How I Mix and Apply my Glaze Tests

[@thepotterycorner]

Hi - I use a rubber spatula to get things through the sieve. Saves shaving the paintbrush! Very interesting content- thanks

[@OldForgeCreations]

Yeah, I don't use the paintbrush for the larger sieves, but the small one is too small for the larger brush I usually use. A small spatula might work, or just a rubber brush with bristles too large to go through the holes. But as it's just for tests, I'm not so worried about finding a better solution

[@Chloe-zr9lk]

Thankyou for such an informative video :) I am new to making my own glazes so this is really useful

[@sziluchannel]

Hi great video, really helpful. Are you planning on making a more detailed video on glaze chemistry? Have you tried melting glass on pottery?

[@OldForgeCreations]

I'm not going to do too much on glaze chemistry, as I learnt it from CMW and the courses there are a much better way to learn than anything I could make. I've played with glass a bit, but never really did much with it. It can be really interesting though

[@dentednj]

If your brush hairs are breaking off, are they ending up in your glaze liquid? I wonder if a silicon spatula (like those used in kitchen) would help press the solids through the mesh better as well as scraping down the lumps off the sides of your containers. You've measured the solids so maybe it will affect the recipe if the solids don't emulsify?

[@OldForgeCreations]

They almost certainly ended up in the glaze tests, but never at a level I've noticed. For my larger sieves I use an IKEA kitchen brush which doesn't have the same problem but is too big to use effectively in the small sieve. I tried a spatula before and didn't find it as effective, but it might work better than the old paintbrush.

[@geoffdavison5805]

Great video, such a wealth of detailed solutions. A question though. Which scales do you use please. You say they are quite cheap but still measure tiny amounts!

[@willloveshisdrums]

Awesome info. Definitely inspired to dive in and try to have a go and slowly get away from the current go-to Amaco etc. Forgive my total beginner question, but if I were to use this recipe as a starting base glaze without the copper carbonate, could it be possible to make, for example, a white from the clear base recipe by adding something like a Tin Oxide in place of the copper? Apologies if this is way off the mark, sometimes it pays to ask! Cheers!

[@OldForgeCreations]

Thanks! Yes, that would be a good way to start developing a selection of glaze colours. This might not be the best all round glaze base, as it's a little on the runny side, but you could make it white with tin, titanium, or zirconium. If you're looking to get into making your own glazes, I really recommend the Ceramic Materials Workshop courses. The cone 6 one is particularly good as an intro into it, if you're working at cone 6

[@Txepetxcc]

I was wondering from the pebble cup vide what were those pieces in the kiln. test pieces!

[@OldForgeCreations]

Yes! I always try to get some tests in every firing, but they probably look quite strange unless you know what they are! People sometimes think they're phone stands

[@BasilWallace]

My strontium does not force clumping. My GB does a bit as with Bentonite, ofc...

[@OldForgeCreations]

It's not so much that my strontium clumps in the same way that bentonite would, otherwise premixing the dry ingredients would avoid it, its more that my supply comes pre-clumped for some reason. It's annoying, but not the end of the world

[@BasilWallace]

So it's harder and more compact? That seems normal, I guess..

[@LIDABEAR]

Use a 50mL skirted conical tube if you run out of those baby feeding tubes. You can get them from amazon or any laboratory supply shop.

[@OldForgeCreations]

Thanks for the tip!

[@LIDABEAR]

@@OldForgeCreations no problem! I like your work and your videos are very calming. I will be coming back for more! 👍

[@mosephina]

Hi...thank you for doing this. Do you target a specific gravity before determining the affects of glaze application thickness? If so, do you target the same specific gravity with each glaze? I imagine that adding a specific weight of dry ingredients; possibly 100 grams, to 100 grams of water will yield the same SG for repeat usage, but given the different density of the various dry ingredients would yield different SG for the different glazes. I can appreciate the appeal of runny glazes for the myriad of effects they can create. Still, do you consider the quality of glaze for food usage? Or are these applied only to non food surfaces, such as rims and/or exteriors with a liner glaze for the food usage portion? My understanding is that runny glazes are less stable, and, as a result, lead to poor glass matrix formation, which in turn may leach. Likely this is imperceptible, but some demonstrations show remarkable leaching of the oxide colorants even in an overnight acid test.

[@OldForgeCreations]

I don't find SG particularly useful. You're right about it varying between glazes based on density, but any glaze where the SG and viscosity aren't right at the same water content isn't worth the hassle in my opinion. A good example of this is the Kuan/Snowflake Crackle recipes, which gel up and are basically solid at the right SG or are far too dilute at the right viscosity. It's possible to deflocculate but it's always a battle to get it working correctly. If a glaze has a good flux ratio, a sensible amount of silica and alumina, and sensible levels of colourants, I'm happy using it for food surfaces. Runniness can be achieved a few different ways, but the only one that will work with those limitations is higher boron levels and from everything I've seen suggests it doesn't compromise the glaze stability the way the others will. That's primarily how the Floating Blues get their movement for example.

[@azulsolari]

Hello! Great video. Thanks. My question is: if I'm trying glazes superposition, and want to make one of them more soft , to run more, is there anything I can add? Such as flux or any component? As I can't prepare low silica one maybe I can add something to get similar final effect. Sorry maybe the english isn't correct and the idea is confusing... Regards from Buenos Aires!

[@itsjistudio]

Was it low firing? Cone 6?

[@didemdereliakdeniz8453]

Can I use this with porcelain?

[@OldForgeCreations]

Sure

[@violetsands]

I would say that a disposable dusk mask is not enough. Wearing a mask that is filtered for dust particles is important - it is more than preventing silicosis but some of the ingredients we use can affect the nervous system or are toxic. ie lithium. At uni we had a girl who was using lithium and no mask (despite all the advice, rules and warnings) she dropped the container and it puffed up into the air and she breathed in a lot and had to go to hospital. She had immediate breathing difficulties but went on to display tremors and dizziness. She recovered thankfully but it could have easily been avoided if she had worn the proper mask. Anyway moving on - thanks for the info on ceramic materials workshop which was easy to find on google search and i am planning on taking a course to refresh my knowledge.

[@OldForgeCreations]

Agreed. I think all I said in the video was to use a proper filter mask, and the disposable ones were better than nothing, but if you're working with powdered ingredients then you really owe it to your future self to take adequate care. I'd still rather people wore a disposable one than nothing though. Thanks for reminding me about the CMW link, I'd forgotten to add that when doing the description.

[@joannafeldheim5893]

Meticulous.