What is in the commercial crystalline glazes?

[skessel1 0]

Can a glaze expert answer this?  What are the crystals in those commercial glazes?  I want to experiment with my own, but I don't know where to begin.  After rinsing the crystals in the commercial glazes, they appear to be broken glass, but surely that's not it.  Can someone illuminate this for me?  I'm a novice at making my own glazes...  Thank you!

[neilestrick 3,208]

Are you talking about glazes like the Amaco Crystaltex series? Those aren't really crystalline glazes. They just call them that because they slightly resemble crystalline glazes. The little chunks are just pieces of colored glaze or frit (glass), that melt out in the glaze.

[JohnnyK 438]

Glaze Nerd is the expert for that on this Forum. Hope he's checking in these days...

[skessel1 0]

Neilestrick,  thanks for responding.  I found a post on here from someone that explains how to make the glaze chunks that you can use.  I'm definitely going to try this.  I also want to use the frit though.  HI've also seen posts on how to crush your own frit, but what kind of glass do I start with?  How do I find  glass/frit that will melt at the right temperature?  Most of my stuff is cone 06.  The only other mentions of trying to find the frit yourself is to "make sure the frit you use melts at the right temperature".  At which point in the firing process is the frit supposed to melt?  

 

I really appreciate your responses!!

[Min 2,173]

12 hours ago, skessel1 said:

HI've also seen posts on how to crush your own frit, but what kind of glass do I start with?  How do I find  glass/frit that will melt at the right temperature?  Most of my stuff is cone 06. 

Is this the effect you are looking for? Amaco low fire "crystals" to either sprinkle on wet glaze or stir into the wet glaze. 

[liambesaw 1,375]

I like that they just reversed the colors in the black and white ones lol

[skessel1 0]

Hi Min,

 

I've seen those Amaco ones.  But, $25 for 4 oz!!!  No way.  I'm hoping to make my own, I'm just not sure where to begin.  I'd really like to add glass, but I'd like to know what kind of glass chips I need.  I have washed the "crystals" from the duncan commercial glazes and they are indeed crushed glass... but not all glass is the same I'm sure...  Just hoping someone could throw me some pointers to get me started.  Thank you!

[glazenerd 1,467]

 Frits begin melting in the 1475F range. "Dictionary of Glass and Technique" by Charles Bray. Best resource book on glass, including making frit. 

Look at the course ground here- https://shop.bullseyeglass.com/accessory-glass/frit-powder.html

 

[Min 2,173]

5 hours ago, skessel1 said:

I'd really like to add glass, but I'd like to know what kind of glass chips I need.  I have washed the "crystals" from the duncan commercial glazes and they are indeed crushed glass... but not all glass is the same I'm sure... 

I don't think the Amaco "crystals" are just your basic soda lime glass frits. I haven't seen recipes for the Amaco type crystals but I would imagine they would be made from low fire glazes with colourants. Making your own and getting them to melt just enough would take some testing. I think you could actually forgo the fritting part of the process if you dried the glaze out and  broke it apart into little chunks. The little bits would need to be placed on the wet base glaze and obviously not mixed into it.

The topic of melting glass onto pots has come up many times on the forums, one thread that I started is here. General consensus is it's not a good idea.

[Min 2,173]

7 hours ago, liambesaw said:

I like that they just reversed the colors in the black and white ones lol

Good eye! That is funny.

[liambesaw 1,375]

You can bisque glaze at a low temp and then break it up and sprinkle it on too, I think oldforgecreations even has a recent blog about the process, maybe give him a google

[skessel1 0]

Thanks y'all!!!

 

[LeeU 1,007]

On 9/26/2019 at 2:31 AM, liambesaw said:

oldforgecreations

Nice!!! Thanks for introducing this--lovely glazes.