Okay, so I loved having a day off. While it rained a bit outside, I created a makeshift glaze weighing station. I ended up mixing 7 batches of dry glazes, without the additives. All worked well. I figured out in time (had forgotten!) that Flint is really Silica and that F-4 Feldspar is the closest to Minspar. I mixed test glaze batches- 500 g size. Anyway, I did have one major--- or minor? challenge.
Even though I would zero the scale inbetween each weighing, it sometimes would go off zero easily anytime that ball of clay on the scale (see the right of it) moved. That threw off the entire weighing. It was frustrating. I had to add the clay ball to zero it with the plastic container on it, which I use to hold all the dry ingredients. Question #1: How, how can I zero it without using that plastic ball? The clay ball also changes its weight as time goes on--- drying a bit. Maybe I just need to use the same process and continue to go slow, not bumping that clay ball, making sure it doesn't move.
Also, #2: I'm guessing it doesn't matter when the additives are added in a dry glaze, right?
And, #3: silica--- is it okay to keep that in an airtight container? Mine came in a 50 lb. bag that had some air holes in it.
The good news is that these were only test batches. If a few were mixed incorrectly because of the clay ball moving, I'll find that out after the test glaze firing.
Thanks for your help and insight with these questions--- and for reading!
5 comments:
My scale has a weight that I use to zero out the scale, so the clay ball thing threw me...
Can you do math? I cant but way back when I first started mixing glazes I had an old scale that didn't have the weight thing and I had to use paper and a calculator to figure the container weight in with the chemical, if you have a mathmatic mind unlike me, you could do it that way... For instance if the container weighs one gram and you need five grams of an ingredient, you scale weight would be six grams. Does that make sense?
tracey- you're funny--- yes, i can do math. I could do it that way, adding and all--- was just wondering if there's some other magical way. yes, what you said makes sense. I may just have to do it that way... thanks for your insight!
If there is a magic way, I don't know of it. The scale I have has a tare weight, I ordered the one with that weight because I knew the math would irritate me haha!
It was more money, but Gerry gave it to me for Christmas, so I let him pay for it :)
My scale has a tare weight too. (I wouldn't have remembered "tare" if Tracey hadn't said it.
I wondered if a few loops of heavy gauge wire would zero it out, but if they move on the beam one way or the other I suppose the weight could get thrown off.
I know what you mean about the different names for glaze materials. A studio I used to work in had a glaze room alias poster. Came in handy. Before I moved, I copied it onto notebook paper. I still have to check it sometimes.
Melissa- thanks! May try finding some gauge wire and tape it to the scale- great idea! I've been using my iphone to find out multiple glaze names.
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