Sunday, January 13, 2013

Four VC Glazes

I spend my evenings now paging through the Cushing Handbook, looking for ^6 glazes that might perform well in soda, for the upcoming test firing. None of them are specifically meant for soda, but I'm looking for things that meet the criteria offered by June Perry in her very helpful comment here. I'm also trying to stay away from barium.

I've found a few that fit, or will, with some minimal alterations:

VC Transparent Glossy 3 (Gonna have to give that - or its descendant, if I alter it, a more succinct name!)

Custer Spar       40.0%
Gerstley Borate 18.0%
Whiting              16.0%
EPK                   10.0%
Flint                    16.0%

This sounds like a good base glaze. I'd like to get a good chartreuse or spring green without barium. 

VC 71 Base
Neph Sy           24.0%
Frit 3124             9.0%
Whiting              16.0%
Talc                     9.0%
EPK                   10.0%
Flint                    16.0%

Just listen to the description:  "Wonderful surface. Really sensuous smooth matt. Has a kind of glow like looking at a pearl. All the colors keep this same character; a gorgeous base glaze.- V.C." I don't just want to mix this glaze; I want to sleep with this glaze! Sadly, it's characterized as an oxidation glaze but it can't hurt to try it is reduction.   

VC 72 Base
Neph Sy            24.0%
Dolomite            11.0
Gerstley Borate  12.0
Whiting                4.0%
Zinc Oxide           2.0%
EPK                     7.0
Flint                    40.0

This one is described as a little more glossy but with a glow; Colors break with some texture.

And, finally:
VC Easy Gloss 1
Gerstley Borate 50.0%
EPK                  50.0%

I have no particular reason to believe that this glaze will perform well in soda, but I am a sucker for a 2-ingredient glaze. It seems worth it to test it, on the off chance that it will work  and I'll forever more have a recipe that is a joy to mix.

Of course, I am still without a scale, because the one I recently ordered bought the farm after only one use. I contacted the Big Ceramic Store, who, bless their hearts, offered to credit me towards any other scale, or refund my money. That particular model - 7001DX - has been discontinued. It seems I didn't just get a lemon, they are all defective. Despite the bum scale, I am pleased with how the Big Ceramic Store handled it: they got back to me right away, and were as helpful as could be under the circumstances.

Anyway: it's amazing how quickly I got spoiled. Mixing with the digital scale was so much faster and easier than using the triple beam that I never want to go back. I did repair the triple beam (more or less) for using in my soaping hobby, so technically I could just bring it back for studio use, but I think I'll wait.



5 comments:

June Perry said...

The boron and clay glaze may work. Between the boron content and alumina content of the clay it maybe fine.

For chartreuse, 1/2% chrome addition to non zinc bearing glazes should work.

Did you get the email I sent with Mark's recipes?

June Perry said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Lori Watts said...

June - yes, thanks! I appreciate all your help.
For everyone - there is something stupid going on with the commenting system, it seems to double post all comments except mine. If you see a deleted comment, that's why.

DirtKicker Pottery said...

The Big Ceramic Store is only 30 miles from where I live. Gordon the manager is a good guy. I'm glad they did right with your scale.
Everything I have read on barium carbonate has such hazard warnings. I don't want it anywhere around my studio.

I love the semi-matte glazes. This post really has me anxious to do some more glaze testing.

Ross Munro said...

The VC 71 doesn't add up to 100. Other recipes have the neph sy at 40%