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I have tested and documented a multitude of glazes over the years and am happy to share my findings with the pottery world. I use a free app called ClayLab to document and track each piece and it's technical information to help with future successes.
Firing Schedule
Firing Schedule
Electric kiln, oxidised firing
Bisque firing - 1020°C
Glaze firing - 1220°C
120 degrees per hour to 1000°C
80 degrees per hour to 1220°C
20 min soak
I have found that a slower approach to top temperature greatly reduced any pinholing in my glazes. Beware of fluxes and glazes that run - leave enough space on your pots for movement and use cookies where needed.
Clear Glaze
Clear Glaze
This is mixed at home and sieved in a 120 mesh sieve.
Cornish Stone - 46
Standard Borax Frit - 23
Whiting - 17
China Clay 14
For dipping: add 85ml of water per 100g of dry mix. This creates a smooth, single cream consistency.
For brushing: add 25ml of water to 25ml of Universal Glaze Medium per 100g dry mix. This made a thick brush on, to which I added a splash more water to dilute to a more brushable consistency.
Glazes
Glazes
I use a variety of glazes from brands including Amaco, Mayco, Spectrum, Speedball and Botz. I always buy the "foodsafe" glazes as I make tableware, however bear in mind that you need to use your professional judgement on whether a finished piece is suitable for functional use and there are a variety of at home tests you can complete if you want to. If necessary your work should be properly lab tested.
Underglazes and Clay
Underglazes and Clay
All my tests are on Earthstone ES5.
I use Amaco Velvet underglazes. These work brilliantly and are smooth to apply, also working well in liner bottles. The only one I have issue with is the Medium Blue, which creates lots of pinholing and blisters in the clear glaze.
Tests coming soon!
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