Lisa E on mon 21 feb 11
So I thought I would try to save myself some time by purchasing pre-mixed=
=3D
=3D20
dry glaze from Laguna. I have made my own glaze in the past but found it=3D=
20=3D
very time consuming to make my own glazes so I sold ALL of my glaze=3D20
materials and went to pre-mixed glazes.=3D20
Way more expensive which I knew but I do not have a ton of storage for al=
=3D
l of=3D20
the individual materials. So here is my nightmare. I spent $1000 on five =
=3D
50=3D20
pound bags of pre-mixed glaze. According to their website all I had to do=
=3D
was=3D20
add the appropriate amount of water and voila, glaze! WRONG.=3D20
The glazes are settling super fast. Even if I mix them with a drill and=3D2=
0=3D
attachment and immediately dip they are still settling too fast. One of t=
=3D
he=3D20
glazes pretty much turned to concrete at the bottom of the bucket. It too=
=3D
k=3D20
me an hour of working on it to even loosen it up.=3D20
So I have been speaking with my local pottery supply store and Laguna. Th=
=3D
e=3D20
Laguna "technical" rep tells me I need to add Bentonite. Other potters sa=
=3D
y I=3D20
cannot add dry bentonite to mixed (wet) glazes. Any suggestions on how to=
=3D
=3D20
salvage my $1000 investment which at this point is completely useless?=3D20=
=3D
Lisa
David Woof on tue 22 feb 11
Hi Lisa=3D2C
=3D20
Glad you came to Clayart. We have your back on this!!!
=3D20
follow as Mel directs regarding adding bentonite to the wet glaze. Also a=
=3D
s he's assured you regarding the effects of bentonite in the glaze=3D3B I =
to=3D
o have Never had a glaze adversely affected by bentonite. I use additions =
=3D
from 1.5 to 5.0% as per dry weight of glaze batch depending on the ratio of=
=3D
ball clays to heavy frits and oxides in the glaze recipe.
=3D20
Also do this test with a quart of your current wet and rapid settling glaze=
=3D
: Let stand overnight or until it is hard caked in the bottom. Then put i=
=3D
n one fourth teaspoon of a dishwashing rinse agent called "Glass Magic". =
=3D
Agitate and let sit a bit and then begin stirring. The cake should come apa=
=3D
rt and dissolve like magic. If it still resists=3D2C tease it with a smidg=
e =3D
more. I do this at the College Glaze Studio with bottom caked 5 Gal. bucke=
=3D
ts when someone forgets to add the Glass Magic to a new batch. Works like =
=3D
magic. ( add 16 grams per 1000 grams of dry weight) No digging=3D2C scrap=
in=3D
g=3D2C swearing=3D2C chopping etc. (Note: this is not the dishwasher soap=
=3D2C =3D
but the spot "rinse agent" powder in a smaller box.)
=3D20
Also add 15 grams of CMC to each gallon of water you use for mixing and use=
=3D
straight up. =3D20
=3D20
With these three ingredients added together our glazes will stay in solutio=
=3D
n between semesters and I have opened some after 8 months or more and found=
=3D
no caking on the bottom.
=3D20
Since you do not know what ingredients are in your commercial mix it would =
=3D
be prudent to try a small test of the Glass Magic before doing the whole 50=
=3D
LBS. There are some few exceptions where one may need to flocculate a gla=
=3D
ze=3D2C but the CMC and bentonite would still act as suspenders even in thi=
s =3D
flocculated condition because their property is of mechanical nature not ch=
=3D
emical. In the case of flocculating a glaze=3D2C you would omit the Glass=
M=3D
agic.
=3D20
I have posted before on Clayart as to the properties each possesses and why=
=3D
they work so well together. Type Glass Magic into the archives if you want=
=3D
more info. I've been using this three combination for years in my own stu=
=3D
dio as well. I'm sure you don't have time or desire to mess around with cr=
=3D
appy glazes and outdated ideas either.
