The biggest issue is that it stains and reacts somewhat corrosively with just about everything.
Case in point- don’t use a metal banding wheel (until you’re really ready to get a new metal banding wheel), and if you spray the glaze, wash the gun parts thoroughly.
AgNO3 also alters the pH, thereby severely flocculating the glaze base you’re adding it to.
If you like glazing with “thick pudding”, or having to thin it with so much water that it cracks and peels like desert mud upon drying, then you’ll love silver nitrate!
A parallel problem is that it it doesn’t play well with CMC. AgNO3 knocks the CMC out of solution… and into these neat little gobs of “putty”. Imagine trying to add bits of chewed gum to a glaze and mixing. –It’s as wonderful as it sounds, really.

In terms of Silver Carbonate, Oxide, Chloride, Nitrate, etc –all of it breaks down to that white horse eventually.
At around 400°F, Silver Carbonate (Ag2CO3) turns to Silver Oxide (Ag2O)… then about 125°F later, to Silver powder. During all of this, it releases CO2 and O2 –which is why (little trivia for ya) they use it in space and underwater to “clean/scrub” the air of the carbon dioxide that all the ____nauts and submariners are expelling.

Bill Campbell used straight “Silver Powder” when he played with it… I believe Fara Shimbo used it as well (along with additions of “PMC Clay”, if memory serves).
My concern is how it reacted with the glaze in terms of mixing, application, drying, firing, etc, so I switched away from the nitrate form.
I am currently using Silver Chloride. There may be better, or simply “other” options, but you’ll have to do the math find the equivalent amount to add.

More than likely you will never see the difference of adding silver to a glaze fired in oxidation, so you’ll also have to perform a reduction firing to get it to reveal it’s beauty.

Hi-yo, Silver!

I’ve fired several kilns in the past using both “standard” (15 gauge) and “heavy duty” (14 gauge) elements. With either, once the coils start leaning in on each other and bunching up in the corners, their performance declined quickly.
Most of those past firings were in the ^9-10 range, occasionally pushing for a “soft ^11″. After about 15-20 firings, the elements would show the leaning and bunching described above. Past that, I’d average 25-35 firings total before the rate of rise to peak was noticeably slowed, and my firings suffered.

Currently, I’ve performed almost forty ^11-12 (true 90° bend on a self-supporting cone) firings* with the JD18-JH.
When graphed, my rate of rise is still tight with the programmed set point line, and ohm readings taken after each firing remain the same… but hey, pictures are worth a thousand words:

Unfired 12 gauge Kanthal A-1 Elements:

…the same elements, after the 37th ^11-12 firing:

The elements settled nicely into the element holders after the first firing… aside from that, and the oxidation coating on the metal, the elements appear to be in perfect condition.

My Current View on Kanthal A-1 vs. APM Wire:

With A-1’s being less than half (almost 1/3) the price of APM’s, the latter would need to possess at least 3-4 times the life span of the former to qualify the difference in price. One could argue that the downtime associated with replacing the elements factors into the equation; however, if I can get 100+ firings in between element changes, I’ll really have to consider whether I want to replace them with APM’s. My reasoning here, is that accidents can happen with either… For instance, if a bit of glaze, ceramic, or even so much as a few grains of sand fall onto your APM element, I don’t imagine that it would have a better survival rate over any other wire. At that point, replacement costs can really hit home.

*Note: For the record, there are also nine ^04 bisque (I usually use my other kiln for this), and sixteen low temp luster/ glass enamel firings on this element set.

These firings were performed in a 7 cu.ft. L&L JD230HD with:

• Single phase/240v
• Computer-controller w/ “type S” thermocouples,
• 3″ K23 softbrick (walls, floor, and lid).
• Standard (small) gauge elements… which were not new, but not worn out either. They had eleven firings (four ^04 bisques, and seven peaking at 2345-2355F) total on them when the meter was hooked up.

The meter was zero’d out prior to installation, and I kept track of the energy consumption by photographing the dials as reference.

Firing 1: Peak at 2345 F Hold for 2 minutes + 5 hours of holds b/t 2000 and 1900 F.
Reading: 87 Kw.

The national average for a kilowatt hour was 9 cents,
87kw/h x $0.09 =
Cost: $7.83

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Firing 2: “Fast Glaze” program to ^018 (1384F).

Reading: 104 kw/h - 87 = 17 kw/h used.
Cost: $1.53
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Firing 3: 270F/hr to 2000F.

Reading: 139 kw/h - 104 = 35 kw/h used.
Cost: $3.15
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There were seven firings total, all yielding the same costs (give or take a few cents) per firing.

