Monday 4 June 2012

Post 17 New bonsai pots

The first 4 have gone through firing and again there are mixed results.
Starting with the two oval pots.

The first one was glazed with a good mid range satin blue.



I'm very happy with the colour and surface. Final dimensions were 425 x 315 x 100 and it fired with minimal deformation, looks good.

The other oval was fired with an overlay glaze, a reasonably transparent dark blue/green over a nutmeg shino. Hard to believe looking at the individual test tiles and the combined result but the overlay on the pot fired very close to the test tile. Final size 415 x 320 x 100


                        
  

 Very nice satin surface and a good mottled colour. This was the first oval out of the mold and it didn't dry as well so a little sag in the pot. All part of the individuality of a hand made pot!

The next one cracked in the bisque firing but I took it to glaze for the test of its survival. Well the crack opened up a little but the pot is still usable, but not for display. This one also developed quite a bit of movement in the firing which I do not understand and would be happy for any advice about that. None the less the glaze turned out really well and I will use it again. Final size 380 x 282 x 91.


 

 The glaze was heavy on the spodumene and both Red Iron Oxide and Yellow Ochre as colourants with some addet Tin Oxide, great mottled colour.

The last one did not fire faithful to the colour test at all. It should have been a cream breaking brown mottle but fired to a clear brown with feint blue speckle, and quite glossy.Final size 373 x 270 x 94.



 Why indeed. It was on the top shelf and may have got a little hotter or the glaze may have been applied a little heavier than the test tile. You can see why all the advice points to finding a glaze that works and sticking to it. Not there yet.

 The final picture just shows the foot detail on the rectangular pots, from underneath.



There are three more in the kiln today for their final firing so more surprises coming up!

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