search  current discussion  categories  kilns & firing - misc 

lowfire glaze help please

updated wed 4 aug 99

 

Jeremy/Bonnie Hellman on fri 30 jul 99

Hello all,

I usually fire ^6 oxidation, and by this time I've found some interesting
glazes and glaze combinations. By interesting I mean glazes that are NOT a
solid color. They are somewhat variegated, or they are different where thick
and thin, or they highlight carving or there's something about them that
keeps you looking.

I want to make some flower pots from my ^6 white stoneware, which I'd like
to leave at earthenware temperatures, unglazed on the inside, and I'd like
to make some "interesting" glazes for ^06 to ^04 (my bisque temperatures). I
don't want to paint a design on, and a glaze that moves a little is probably
going to make me happier.

I have lots of recipes at those cones in a number of books including
Chappell, but would appreciate some help from someone who can point me in
the right direction to finding a glaze that isn't just a solid color. I
can't tell from looking at the recipes, and I'm not sure where to start. Can
you tell from a Hyperglaze analysis (that's what I have in the way of glaze
programs) if a glaze is likely to run just a little?

The only thing I can think of that I know how to do to provide interest in a
^06-^04 glaze would be a crackle glaze, and that's what I'll end up doing if
I don't find anything else.

If someone has some ideas I'd love to hear them. From this question, you may
correctly infer that I haven't done any low fire glazing previously (except
for the one crackle glaze, which is a commercial glaze) and I really don't
want to buy commercial glazes, if I can avoid it.

TIA

Bonnie

Bonnie Hellman

Carenza Hayhoe on mon 2 aug 99

Hi - I hope this is of some use. I've been fascinated by ^6 glazes for
years, till recently not many people over here have been though from what I
read in my ClayArt mail there are lots of people in the US who have been
familiar with it for ages. Since I discovered David Hewitt's glaze
programme it has all made much more sense and adjusting has become a doddle
even to a non chemist like me!
Here are two offerings:

Emmanuel Cooper 148 clear (^5-^8)
38 soda feldspar
60 HVAR ball clay
30 flint
14 whiting
12 zinc oxide

Wellbeloved clear (my own)
40 nepheline synite
5 HVAR ball clay
10 china clay
20 flint
15 whiting
10 zinc oxide
You could try 37 nepheline synite and 3 calcium borate frit for more shine.

Hope one of these works for you I find both good over slips sna stains.
good luck! Carenza


At 17:57 30/07/99 EDT, you wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Hello all,
>
>I usually fire ^6 oxidation, and by this time I've found some interesting
>glazes and glaze combinations. By interesting I mean glazes that are NOT a
>solid color. They are somewhat variegated, or they are different where thick
>and thin, or they highlight carving or there's something about them that
>keeps you looking.
>
>I want to make some flower pots from my ^6 white stoneware, which I'd like
>to leave at earthenware temperatures, unglazed on the inside, and I'd like
>to make some "interesting" glazes for ^06 to ^04 (my bisque temperatures). I
>don't want to paint a design on, and a glaze that moves a little is probably
>going to make me happier.
>
>I have lots of recipes at those cones in a number of books including
>Chappell, but would appreciate some help from someone who can point me in
>the right direction to finding a glaze that isn't just a solid color. I
>can't tell from looking at the recipes, and I'm not sure where to start. Can
>you tell from a Hyperglaze analysis (that's what I have in the way of glaze
>programs) if a glaze is likely to run just a little?
>
>The only thing I can think of that I know how to do to provide interest in a
>^06-^04 glaze would be a crackle glaze, and that's what I'll end up doing if
>I don't find anything else.
>
>If someone has some ideas I'd love to hear them. From this question, you may
>correctly infer that I haven't done any low fire glazing previously (except
>for the one crackle glaze, which is a commercial glaze) and I really don't
>want to buy commercial glazes, if I can avoid it.
>
>TIA
>
>Bonnie
>
>Bonnie Hellman
>
>
>

Andrew Buck on mon 2 aug 99

Bonnie,

Try adding a hand full of garden dirt to any cone 06 glaze you have. Try
sprinkling ashes on the damp glazed pots. Try overlapping various colors
of glaze or splashing one glaze over another. Try draping a shredded SOS
steel wool pad (the kind with the soap in it or add borax to regular steel
wool) over the pot, glazed or unglazed. Try dry mixing the metallic oxides
or carbonates with soda or borax and sprinkling them over a glazed or
unglazed pot. Use a vented kiln. Loosen up a bit. Look for something
that you like, then, calculate the glaze. Work, work, work, test, test,
test, laugh a lot, cry a little, sing, and ponder. Do this and your pots
will be "interesting". Life is short, God is great.

Andy Buck
Raincreek Pottery
Port Orchard, Washington

On Fri, 30 Jul 1999, Jeremy/Bonnie Hellman wrote:

> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> Hello all,
>
> I usually fire ^6 oxidation, and by this time I've found some interesting
> glazes and glaze combinations. By interesting I mean glazes that are NOT a
> solid color. They are somewhat variegated, or they are different where thick
> and thin, or they highlight carving or there's something about them that
> keeps you looking.
>
> I want to make some flower pots from my ^6 white stoneware, which I'd like
> to leave at earthenware temperatures, unglazed on the inside, and I'd like
> to make some "interesting" glazes for ^06 to ^04 (my bisque temperatures). I
> don't want to paint a design on, and a glaze that moves a little is probably
> going to make me happier.
>
> I have lots of recipes at those cones in a number of books including
> Chappell, but would appreciate some help from someone who can point me in
> the right direction to finding a glaze that isn't just a solid color. I
> can't tell from looking at the recipes, and I'm not sure where to start. Can
> you tell from a Hyperglaze analysis (that's what I have in the way of glaze
> programs) if a glaze is likely to run just a little?
>
> The only thing I can think of that I know how to do to provide interest in a
> ^06-^04 glaze would be a crackle glaze, and that's what I'll end up doing if
> I don't find anything else.
>
> If someone has some ideas I'd love to hear them. From this question, you may
> correctly infer that I haven't done any low fire glazing previously (except
> for the one crackle glaze, which is a commercial glaze) and I really don't
> want to buy commercial glazes, if I can avoid it.
>
> TIA
>
> Bonnie