It would have been nice to see what the difference was in terms of new elements vs. the ones at this stage –and even vs. aged elements (although I rarely let mine get that far gone). But since this meter was on temporary loan from the power company, I was still interested in seeing these readings, and I think they may represent the longest stage in terms of the elements lifespan.

I currently have a meter hooked up to my JD18-JH …you can see those readings as they progress HERE.

Main Kiln Energy Consumption Page.

8399 Roelke Rd. · Blue Mounds, WI 53517
Phone: 608.333.9840 · Email: latticestructures@gmail.com
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Ceramic Chemist/Artistic Craftsman:
Decorative porcelain art, fused with macro crystalline glazes, metallic luster, & glass enamel on wheel thrown, lathed, & hand altered clay.

Owner: LatticeStructures™ and Wiseman Ceramics
Co-Owner: Wiseman~Marie Studios

Education

2003 - 2005 University of Missouri - Kansas City, MO
Graduate Level Art History Studies

1997 - 2000 University of Wisconsin - Whitewater
Emphasis in Studio Art & Ceramic Chemistry
Bachelor of Arts : Ceramics

1993 - 1997 University of Wisconsin - Whitewater
Bachelor of Arts : Psychology
Minor : Metalsmithing, Jewelry, & Small Sculpture.

1991 - 1993 Brevard College, NC
Associate of Arts Degree

Exhibitions

September, 2008 (Scheduled)
Crystal on Porcelain Exhibition
Fürstenberg Porcelain Manufactory, Germany.

June, 2008 (Scheduled)
International Museum for Porcelain, Hohenberg, Bavaria.

March, 2008 (Current)
Abenteuer Kristallglasur Exhibit
Villeroy & Boch Museum of Ceramics, Mettlach, Germany.

September 2007
Krystallos Exhibit
Stonewall Gallery - Campbell Pottery, Pennsylvania.

May 2007
International Artists Exhibit
In conjunction with the 2007 Korean World Ceramics Biennale
Incheon City/ Seoul, South Korea
September 2005
LatticeStructures™ Exhibition
Curator/ Exhibitor
Red Star Studio Gallery Kansas City, MO

September 2004
Byron C. Cohen 10th Anniversary Exhibit
Gallery Artist
Byron C. Cohen Gallery for Contemporary Art Kansas City, MO

Summer 2004
Under A Blue Moon Exhibit & Benefit
Exhibitor
Powell Gardens Lee’s Summit, MO

Spring 2003
Karl Borgeson & Friends Exhibit
Exhibitor
Crossman Gallery University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

March - May 2002
Fired Up : NCECA ‘02
Exhibitor
Byron C. Cohen Gallery for Contemporary Art Kansas City, MO

December 2001
Carnegie Art Center Exhibit
Leavenworth, KS

December 2001
Red Star Studios Holiday Exhibit
Exhibitor
Red Star Studio Gallery Kansas City, MO

Spring 2001
Red Star Studios Spring Exhibit & Sale
Exhibitor
Red Star Studio Gallery Kansas City, MO

April 2000
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Ceramics & Metals Exhibit
Exhibitor
University Center Gallery University of Wisconsin-Whitewater

April 1999
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Ceramics & Metals Exhibit
Exhibitor
University Center Gallery University of Wisconsin-Whitewater

June 1999
Cambridge Pottery Festival
Exhibitor
Cambridge, WI

June 1998 - August 2001
Wells Clay Works Gallery
Commissioned Exhibitor
Wells Clay Works Gallery Cambridge, WI

April 1998
UW-Whitewater Ceramics & Metals Exhibit
Exhibitor
University Center Gallery University of Wisconsin-Whitewater

Awards & Grants

April 2000
Art Department Scholarship Award
Advanced Ceramics
University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

November 1999 - March 2000
National Conference of Undergraduate Research Grant
Anodized Titanium and Niobium
Exhibited Work and Research in: Missoula, MT; Madison, WI; Oshkosh, WI; and Whitewater, WI.
University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

November 1999 - March 2000
National Conference of Undergraduate Research Grant
Crystalline Glaze Chemistry
Exhibited Work and Research in: Missoula, MT; Madison, WI; Oshkosh, WI; and Whitewater, WI.

