Process

All of the work at Pottery by Frank Neef is made of the finest domestic porcelain. Every piece is individually wheel-thrown, hand-cut, or hand built by Cindy or Frank in the studio behind our home/gallery. “Great time and care is put into each piece. We strive to produce the best pottery we possibly can.”

Frank has dedicated his professional career to a single glaze process. Since 1981 his focus has been on acheiving the elusive crystalline glaze.

Glaze:

Developed in the late 1870’s in Europe as a result of the science behind galvanizing metal, Crystalline Glazes are an attempt to encourage the zinc oxide in the glaze to develop into zinc/silicate macrocrystals. This is done by melting the glaze at cone 10 (about 2400 degrees F). Instead of allowing the kiln to cool naturally, as most potters do, the kiln is turned back on at 2000 degrees.  This is the crystalization point of the zinc. This temperature is then held steady for several hours, allowing the crystals to grow inside the matrix of the glassy glaze. There is a very narrow temperature window where the crystals will grow. Great care must be taken to keep the kiln temperature within that window during the growing or soaking cycle. Once the crystals are encouraged to grow for several hours, the kiln is allowed to cool and the remaining crystals are trapped inside the glaze as it hardens.

Additional information including formulas, firing cycles, hints, and tips are available upon request. Contact us by phone or email.