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Fw: applying images to ceramicsWARNING
----- Original Message -----
From: <sjohnson@gwi.net>
To: Randall Webb <randall.webb@lineone.net>
Sent: Saturday, April 07, 2001 9:27 AM
Subject: Re: applying images to ceramicsWARNING
> ** Reply to note from Randall Webb <randall.webb@lineone.net> Sat,
> 07 Apr 2001 13:00:48 -0700
> > There is a small glazing studion near Kew Gardens in London that
> > wiil glaze biscuit ware. So far we have no news of any of the millions
> > of tourists that visit Kew ever keeling over in the street as they pass
> > the studio. If anybody can get hold of some old Agfa stripping film
> > they could try coating irregularly shaped pots. I think the false
> > alarms on this subject are similar to those concerning the effects of
> > global warming and I'm sure that the late and great George W. Bush
> > Jnr. would agree on that one. Randall Webb
>
> Your reply compels me to comment. While it is true that the orange
> color is the water-soluble dichromate salts leaching into the water, I
> suspect [though I do not know] that insoluble chromium dioxide [a
> green substance] is formed as the dichromate reacts with the gum, to
> make it insoluble as well. And if so, this CrO2 might well oxidize in
> part back to hexavalent form in a kiln, if there is oxygen present. So,
> without experimental data, it is unwarranted to dismiss the possibility
> of hexavalent chromium be released.
>
> Secondly, your comment about the lack of passers-by keeling over is
> superficial and entirely too facile. Carcinogens--and hexavalent
> chromium is one such--may have very long latent periods, during which
> there is no sign of the deadly harm already suffered. Another, though
> not directly related, example would be the accumulation of mercury,
> lead or such organics as dioxin, in which cases the harm results in part
> from slow accretion of poorly-excreted toxics. It is not necessary for a
> toxin to be administered in an acutely toxic dose. Repeated sub-acute
> doses of a bio-accumulated toxin will do very well, thank you...
>
> But most egregious is your apparent dismissal of the dangers of global
> warming, referring in passing to that miserable excuse for a human
> being, G.W. Bush. The Antarctic ice melt, the Arctic permafrost and
> icepack melt, the unprecedented CO2 levels and global temperatures,
> the unprecedented weather extrema, all these and more, based on
> careful studies by thousands of respected and very able scientists,
> make such a dismissal more the act of a scientific illiterate than of a
> thoughtful and reasoned person. I regret seeing such knee-jerk
> blather published. Some gullible persons will take it to be factual.
>
> Note that this email is off-list. Should you wish to reply, I trust you
will
> not clutter the list with this off-topic subject.
>
> stan
>
> --
> Stan Johnson
> sjohnson@gwi.net
> 07/04/01 12:24p >>>>>>>>>>>
If I took anything seriously I might take this seriously. As I don't, I
won't. I wouldn't dignify this crap with a reply. I'm dismayed that you seem
to have a protocol which allows mildly humorous notes on the full list to be
answered with unpleasant replies on the off-list.Not only is it discourteous
but seems to imply some sort of moral or intellectual cowardice on the part
of sender. I refrained from joining the list earlier as I didn't want to
share the airwaves with a certain person who was disruptive and abusive. The
problem appears not to have gone away - just changed location. As a matter
of interest I do not claim to be a scientist. Just a printmaker.
So far this year I have been accused of racially abusing the whole Scottish
nation, Inciting people to commit acts of vandalism in public libraries and
now being a supporter of G.W. Bush. But this is small beer compared with
what Judy appears to have experienced.
If I remember this last exchange was not off-topic but related to the
question of
hazardous material.
>From a European perspective this obssession whith safety would appear to be
a bit self defeating.
Martin Reed ( a chemist) and myself in our book "Spirits of Salts", took
what we considered to be a common sense and practical attitude towards
hazards. Not only did we cover storage, labelling and all the usual
precautions but also mentioned one or two aspects which are not in the usual
quotes from other sources. We also warned about using etching presses etc
without supervision and al so to always buy acids at 10% strength.
We have an 'authority' here who states that sodium chloride is toxic. So
what do we put on out fish and chips then. We also have an account of a
woman who lived solely on carrot juice for four months. She died.
Of course many crafts have hazards. Carpentry, glass blowing and potters'
kilns for example. Gasoline is a very dangerous substance but handled
sensibly it means that people can go out in their cars every day.On the
other hand the idea that amateur ceramic printers should have a kiln in
their kitchen is somewhat disturbing. To get worked up over the idea that
5mls of 5% dichromate washed down the drain is dangerous and that a ceramic
tile coated with this non-existent substance which is subsequently covered
in an impermeable coating of glass is a bit silly.
I did make one unforgivable error in my last note. I referred the the
late,great George W. Bush Jnr. My apologies. I should of course have written
the late George W. Bush Jnr.
Finally for what it is worth I shan't be contributing to this list any more
although I shall still read what is in the in-box.(occasionally)
Randall Webb