April 1999
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Juried Art Show
Crossman Gallery University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

April 1998
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Juried Art Show
Crossman Gallery University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

Curating/Organizing

September 2007
Krystallos: Assistant to Bill Campbell
Campbell Pottery, Cambridge Springs, Penn

May 2006
Peter Ilsley Crystalline Workshop
Assistant to Kris Friedrich
Palm Springs, CA

February 2006
Kris Friedrich/ Paul Geil Crystalline Workshop
Guest Assistant
Huntington Beach, CA

September 2005
LatticeStructures™ Kansas City, MO
Curator and Organizer
Two-day International Crystalline Ceramics Exhibit & Symposium involving Industrial Specialists & Artists from Australia, Canada, S. Korea, The United Kingdom, and the U.S. *14 Presenters, 22 Exhibitors, 100+ Audience.
Red Star Studios Ceramics Center & Screenland Special Event Facility.

Fall 2002
Lotus Series Exhibit
Assistant to Artist: Monika JM. Lin
Lightbox Gallery Kansas City, MO

April 2000
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Ceramics & Metals Exhibit and Sale
Organizer and Exhibitor
University Center Gallery University of Wisconsin-Whitewater

April 1999
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Ceramics & Metals Exhibit
Organizer
University Center Gallery University of Wisconsin-Whitewater

1999 - 2000
Multiple Exhibit Display Coordinator
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Center of the Arts Atrium
Atrium Art Display Coordinator - Assistant to Crossman Gallery Director Michael Flanagan
Center of the Arts Atrium University of Wisconsin-Whitewater

June 1996-1998
Cambridge Pottery Festival
Event Assistant

Publications

Art to Art Palette (US) January 23-February 5, 2008. Ralph Stuckman.

Revista Internacional Ceramica (Spain), “Cristalizaciones” By Diane Creber. Issue 106, 2007. J. Hull: Featured artist and recipe contributor.

The Craft Report: (US), July 2007. p.14. Featured and Quoted Artist.

Ceramic Arts Daily (US), April 11, 2007. “Crystalline Glazes: Lattice Structures” by Jesse Hull.

Ceramics Monthly: Online Exclusive (US), March 2007. J. Hull: Featured artist & recipe contributor.

Clay Times (US), November/December 2006, p.20 . “Crystalline Workshops 2005-2006”. by Diane Creber. J. Hull: Featured artist & recipe contributor.

Ceramic Review (UK), September/ October, 2006. “Crystalline Glaze Workshops -Kansas City & Palm Springs”. by Diane Creber. J. Hull: Featured artist & recipe contributor.

Ceramics Monthly (US), June/July 2006, p.30. “LatticeStructures” by Jesse W Hull. Author of article and curator/organizer of event.

Art Review, Kansas City (US), September, 2005.

Kansas City Star (US), August-September, 2005.

Ceramics Monthly (US), June-August 2005.
Full Page Announcement: LatticeStructures™, Graphics: Leah Shea.

Ceramics Art and Perception (AU), June 2005, p. 119.
Half-Page announcement: LatticeStructures™, Graphics: Leah Shea.

Demonstrations & Lectures

May 2006
Geil JH-10 computer controlled auto-damper gas kiln prototype preview
Friedrich Pottery Palm Springs, CA

November 2005
Slide Lecture
Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art Kansas City, MO

September 2005
LatticeStructures™ Kansas City, MO
Screenland Special Event Facility: Stage MC/ Organizer

March 2001
Slide Lecture
Understanding Ceramic Chemistry with Crystalline Glazes
Red Star Studios Ceramics Center Kansas City, MO

December 2000
Guest Artist
Demonstration: Throwing Techniques & Slide Lecture: Glaze Chemistry
Lincoln Middle School Janesville, WI

November 2000
Slide Lecture: Wood-Fired and Raku Ceramics
Washington High School Milton, WI

Everything has a certain structure that is and will be… even the universe stretches outward from it’s center, repeating itself within a certain framework.
Glass is categorized by the existence or absence of an intricate array known as a lattice structure. When melted and cooled rapidly, glass has little chance to revert to a crystalline state, thereby appearing clear or translucent. If cooled slowly, crystalline structures can fill the entire matrix.
Understanding this, macro-crystalline glazed ceramic art is a conscious directing of a natural tendency, with a focus on the balance available in designing and sustaining the right environment.

Although the glaze can result in a dynamic visual, I do not believe that the potential (or the loss rate) should allow for undemanding palettes. The ceramic vessel is more than a representation of functional pottery -it is an artistic celebration of over 10,000 years of shapes formed by the human hand. A balance must be reached wherein the form reflects the skill and confidence of it’s maker, while still existing as an effective liaison toward the overall presentation.

