Clay Times Back Issues Vol. 2 Issue 5 • Jul/Aug 1996 | Page 19

Zakin

continued from page 16

manganese as a 10 percent ingredient or not they’ve been overexposed to
any harmful materials in the studio,
in one of his clay bodies, he suffered
and should re-evaluate their work
from a two-month bout with manhabits based on
ganese poisoning
those results, he
from ingesting
said.
the manganese
All of this
dust which
comes from a
resulted when he
man who once
sanded the surheavily relied
faces of his
on the use of
works. Zakin has
barium in his
since vowed
glazes—another
never to use mantoxic ingredient
ganese again.
which he has
“I would not
now banned
use manganese. I
from his studio.
would not use
The textured surface of Zakin’s box above
(Below is one of
chrome. Period,”
(spring, 1980) was first rubbed with a black
Zakin’s new
said Zakin, notoxide to emphasize the details. A rich, translucent glaze was then applied, followed by spray
barium-free
ing that manapplication of a blue glaze over selected areas.
glazes which
ganese can
The pot was fired to cone 6.
exhibits the
cause brain damsame rich surage, among other
face and color as barium, without the
things. When asked about the safety
of clay which contains granular man- hazards.) “If [clay work] doesn’t kill
you, it’ll help you because it puts you
ganese (added by many manufacturin a good mood and calms you
ers to achieve black spots after firdown,” he said.
ing), Zakin said this type of clay is
Zakin’s primary advice to others:
safe to use because the manganese
“Become an expert at something,” he
particles are too large to ingest.
said. Determine what you’re good at,
Yet he cautioned that clay workand make that your main focus. “You
ers who begin to notice a sweet,
metallic taste in the mouth stop work can’t do anything until you do everything.” ■
immediately. They should obtain
medical tests to determine whether

Zakin furnished Clay Times with the following previously unpublished
glazes for firing to cone 3 and cone 6 oxidation. His low-clay, warp-resistant
cone 6 porcelain formula can be found on page 21. Give them all a try!

Danielle’s Green Glaze
Cone 3 Oxidation
On a high-talc (25% or more) clay
body, achieves an emerald green color
and rich surface without the use of
barium:

Flint
Nephelene Syenite
Soda Frit 3110
Talc
EPK
Gerstley Borate

12%
14
44
14
6
10
100
Add Copper Carbonate
3

CREEK-TURN
Creative
Expressions
61 Colors,
Cone 4-6 Porcelain
New Translucent
Pastel Colors
for Plug-in Lights:
Pastel Pink ✧ Blue
Yellow ✧ Silver Gray
Send for
Porcelain Chip Set
and Free Literature

CREEK-TURN, INC.
Route 38
Hainesport, NJ 08036

Phone [phone]
FAX [phone]

HAWTHORN BOND

New Soft, Waxy
Transparent Glaze
Cone 6 Oxidation
Zakin recently revised hist first “soft
waxy transparent glaze” to reduce
crazing with this new formula:

Ball Clay
Silica
Gerstley Borate
Nephelene Syenite
Titanium
Wollastonite
Zinc

8%
15
20
38
2
14
3

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19