Ceramic Dictionary

VACUUM CLEANER

ca: ASPIRADORA

es: ASPIRADORA

Vacuum cleaner is an electrical appliance for cleaning carpets and floors by suction. All potters should have one as they save work and are cleaner and much better for health than brooms, which spread dust, or a mop which leaves the floor damp for hours. Buy one that can be used to clean everything, furniture, floors, walls and shelves, etc. Choose the type where the motor and the accessories are separated and connected by a long tube, which makes it easier to get into small and difficult places.

Note: Normally an electric tile cutter throws water and ceramic dust over everything. To avoid this, the motor of the vacuum cleaner can be attached to it. You have to add and alter certain parts, so it does not need water and collects all the powder thrown off during the cutting. When we invented this about eight years ago this type of machine did not exist, it does now! Read more about: Tile – Cutter electric

VARNISH

ca: VERNÍS

es: BARNIZ

Varnish is used by potters as an adhesive to hold colors and other decorating materials on to already glazed work. Cover the glazed surface with a thin layer of ordinary, colorless wood varnish. When dry the colors adhere to it and when fired the varnish burns away.
THE FORMULA FOR VARNISH
For on-glazing you mix 1 part varnish with 3 parts pure turpentine, this is then mixed with a color and can be painted directly onto an on-glaze surface.
Read more about: On-Glaze

VASE

ca: FLORERA

es: FLORERO

Vase is an open container that can be made of different products, glass, porcelain, ceramics and metal and is made to hold cut flowers in water for ornamentation.

VENTILATION

ca: VENTILACIÓ

es: VENTILACIÓN

Kiln ventilation, is also known as a chimney. It is above a kiln, has a very large hood with a fan controlled by electricity. When operating it sucks the air that is around the kiln up through a metal tube to the outside of the building. They are made to remove odors and fumes. With gas kilns it is essential to have exhaust ventilation. Read more about: Chimney / Kiln – Ventilation

VIBRATORY SIEVE

ca: TAMÍS VIBRATORI

es: TAMIZ VIBRATORIO

Vibratory sieve: these are industrial sieves, run by electricity and supplied with different sized meshes. When working, the motor vibrates and passes slips and glazes through the mesh to clean and mix. There are many types and sizes that are known under different names such as clay mixer, clay reclaimer and sieve vibrator. They all have two sections the container and mixer. The mixer can be part of the machine or separate and for small quantities you can buy metal mixers (beater) in one piece of different lengths and to use with an electric drill. Read more about: Beater – electric for liquids / Sieves

VINEGAR

ca: VINAGRE

es: VINAGRE

Vinegar is a sour liquid consisting of dilute and impure acetic acid, obtained by acetous fermentation from wine, cider, beer, ale, or the like: used a condiment, preservative, etc.
Link to Merriam-Webster

Note: In the past, when mediums and industrial dissolvent did not exist, it was added to colors to make them run well.

VISCOSITY

ca: VISCOSITAT

es: VISCOSIDAD

Viscosity is an internal property of a fluid that offers resistance to flow. For example, pushing a spoon with a small force moves it easily through a bowl of water, but the same force moves mashed potatoes very slowly. In fact, one of the major differences between styles of mashed potatoes is the viscosity of the starchy mass: some people like their potatoes running and teeming with milk and butter (they are fans of low-viscosity potatoes), while others like their potatoes drier and stickier, so they almost crack rather than flow (these people are devoted to high-viscosity potatoes.)
Link to Spacegrant College. University of Hawai

In ceramics, the viscosity of the fired enamel depends on its chemical composition and the firing temperature, it decreases when the temperature is higher and becomes more fluid.
Alkali glazes become more fluid with increasing temperature, so that a slight over firing can make them drain, while the viscosity of the boron ones changes more slowly, making it possible to work at more varied ranges of temperatures as they hardly react to temperature differences.
If a glaze loses water on a vertical plane, this is due to its low viscosity at the firing temperature which has been chosen. Glazes which are too fluid can be made more viscous by adding quartz, feldspar, kaolin or clay.

VISE

ca: MORDASSA

es: MORDAZA

Vise is a tool used when working with carpentry or metal to hold a piece firmly in position. It is made in metal and can be secured onto a protruding object like a shelf or table. It has two jaws that can be brought together holding the piece in place by means of a handle that works as a screw

a) Movable jaw b) Fixed jaw c) Clamping screw d) Swivel lock e) Turning handle

VITRIFY

ca: VITRIFICAR

es: VITRIFICAR

Vitrify is when heat converts glaze into glass. A ceramic surface of clay or bisque is covered with a glaze, then when fired to the correct temperature it vitrifies, this changes the surface, which becomes shiny and non-porous.