Lead bearing enamels on raku glaze layer

[Mudslinger Ceramics]

Hi

Have been given a lot of lead bearing enamel powders from my grandmother's estate.  These lead bearing enamels were used on copper and silver jewellery pieces.   I met a potter many, many years ago who used enamels such as these sprinkled on top of low temperature lead bearing glazes in her ceramic work.   She would fire the work and the enamel would sink into the glaze layer.  Beautiful results.  Having been given these enamels I would like to try a similar technique but can't find that potter's contact details.

Am aware of safe handling concerns of lead as these types of enamel are still used on metals and I have a small kiln dedicated only to my experiments. This process will NOT be used on food surfaces but is planned for sculpture.

Was thinking to make my own lead based low temperature glaze but the old lead frits are no longer available from the suppliers near me.  So now I'm considering a commonly available raku glaze.  Being a commercial glaze I don't know its formula...maybe boron based?  I will experiment with this process, but was wondering if the chemistry nerds here might have an idea of the chemical outcome of this process?   Firing will be to 750-800C (1380-1472F)

Thanks in advance.

[Bill Kielb]

7 hours ago, Mudslinger Ceramics said:

Hi

Have been given a lot of lead bearing enamel powders from my grandmother's estate.  These lead bearing enamels were used on copper and silver jewellery pieces.   I met a potter many, many years ago who used enamels such as these sprinkled on top of low temperature lead bearing glazes in her ceramic work.   She would fire the work and the enamel would sink into the glaze layer.  Beautiful results.  Having been given these enamels I would like to try a similar technique but can't find that potter's contact details.

Am aware of safe handling concerns of lead as these types of enamel are still used on metals and I have a small kiln dedicated only to my experiments. This process will NOT be used on food surfaces but is planned for sculpture.

Was thinking to make my own lead based low temperature glaze but the old lead frits are no longer available from the suppliers near me.  So now I'm considering a commonly available raku glaze.  Being a commercial glaze I don't know its formula...maybe boron based?  I will experiment with this process, but was wondering if the chemistry nerds here might have an idea of the chemical outcome of this process?   Firing will be to 750-800C (1380-1472F)

Thanks in advance.

Lead has a propensity to contaminate the kiln and adjacent wares. I admire the research but think it would be too risky for me personally. Many Raku glazes are boron based and under UMF 0.45 Boron usually is easy and great for lowfire melt. So a cone ten glaze recipe with about that much boron usually makes a cone 05 recipe. Not sure if that helps though.