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MGBase9 - Waterfall Brown Cone 6 (Mastering Glazes)

Modified: 2025-12-29 20:17:22

From page 106 of Mastering Glazes book

Notes

"Waterfall Brown" is a celebrated specialty glaze from the seminal book "Mastering Cone 6 Glazes" by John Hesselberth and Ron Roy. Known for its dynamic, fluid movement and rich variegated appearance, it has been a staple in mid-range (Cone 6) electric kiln pottery for decades.

Key Properties

Visual Appearance: A rich, variegated brown that "breaks" (changes color) over edges and texture. It typically features dark brown tones with streaks or "waterfalls" of lighter cream, tan, or even bluish-gray, depending on the application and cooling.

Mechanism: Glossy and highly fluid. It is designed to run slightly, which creates the "waterfall" effect on vertical surfaces. It is an iron-bearing glaze that utilizes rutile (titanium/iron ore) to achieve its characteristic streaks and variegation.

Likes (Pros)

Dynamic Effects: Potters love the way it mimics high-fire reduction glazes in a standard electric kiln.

Excellent Detail: It is famous for how it "breaks" over textures (stamps, carvings, or fluting), highlighting the form of the pot.

Excellent Suspension: It contains plenty of plastic clay and should suspend well. If not it likely contains too much water. Adding Epsom salts to make it thixotropic is recommended.

Food Safety/Stability: Because it comes from Mastering Cone 6 Glazes, users trust that it has been rigorously tested for acid resistance and stability. It is generally considered dinnerware safe (though always recommended for individual testing).

Versatility with Cooling: Advanced users have found that "slow cooling" the kiln can transform the glaze, sometimes causing it to develop red-orange hues or more crystalline depth.

Dislikes (Cons)

Running (Fluidity): Its greatest strength is also its biggest challenge. If applied too thickly near the base of a pot, it will run off onto the kiln shelf. Potters must "taper" the application (thinner at the bottom).

Application Sensitivity: The "waterfall" effect depends heavily on application thickness. If it is too thin, it can look like a flat, uninteresting brown; if too thick, it becomes a runny mess.

Rutile Variability: Because rutile is a natural mineral, different batches can produce different results. Some potters have reported "pinholing" if their specific batch of rutile is high in certain impurities or if the glaze is not well-flocculated.

Related Information

Links

XML to Paste Into Insight-live

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