=3D20
David Woof
=3D20
=3D20
_________________________________________________________________
2. Laguna Dry Glaze Nightmare - Adding Bentonite?
Posted by: "Lisa E" sunnydazedesign@GMAIL.COM=3D20
Date: Tue Feb 22=3D2C 2011 4:04 am ((PST))
So I thought I would try to save myself some time by purchasing pre-mixed=
=3D20
dry glaze from Laguna. I have made my own glaze in the past but found it=3D=
20
very time consuming to make my own glazes so I sold ALL of my glaze=3D20
materials and went to pre-mixed glazes.=3D20
Way more expensive which I knew but I do not have a ton of storage for all =
=3D
of=3D20
the individual materials. So here is my nightmare. I spent $1000 on five 50=
=3D
=3D20
pound bags of pre-mixed glaze. According to their website all I had to do w=
=3D
as=3D20
add the appropriate amount of water and voila=3D2C glaze! WRONG.=3D20
The glazes are settling super fast. Even if I mix them with a drill and=3D2=
0
attachment and immediately dip they are still settling too fast. One of the=
=3D
=3D20
glazes pretty much turned to concrete at the bottom of the bucket. It took=
=3D
=3D20
me an hour of working on it to even loosen it up.=3D20
So I have been speaking with my local pottery supply store and Laguna. The=
=3D
=3D20
Laguna "technical" rep tells me I need to add Bentonite. Other potters say =
=3D
I=3D20
cannot add dry bentonite to mixed (wet) glazes. Any suggestions on how to=
=3D20
salvage my $1000 investment which at this point is completely useless?=3D20
Lisa
=3D20
=3D20
=3D
John Goode on tue 22 feb 11
Hi Lisa
Brackers Clay sells Magma...try it. It will suspend all the glazes and mak=
e
them usable with some work mix it in a blender. I use it. I love it. It
saves my time and works.
I am not affiliated with anyone or anything , I just got some by a fluke an=
d
that is that :)
Try it and let me or us know what you think.
John Goode
On Mon, Feb 21, 2011 at 9:05 PM, Lisa E wrote:
> So I thought I would try to save myself some time by purchasing pre-mixed
> dry glaze from Laguna. I have made my own glaze in the past but found it
> very time consuming to make my own glazes so I sold ALL of my glaze
> materials and went to pre-mixed glazes.
>
> Way more expensive which I knew but I do not have a ton of storage for al=
l
> of
> the individual materials. So here is my nightmare. I spent $1000 on five =
50
> pound bags of pre-mixed glaze. According to their website all I had to do
> was
> add the appropriate amount of water and voila, glaze! WRONG.
>
> The glazes are settling super fast. Even if I mix them with a drill and
> attachment and immediately dip they are still settling too fast. One of t=
he
> glazes pretty much turned to concrete at the bottom of the bucket. It too=
k
> me an hour of working on it to even loosen it up.
>
> So I have been speaking with my local pottery supply store and Laguna. Th=
e
> Laguna "technical" rep tells me I need to add Bentonite. Other potters sa=
y
> I
> cannot add dry bentonite to mixed (wet) glazes. Any suggestions on how to
> salvage my $1000 investment which at this point is completely useless?
>
> Lisa
>
Snail Scott on wed 23 feb 11
On Feb 21, 2011, at 9:05 PM, Lisa E wrote:
> So I thought I would try to save myself some time by purchasing =3D
pre-mixed=3D20
> dry glaze from Laguna...The glazes are settling super fast...It took=3D20=
=3D
> me an hour of working on it to even loosen it up...
> So I have been speaking with my local pottery supply store and Laguna. =
=3D
The=3D20
> Laguna "technical" rep tells me I need to add Bentonite. Other potters =
=3D
say I=3D20
> cannot add dry bentonite to mixed (wet) glazes...
I use some of these glazes at a college where I=3D20
teach, as we are not permitted to have a glaze-
mixing facility. I use the gloss and matte base=3D20
glazes, then add oxides. I have had serious settling=3D20
problems only with the lots-of-iron mix that we call=3D20
'Tootsie Pop' : about 15% RIO. Even that is no trouble=3D20
to re-mix after settling. If it sits all summer, I just run=3D20
the drill mixer in the fall and it stirs up without extreme=3D20
measures, even without bentonite. It does need=3D20
stirring every few minutes while in use, which is why=3D20
I finally added 2% bentonite to it. I have not bothered=3D20
to add bentonite to any of the other mixes I make=3D20
from the same glaze base. Certainly none have turned=3D20
to concrete in the bottom of the bucket like some other=3D20
glazes I have known. (Yeah, you high neph-sy and=3D20
frit glazes, I'm talkin' about you!)
Laguna makes a lot of dry mixes, so I can't speak to =3D20
your exact circumstances, but a little bentonite is=3D20
usually a good thing, and sometimes essential.
And you certainly can add dry bentonite to wet glazes;=3D20
I do it often. I just sift it in a little at a time while I run the=3D20
drill mixer; only takes a minute. I wait an hour or so,=3D20
then mix again before using; never had an issue. If you=3D20
dump dry bentonite in all at once, you have to mix for a=3D20
while to chop up the globules of clumped bentonite,=3D20
and then do it again the next day, but even that is no=3D20
catastrophe, just extra work. If you'd rather add it wet,=3D20
then just do that: mix the bentonite with water, wait=3D20
overnight, and after it's slaked, add it to the glaze. All=3D20
the same result, really.=3D20
-Snail=3D
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