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Modified: 2026-01-04 05:33:48
From page 86 of Mastering Glazes book
| Material | Amount |
|---|---|
| Ferro Frit 3195 | 20.00 |
| Wollastonite | 29.00 |
| Nepheline Syenite | 4.00 |
| EPK | 30.00 |
| Silica | 17.00 |
| 100.00 | |
While "Waterfall Brown" is about movement and "Waxwing Brown" is about a waxy feel, HCSM 1 is all about the classic, soft, "eggshell" finish.
Key Properties
• Visual Appearance: A smooth, buttery, semi-matte surface.
• The Science: The matteness comes from Calcium-Silicate crystals that grow as the glaze cools. A controlled cooling cycle ("down-firing") is needed to give the crystals time to form.
• Surface: It is often described as having an "oily" or "buttery" feel rather than a chalky one.
• Durability: Resists leaching and staining—making it safer for food surfaces.
Likes (Pros)
• The "Feel": It is pleasant to hold,.
• Reliable Color Canvas: It accepts colorants like Cobalt (blue), Chrome (green), or Manganese (purple) with clarity and soft, variegated transitions.
• No Running: It is a "stiff" melt, staying put and enabling clean lines between different glaze colors.
• Resistant to Staining: The tight crystalline structure of HCSM 1 makes it easy to clean.
Dislikes (Cons)
• Cooling Sensitivity: If your kiln "crash cools", this can come out looking glossy rather than matte. You must be willing to program your kiln to slow down between 1900^circ F and 1500^circ F.
• Cutlery Marking: Because the surface is composed of tiny crystals, it can sometimes act like very fine sandpaper against metal.
• Application Thickness: If applied too thick, it can occasionally "crackle" or crawl in corners. If too thin, it loses its buttery feel and can look a bit "stony" or dry.
• Variegated Slate Blue Variation: It is notoriously picky about the specific batch of Red Iron Oxide and Rutile used; shifting from a beautiful blue-grey to a muddy brown.
| Firing Schedules |
Mastering Glazes Cone 6
Six-step with controlled drops to 1000C and 760C |
| Typecodes |
Recipes from Mastering Glazes Book
Descriptions of these glazes often contain marketing terms over-the-top adjectives like “scientifically formulated”, “perfect”, “exceptional”, “beautifully”, “engineered”, “specifically designed”, “sophisticated”, “flying colors”, etc. Of course there are no perfect recipes to be discovered, they all inhabit spaces balancing a dozen different properties, tuning one most often affects one or more of the others. And, recipe is only one thing affecting the finished product, process factors can have even more influence on finished appearance and properties. |
| Typecodes |
Medium Temperature Glaze Recipes
Normally fired at cone 5-7 in electric kilns. |
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