Monthly Tech-Tip | No tracking! No ads! |
Lead glazes can have brilliant high gloss surfaces. They can dissolve high percentages of colorants without losing transparency. And do this at unbelievably low temperatures. In Europe the use of lead is still common among potters, in North America it’s use is often met with fear. This picture is courtesy of Cory Lund. He glazes the tiles, cuts the grooves and then fires the tiles again. While working in an area where lead frits are not available Mr. Lund was able to produce a similar surface using lead free Fusion Frit FZ-16, albeit with higher thermal expansion and thus some crazing (but it was not an issue for him). Then, when the frit was not available, he was able to calculate the chemistry and source it using Borax, this worked so well the glaze was even melting too much!
Oxides | PbO - Lead Oxide |
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Materials |
Fusion Frit FZ-16
The champion in our frit melt-off competitition. This frit showcases the amazing fluxing power of boron and zinc working together. It is 15.5% ZnO. |
Materials |
Lead Bisilicate Frit
A standard frit of 1 molar part of PbO and 2 of SiO2. It is considered stable and non-leachable. |
URLs |
https://www.instagram.com/pilesandtiles/?hl=en
Corwyn Lund Instagram page An Alfred masters in ceramics grad 2022 and doing a residency at medalta.org during 2023 first half. |
Glossary |
Melt Fluidity
Ceramic glazes melt and flow according to their chemistry, particle size and mineralogy. Observing and measuring the nature and amount of flow is important in understanding them. |
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