Tiggerbus on sat 22 feb 97
I am new to this mixing thing...I need information on what minerals and
chemicals to purchase to mix glazes for an electric kiln. I have always
worked with gas in college, which was years ago, but I understand the
whole concept of reduction and oxidation! I need to know about what types
of recipes will work in an electric kiln and where do I purchase them
from! Our professors always had the colors mixed together and we just
dipped out little hearts away. I only learned how to mix different types
of clays and I have plenty of knowledge in that area, just need help in
the glaze area!!'
If anyone has the time or can just point, I can follow!!!
Thanks,
amer
Doug Gray on mon 24 feb 97
Amer
The chemicals you need will be determined, to some degree, by the
temperature that you are firing to. Other than that, the same
chemicals used for reduction firing can be used in electric firing but
will give you different results. If you can, try to find a book about
electric kiln fining and glazes. I have had one around, but can't
seem to find it now, but there should be several to choose from. Take
the recipes they provide and mix up small batches (100gms or so) and
test them. If you are buying the chemicals yourself, then you should
find several recipes that share the same chemicals so that way you
aren't buying a little bit of everything. One group of chemicals plus
colorants and opacifiers should be plenty to develop a wide range of
glazes.
Perhaps someone with more experience than I in electirc kiln,
oxidation glazes will post their recipes to you.
Another possiblity is to look through catalogs for premixed comercial
glazes. They are providing a wide assortment of colors and textures
now. You might find what you need there and skip the testing/mixing
process all together. It might be more expensive this way, but then
you'd be back in the position of dipping to your hearts content. It
just depends on how much effort and time you want to dedicate to glaze
mixing.
Doug Gray
Alpine, TX
Lili Krakowski on mon 24 feb 97
Ok. There is no essential difference between reduction adn oxidation
fired glazes. Many recipes exist for glazes that work in both. The BIG
difference is that some materials do not reduce well, they look awful,
an some materials are "meaningless" in oxidation.
My one basic suggetion is that you get a basic book on glazes--The
Potters' Shop in Needham MA sells several, they cost around $30.
Call them and ask wht they think best for a beginner. Then: decide in
your own mind what you like as a look. (By now the book will have told
you wht materials achieve what look most likely.) Go through recipes you
find in old CMs and books at the library and select out: a calcium-borate
glaze with zinc, a calcium borate glaze without zinc, a couple of
alkaline (feldspar or nepheline syenite) glazes, a high magnesiaum (talc
or dolomite) glaze and test them. For this you would need a frit, zinc,
two spars, neph. sy. dolomite, kaolin, and flint. Buy these in ten ound
lots or so--you alwasy will need them. Start testing. As to
colorants--that is up to you. Lili Krakowski lkkrakow@edisto.cofc.edu
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