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Back when I was a pottery I experimented with Crystalline glazes with limited success. It's been many years but if I am remembering correctly one factor necessary to obtain good crystallization was an absence of alumina. And I used to use crushed natural rutile to seed the crystal growth. Also once peak temperature was reached to where the glaze became fluid the lid of the kiln would have to be propped open and the bung hole plugs removed for a fast cool down period or otherwise the fluid glaze would begin to run. It was during this quick cool down period that crystallization would occur. Once the temperature dropped to a certain point (which I can't remember off the top of my head) the kiln lid was closed and the bung holes closed and a slow cool from that point on was necessary to prevent crazing.

There didn't used to be much literature available on how to grow crystalline glazes. I had found one with vague formulas in a book about an early western crystalline glaze pioneer Adelaïde Alsop Robineau. If you ever find a piece of her crystalline glazed pottery it used to sell for $1,000 per inch of height. And that was thirty years ago.

Also I used to know Phil Morgan (Phil Morgan Pottery of Seagrove, NC). Phil is one of the most accomplished crystalline glaze ceramic producers there has been. Here are a few examples of his:
www.puttgarden.com/crystal/workshop/electric_reduction/attendees/others/DSC09272.jpg


In those days Phil protected his crystalline glaze secrets but from a current search it appears that he now participates in teaching workshops. In more recent years there have been several books on how to produce various types of cystalline glazes published that I imagine would be of benefit for anyone researching Imori's Victoria Stone production. One that I have and has very good detailed information is Macro-Crystalline Glazes: The Challenge of Crystals by Peter Ilsley.

Larry C.

I agree Polka Dot Agate and Maury Mtn. Some Maury Mtn. can be very dark green on the outside. I've has some that when sliced looks very similar to the dark green and clear moss agate from India.

Larry C.

Loves me some picture jaspers!

Larry C.

Stackable wooden Clementine Tangerine crates are my fav. Overflow gets stored in die-cut mailer boxes with flap lids.

Larry C.

If you try the heating route it will be much less likely to thermal shock and crack the stones if you heat them in water and when done let it all cool naturally back to a manageable handling temperature. Many faceters who use epoxy to dop stones to a metal dop use this method to remove the stone from the dop.

A warning about using "Attack" solvent though, it contains methylene chloride so use proper safety precautions.

Larry C.

Crystalite makes a 600 grit Crystalring hard wheel (and makes finer grits in flat laps). Not sure why you would want anything finer than 600 in a hard wheel for cabbing. I've got a 600 grit hard wheel mounted on my machine but the only time I use it is for rough shaping turquoise or opal. For finer grits when cabbing I use soft wheels.


Larry C.

I bought Hans' 80 and 220 sintered wheels about seven or eight years ago. They have been great. No complaints over the quality of the wheels but I do wish I had ordered 60 and 180 grit wheels instead of 80 and 220. Sintered is definitely not as aggressive as an equal grit plated wheel. And I don't think going from a 180 sintered hard wheel to a 280 Nova sanding wheel would be too much of a leap.

One thing that should probably be noted though about Hans' wheels v.s. Inland's is that Hans' wheels have steel hubs and Inland's have aluminum hubs, so Hans' is much heavier. I use mine mounted on the section of the shaft between the two pillow block bearings of an old HP unit so the extra weight is not an issue for my machine. But it might would be on a Titan or Cab King style machine where the arbor extends out from the motor and is only supported on one end.

Larry C.

The first few years of eBay everything was sold in the auction format only, which worked great for medium to higher valued items. But not so well for lower value items because having to pay listing fees every 3,5,7 or 10 days for slower moving low-dollar items made them impractical to list. But then eBay begin offering the optional "Buy-It-Now" fixed price format at a reduced listing fee (compared to the auction format fee) which solved that problem and made selling low value items practical. I sold a ton of surplus furniture hardware this way.

But once eBay introduced the Best Offer function many buyers began expecting sellers to take offers on fixed price item listings even if the seller wasn't using the Best Offer format option. And some buyers even began expecting sellers to take offers to stop auction format listings and sell the item for a negotiated price, and would get POed if the seller wouldn't and refuse to bid.

None of the CEOs of eBay have ever seemed to understand the psychology of auctioning or selling. IMO all the "Best Offer" function accomplished was to contribute (along with other factors) to turning what had been a great sales platform into an internet flea market/third-world bizarre.

And in addition to how the Best Offer function changed the mindset of buying, now we have many sellers listing used items at ridiculously high prices, often even higher than new cost - and taking offers. Sure every seller likes to get as high of a price as they can when selling, but to the occasional potential buyer scanning eBay listings this gives the appearance of eBay being a den of thieves and crooks.


Larry C.

Happy to learn that he is okay!

Larry C.