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This is not sold in jars, I make my own labels to demonstrate that DIY brushing glazes are not only possible, but can be better. The G2917 glaze is less melt-runny than typical floating blues. It contains the standard rutile/iron addition but adds a little cobalt to ensure a good blue color no matter how the kiln cools. The L4655 Alberta Slip floating blue (left), contains no rutile, iron or even cobalt - it employs titanium dioxide (using iron available in the body and slow cooling as the mechanism of the blue). Both have a big advantage over the original G2826R recipe from 50 years ago: they don't contain any Gerstley Borate, so the slurries don't turn to jelly in the bucket, both mix naturally as thixotropic dipping glazes.

This picture has its own page with more detail, click here to see it.
Rutile blue glazes are actually titanium blues (because rutile mineral is an impure source of TiO2 and Fe2O3). The iron and titanium in the rutile react to form the floating blue effect. The GA6-C recipe has always relied on a 4% rutile addition. Its GA6-A base recipe contains significant iron (because of the 80% Alberta Slip), so could titanium oxide deliver the same floating blue effect? Yes.
These mugs are M390 clay. The top left one is the standard GA6-C (with rutile) fired using the C6DHSC slow-cool firing schedule (the bottom left normal cool PLC6DS schedule produces little color). But the ones on the right switch the 4% rutile for titanium dioxide (the L4655 recipe). The top right was fired using the slow cool, the bottom right was the normal cool schedule.
Titanium thus seems more consistent and reliable material than rutile. An excellent blue color is produced even without a slow cool (lower right).

This picture has its own page with more detail, click here to see it.
Your studio or workshop can save a lot of money making and even selling your own brushing glazes to students (at least for common colors and types). The supplies shown here enable printing quality labels on ordinary paper and applying them to jars that cost less than $2. We make the labels by ink-jetting onto regular paper, cutting them 62mm wide (2 7/16") and holding them securely in place using 2 7/8" transparent packing tape.
What about the glazes themselves? Just do what glaze companies do: Add stains to a base transparent glossy or matte glaze (for example G1916Q for cone 04 or G2926B for cone 6). Each 16oz jar needs 350g powder, 450g water, 5g CMC gum and 5g Veegum (leave out the Veegum and use less water for thicker coats). Stains are expensive (5-20 cents/gm here in 2024), at 7.5% (25g) that is $1-5 per jar. The materials for the G1916Q base cost $10/kg, and for G2926B $4/kg. Thus each jar costs $3.33 and $1.33 respectively. 5000g batches would make 15 jars. A best-case is about $5/jar, worst case about $10/jar (compare that with commercials that are about $15-70). Of course, you can save money by looking for deals on materials and stains and recycling jars. Consider other advantages of making your own: You can tune the rheology and adjust recipes to fit your clay bodies (to prevent crazing or shivering) and application methods.
Are you worried about labelled, testing and SDSs? Take a look at ASTM D-4236 and see if you still need to worry.
| Typecodes |
Floating Blue
A popular cone 6 glaze that employed Gerstley Borate, it was very troublesome to use and to fire. Much work has been done to create alternative recipes. |
| Glossary |
Brushing Glaze
Hobbyists and increasing numbers of potters use commercial paint-on glazes. It's convenient, there are lots of visual effects. There are also issues compared to dipping glazes. You can also make your own. |
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