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pre-mixed glazes vs mixing your own

updated fri 28 oct 11

 

Claude Lehman on thu 27 oct 11


Has anyone calculated how much more expensive it is to buy pre-mixed powd=
=3D
er=3D20
glaze in 50 lb bags than mixing your own from the raw materials? Leaving =
=3D
aside=3D20
the question of controlling your own glaze from a creative and artistic p=
=3D
oint of=3D20
view, do you really save a lot of money making up the glaze yourself?

William & Susan Schran User on thu 27 oct 11


On 10/27/11 8:59 AM, "Claude Lehman" wrote:

> Has anyone calculated how much more expensive it is to buy pre-mixed powd=
er
> glaze in 50 lb bags than mixing your own from the raw materials? Leaving =
aside
> the question of controlling your own glaze from a creative and artistic p=
oint
> of
> view, do you really save a lot of money making up the glaze yourself?

Raw materials will generally cost less than a pre-made/pre-mixed glaze,
especially if you are buying the main ingredients in full bag quantities.

But there are other considerations.
Do you have the space to store bags of chemicals?
I have my bags in Rubbermaid Roughneck Lidded plastic storage boxes.
They are 10 U.S. Gallon/ 37.9 liter size.
I lay the bag down in the container, and slice open the bag in the side
facing up.
I can stack two of these boxes under my work table, having 6 plastic boxes
with the materials I use the most of, while other materials are on a couple
shelves in screw top plastic containers.

You will also need a scale, proper respirator, scoops, etc. along with spac=
e
to weigh out ingredients, but you will also need respirator, scale and
associated equipment if you buy pre-made glazes.

If you do buy premade glazes due to storage or preference considerations, I
would suggest you buy a smaller amount (5-10 pounds) of a clear gloss and a
mat glaze, then buy small quantities of metallic colorants and opacifier
(tin or zirconium silicate) and run a series of tests to see how the glaze
fits your clay and how a series of added colorants work with the glazes.

Bill

--
William "Bill" Schran
wschran@cox.net
wschran@nvcc.edu
http://www.creativecreekartisans.com

Bonnie Hellman on thu 27 oct 11


Quoting William & Susan Schran User :

Many years ago, as I was beginning to get into glazes, I asked myself
the same question. I compared the cost per pound (buying full bags of
materials which is considerably cheaper than buying smaller
quantities, even 5 lbs) and compared the cost to the dry glazes for ^6
that Standard Ceramics of Pittsburgh was selling at the time.

In general the materials costs were less than 50% of the final price
per pound of dry glaze.

When I thought about this, it made sense. Remember that when I buy a
50 pound bag of a glaze ingredient, Standard is also making a profit
(as they should). Assuming that their markup on dry ingredients is
100% (i.e. when I pay $50, their gross profit is $25). They have
additional incremental (not fixed) expenses in assembling their
glazes, the continuing cost being measuring and mixing the ingredients.

Claude, in addition to the considerations of space and equipment,
discussed by Bill, it also takes time to measure the ingredients in
assembling your own glaze batch. Depending on the quantity you are
using, the economics might suggest you'd be better off buying glazes.

However, when you make your own glazes, you have a lot more control
over the finished product. You are still buying natural ingredients
that can vary from batch to batch, and your glaze recipes may come
from a source where their ingredients differ from yours, BUT if you
aren't happy with the result, you have the ability to adjust future
batches.

IMHO it's not just a question of money. How you want to spend your
time, whether you want to have more control over the process, whether
you have the space to store ingredients and glaze, the money to buy
the equipment, and probably a bunch of other things I've completely
overlooked.

Best,
Bonnie

Bonnie D. Hellman
Ouray, Colorado USA


> On 10/27/11 8:59 AM, "Claude Lehman" wrote:
>
>> Has anyone calculated how much more expensive it is to buy pre-mixed pow=
der
>> glaze in 50 lb bags than mixing your own from the raw materials?
>> Leaving aside
>> the question of controlling your own glaze from a creative and
>> artistic point
>> of
>> view, do you really save a lot of money making up the glaze yourself?
>
> Raw materials will generally cost less than a pre-made/pre-mixed glaze,
> especially if you are buying the main ingredients in full bag quantities.
>
> But there are other considerations.
> Do you have the space to store bags of chemicals?
> I have my bags in Rubbermaid Roughneck Lidded plastic storage boxes.
> They are 10 U.S. Gallon/ 37.9 liter size.
> I lay the bag down in the container, and slice open the bag in the side
> facing up.
> I can stack two of these boxes under my work table, having 6 plastic boxe=
s
> with the materials I use the most of, while other materials are on a coup=
le
> shelves in screw top plastic containers.
>
> You will also need a scale, proper respirator, scoops, etc. along with sp=
ace
> to weigh out ingredients, but you will also need respirator, scale and
> associated equipment if you buy pre-made glazes.
>
> If you do buy premade glazes due to storage or preference considerations,=
I
> would suggest you buy a smaller amount (5-10 pounds) of a clear gloss and=
a
> mat glaze, then buy small quantities of metallic colorants and opacifier
> (tin or zirconium silicate) and run a series of tests to see how the glaz=
e
> fits your clay and how a series of added colorants work with the glazes.
>
> Bill
>
> --
> William "Bill" Schran
> wschran@cox.net
> wschran@nvcc.edu
> http://www.creativecreekartisans.com
>

May Luk on thu 27 oct 11


My cone 6 transparent glaze costs out to $1.68 / lb
My cone 6 moon glow white glaze costs $3.95 / lb. (Tin oxide at 26/lb
and Neodymium at $60/lb)

This is the cost of materials after months of testing and tweaking.
Product development time & labor not included.

May
Brooklyn NY


On Thu, Oct 27, 2011 at 8:59 AM, Claude Lehman wrote:
> Has anyone calculated how much more expensive it is to buy pre-mixed powd=
er
> glaze in 50 lb bags than mixing your own from the raw materials? Leaving =
aside
> the question of controlling your own glaze from a creative and artistic p=
oint of
> view, do you really save a lot of money making up the glaze yourself?
>



--
http://www.artspan.org/artist/mayluk
http://www.ceramicsbrooklyn.com/