Watering Down Georgie's and Coyote Commercial Glazes

[Faith Elwyn]

Hello, I have a question about how much I can water down premade glazes and what the effect will be if I water them down too much. I normally work in a rural potters guild where we make the glazes together but it is closed due to COVID 19 so I am handbuilding at home and occasionally dropping work off at a friend’s kiln, so I don’t have access to any of the normal glazes I would use. My house is small and I don’t have the space to make a mess and make glazes, and I don’t want to spend too much as hopefully I’ll be able to get into my studio soon.

I bought some glazes online from Georgie’s and Coyote and they are REALLY thick, especially the white. I have watered them down a bit bit I am not sure what will happen if I just keep watering them down until they are a recognizable consistency. 

At this point I am mostly experimenting but I am hoping my pieces will be food safe so I don’t want to alter the glazes too much.

What happens if you add too much water to glaze? 

Thanks! Any tips appreciated!

[Pres]

Faith,

Watering down, depends on what you are going to do with them. If dipping, I used to water bottled Amaco glazes down to the thickness of chocolate milk. However, if you are going to brush on, you would want to get a good brushing consistency that you would do on ware that has recently been washed with a damp sponge. Washing puts a small amount of moisture into the piece so that it does not suck the water out of glaze so fast that you get a poor glaze surface. Experimenting, and testing on test pieces is really the best answer to the amount you water down, along with the number of brush coats you put on. I used to tell my students that 2 brush coats=1 dipped coat, but then again that was for the thickness that I mixed my glazes, but a good rule of thumb.

All of this IMHO.

 

 

best,

Pres

[Sorcery]

If they are...is it thixotropic? You just have to keep stirring them until they're smoother.

Not shaking, stirring and adding shear tear to the particles.

Sorce

[Faith Elwyn]

Thanks! I have only ever dipped in glaze before, but I am trying out brushing right now because my containers are small. I will try using a damp sponge on the surface first, I haven’t been doing that. And I know I have to experiment, it’s just hard right now with my limited kiln access :(. I think I will water them a bit more. 

[Faith Elwyn]

3 hours ago, Sorcery said:

If they are...is it thixotropic? You just have to keep stirring them until they're smoother.

Not shaking, stirring and adding shear tear to the particles.

Sorce

Hmmm. I definitely spent a very long time stirring with various implements in my garage, they were smooth by the time I was using them but still very thick. I don’t know if they are thixotropic?

[Hulk]

Adjusting specific gravity and thixotropy are key!

https://digitalfire.com/glossary/thixotropy

[Sorcery]

5 hours ago, Faith Elwyn said:

Hmmm. I definitely spent a very long time stirring with various implements in my garage, they were smooth by the time I was using them but still very thick. I don’t know if they are thixotropic?

I guess I am assuming they are pints of brushable glaze?

The Gum may be the difference you are experiencing. This level of chemistry attention to the application side, is the benefit of spending money on ....highly commercial....glazes.

That said, once you find a couple you like to use, purchasing the larger dry versions will be more economical, and will be of dippable consistency.

Of course, It seems we may be able to get out and work regularly again?

I'm still promoting kilns at home!

Sorce