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borax for ghastly!? ohmygawd!

updated fri 17 apr 98

 

Karl P. Platt on thu 16 apr 98

On 30.3.98 Sandra Burke wrote:


> Does anyone know of a way to formulate a substitute for gerstly
> borate. I am having trouble with a very fickle glaze and suspect that
> unstable gerstly borate may be the culprit. the glaze base is as
> follows:

One reply she received was:

> you might try to substitute borax for gerstley borate.
>
> i hope to have an article on this problem in a future issue of clay times

Do not under any circumstances do this -- unless you're making your own
frit, which I doubt. If you think Ghastly Borate made weird glaze, using
straight, and highly soluble Borax will make life real interesting.

Further, such a highly ill-advised replacement would also require an
addition of CaO to substitute what the Ghastly would have brought to the
glaze.

If you want to replace the Ghastly Borate use a commercially available
frit and adjust the compoosition accordingly. I don't have time to do it
for you, but another kind soul out here might.


Karl P. Platt