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Potters often encounter the problem shown here. These pieces are fired at cone 6. They are decorated with underglazes made from a mix of porcelain powders and stains. The transparent glaze works over certain colors but on others, it is full of microbubbles and pinholes. The potter has not had success finding a transparent overglaze that works consistently. Stain manufacturers do not mix stains with porcelain to making underglazes.
So, although closer control of the transparent glaze thickness or a more fluid melt glaze recipe might help, the real solution may lie with the underglaze recipes used here. An ideal bisque-stage underglaze is sinter-bonded but not sealed (therefore not accepting glaze water). An ideal fired underglaze also has controlled maturity: enough glass development to bond well to the body and promote glaze acceptance, but not so much that edge-bleeding and opacity loss occur. This state of 'controlled maturity' is also more likely to match body thermal expansion. The cost savings and the potential to fine-tune each color to your exact needs can be powerful motivations to use DIY underglazes.

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Only a part of that 21 grams is actual stain powder; it is mixed with a powder medium (a 16oz jar of another color yielded 190g, slightly more economical). Before considering cost, note that the high water content of these is actually a benefit; the thixotropic gel has excellent brushing properties, enabling very thin layering. However, more than one layer is needed to achieve opacity and even color.
But the elephant in the room is price. In one scenario, using encapsulated red stain and assuming 50% in the underglaze recipe, I calculated a 1500% saving making my own (assuming the same specific gravity)! But it gets better. I make mine with a higher specific gravity for better coverage (which raises the cost) but a lower stain percentage (which lowers it back down). And I fine-tune the degree-of-melt and glass-bonding by adjusting the feldspar. And I optimize bisque hardness, and thus overpaintability, by adjusting the clay percentage. With my setup, I can weigh and make a 1-pint jar of brushing glaze/underglaze in ten minutes. When I notice ways it could be improved, I edit the notes in its recipe record in insight-live (and adjust the procedure or recipe next time I mix a jar).

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These stain-water mixes were painted onto bisque and an overglaze was applied. Pure stains are refractory, thus do not glass-bond with the body. And they repel being wetted by the molten glaze on top. Problems like this are the result. Stains need to be mixed with a stain medium that both supplies a bonding glass (for firing) and a clay to suspend the slurry and dry-harden and dry-bond it. One medium option used to be Gerstley Borate, it was both plastic (so it dried and hardened like a clay and suspended the slurry), and it was a melter. It was just a matter of tuning the percentage to optimize performance. One problem was that the best mix of those ended up using 70% stain (whereas 15-20% is theoretically enough).
A better option is to use a full-fledged medium, a recipe. Each of the ingredients is there for a purpose. This provides the ultimate flexibility to tune the mix properties for brushing and firing to enable minimizing the percentage of stain needed.
| Glossary |
Stain Medium
It is a mistake to use pure stains for decorating ware. Stains need to be mixed with a ceramic carrier and a working medium to work and fire well. |
| Glossary |
Underglaze
Understand pottery underglazes: Why they brush differently, how they fire, why clears fail over them, and how to make your own recipes. In technical rather than art language. |
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