This picture does not fully convey how much better the Ravenscrag is as a liner glaze (vs. G1947U). It has depth and looks much richer. It course, it could be opacified somewhat to be whiter and would still retain the surface quality (as long is it is not too opaque). The body is Plainsman H450. The outside glaze is pure Alberta Slip.
This is the Ravenscrag Slip I used to calcine at it 1850F (about 10lbs in a bisque vessel). I am now roasting it to 1000F instead, this produces a smoother powder, less gritty. To make sure the heat penetrates for this size vessel I hold it for 2 hours at 1000F. If your container is smaller you could do less time, if any black material remains inside, then do a longer soak on the next firing. It is not actually calcining, since not all crystal water is expelled, so we call it "roasting". Why do this? Ravenscrag Slip is a clay, it shrinks. If the percentage is high enough the glaze can crack on drying (especially when applied thickly). The roast does not shrink. The idea is to tune a mix of raw and roast Ravenscrag to achieve a compromise between dry hardness and low shrinkage. Technically, Ravenscrag losses 3% of its weight on roasting so I should use 3% less. But I often swap them gram-for-gram.
Recipes |
GR10-A - Pure Ravenscrag Slip
Ravenscrag all by itself makes a great cone 10 reduction semi-gloss glaze. It also has great working properties. |
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Recipes |
G1947U - Cone 10 Glossy Transparent Base Glaze
Reliable widely used base glaze for cone 10 porcelains and whitewares. The original recipe was developed from a glaze used for porcelain insulators. |