Comment

Comment by Joseph Fireborn on December 28, 2015 at 8:04am

So then your firing this cup in a cone 6 electric kiln and getting these results because of the salt brine. That is pretty awesome.

Comment by Norm Stuart on December 25, 2015 at 9:38pm

Traditional salt firing simply adds dry salt to a hot kiln.  Ron Mello dunks bisque in a salt brine prior to glazing, which I imagine would greatly reduce wear on the kiln.

It's similar, in a way, to what I do with paper clay. On the west coast of America, Laguna Clay sells only Max's Cone 10 paper clay which remains very porous and breakable after a firing to Cone 6.

Rather than pay for a shipment of their Florida-made Sybil's Cone 6 paper clay to California, I dunk bisqued Cone 10 paper clay ware in a solution of 50% sodium carbonate and 50% lithium carbonate and dry prior to glazing. This adds the missing flux the Cone 10 paper clay needs to densify at Cone 6. Sodium leads to a higher COE which is offset somewhat by the lithium.

Comment by Joseph Fireborn on December 25, 2015 at 8:23am

Can you explain what you mean by used soda ash as brine? Are you just soaking this pot in a bag of soda ash wet? It is a very beautiful pot, however you did it, great work.

Comment by Ron Mello on January 20, 2014 at 12:06pm

Hi Norm,

Actually, I used soda ash for the brine. I will have to try the silicate too..

Comment by Norm Stuart on January 20, 2014 at 11:57am

Have you ever tried sodium carbonate as brine instead of sodium chloride?

Comment by Ron Mello on January 20, 2014 at 4:25am

The color is a glaze that was poured over the dried salt brine soaked stoneware adding depth reduction and color to the clay and glaze.

Comment by Shine Chisholm on January 19, 2014 at 2:24pm

no glaze at all? the color is just the salt?