One of the effects I like is the sparse "snowflakes" that Steven was getting by very lightly laying 2D blue over the other glazes.  I haven't gotten it to work for me. Is this working for anyone else?  Do you have any specific info on how to get it to work?  Should it be large droplets or a fine mist that gathers together?  Which other glazes does it work with?

 Does anyone have the colorant percentage for Water Color Blue? I have the green recipe, but not the blue.

2D blue works for me on most all glazes.  I spray it lightly.  My sprayers don't make a fine mist...more of an atomized mist but not big droplets.  A couple things I've noted if it is sprayed heavily...makes a big splotch instead of snowflakes; and if on a gloss glaze on porcelain will run like crazy.

Question on December 12, 2010 at 3:27pm :

 Does anyone have the colorant percentage for Water Color Blue? I have the green recipe, but not the blue.

I am fresh off of a Steven Hill workshop 4/10/2011.  If the recipe you have for WC Green has 8% copper carb, reduce that to 6% copper carb and add 1% cobalt carb per Steven Hill.

I just started the micro-crystalline glazing techniques used by Steven Hill. Attached is a photo of Lager glasses glazed with SCM, White Satin Matte and Randy's Red. Note the gold crystals in the RR.Lager.jpg

George, Wright's Water color blue:

George, I don't have the recipe for SCM close by, but if it has potash feldspar, try subbing Neph Sye for the Custer, or other spar. That can lower the maturation of the glaze by two cones. That's one quick fox to try. If that isn't enough, you can lower the clay content by 5, for instance, and up the frit by 5. These are qucik fixes to try without having to run the glaze through a glaze chemistry software.

Often, glazes listed as cone 10 for instance, may actually work one or two cones lower or higher, and the Neph Sy substitution may be enough to reach a desire result.

have you asked Steven Hill?

Just watched Steven's new video ('The Surface Techniques of Steven Hill').  He has a nice clear demo on spraying glazes that this group might find helpful.

I have this video also.  I wonder if the glaze recipes in this video are suitable for bisque?

I use Steven's glazes on both bisque and greenware.  They should be a little thicker if you're glazing greenware, I think.  Otherwise they're fine.

Does the DVD (The Surface Techniques of Steven Hill) include firing schedules?

<---- Has firing for both bisque & Greeenware...

tracy@bluewaterspottery.com

Just sayin....

Dave, yes I think it does.  At least it says "firing schedules and recipes" on the bonus features.  I haven't looked at them yet.  But as Tracy just suggested, the firing schedules for bisque and greenware are different.  The main difference is that the greenware program will ramp slowly and will essentially put a slow "bisque" ahead of the main firing program.  At least that's my impression.

Thanks for the responses. I'll go ahead and order the DVD.

Sarah ~

I use the smaller of the two Harbor Freight guns for all my spraying.  The nozzle right up front of you , if you turn it all the way in , will spray a perfect circle instead of a wide vertical/horizontal line...  Excellent way to spray for the detail accent colors...!

I've used the spray guns from Harbor Freight.  It's ok but seems to clog often. I've since bought a gravity feed spray gun from an auto detail shop...better quality spray gun for about $120.00  Works much better, no clogging and saves me time and aggravation.

At a workshop in May 2011, Steven Hill was recommending the TCP Global 10 piece set (Part# TCP G7000) at this site:

http://www.tcpglobal.com/spraygundepot/tcpgate.aspx

and, hey, they sell parts for them too!

I use the Harbor Freight HVLP guns, and I use their Detail Gun (HF Item 92126) for accent colors as recommended by Steven and the bigger gun to lay down  SCM and other bigger coverage glazes. I was having a clogging problem before the workshop and Steven told me to take out the little plastic filter.  That cured most of my problem, and an occasional block of the tip and backpressure of air to the cup cures the rest. I use a 60 mesh sieve before putting the glaze in the gun.

