A drippy and "globby" glaze

[VancouverPotter]

I'm looking to create a drippy glaze that has big drips (globby, so to speak).

I understand that I can start with a base glaze and simply increase the frit to make it drippy. But to get the big drips, Linda Bloomfield suggests that the starting glaze should be viscous.

Can anyone suggest a Cone 6 viscous base glaze to get me started?

-- Brian

[Min]

If you look at what makes up a glaze recipe you can get an idea of how fluid it could be when fired to maturity. Oxides we use that increase viscosity are alumina, magnesium, zinc, strontium and to a lesser extent tin and barium. Oxides that encourage a fluid melt (decrease viscosity) at cone 6 include sodium, potassium, lithium plus boron. So if you are wanting a less fluid glaze look at the recipes and formulas for several glazes and choose ones using zinc or magnesium (from talc or dolomite mostly) as one of the fluxes plus higher alumina levels. We don't know how much you know about glaze chemistry or if you are familiar with glaze calc programs, if you could let us know we could better tailor answers to you. Another thing that helps get those big drips is after you glaze the pot sliptrail or brush on some extra glaze around the bottom of the glaze, leaving lots of room for runs. It's going to be a balance between getting a glaze that's fluid enough to make the big drips yet doesn't  run off the pot.

Welcome to the forum.

[VancouverPotter]

Many thanks. I'm very familiar with DigitalFire's Insight and I can proceed with the advice you provided. I'll try something with strontium carbonate and will try to limit the magnesium since I'd still like to have bright colours. Adding zinc oxide as you suggest I expect will be helpful, as well as add to the melt.

[JohnnyK]

On 8/25/2020 at 10:31 PM, Min said:

Another thing that helps get those big drips is after you glaze the pot sliptrail or brush on some extra glaze around the bottom of the glaze, leaving lots of room for runs. It's going to be a balance between getting a glaze that's fluid enough to make the big drips yet doesn't  run off the pot.

How about, if you have an idea of how you would like the "globs" to look, you create the globs with slip before glazing...like in the leather hard stage...?