Pressing glass, porcelain and metal into pottery

Hello,
I'm looking for advice about the feasibility of pressing other materials
into greenware before firing and there's a bunch of questions I have.
First, is it possible, or do the different contraction rates make it
impossible? I live close to a beach that my wife and I lovingly call
Tetanus Beach, because it is completely covered with rusted metal, rounded
pieces of glass and shards of porcelain. All quite beautiful. If I ever
did get past the biscuit stage of firing, is there any chance of it being
functional ware, or would it only be decorative? And if it is possible, is
there any treatment (like sterilizing) of the materials required, or does
firing to ^6 kill any nasties that may be lurking? Any advice or past
experience with this type of thing would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Simon

I'm looking for advice about the feasibility of pressing other materials
into greenware before firing and there's a bunch of questions I have.
First, is it possible, or do the different contraction rates make it
impossible? I live close to a beach that my wife and I lovingly call
Tetanus Beach, because it is completely covered with rusted metal, rounded
pieces of glass and shards of porcelain. All quite beautiful. If I ever
did get past the biscuit stage of firing, is there any chance of it being
functional ware, or would it only be decorative? And if it is possible,
is
there any treatment (like sterilizing) of the materials required, or does
firing to ^6 kill any nasties that may be lurking? Any advice or past
experience with this type of thing would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Simon


Simon:
I have a friend (a fellow potter) who puts pieces of broken stained glass
into a depression he creates while throwing a bowl (the depression is in the
center of the inside bottom, not the outside). He says that the glass melts
nicely into a puddle and fuses to the bowl. He has even had some success in
lifting the kiln lid quickly and stirring the glass with a metal rod to
swirl it while it is molten. (He might be doing that during raku, rather
than regular firing. Sounds like a recipe for disaster to me, but the
results are beautiful. I always wondered why he had no eyebrows :) No idea
what he uses for clay or glaze, so in that, you are on your own. I just
know that it's possible.
Hope that helps,
Wayne Seidl

wrote in message
. ..
Hello,
I'm looking for advice about the feasibility of pressing other materials
into greenware before firing and there's a bunch of questions I have.
First, is it possible, or do the different contraction rates make it
impossible? I live close to a beach that my wife and I lovingly call
Tetanus Beach, because it is completely covered with rusted metal, rounded
pieces of glass and shards of porcelain. All quite beautiful. If I ever
did get past the biscuit stage of firing, is there any chance of it being
functional ware, or would it only be decorative? And if it is possible,
is
there any treatment (like sterilizing) of the materials required, or does
firing to ^6 kill any nasties that may be lurking? Any advice or past
experience with this type of thing would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Simon


Organic matter burns up, glass melts, metals mostly melt. Ceramic shard??
impossible to know what temp they were first fired to.
I suggest you look into the learning the technique of mosaic. You could
still make your own pots and mosaic found items after.

I place pieces of broken wine / sherry bottles into the bottom of bowls,
blues and greens work well. I fire to cone 9 and it melts well, cone 6 is a
bit too low a temperature and the glass looks like melted plastic.

Different glass has different melt temps just like glaze (its a similar
material) so its best to keep it contained inside a bowl when firing.

When the bowl cools it contracts at a different rate to the glass to you get
crazing, which is very affective.... but don't use the bowl for liquids /
food.

Regards

Kevin.


wrote in message
. ..
Hello,
I'm looking for advice about the feasibility of pressing other materials
into greenware before firing and there's a bunch of questions I have.
First, is it possible, or do the different contraction rates make it
impossible? I live close to a beach that my wife and I lovingly call
Tetanus Beach, because it is completely covered with rusted metal, rounded
pieces of glass and shards of porcelain. All quite beautiful. If I ever
did get past the biscuit stage of firing, is there any chance of it being
functional ware, or would it only be decorative? And if it is possible,
is
there any treatment (like sterilizing) of the materials required, or does
firing to ^6 kill any nasties that may be lurking? Any advice or past
experience with this type of thing would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Simon

Thank you all for the responses. It's amazing how helpful this board is.
Cheers.
Simon
wrote in message
. ..
Hello,
I'm looking for advice about the feasibility of pressing other materials
into greenware before firing and there's a bunch of questions I have.
First, is it possible, or do the different contraction rates make it
impossible? I live close to a beach that my wife and I lovingly call
Tetanus Beach, because it is completely covered with rusted metal, rounded
pieces of glass and shards of porcelain. All quite beautiful. If I ever
did get past the biscuit stage of firing, is there any chance of it being
functional ware, or would it only be decorative? And if it is possible,
is
there any treatment (like sterilizing) of the materials required, or does
firing to ^6 kill any nasties that may be lurking? Any advice or past
experience with this type of thing would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Simon