[Clayart] Don't steal Snails Lithium!!!

[David Woof]

Hi Snail, Everyone,
What with Lithium becoming the new "Gold" now in high demand for storage batteries in the switch over to electric autos, cargo hauling Trucks and sea going Cargo transport Ships........We as Ceramists will soon find ourselves priced out of using Lithium.

While I'm digging up and hoarding old flashlight batteries to speculate on the Lithium market, (Haaaaah) I will ponder what will happen to all the folks who are being treated with Lithium for Bi-polar and Manic disorders.
Or the Meth cookers who have been putting the Lithium strips from flashlight batteries into the cooking Meth batch to help the Meth Heads loosen their already fragile grip on fading reality.

I have found that leaving out the + - 3% lithium purported to brighten glaze colors really has a negligible enhancement effect over not using lithium.
So for years I have not included Lithium in the batch recipe.
Which also negates the problem of glaze flaws including shivering.
And in glaze experimental formulations, I can rule out Lith as the cause of flaws because I don't use it.

There are other ways to induce a glaze to stand up and sing brightly!!!

Misneach,
Woof.......................................................................................................................................
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From: Clayart <clayart-bounces at lists.clayartworld.com> on behalf of Snail Scott <claywork at flying-snail.com>
Sent: Saturday, January 8, 2022 12:27 PM
To: Clayart international pottery discussion forum <clayart at lists.clayartworld.com>
Subject: Re: [Clayart] it is with sadness i report

Around here, people still leave their cars running when they go into the convenience store, and leave their keys in the ignition at home so they won’t forget where they left them. I probably shouldn’t admit it, but I have no idea where my house key is…haven’t used it in years. When we bought the place, it took the previous owner six months just to find it and bring it by. After living in places where literally anything not nailed down was considered ‘fair game’, it took some getting used to.  I finally disabled the ‘beep’ from my car’s lock, because people would look at me funny for locking the car at all.

The university where I teach is in a much dicier area, with frequent car and building break-ins, so I haven’t lost all caution, but it feels good to quit worrying at home.

Please don’t come over and steal my lithium!   (It’s the stuff on the materials shelf in the studio, marked ‘lithium.)   ;)

-Snail
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