Titles become subjective as I struggle for my own.
As the term perfectionist carries with it a degree of negativity, I do like -precisionist.
As “artist” may qualify prestige, higher prices, and access to grants, it’s modern role too often eludes me. The more I learn about art, it’s history, and the current semantic state, the more I welcome the designation of “Craftsman”. Acknowledging arguments concerning it’s divergence from art, craftsmanship is both genuinely spiritual and corporeal in its nature. Through the view of a Craftsperson, the Emperor was and always will be disrobed.
On the other hand, art can convey meaning beyond the most clever construct. And as my own art-felt expressions lie in a simple search for balance, beauty, and grace… I do hold that we could all benefit from a little more.

So here continues the exploration of these traits in my own life, holding a steady focus on crystal lattice, thoughtfully structured around select measures of earth.

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For a detailed account of how I make my work, click the Process page.

In moderate to high quantities, the glaze looks muddy and dark. In very small quantities, chrome can be used with other colorants to produce a more pleasant hue.

The bottle shown below from 2002, included small amounts of CrO + FeTiO2:

I was attempting to use Additive A -Type II to enhance my clay’s green strength, but found only marginal strength increases until the ware dried completely.
On that note, if you add more than just 1-2% and let it go to bone dry, it will dull even the best steel trimming blades within minutes. There is also a thin, but even harder, transpiration produced outer crust that is nearly impossible to cut through (imagine trimming dense plastic or wood).

As I said above, it is used as a plasticizer. But there are certainly better options when aiming for increased plasticity in clay (V-gum, CMC, MgSO4, Ball Clay…), so if this is the goal, Additive A wouldn’t be my first recommendation. It’s also important to note that lignosulphates are used as a deflocculant, which under normal conditions is the last thing you’d want to add to a throwing body.
The plasticity that it yielded was an odd one. It felt more like throwing a slime infused low-fire Redart body (sorry, best description I can give). It was neither naturally plastic or “rubbery”, but had a feel all it’s own.

I have heard of pottery studios and classrooms using small amounts (around 0.5%) of lignosulphate products to keep greenware from chipping –especially in terms of a public or commercial environment where pieces are handled often. However, the trade off can be difficult to get used to.
Right away, the resulting Additive A clay I mixed up smelled like dog food –and shortly thereafter, like dog “dood“!
I found the clay to work best after about 1-2 weeks of aging, but the smell permeated my skin and lingered on my hands for hours… sometimes even days. After pugging and aging for just a little over a month, the resulting clay had developed a non-plastic “black rot core” that was difficult to wedge back into a throwable condition.

Additive A will destroy the water absorption benefits of plaster, wood/Masonite, or bisqued tile throwing bats. In terms of casting slips, it will have the same result on plaster molds. A container with a 1/4 pound of liquefied Additive A once spilled onto my concrete studio floor… the resulting sticky mess took about an hour to clean up, & the stain is still visible (hey, I was gonna seal the floor anyway…).

I was also able to acquire some small samples of Lignotech’s Goulac and Ultrazine NA products. Although I experimented less with these, my limited experience with them did not make me want to continue.

Further Info:

DigitalFire Article: Additive A

“What Every Pottery Should Know” By Jeff Zamek

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Many are finding inconsistencies in their glaze results from one firing to the next. The variables are vast, but I’m going to focus on three reasons attributing to inconsistencies. The first is that the kiln elements decline with use. The second is that kiln loads vary in weight and how that weight is distributed from one firing to the next. The third is due to heavily insulated kilns that hold too much heatwork following the top end of the firing.

The first thing to understand, is that a cone measures heatwork, not just a given temperature. Heatwork is a measure of heat + time. Time refers to how long it takes to get to peak temperature, as well as any hold maintained once that peak is achieved.
If the kiln is in good working order, it should have no problem achieving the desired rate of rise and peak temperature. But, if your elements aren’t new, or if the kiln is packed heavy, it could take longer than you programmed to get to the intended temperature. If your kiln achieves the programmed temperature over a longer period of time, over-firing will most likely result.

Example: ^10 (true 90 degree bend) equals 2342°F, only if the kiln can maintain a 108/hr rise during the last 150-200° prior to peak. If it takes longer, then the temperature you need to reach will be less. Again, both heat and time must be factored in.

To continue, I’ll need to use my L&L Dynatrol (Bartlett V6-CF) controller as reference.
If you wish to write your own cone fire, program a Vary Fire schedule the same way as usual, except that when it asks for the peak temperature, push the Other button. Keep pushing Other until you see Cone displayed. Type in the cone number you want to achieve (e.g., “10″). The controller will calculate the temperature to hit based upon your programmed rate of rise. Then, if your kiln lags during the firing, the controller will recalculate the temperature based upon the actual rate of rise.

