Poured Concrete Form In Glaze Bucket - Safe?

[Chris Throws Pots]

I finally made the commitment to making a large batch of my standard white glaze in order to move beyond the size limitations of a 5 gallon bucket and the nuisance/mess of transferring glaze  from said 5 gallon bucket to shallow bins for plates. I was hoping to find a 15 gallon bucket with an available bucket dolly, but no such bucket appears to be on the market. I ended up going with a standard 20 gallon Brute garbage barrel.

 

I mixed up three 10kg batches of my glaze, which amounts to about 12 liquid gallons. It fills to just above the halfway line of the barrel (the barrel tapers out toward the top). In addition to sitting low in the bucket, there is an annoying trough around the perimeter of the barrel's floor where the barrel dolly locks into place from the underside. I anticipate this trough will make stirring up the glaze adequately a challenge. So I'd like to make the 20 gallon barrel act more like a 15 gallon barrel with a flat bottom. 

 

My idea is to pour concrete into the bottom of the barrel to fill the trough and raise the floor of the barrel up by a few inches. I've never worked with concrete before, so in doing some research I learned that it is porous. So my question is: Will the porosity of the concrete matter? Will the concrete absorb one or more of the glaze ingredients in higher concentration than others... will the presence of the concrete throw off the chemistry by trapping one ingredient disproportionately? Will the concrete break down over time?

 

If it is not safe to have the glaze in direct contact with the concrete, my plan B is to cut sheet PVC to the exact shape and size of the concrete slab and seal it in the barrel on top of the concrete.

 

Thoughts, recommendations, warnings and alternative ideas will be appreciated.

 

PS I know the easiest answer is to make up another 10kg batch or two of the glaze, but it's and expensive recipe and I'm out of materials.

 

 

[Marcia Selsor]

Maybe you should used washed gravel instead. But that would be dangerous with a mixer. So would the concrete.Personally I'd stay away from the concrete idea. Why not cut the bucket down to where you want it.

Or keep looking for the right size container. Do some searches for 12 gallon containers.

Marcia

[Marcia Selsor]

found one

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Houston-International-5801-Steel-12-gallon-Storage-Container-Silver-/322361903277?hash=item4b0e4448ad:g:xtIAAOSwZQRYWKS2

 

another idea was from clay art years (decades ago. Build a box with interior dimensions 5"w x 22" tall and 22" wide or what ever fits your plates. Coat the interior with varithane . Put your glaze in there and dip the pots vertically.

[neilestrick]

Concrete is not a good idea. It will make it really difficult to clean out the buckets, which you need to do from time to time. I clean mine out every time I mix a new batch of glaze, to get all the dried gunk off the sides. It will also probably chip and degrade over time, making a real mess. Fresh concrete will also leach calcium for a while, which could mess up your glazes. If I were going to fill in the bottom of the bucket I'd use an epoxy resin. But again, I think it's just going to make it heavy and difficult to clean.

[Guest]

Tractor Supply has 16 and 17 gallon plastic buckets

[Magnolia Mud Research]

I have used oil change pans about 20 inch diameter for platters and plates. 
 
You could also make a large platter with vertical sides, glaze the piece and use it for your glazing.  Place it on a sheet of plywood with rollers and you will be good to go. 
 
LT

[oldlady]

restaurant supply houses have those huge ice containers you see at salad bars and at buffets that are catered.  they must hold a lot and have a huge opening.  the kind that are a clear plastic with a bumpy exterior and smooth interior.  very lightweight.  you will need to support  it so it does not tip over since the bottom is round.  a heavy bath towel donut might do.

[fergusonjeff]

I have been using the large feed buckets from Orshelin Farm and Home:  https://www.orschelnfarmhome.com/view/product/si-muck-bucket-1-3-4-bushel/si6184520

They are relatively flat-bottom and come in about 5 different colors.  I only have three glazes I use in this quantity so I just got a bucket closest tot he color of the glaze to help avoid confusion.  I bought cheap furniture dollies at Harbour Freight and attached a slightly wider base.  This system has been working well for about 2 years.  I have not cleaned out the buckets yet, but probably should.  Getting a few bits of broken bisque ware in the bottom. 

I made plywood tops with four pieces of wood attached to the bottom that make it sit straight over the buckets.  This keeps evaporation down and makes a space to pile junk. 

[Chris Throws Pots]

Thanks all for the advice and alternative suggestions. I kind of figured the concrete idea was just too good to be true. I opted just to use the barrel I'd already purchased and will be making another 20kg batch of glaze in a month or so to top off the barrel when I go into full on production glazing mode for summer markets. 

[Joseph Fireborn]

I use a brute 10 gallon one and it works wonderful and doesn't have this trough your speaking of.

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005KDAMFK/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

This one is flat bottom. 

 

I ordered it a while back and ended up finally using it for a faux celadon. It is a nice bucket, but you can't put the dolly they advertise on the bottom since it is perfectly flat. You would have to build your own or something. The 20+ gallon does not have the flat bottom just FYI.

[neilestrick]

Rubbermaid changed the design of the 10 gallon Brute buckets some time last year. The new ones are a real bear to stir the bottom. There's about 6 ridges down there to work around. You may or may not get the new ones when you ordering, depending on if your supplier still has old stock or not. I will not buy any more Brute containers- they're that bad now. There are other large buckets on the market, most less costly than Brute, and with a smoother bottom.

[Joseph Fireborn]

Rubbermaid changed the design of the 10 gallon Brute buckets some time last year. The new ones are a real bear to stir the bottom. There's about 6 ridges down there to work around. You may or may not get the new ones when you ordering, depending on if your supplier still has old stock or not. I will not buy any more Brute containers- they're that bad now. There are other large buckets on the market, most less costly than Brute, and with a smoother bottom.

 

Oh that stinks. Glad you saw this post. I will edit my post above it.