tjbanjo Posted March 5, 2011 Report Share Posted March 5, 2011 Does anybody have any experience with this glaze? Like/dislike? Reasons? Is the glaze in the bottle the color it will be when fired? Being able to mix the glazes like paint to produce various colors is very appealing. I am ordering stuff for next year and saw this in the catalog. It looks as though it would make life fairly simple in some ways (I teach elementary and middle school art, plus a high school ceramics class). I teach at an international school in China, so I don't want to order something and then find out it's not as great as I had hoped, especially at $52 a gallon during a tight budget year. Any input based on your experience is valued. Should this topic go in another section, maybe the Clay and Glazes one? That seemed more technical, though, less general. Thanks, Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Posted March 6, 2011 Report Share Posted March 6, 2011 Hi Bob Which Amaco glazes are you asking about? What cone range? Amaco glazes work well and I would not have any problems using them in a youth program. But when you ask about mixing them that can always be interesting. The glaze color in the bottle does not always reflect the color of the finish glaze. In many of the glazes the color you see in the bottle burns off during the early firing. the color is a product like food coloring. The final glaze color is developed through the chemical reaction during the firing process. Mixing colors may give you an unexpected result. The color that is mixed in your glaze cup and the glaze on the art could be very different. Also the cost of these glazes is very high when compared with glazes you mix yourself. Dry mixes materials can cost as little as 40 cents a pound and 5 pounds of mix makes about 4 gallons of glaze. stains and colorants are more costly but still nothing like per made wet glazes. For some nice glaze recipes check out the Free gifts that Ceramics Art Daily offers. Hope this helps Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjbanjo Posted March 7, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 7, 2011 Well, I answered a couple of my questions by just looking up the product on Amaco's site. Amaco Teacher's Choice glaze I'd still like to know if anyone has any experiences with this glaze and what your thoughts are? I can't really mix glazes here because I don't know what the words are in Chinese for the ingredients or where to get them. Add to that the fact that I really don't know jack about glazes to start with, and you can see where I am. I'm learning a lot, but I have a really long way to go. Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristenW Posted September 22, 2011 Report Share Posted September 22, 2011 I'm reviving this post because I have the same question; Does anyone have any experience with Amaco's Teacher's Choice or Teacher's Pallet glazes? Could you share you experience? What do you like about them or what don't you like? These are low-fire glazes meant for classroom use. Thanks, Christen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clayshapes Posted September 24, 2011 Report Share Posted September 24, 2011 I used these glazes in a pottery class a few years ago. They're great -- but you can't mix them like paints to get other colors -- at least not the colors you think you'll get. And no, the colors in the jars don't look like the colors your pieces will be once fired. You just need to make a bunch of test tiles, brush on each of your glazes ( make the tile wide enough to test one coat, two coats and three coats so you can see the difference.) Then post the labeled tiles on the wall so your students can see what the colors will look like, once fired. They are easy-to-apply glazes with reliable color if fired to the correct cone, on the correct type of clay. Just follow the instructions on the bottles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjbanjo Posted September 24, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 24, 2011 Thanks for the input. Unfortunately, since I first posted this topic I have found out that my school can't get them anymore. We are in China and Customs is getting picky about liquids. So, I'm back to what I have on hand and to trying to figure out glaze recipes when I don't know the Chinese for any of the ingredients or where to even get them. Bummer. I'm going to keep trying to get glazes in, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucille Oka Posted September 24, 2011 Report Share Posted September 24, 2011 Thanks for the input. Unfortunately, since I first posted this topic I have found out that my school can't get them anymore. We are in China and Customs is getting picky about liquids. So, I'm back to what I have on hand and to trying to figure out glaze recipes when I don't know the Chinese for any of the ingredients or where to even get them. Bummer. I'm going to keep trying to get glazes in, though. Contact Amaco and see if they can help you. They have an international office that may be able to help you get the products. International Operations Orders / Customer Service / Product Inquires: email: export@amaco.com International Sales Development: Kevin Beckstein Email: kbeckstein@amaco.com Phone: (800) 374-1600 Ext. 1362 Fax: 317-429-5362 AMACO Campbell Road Stoke-on-Trent ST4 4ET U.K. Attn: Andrew Carter Email: acarter@amaco.co.uk Tel: +44 (0) 1782 572088 Fax: +44 (0) 1782 746000 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjbanjo Posted September 24, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 24, 2011 Thanks, Lucille. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leslie Posted October 9, 2011 Report Share Posted October 9, 2011 You may want to also look into the Amaco "Stroke and Coat" glazes. I used them for children's classes. Their advantages are that they are somewhat WYSIWYG - except the colors are more vibrant after firing. Also, the colors DO mix with pretty close to expected results. Third, the glazes don't "move", eliminating glaze runoff during firing of irregularly applied glaze. Fourth, they can be used in a painterly fashion - layering etc. like paints. (This is just easier for some people.) They come containers that have lids with small dispenser holes (squeeze type) so glazes can be given out in small amounts - even a drop or two - eliminating waste. (We use small plastic cups like they use for condiments in restaurants - cheap and reuseable. Lastly, I found out that the Stroke and Coat glazes may be applied to green ware, eliminating the glaze fire. I inquired and the Teacher's Choice glazes should NOT be applied to green ware. These glazes are perfect for kids classes, and surprisingly, some of my adult students enjoy using them as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjbanjo Posted October 14, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 14, 2011 By the way, do commercial liquid glazes have a shelf life? I've been reconstituting dried-out glazes and using them. Results have varied, but I was assuming that was because of my lack of experience and the cruddy clay I get here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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