Problem: Find and mix two cone 03, 04, 05 and two cone 10 glazes that will work on our low fire earthernware clay and our high fire stoneware clay.
My solution to the problem is as follows.
Glazy is a wesbite where ceramicists come together and share their glaze recipes. They share anything that has gone well, succeeded, failed, and re-tests. During my hunt for 4 glazes I came across many different glaze types and recipes. The search was quite interesting. Learning about all of the different types of materials and chemicals that are used in glaze mixing changed my perspective on the clay industry. When I was in high school I didn’t think much about what was in the glazes that I was using or even the fact that they could’ve been chemicals. Im glad that I now know how to mix my own glazes. the possibilities are endless.
High fire glazes:
Opal Blue △9-11
- Rutille 3.50g
- Custer Feldspar 44.00g
- Silica 24.00g
- Gerstley Borate 20.00g
- Barium Carbonate 6.00g
- Zinc Oxide 3.00g
- Whiting 2.00g, Ball Clay 1.00g
- Colbalt Carbonate 0.25g
The Opal Blue created this sort of green wash on the high fire clay when it was thin on the piece. This mix of the blue and green created a cool contrast and something interesting to look at all around the piece.
Buttermilk △9-10
- Zircopax 7.63g
- Minspar 200 48.37g
- Gillespie Borate 25.35g
- Substitute for Gerstley Borate
- Ball Clay 14.14g
- Silica 8.41g
- Dolomite 3.73g
The Buttermilk was a nice off white color and also very sturdy. It was a very simple glaze and if you think about it a bit pointless because the clay is white but the simplicity is what gives it the charm.
Low Fire Glazes:
Robin’s Egg △04-03
- Silica 41.00g
- Gerstley Borate 20.00g
- EP Kaolin 12.00g
- Ferro Frit 3134 10.00g
- Lithium Carbonate 9.00g
- Barium Carbonate 8.00g
- Copper Carbonate 4.00g
Robin’ egg. When I was in high school we had an Amaco underglaze that was named Robin’s Egg, but since it was an underglaze it was smooth and matte. This Robin’s Egg is textured and could be used for a decorative piece.
Low Fire Chun △06-03
- Ferro Frit 3134 70.00g
- EP Kaolin 25.00g
- Whiting 5.00g
- Bentonite 2.00g
This low-fire Chun was a good glaze all around. It is more of a base glaze than a fun colorful one which you can mix different stains into a get different colors. It is very sturdy and smooth. I am excited to experiment with different stains.
As the results came out of the Kiln I would have to say that all four were very successful. The high fire glazes were glossy and not runny and they both had interesting results when used on pieces that weren’t the test tiles. The low fire glazes were not as glossy and fun as the high fire glazes I made but were still usable and interesting. I looked forward to using them in the future and testing them with different colors.
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