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Some types of ceramic glazes require tight control of the melt fluidity. Stroke & Coat under glazes, by Mayco, are such a product. They add stains to a base glaze recipe that has a stiff and viscous melt. Some ceramic stains flux (make it melt more), some are refractory (impede the melting) and other are neutral. Some require small percentages (e.g. -5%) and others much more (e.g. 20%+). Thus, during development, a way to compare the melt flow is crucial to adjusting the base to accomodate the stain (or stain mix) and still melt to the same degree.
This custom sample board was made by Solange Roy, it is great evidence of her meticulous and thorough approach to ceramics. This picture is taken at an angle to show the surface finish and character. These are Stroke & Coat ® underglazes, they are made by Mayco and widely used and praised. Although used as such by countless potters, they are not traditional underglazes (like Mayco Fundamentals or Amaco Velvets). They are heavily pigmented and have a highly controlled viscous melt fluidity. Applied by brush they give watercolour-like effects in thin applications and increasingly opaque coverage with each added layer. These products give evidence of meticulous lab work (like this board done by Solange), technicians would have had to do melt fluidity tests of each color and fine-tune the base recipe to get the desired degree of melt fluidity (compensating for the unique effect on melting of each stain type and percentage needed).
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