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Newbie High-Fire Glaze Question


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Hello!

 

Well I am about ready to do another load of bisque, and i have an important question that I can't seem to find any information about. The clay body I used for my pots is cone 9-10, and all of the glaze that I have is cone 6. I am assuming that I need to use a glaze that is designed for cone 9 or 10, but I can't seem to find anything that tells me that is the case. Is it a general rule that the cone of the glaze should match the cone of the clay body? i know I that I could fire this clay to cone 6 with cone 6 glaze and be fine, but I want to fire it to cone 9, and I am afraid that the cone 6 glaze that I am going to use will not work. I'm sorry about the stupid question. Thanks for any advice you can give me!

 

-Josh

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Your glaze needs to match the temperature at which you are going to fire.  Glaze fire at cone 9/10; use cone 9/10 glazes.  Glaze fire at cone 6; use cone 6 glazes. 

 

That said, some glazes can be used at multiple temperatures (although they may not look the same or have the same glossy/semi-glossy/matte finish).  You might want to make some test tiles and glaze them with your cone 6 glazes and see how they work at cone 9/10.  Or, dip your test time in the cone 9 glaze and then dip in the cone 6 (but only top quarter) to see how they work together.  Be sure to make a small disk/bowl to put the test tiles in so you catch any glaze runs and get glaze on kiln shelves. 

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Josh,

 

Assuming that your work is functional, the general rule is that your glaze firing needs to be done to the cone range/heat work at which your clay body matures.  This is done to avoid problems with 1) under firing the clay body (not vitrified, remains porous) as mentioned in other responses, and 2) over firing the clay body (bloating, slumping, melting). As glazes suffer from their own sets of defects when under and over fired, you need to use a glaze that correspondingly works in the firing range at which your clay body matures. 

 

-SD

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Josh,

 

Assuming that your work is functional, the general rule is that your glaze firing needs to be done to the cone range/heat work at which your clay body matures.  This is done to avoid problems with 1) under firing the clay body (not vitrified, remains porous) as mentioned in other responses, and 2) over firing the clay body (bloating, slumping, melting). As glazes suffer from their own sets of defects when under and over fired, you need to use a glaze that correspondingly works in the firing range at which your clay body matures. 

 

-SD

 

+1  Succinctly put.

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