June 2, 2006, Newsletter Issue #195: Make your own crayons
Tip of the Week
These underglaze crayons can be used to draw on greenware or bisqueware. The work can then be glaze-fired normally.
Difficulty Level: easy Time Required: 120 min
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Here´s How:
Ingredients: White Firing Ball Clay (50%) Potash Feldspar (25%) Flint (Quartz) (25%) Bentonite (5%) Colorant (15%) (Iron Oxide, Copper Carbonate, Cobalt Oxide/Cobalt Carbonate or any undeglaze colorant).
Mix the ingredients with the desired colors and dry sieve the powder through an 80 mesh.
Weigh the ingredients and then measure out 45% of that weight in water.
For every 100 gm (4 ounces) of powder, mix in a teaspoon of sodium silicate to the water.
Add the water to the powder and mix thoroughly with a fork or similar tool.
Roll into a pencil shapes.
After drying, fire the pencils/crayons to 800o - 900o C.
Tips:
Be sure to wear a mask and gloves, if using toxic colorants.
Experiment with different color percentages.
Try out making pencils of different sizes, for different drawing requirements.
Related Resources:
Ceramic Toxic Materials
Thanks to Steven Goldate: http://www.ceramicstoday.com
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