How Long Should A New Batch Of Glaze Sit Before Sieve And Use

[Stephen]

When I started mixing glazes I always made it a habit to mix the water in then let it sit overnight before re-mixing and then filtering before using.

 

Its been a number of years now and I'm not sure where I got this piece of advice but it is getting in the way sometimes. How long do you let a glaze sit before filtering it and using?

 

 

[Biglou13]

I belive it's called slake -->. Slaking (sp).

I was told to slake,over night re mix and strain.

 

Last glaze I made I just mixed (granted a high speed hand blender), skipped the slake and strain and used right away. But would have welcomes a more inconsistent glaze. Turned out fine. And didn't see any difference for previously slaked batch.

 

Let's say you don't slake. And because of it you have a few pieces no so perfect. Next time you use glaze say next day, It already has slaked, and any previous issued are solved.

 

I'm not advocating not slaking. Just stating previous experience.empirical evidence.

 

If you have the time slake. If not let know how before and after batches look.

 

Mixing well and

Straining is a must. I'm hypothesizing that the high speed mixing helps saturate dry particles, as opposed to slaking.

[Guest JBaymore]

For physical ease and saving time in mixing....... let it slake as long as you can.  Overnight is usually overkill.... but won't hurt anything.

 

If you have to use it right away........ just mix it very well with active blending and seive it very well a couple of times.

 

I often do either approach.  On 99% of glazes... not much differnece in fired results.

 

best,

 

...............john

[neilestrick]

I almost never let it sit for any amount of time before mixing. And I tend to use my glazes right away after sieving. I do often find, however, that I need to thin out the glaze a bit a day or two after mixing. But it's never affected the finished pots no matter how I do it.

[Mark C.]

If I have the time I let the bucket sit 1/2 day or overnight-That said 1/2 the time I need it NOW and do not let it sit.

Mark

[Marcia Selsor]

I agree. I usually use it right after I mix it. That said, Gerstley Borate glazes should sit a while because GB tends to expand as it gets saturated. 

Marcia

[Mark C.]

One thing about this is fresh made glazes take a little to saturate all materials-so my hydrometer and ford cup time measurements tend to change as the mirco particals absorb water-this may be on the nano scale? But its true for me.

Mark

[Brian Reed]

I usually "slake" my glazes.  there are many many videos on youtube showing how people make their glaze.  here is mine I made a few weeks ago.

 

[Mark C.]

 

I like your quality control.  How did you decide what Ford Cup and Hydrometer readings you should use?

 

Do you try to achieve the same reading for all glazes, or did you find the consistency you like for each glaze and recorded those readings with the recipe?

 

 

 

One thing about this is fresh made glazes take a little to saturate all materials-so my hydrometer and ford cup time measurements tend to change as the mirco particals absorb water-this may be on the nano scale? But its true for me.

Mark

 

I have found over the years the desired  hydometer reading and written them on bucket side . It varys somewhat for the glazes I use . I do not do this with every glaze (I'm running about 12-15 max at this time) The crital ones I do this with -The #4 cup reading I added to check the most crital ones so I have two data points. I'm old school on mant things but when you are working with a 35 cubic kiln almost weekly mistakes on thickness are not for the week of heat its easier to know the results by some simple tests 1st.

The cup is what I used in a slip business I had long ago on the side.

I think about 1/2 my glazes have numbers on the sides now.

I can still run a glaze over my hand and get it dialed but its just not as exact.

Mark

[Guest JBaymore]

One thing about this is fresh made glazes take a little to saturate all materials-so my hydrometer and ford cup time measurements tend to change as the mirco particals absorb water-this may be on the nano scale? But its true for me.

Mark

 

 

Yeah, the rehology of the newer slurry can change a bit... but the fired appearance of the glaze does not seem to change (oxides are oxides) unless you don't mix / seive it very well.  And unless you don't adjust your glazing work to the slightly different application qualities.

[nancylee]

Are you talking about commercial dry glazes you are mixing, or making your own when you let them sit and then sieve them?

 

I make a Hobbit commercial bucket a while back, and I'm toward the end of it, and suddenly, it is all dropping to the bottom in a sandy mess. It didn't do this when I first made it, but now it's a battle keeping it all suspended while I dip. I haven't ever sieved it though.

 

Nancy

[clay lover]

How much is left, volume wise? It might need some flocculating.

[neilestrick]

Nancylee- commercial dry or mixing your own, it's all the same when making a glaze from powder. They need to be sieved. You're probably just down to all the stuff that clumped up from not sieving, or the stuff that would have sieved out. I would run it through a blender and flocculate if necessary, with epsom salts.

[Stephen]

Thank you all for all the great advice!

 

Although my 21 test colors so far are all a bust as in no additions to our line-up I was able to test this base in one day by not slaking overnight and that was a big deal time wise this weekend. I ended up going with about 4 hours and sieved once. I was going to sieve twice but so little filtered out the first time that I called it and went with it. 

[nancylee]

Thanks, Neil. I have to say, flocculate sounds like something that I shouldn't be doing, vaguely risque!! I am going to go look it up to see what it really is!!!

Nancy