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Using Stains mixed only with water


AdamFG

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Hi All, 

 

Continuing on with my adventure of being "self taught"... I have another question:D

I have some lovely coloured stain powders and I really like how they've gone onto bisqueware.

I've just mixed them with water... however when I've glazed the pieces with clear glaze,  the items have all suffered with crawling. As I understand it, i'll need to add some grit to the stain to stop this. 

However, I'm wondering if I apply the stain (just mixed with water) onto bisque ware and fire to 1000.c then apply a clear glaze and fire again will this remove the need to add frit?

Stains are being applied to Earthenware which fires to 1080c and Stoneware which fires to 1220-1240c

I'll be making an order for some more supplies on Monday so I can get any additives (for want of a better word) suggested, but the delivery times here are nuts due to Covid and Christmas so it may be a couple of weeks :mellow:

I know the answer will be "run a test", which I plan to do but I was wondering if anyone had any anecdotal advice / experience with using stains like this?

Thanks again!

 

Adam   

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2 hours ago, AdamFG said:

I've just mixed them with water... however when I've glazed the pieces with clear glaze,  the items have all suffered with crawling. As I understand it, i'll need to add some grit to the stain to stop this. 

However, I'm wondering if I apply the stain (just mixed with water) onto bisque ware and fire to 1000.c then apply a clear glaze and fire again will this remove the need to add frit?

Isn't paragraph 2 questioning if paragraph 1 works?

Some clears may have enough flux to work.

Stains are quite refractory, too much in my Local Clay Glaze and they don't melt properly.

Sorce

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If you want the simplest and easiest homemade underglaze recipe, mix your stain with equal parts of EPK and frit. So that’s a 1:1:1 ratio.  Bonus points if the frit you’re using is also one of the fluxes in your glaze, but it will all work. 
 

reasons for those ingredients: 
The frit helps bind the sometimes very refractory stains to the pot, and the clay is an extender. Stains can be expensive, so the clay is just there to extend the recipe and help make it more brushable. Edited to add: You will still get a saturated colour if you keep the clay to this level. 
 

I have used gerstley borate to mix stains in. It makes a preferable brushing medium, but it will also alter the colour of some stains, so test a bit first. 

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It's not going to make any difference if the stain alone is fired onto the pot prior to glazing, stains have been fired in their processing so refiring to bisque temps isn't going to change anything. Another reason it's good to add kaolin to the frit plus stain mix is the clay (kaolin) helps prevent the frit plus stain from dusting off the pot, especially when being handled.

BTW I've noticed that in England there are also "underglaze colour stains" available in addition to stains alone. If you by chance have some underglaze stains then all you need to add to them is a brushing medium.

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All solid advice. Think if it this way, colorants have existed forever and are often oxides. Stains generally contain those oxides or a mix of them to establish a color  and are often encapsulated in some fashion to preserve the color from dissolving and / or changing significantly in heat of the firing.
Underglazes are often made with stains and contain some clay. When clay is bisque fired it sinters and becomes more sturdy to handle but still remain porous. Adding clay and flux(Fritt) to stains is basically a way to make underglaze which when bisque fired will become sintered and sturdy to handle.
Think of the clay addition as a binder that helps keep it stuck to the pot during application ..........  and once bisque fired makes it impervious to water and reasonably sturdy on the pot ready for over decoration.

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