Using A Mason Stain As A Stain?

[terraforma]

I have some Mason Stain #6404 Vanadium. I'm hoping for a good ocher yellow stain that I would use just as I would an oxide or rutile stain, on Cone 10 reduction bisqueware. My concerns are to have a good thin brushable consistency, to counteract possible settling, to ensure that the stain won't simply rub or flake off of the bisque and, of course, to have this fire to a permanent adherence in the same way as an oxide stain. Two questions:

 

1. I'd like to create a "resist" stain, by dissolving the stain in basic wax resist. Does this sound like it will work as I've outlined above?

 

2. If I just want a basic stain to paint on bisqueware, is plain water a good medium for the Mason stain, or should I use other/additional media (for example, would the addition of CMC be advisable? How about an acrylic medium as a base? Something else to ensure "cling"?)

 

This stuff's expensive, so I'm hoping for a minimum of failed experimentation...

[Marcia Selsor]

For that application of using stain, I have always used the base of 50% EPK and 50% Frit 3110 plus up to 1/3 of the recipe of the Mason Stain....how much depends on the intensity and the particular stain. It is written in Val Cushing's book as

25% 3110 and

25% EPK and

25% stain.

 

doesn't come to 100 but that is what it is.

 

Marcia

[shabba zabba]

I have some Mason Stain #6404 Vanadium. I'm hoping for a good ocher yellow stain that I would use just as I would an oxide or rutile stain, on Cone 10 reduction bisqueware. My concerns are to have a good thin brushable consistency, to counteract possible settling, to ensure that the stain won't simply rub or flake off of the bisque and, of course, to have this fire to a permanent adherence in the same way as an oxide stain. Two questions:

 

1. I'd like to create a "resist" stain, by dissolving the stain in basic wax resist. Does this sound like it will work as I've outlined above?

 

2. If I just want a basic stain to paint on bisqueware, is plain water a good medium for the Mason stain, or should I use other/additional media (for example, would the addition of CMC be advisable? How about an acrylic medium as a base? Something else to ensure "cling"?)

 

This stuff's expensive, so I'm hoping for a minimum of failed experimentation...

 

[shabba zabba]

hey there...I've been playing around with black mason stain lately on white stoneware at cone 10 reduction. so far my best results are had by mixing the stain into clear glaze and applying to bisqueware.

[terraforma]

Thanks, Marcia - that formula is so strange not adding up to 100?!? Seems like it should be 1/3 EPK, 1/3 Frit 3110, and 1/3 stain...but as long as it works!

 

Looks like that Val Cushing book is next on my list to get from the library - I'm not familiar with it.

[terraforma]

Hi Shabba Zabba,

 

Thanks! That sounds like a great alternative, too!

[Marcia Selsor]

I think the Val Cushing book is printed by Val Cushing..you may have to order directly from him. It is a very good resource book. It has a plastic sprical binding and double sided printing. No pictures. The 25,25,25 or 1/3, 1/3, and 1/3 is known as Underglaze stain. For the rubbing off to accent texture, it is best done on bisque. I have used this in a number of firing variations from ^02 soda to ^9 soda plus ^6 Oxidation and reduction.

 

Marcia