GiselleNo5 Posted February 9, 2016 Report Share Posted February 9, 2016 I'm new to mixing the Laguna dry glazes and Im having a hard time finding specific instructions. I'll be pouring so I'm wondering if anybody has the specific gravity or any other way to determine the correct pouring consistency. Before anybody suggests it, I have requested this information from the manufacturer more than once. I have been referred back to the online instructions which say to add "between 8 and 11 ounces of water per pound of dry glaze". I need more specific instructions than that. The glazes I'm looking for help with are: Power Turquoise Antique Jade Clear Bright Spring Green Navy Blue Peach Blush Blackberry Wine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
High Bridge Pottery Posted February 9, 2016 Report Share Posted February 9, 2016 The reason they are being vague is because glaze ingredients, clay/bisque, water and personal preference all come into the question 'what should the surface gravity be' You can only determine what you want it to be my mixing up different consistencies and seeing how they apply for you. Then once you have that perfect slop you measure the surface gravity to have some reproducible value. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GEP Posted February 9, 2016 Report Share Posted February 9, 2016 Agree with High Bridge here ... the right answers for you will be figured out after some testing. Do it with test tiles, rather than pots. Take careful and detailed notes. You'll have it figured out in no tme. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GiselleNo5 Posted February 9, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2016 I have been testing but I was hoping for a starting point at least. It's all right anyway because in between posting this and checking back I have made the decision to switch over to Amaco. I have been very happy with their glazes every time I use them, which are very consistent and pleasant to use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Min Posted February 9, 2016 Report Share Posted February 9, 2016 +1 for what has already been said about testing. I've only used one commercial glaze, the Laguna Clear Bright, about 10 years ago. Unless it has changed you will need to add some macaloid or some other suspension agent, it hardpans in seconds otherwise. That one can be mixed skim milk thin. Also, I would suggest when you make your test tiles that you make 2 of each of them. Single, double and triple thickness of glaze on each (triple on the top corner only in case of runs). When dry scratch through the glaze on 1 of the sets of test tiles and don't fire those ones. Fire the other set of tiles and then you can see how thick the glaze needs to be. (fire on cookies) I would also measure the sg once you figure out how thick you need to mix them. easy peasy, sounds more complicated than it is. edit: oops, you posted just as I was writing this, never mind Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GiselleNo5 Posted February 9, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2016 +1 for what has already been said about testing. I've only used one commercial glaze, the Laguna Clear Bright, about 10 years ago. Unless it has changed you will need to add some macaloid or some other suspension agent, it hardpans in seconds otherwise. That one can be mixed skim milk thin. Also, I would suggest when you make your test tiles that you make 2 of each of them. Single, double and triple thickness of glaze on each (triple on the top corner only in case of runs). When dry scratch through the glaze on 1 of the sets of test tiles and don't fire those ones. Fire the other set of tiles and then you can see how thick the glaze needs to be. (fire on cookies) I would also measure the sg once you figure out how thick you need to mix them. easy peasy, sounds more complicated than it is. edit: oops, you posted just as I was writing this, never mind I haven't had problems with the Clear Bright doing that, but the Navy Blue hardpanned so badly that the five pounds of dry mix was packed in the bottom four inches of my jar and unmixable. I'm glad I was using a clear container or I wouldn't have realized how bad it was. I poured off the liquid into a strainer over a big bowl and pried hunks of the hardened glaze out of the bucket with various tools for about thirty minutes solid before I had it all out. Then I spent another period of time that I really can't describe reincorporating that into the strained water and remixing it. Once it had been strained a couple times with an 80 mesh strainer the glaze seems to be better suspended but it's going on very thin. I mixed at the LOW end of the water recommendation, knowing I could add at any point. With the minimum amount of water the Navy Blue is so thin I will be double-dipping that glaze. What is macaloid? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GiselleNo5 Posted February 9, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2016 I have done extensive glaze tests, just pulled dozens out of the kiln on Sunday; but I realized later I had done dip tests without thinking about it. What I actually plan to do with the glaze is to quickly fill the piece and dump it, which is more of a "pouring" technique. I know pouring glazes need to be especially thin but I'm a bit nervous to keep just adding water as I've seen what happens when you do too much. I thought perhaps they had a basic recommendation for quantities based on whether you were dipping, pouring, spraying, or brushing as a starting point but I was informed that they did not have this information and that if I was unhappy with their glazes I may look elsewhere. I called Amaco right afterward and asked about finding matches for my existing glazes. I found that David the glaze guru (for lack of a better term) was extremely kind, knowledgeable and helpful. I am just now moving into full production after spending the past year developing product lines so it's not actually a bad time to switch over my glazes. I'm not in too deep to do it. I find that I'm actually quite relieved. Every Amaco product I've used so far is high-quality with reliable results. The consistency between pints is always the same and I like their colors. I have not had bubbling, crazing, crawling, dripping, or chunks of unblended minerals found in their pints that I have to brush off between each coat after it dries. I have not (yet) had to grind off, touch up, or refire a single item made with their glazes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted February 9, 2016 Report Share Posted February 9, 2016 Many commercial dry mix glazes will need to be amended with bentonite or epsom salts to keep them suspended. The bulk of what they sell is wet mix, which have lots of suspenders and brushing agents in them, so they don't settle out. As a dipping mix they may or may not be formulated to stay suspended well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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