Mastering Cone Six Glazes, Our Test Results

Where?

Hi Gaye, I see that a couple of you are just very brave. I haven't tried mixing that one yet. It does look beautiful in the book. I decided to take the books suggestion and try others first. Let me know how your next firing with the glaze goes and I may just give it a shot. As I said in my direct message to you I've mixed in 2 1/2 gallon batches the Powder Blue, Verigated Blue, Field Mouse Brown, Oatmeal. I've been using those on some things that I've done and I do like all of them except the Verigated Blue. It usually comes out green with dark brown and it seems to always have bubbles where the others do not. I looked in the book and it seems that the color result I'm getting is due to the application being to thin. It seems no matter how I try I can't get it thick enough. I'm going to keep trying till I run out of glaze and then I may never mix that one again. The first time I tried it I loved it. It actually had some blue and green in it. I can't seem to get that result again. I've tried it on different types of clay. I really like the Powder Blue. That glaze is really versatile. It looks good even if the application is to thin. I like it on my buff clay because it has a nice brown color where it breaks. If it is to thin it looks kind of rustic or country to me. Field Mouse Brown is nice also, however mine doesn't really look like it does in the book. It has somewhat of an olive color to it. The glazes that I really love in the book is Carribean Sea Green and Light Stormy Blue. I did try them on a couple of test tiles and on a couple small jars but decided to forgo mixing any more due to the kiln needing to be vented for the firing. I left a crack in the lid for that but I'm not comfortable with doing that to much. All for now, Crystal

"GaSeku" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@mb-m01.aol.com...

in article Og%Ob.70899$ snipped-for-privacy@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net, CNB at snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com wrote on 1/19/04 7:13 PM:

Excellent book.

I have mixed all the samples. Excellent results.

By contrast, most of the stoneware cone 6 in Chappell's Clay and Glazes. Don't go there.

Marty

You're not the only person who has suggested to avoid Chappell's glazes and yet there are potters who have it on their recommended lists. I think I'm going to listen to the warning. Maybe that's why he didn't include any photos in the book

I have no doubt that somebody, somewhere, with some set of materials, on some clay, with some firing schedule, got results they liked with each of the glazes in Chappell's book. :-) In Mastering Cone Six Glazes, John and Ron discuss the firing schedulue they use which helps a lot. Even so, many get results that are somewhat different from what John and Ron picture in their books. You can see a couple examples of what I got at

deg

Gaye: If I can stick my very long nose into this for a minute...

Just like cooking, a recipe is a "guideline". What works for one person will not necessarily work for everyone, since we all use different clay, firing schedules, heck, even the water we use to mix glazes has different minerals in it. Too many variables. (That's how we end up with different recipes:>)

You have to remember that, and adjust the "recipe" to suit YOUR particular set of circumstances. Those glazes probably were stable and reliable for Chappell, and Chappell loved them.

One size does not fit all :>) as I am finding out quite rapidly :>( Recipes "guaranteed to work" by long time friends who are potters have failed miserably (spectacularly) for me. THEN I hear "Oh, you're using an electric kiln? I use gas/coal/wood/ex-wives to fire MINE" or "Oh, you don't do a 300 hour soak at 19,000,000 C?"

AAARRRGGGHHH!

Like someone said..."test, test, test!" (and then repeat and see if it still works)

Just a thought. Wayne Seidl

Deg, The link doesn't work for me. I'd love to see it. Gaye

You're probably quite right, Wayne. Thanks for the gentle reminder. Gaye

Oops. Try

Deg, That gets me to your page and I see the title of your licorice glaze pics, but no image. Am I doing something wrong? Gaye

Hmmmm. . . I don't know. It works for me. You might see if you see the image at

That worked. Nice looking, too! Thanks for going through all of that toruble. Gaye

I have found Chappel useful. Here is a Chappel Boron-Lithum glaze that is similar to Warren MacKenzie's "Glassy Green":

^6

Spodumene 51.00 Gerstley Borate 26.00 Silica 23.00

Bentonite 1.00 (my oxides, same as MacKenzie's):

Copper Carb 5.00% RIO 0.50%

I've been in Japan for the last 4.5 years so I don't know if you can get Gerst Borate anylonger. Maybe the substitutes will work.

Lee In Mashiko, Japan

The glaze and the clay body of the piece under the inside picture of the licorice are just what I'm looking for. Can you please tell me what they are? D Kat

The glaze directly under the caption "Interior of Dusty Licorice cup" (which is the photo above) is Waterfall Brown from Mastering Cone 6 Glazes. This is the same glaze that is shown on the cover of the book which you can see at

deg

Thank you. I will be buying the book (if I don't talk myself into buying their software instead.... In which case I don't know what I will do for recipes...). Your glaze is much closer to what I'm looking for than what is on the cover of the book... (red to gold - breaking brown).... I am assuming you are doing an Oxidation firing. If I'm wrong, could you correct me please. DKat

DKat: Try these resources for recipes:

Welcome to the "wunnerful world of glaze".

Wayne Seidl who still isn't finished swearing at glazes that run, craze, pinhole, crater, and generally make life unpleasant :>)

Thank you. I'm a tad nervous about venturing out on my own and appreciate the welcome.

The rules of common courtesy seem quite easy to follow... I'm from the Unix world where sharing of software code went without saying but after having lived in the MS world for the last decade I'm amazed that people share anything at all! It is so nice to be in the world of potters. DKat