: armen - Viewing Profile

The history of modern ceramics was strongly affected by Virginia Wirt, who developed american shinos in the 70s. I seem to find no trace of her after that. Did she continue working in ceramics? Is she still alive?

Hi all,
Would someone be able to recommend the most translucent, white casting slip for me to use for casting some very thin-walled pieces (something that will end up looking like plastic/paper drinking cups), to be fired to cone 6 oxidation or cone 10 reduction, and commercially available? Is bone china slip an option? I'd like something commercially available wet.
Best,
Armen

Hi Folks,
Hoping I can find someone to give me some advice. The studio I'm in has the oft-published Malcolm Davis Shino. As those who have used it know, it's a finnicky glaze. I was wondering about the effects of the following variations in application on a) the amount of crawling, and b ) the amount of carbon trapping. Crawling in particular is something I'd like to avoid as I'm putting this on functional ware. In the best case, i want to decrease crawling and increase carbon trapping.

What are the effects of
1) Drying time before firing. 1-2 weeks vs immediately before loading kiln.
2) Moisture of drying area. Our studio has a 'damp room' which allows for a much more moist atmosphere for drying, vs. drying in the studio.
3) Dampness of the bisqued ware before application. I have seen people mention moistening the bisque before applying MD shino.
... What is the difference between
... a. applying to dry bisque
... b. applying to sponged bisque
... c. applying to soaked, then partially dried (overnight) bisque
4) Thick application vs. thin application


I'm going to do some tests, but would like to hear anything and everything that people have to say about MD shino or carbon trapping shinos in general. our md shino has a strong tendency to crawl.

*EDIT** I should add that these are getting fired in ^10 reduction in a gas kiln

I'm a beginner potter, and I've noticed that throwing pots, especially porcelain it seems, is disastrous for my fingernails. They quickly dry out and chip, fraying at the ends. Being a man, I'm especially unused to anything other than cursory care for my nails, so I'm at a loss as to what may help remedy this situation. Presumably someone here, if not most of you, has experienced this. Is there anything to be done?