I've used the Harbor Freight Professional (64 oz.) HVLP gun for several years. It has a pressurized detached pot that makes using the gun much easier than having to hold up a quart or so of liquid. Spraying a odd angles is much easier. Clogging is usually (for me) a matter of sieving the glaze prior to spraying. I had read that Steven had some tendonitis problems with his hands caused by holding the spray guns for long periods of time.

Just use your claybody and sieve it through a kitchen strainer to remove lumps. If you want to deflocculate it, you can use Darvan 7, adding few drops at a time till you get it the way you want it, which may take a bit of practice. Too much and the slip won't hold shape and too little, or too thick slip and the slip won't move the way you want.

Recipe for easy, foolproof slip: (1) spread out your slop clay .5-1" thick; (2) when bone dry, break into pieces and place in bucket; (3) cover with water which will quickly be absorbed by the clay; (4) use hand-held mixer to get smooth consistency (may need to add more water); (5) use rib to push it through 80 mesh sieve. 

June, why are you using Darvan 7 again ?  (sunday morning, brain not working etc )  cp -  by the pond

Not sure if I'm the June you're asking, but I'm not currently using Darvan 7 in any of my glazes or slips.

I had thought that all of Steven Hill's Glazes are food proof..as far as liners, I have been using the Baily's Red, the white glaze. But Steven uses all his glazes for plates, bowls to serve food.

Here's another example of my dipping these glazes - SCM on the rim, Randy's Red and Jen's on the rim (lastly).Cognac%20Gold%20Bowl%20-%20fresh.jpg

CP dunbar,

Here is a link to find the Steven Hill DVD.

http://ceramicartsdaily.org/bookstore/the-surface-techniques-of-ste...

Are the SCM glazes food safe or do you use a liner for inside.  Do you spray the inside as well as the outside?

Steven's new video shows him pouring the glaze into greenware pots.  He comments that the angle is all wrong if you tried to spray the inside.  Of course, all bets are off when the pot is a bowl.  Here spraying is great.

I see a lot of info about SH cone 6 ox glazes but no talk about the clay he uses? anybody know? There seems to be a small window of real vitrification for mid-range stonewares and I would like to find some more clays at that temp.

Try Standard clays. Check their website for descriptions. I believe he uses 551, a very plastic porcelain. 563 might be what you're looking for.

Steven uses Standard 257 porcelain.  I use it now also, but have trouble attaching handles.  Everything seems to crack.  Been doing handles on cups for 15 years. Don't get it??  I'm going to try some "Magic Water" by Tony Clennell next.. We'll see........

Just attended a two day seminar with Steven Hill and he does not use anything but magic water to attach his handles. He made the comment when he used slip he could get cracks also

I'm not using porcelain (b-mix 5). I stopped slipping and scoring about 6 months ago. I use 2 parts water to 1 part white vinegar painted on the surfaces to be joined and I just wiggle and lightly mush the parts together. I have a concern about the sodium silicate in magic water causing a glaze to not absorb at the same rate (thickness) as on pure clay.

I can never remember to buy soda ash, so also use just water with vinegar and have never had problems with cracking as I did when using slip.  No scoring, just water/vinegar on each piece to be joined and, as George said, "wiggle and lightly mush the parts together".  I like things done as simply as possible, as long as they work.

I use slip to attach handles and the like. I "wiggle" them in place. What I've found is that it's necessary for me (I work with porcelain) that my pieces dry slowly. My wife and I went to a restaurant supply store and we found an old two door stainless steel cooler/refrigerator for dirt cheap. Plastic interior, shelves and (most importantly) doors with gaskets in good shape. I really need to slow down/control drying especially when doing slip decoration. This applies to handles and such also. When one recycles clay as I do, vinegar can be an issue, it helps to create and ungodly stench in the slip barrel.

I use Laguna's Frost and Clay Planet's Icelia porcelain. Both fire to translucent. I've suffered with cracking with both clays until I got a grip on the damp-box and controlling the drying.