Stellaria Posted April 14, 2014 Report Share Posted April 14, 2014 My apologies, this is probably the dumbest of basic questions! I have 5 lbs of a dry glaze mix. About how big of a bucket do I need to get to mix it up? I dip-glaze mugs, so I know I don't want a 5 gal because that would make the level too low for good dunking, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Min Posted April 14, 2014 Report Share Posted April 14, 2014 I would have a look around your house for something like a narrow small wastebasket or something of that shape. 5 lbs of dry glaze isn't going to make very much glaze. Find something just wide enough to fit your mug in without the handle banging into the side. I would pour the inside then hold the mug upside down and dip the outside, touch up any finger marks at the bottom. (if the mugs are thin you might need to let the inside glaze dry overnight before dipping the outside so the glaze layer on the outside is thick enough) Unless your mugs are small I don't think 5 lbs of dry glaze will make enough wet glaze to use tongs and dip, it's awkward to dip using a narrow mouthed bucket and I'm guessing this amount of glaze won't be deep enough to dip in with a wider mouthed pail or bucket. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stellaria Posted April 14, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 14, 2014 I'm just wondering if 5 lbs will mix up to 1 gal, 2 gal, etc? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Min Posted April 14, 2014 Report Share Posted April 14, 2014 Sorry I misunderstood your question. It should make in the ballpark of 1 US gallon but depends on how much water they recommended you add. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stellaria Posted April 14, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 14, 2014 Ok, thanks I think I can get 1.5-2 gal buckets. (There's no recommended mixing instructions, as these are just made from inputted formulas on glazemixer.com All they do is mix the glaze formula for me.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJR Posted April 14, 2014 Report Share Posted April 14, 2014 You gotta convert pounds to grams. A one gallon ice cream pail will hold 1000 grams of glaze. A 5 gallon bucket will hold 6,000 to 10,000 grams of liquid glaze, give or take depending on how thick the glaze is. TJR. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stellaria Posted April 14, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 14, 2014 5 lbs = 2268 grams. So I'll want at least a 2 gal bucket per glaze, maybe a bit bigger. That'll be perfect for dunking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bciskepottery Posted April 15, 2014 Report Share Posted April 15, 2014 5 lbs will give you about one gallon of glaze; a two-gallon bucket, depending on width, may be too shallow to dunk. You might need to store the glaze in one bucket, then dump it into a large bowl or other container for use when glazing (but one deep enough to allow you to dunk the item). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bciskepottery Posted April 15, 2014 Report Share Posted April 15, 2014 Mixing instructions from Mid-South: "Opulence Glaze sold in powder form will need to be mixed with the correct amount of water and sieved through an 80 mesh screen. Basic Ratio of powder glaze to water by weight is 1 lb of powder glaze to 0.9 lbs of water. 5lb example: In One Gallon container, add 5lb of dry glaze to 4.5 lbs of water (9 cups). 25lb example: In Five Gallon container, add 25lb of dry glaze to 22.5 lb of water (45 cups). *Always add dry glaze to water. * Avoid breathing dust of any dry glaze. Wear appropriate respirator when mixing glaze and work in a well-ventilated area." Each glaze will be a bit different, so you'll need to adjust water portion accordingly. You really need a container larger than 1 gallon to allow for stirring with drill/mixer. I prefer adding half water, then glaze, then rest of water. Keeps dust down and allows for slaking of glaze. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clay lover Posted April 15, 2014 Report Share Posted April 15, 2014 Agree with Biskit, rough estimate is 1 lb. dry mix equals 1 pint( 2 cups) of wet glaze 10,000 grams= 22 lbs = 'about' 31/2 gallons of finished mix. This enough for a 5 gallon bucket. You need mixing room and room for displacement when dipping. I would have a hard time dipping mugs in that small an amount of glaze. ( 5 lbs. dry) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobg Posted April 15, 2014 Report Share Posted April 15, 2014 I start with 11 oz of water per pound of glaze to start. Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted April 16, 2014 Report Share Posted April 16, 2014 For most of my glazes I can only fit 8,500- 9,000 grams into a 5 gallon bucket. It leaves only a few inches at the top for dipping. It will vary depending on the glaze formula. Glazes higher in clay, feldspar or Gerstley will hold more water, therefore requiring a smaller batch. Glazes that have a lot of colorant or opacifier added will also require smaller batch sizes since you're adding so much on top of the 100%. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stellaria Posted April 16, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 16, 2014 Thanks, everyone, for your help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deHues Posted April 21, 2014 Report Share Posted April 21, 2014 I would like to thank everyone also for your generous sharing of information. In trying to come up with the amounts of my first materials order, this is just what I needed to help figure it all out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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