Are you using glazes from "Mastering Cone 6 Glazes" ?

[Dancing Earth Creations]

I bought my first electric kiln last spring so since then I've been learning how to make cone 6 glazes and firing them. I posted some pictures in my gallery. I've made waterfall brown, licorcie, spearmint, and one of the blues from this book. I tried the whites but didn't like the results. I fired bisque to 06 and a friend suggested I fire it hotter because I've had some pinholing problems. Since I'm using a variety of clay I bought years ago in Tacoma WA I assume it might be the clay. This next batch I will bisque to 05 and put a hold like it suggests in the book and see if that helps.

 

 

I had drip and run marks and pin holing at ^06, when I changed to 1910*, which is sort of ^05 all that stopped.

 

 

 

Good to know. I'll try 1910 next time. Thanks!

[Wowj]

I have several of these glazes and would appreciate other potter's feedback on their work with these recipies. Like, "Is this glaze super sensitive to temperature variations." Or, Has this glaze ever pinholed on you? Or, Which ones have you found most dependable? Things like that.

 

Right now the one I am trying is called Carribean Sea Green.

Anybody?

I tried it but the pottery came out blue not green as shown in the book page 101. I thought that some copper carbonate had been left out since cobalt carb usually produces a blue color. I call and was told that the recipe was correct, no copper carb. Maybe my rutile was different.. Wowj

[Stephen]

I find that to be the challenge of working with oxides as colorants for me. So many things have an effect on the end color beyond just the percentages of additives. That's also part of the fun but I find that I have to completely disconnect from pictures other than using it as the target.

 

Moving from a red to green I see easy enough, and do when I don't want to but I am confused how you got to blue from green without cobalt carb as well. I'm going to check out that one this weekend and will run a tile with my test batch and let you know if I got blue or green.

 

We use the field mouse brown and it is not remotely brown or even brownish but it is consistent and interesting so we like it in the lineup. 

[Guest JBaymore]

........but I am confused how you got to blue from green without cobalt carb as well.

 

Shift the unity flux balance of the glaze to favor the alkalies, Na₂O and K₂O. Colorants are affected by the chemistry of the glaze batch they get added into. Copper in an alkaline base will tend torwad the turquoise shades. Best done with glaze chem software to maintain other glaze characteristics.

 

best,

 

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

[Guest JBaymore]

 

........but I am confused how you got to blue from green without cobalt carb as well.

 

Shift the unity flux balance of the glaze to favor the alkalies, Na₂O and K₂O. Colorants are affected by the chemistry of the glaze batch they get added into. Copper in an alkaline base will tend torwad the turquoise shades. Best done with glaze chem software to maintain other glaze characteristics.

 

best,

 

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

 

 

Oops.... saw the words "copper carbonate" in the prior posting..... and went off on that direction. Ignore the comments of mine above.... different approach to creating greens.

 

best,

 

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

[Pres]

For those of you interested in finding out a little more about the Alkaline color shifts, and the way oxides work in different atmospheres The Potter's Palette, Constant and Ogden,  has a full color selection of different oxides in different types of glazes and atmospheres.

 

Just recent also, is the article in Pottery Making, Firing Up and Down, Deanna Ranlett. This article covers slow cooling or firing down. The color illustrations and glaze recipes along with firing schedules. This sort of firing, up and down is why I bought my L&L years ago without setter. I fire up, and down for better glaze effect. I also use a thicker lid to slow the cooling process.  It can get to be a pain not using a setter, especially when you oversleep-like last night, but in the long run works well. Remember my L&L is over 30 years old so before electronic control.  I have been considering replacing the kiln with a newer programmable unit, time will tell.

[Pres]

Gee Norm, that looks interesting. My L&L will handle 5 sections, or 4+powered bottom. I have 4 sections that I fire infrequently. Most times I fire only 3 sections these days, but then I am not into production pottery. The directions that I saw at your link show replacing the setter with the controller box. As I have none of those connections it may take some work, but could save on buying a new kiln. I may contact the people at L&L and Bartlett to see if there is a solution.  Thanks for the effort.

 

best,

Preston