I do some of my best thinking (and worrying) between 4 am and 6 am. Yesterday was no different. I woke up and suddenly realized that the stoneware plates that I made for an order were supposed to have little slip trailed dots and I had forgotten them! Luckily they hadn't been bisque fired. They were sitting on the ware rack, bone dry.
Typically I slip trail when the pots are leather hard. I learned a lot of slip trailing techniques from a decorator who workded at Salmon Falls Stoneware in Dover, NH. At Salmon Falls, all the decorating is done on bone dry clay, so I knew it wouldn't be a problem to add the dots at this stage. One of the benefits of working on bone dry is that if you screw up, it's easier to scrape off the slip, let it dry completely, then sand the area to remove any color that is left behind. I have had better luck working on leather hard pots. Occasionally, on the dry wares, the slip has broken off. It always seems to happen when your loading the bisque and it's a pain to get out the slip trailer and start doing fixes. These little dots should be fine. If any fall off it's a minor fix.
Many of my best ideas come at 3am. What is up with that!? I would rather be sleeping :)
ReplyDeleteI've always done my decorating and slip deco on wet clay and wonder why if it is done on dry or leather hard clay that it doesn't fall off or flake off because the clay that is leather hard has shrunk some already and the clay applied as slip has not shrunk ? not sure I've explained myself well but perhaps you can under stand ?
ReplyDeleteI guess it's magic! It might also depend on your slip recipe. I have never applied slip to wet clay only leather hard and bone dry.
DeleteMy understanding is that slip for bisque is more reliable if come of the clay is calcined.
DeleteGood for you to remember before the firing started! The kiln gods were hard at work!
ReplyDeleteI have never been able to figure out why I remember stuff between 3 and 4am.....like remembering to pay an almost overdue bill. Thanks the heavens for ability to pay instantly!
I have done the bill thing too! I can't go back to sleep until I get up, log in to my account and get it paid.
Deleteyes, i am pretty damn sharp between 4-6 too :)
ReplyDeleteOh my god, you guys are killing me. I just got out of bed and it's 8am. :) What a slacker!!!
ReplyDeleteI don't usually get up, I just think for a couple of hours and then go back to sleep!
Delete