Monthly Tech-Tip | No tracking! No ads! |
There is an undeniable appeal to the bright colors of many commercial glazes. While nobody is recommending everyone be all-in on DIY on glazes, there is an appeal to having more control and understanding. DIY glazes don't have to be an all-or-nothing thing. If you are a potter, hobbyist or small manufacturer, consider: Is this the type of ware we want customers eating and drinking from? These are typically crazed. The clay bodies and glazes are made by different companies, glaze fit is by accident. And the runniness often requires high expansion recipes that craze. These types of glazes are also prime candidates for leaching the high percentages of heavy metals they contain. And all those layers running and pooling on the insides can make these into glaze compression time bombs. For food surfaces, the glaze manufacturers want us using their recommended balanced, lightly colored products. Good news! These base recipes are also the easiest to make yourself. When did we get intimidated about mixing our own glazes? No one has to go full mad-scientist on DIY here. Research the common ingredients your supplier offers. Use recipes of them that pass a sanity test. This is also about being saavy consumers, these colored products are very expensive and using them only on the outsides will cut your costs in half. Learn to add pigments to your base recipes and save even more. Then learn to make and use dipping glazes and save time also.
URLs |
https://digitalfire.com/podcast.mp3
AI-Generated podcast about the Digitalfire page on commercial vs DIY glazes |
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Articles |
Where do I start in understanding glazes?
Break your addiction to online recipes that don't work or bottled expensive glazes. Learn why glazes fire as they do. Why each material is used. How to create perfect dipping and drying properties. Even some chemistry. |
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