easy completion.
For multiple glazes applied on the object, tabs are provided to show the respective recipes

My database contains over 500 records today.

I hope this all helps to keep things organized and is helpful to increase the potter's experience.






PS:

From Wikipedia:

Hermes was a god of transitions and boundaries. He was quick and cunning, and moved freely between the worlds of the mortal and divine, as emissary and messenger of the gods,^[1] intercessor between mortals and the divine, and conductor of souls into the afterlife. He was protector and patron of travelers, herdsmen, thieves,^[2] orators and wit, literature and poets, athletics and sports, invention and trade.^[3] In some myths he is a trickster, and outwits other gods for his own satisfaction or the sake of humankind.


So, girls and boys, think what you like...

.... and....

For more information on glaze chemistry, visit my pages at:

http://users.telenet...ics%20menu.html