So this was a bit of fortuitous luck that brought this problem to my attention. I had been testing these baking pieces. I heated them in the oven to around 475 and let them cool. Then I froze them for a few hours and then popped them frozen into a 475 degree oven again. I wanted to see what kind of crazing or cracking issues might arrise. Turned out none. But I had left them sitting on top of my stove while I did some kind of frying and the insides got all greasy. A couple of days later I look and this is what I see. Grease has seeped into several of the pinholes and created this grease stain under the glaze. I think it is safe to say it is never going away, and obviously raises a huge problem. I'm a little surprised because this clay is really tight at cone 6 and I wouldn't expect it to absorb oil like this. Although, it just occurred to me, that it likely is not the clay absorbing the oil-but-you guessed it-the white slip under the glaze. Eureka. I think I just solved my riddle. But it's still a problem. I obviously need to eliminate the pinholing and crazing completely, or change the liner glaze. If I find an opaque blue similar to this one that I can apply directly to the clay without slipping that would save a step and maybe eliminate this problem. The other blue I was using-the turquoise-is not a candidate because any dribbling on the outside, even after being wiped off, resists glaze, so when I dip the outside, whereverI had wiped off the turquoise the glaze is noticably thinner. In other news, I am in the middle of another bought of insomnia. A few days now. I am very, very tired. If you fall asleep and most importantly, stay asleep every night, you don't know how lucky you are. My life really is a form of insomnia. I am lucky if I ever sleep for more than an hour or two without waking up. All night long, every night of my life. Over, and over again. I wonder if there is some kind of disability claim for this, because it really does begin to render you useless during the day after a while. I can't think straight. It's like everything I see and hear is moving through thick mud before it reaches my brain. And then it has to move through that thick mud again for me to process it and respond to it. So I get on this horrible cycle. I start drinking more caffeine to try and wake up, then I still can't sleep at night even though I am DEAD tired, and so I take a sleeping pill, which, by the way, does not keep me asleep all night. I still wake up at least three times on a sleeping pill. Okay, this is turning into a pity fest.
9 comments:
of all the kitchen problems i have thought to avoid i would have never even imagined grease stains would be a problem. do you know whats causing the pinholing? a dark glaze might hide the grease if thats a direction you have to take.
Deborah - we're all different, of course, but acupuncture has enabled me to get 4 to 5 hours of uninterrupted sleep per night. A treatment every two weeks has done the trick for the last three years. Good luck...
insomnia haunts me as well, i know what you mean.. its not a good thing...
Hey Deb:
I had insomnia from 40-47 and just this past year have started getting some sleep again. I only slept for one or two hours a night for 7 years. Strangely, my body just adapted to it. I still wake at least once around 3 am (because I am so hot)and am completely awake by 6am but it's a lot better. Hang in there!
I have suffered with this as well for years off and on. It was really bad the last couple of years and after the fire it bounced back.
A friend recommended an herbal supplement called serenity. I was taking this after the fire a few nights during the week and it helped. Just in the past few months I am sleeping again.
No reason- I am sleeping. Some days I sleep until 6:30- I use to be up after just a few hours or sleep no more then 2- 4 hours at a time.
For other reasons I use no caffeine- I can not tolerate it at all.
Good luck- I use to get up and read and then go back to sleep for 45 minutes.
I was a walking zombie!
Thanks for the support and advice everyone. I had no idea this was such a common problem. I actually did decide this morning that caffeine is out. I'm sure it's not helping. Tracey that's kind of funny in a way. If I follow your pattern then I only have four more years to hang in there! No problem! I think I do need to get out of bed and do something. I often just lay there, tormenting myself.
Ugh, sorry to hear about your grease problem and your sleeping problems... You may have done this already, but getting some basic blood work done might be a good idea. I was having some trouble sleeping about a year ago and found out my thyroid was all out of whack.
On the glazing note, I have had the same problem with some crazed glaze on my lowfire work. But, after a cycle through the dishwasher it disappeared... I agree that it's probably not the best on functional pots, but it's so hard to get a perfect surface every time. I'm still trying to decide when to say enough is enough and that will just have to do!
I hope you get some sleep!!
I actually did have a ton of blood work done earlier this year cause of some problems I was having and before a surgery I had, and they did test my thyroid and it was fine. All my vitamin levels, everything fine. That's good I guess, but sometimes you wish you had an answer.
I am getting to where I am trying not to be too critical of my work, but grease seeping into pinholes and leaving big oil spots is just not acceptable to me. I don't think the customers would like it much. Thanks for your well wishes and ideas.
Insomnia is terrible - I go through periods of sleepless nights occasionally, but not on a regular basis. It's no fun. I hope you are able to find some relief.
That is weird with the grease spots. I can't really add any advice since I don't make casseroles or oven ready ware.
Post a Comment