When I came out of school and started doing glaze test I did not know anything about testing glazes. I meant not one thing!
I would read a recipe, look at the color and mix it up and I would get yuck.
Then I would quit.
I would rather throw pots.
Now I know there are some factors in getting the glaze you want.
First off what clay body do you want this to fit on?
What atmosphere are you firing in?
What is the color of clay body?
How are you firing and what is the temperature range you are looking for.
With all this in mind I went after the clear glaze.
The clay body I am using is Highwater's Red Stone.
Firing to 2185-2190
I wanted a good melt which would work well with slips.
Before the studio fire I was testing and working with slips at cone 5.
The fire took all the slips with it.( darn fire!)
I have finally had some time, let's rephrase that.
I have made some time to work on slips again and I wanted a really good clear glaze.
I tried Ron's clear glaze and it just did not have quite the melt I wanted- close but not quite there.
Thanks Ron!
I looked at a very old Ceramic's Monthly, 1986, and found a clear there using Gerstley Borate. Good melt, but with that blue tinge which come with Gerstley. Maybe for some thing else....
I then moved out on the Internet to find a glaze for slips by Kate the Younger.
Kate the Younger Clear Glaze
Cone 6
Raw Material
Ferro Frit 3195
70%
EPK Kaolin
8%
Wollastonite
10%
Silica
12%
Total
100%
Add:
Bentonite
2%
And in digging through my notes and such from past workshops I came up with a clear glaze from Ron Myers.
The Kate Younger and Ron Myers have won out.
Both had a good melt with good shine on the clay body.
I will fire yet another group of test today.
Red stone, white slip, color slips and see what comes out.
I'll also post up the other recipes, but I am in the basement office and the recipes are out in the studio.
I have to get them back here to put in the computer file with some notes.
I do have one more clear I came across which we used many years back.
I think it might need testing too.
It has only three ingredients.
3134 frit and something, something.... I'll post it up as well.