For heavily insulated kilns yielding an over-fired cone, I’ve found that inputing a cone offset helps. Doing this can aid in compensating for the residual heatwork responsible for bending the cone beyond the point you want. Before you do this, you’ll need to monitor a firing to see how much to offset. Also, keep in mind that if your kiln is heavily packed, the ware will hold heat, accounting for inconsistencies as well.

Inputing a Cone Offset: Before you begin inputing a program, hit the Other key until you see CnoS displayed, then hit Enter. Typing “90″ before the desired offset temperature will yield a lower actual temperature, decreasing the amount of heat work achieved. Again, the idea here is that the residual heatwork will bend the cone further (hopefully closer to perfection).

You can only offset the cone measurement by 50°F, but if you need to do more than this, contact the manufacturer, as it eludes to a larger problem. Offsetting in this way will only affect the cone you select. It will not affect your thermocouple readings during other Vary Fire or Cone Fire programs. Speaking of thermocouples, none of what I’ve said here will help, unless your thermocouples are reading accurately. See the post on Studio Kiln Thermocouple Calibrations for more on this.
After reading this, you may begin to understand why I always fire by a visual cone in achieving the correct level of final heatwork. Computers haven’t completely replaced humans yet for a reason! I also prefer a kiln that allows for a fast descent, largely eliminating the effects of residual heatwork.

After my 30th firing to ^11-12 and many lower temperature firings, the elements on the kiln look great, and ohm readings from the elements are pretty much the same as when the kiln arrived.

Meter Start Point:

When the meter was installed, it read: 400Kw/h. This will be our “zero point”.

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1st Firing: This image was taken during a crystalline firing, immediately after seeing ^11 achieve a 45° bend.

Reading 1a: 434 - 400 = 34 kw/h used.
Cost (at 9¢ a kw/h): $3.06

… following the ^10.5 peak, there was the crystal soak phase of the firing. This involved ramping up/down and holding between 1900-2000°F (total hold times ≈ 4 hrs).

Reading 1b : 456 - 434 = 22kw/h used for heat-soak.
Cost: $1.98

Reading 1c: 456 - 400 = 56kw/h used for the entire firing.
Cost: $5.04

Summary: The total cost of a ^10.5 crystalline firing, including the 4hr. heat-soak costs about $5.00, and the $2.00 it cost to grow the crystals pretty much does away with the notion that crystalline firings are much more expensive than corresponding firings to the same peak.

This firing was done in the JD18-JH. One of it’s design characteristics is to cool out of the top heatwork zone before the perfect cone bend (and the glaze!) can be altered by residual heatwork. One of the arguments against this design was that it would either have trouble hitting the temp’s I wanted, or it would require so much power that firing would be expensive… obviously, neither is the case.

Following the crystal growing holds (heat-soak), the drop through quartz inversion and below was slow and smooth. When I unloaded the kiln, my witness cones looked nearly identical to what they did when I stopped the kiln’s peak temperature hold and began the descent.

Of course, if I’m going to fire the kiln, I may as well put something in it, yeah? …

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Second Firing: achieved ^020 @90° bend:

Reading 2: 463 - 456 = 7 kw/h used.
Cost: 63¢

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3rd Firing: Achieved ^05 @90° bend:

Reading 3: 482 - 463 = 19kw/h used.
Cost: $1.71

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4th Firing: Achieved (another) ^020 @90° bend:

Reading 4: 489 - 482 = 7 kw/h used (Compare to 2nd firing: Man, I like seeing repeated accuracy).
Cost: 63¢
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Related Links:

Electrical Consumption of a JD230HD (@7cu.ft.)

Main Kiln Energy Consumption Page

Silicosis is the result of silica (from clay, stone, glass, etc.) dust, which is toxic to the lining of the lungs. When silica particles contact lung tissue, a strong inflammatory reaction occurs. Over time, this inflammation causes the lungs to become irreversibly damaged. This falls under the term fibrosis, a condition which is both debilitating and deadly.

From the searching I’ve done, the “sculptor” is portrayed by actor Jon Eric Preston. On the medicine’s official website, all the actors are “representative of the real symptoms that allergy sufferers experience and the clear relief that ________ delivers in many real life situations”.

Ok -well, in real life Preston is skilled at many things from snake handling to firearms. Perhaps next they’ll ask him to do an adhesive bandage commercial where he acts out the fine art of Russian Roulette…

Related links:

U.S. Department of Labor: Facts on Silicosis

Silicosis and Screening by Edouard Bastarache