Cone 6 Studio Glazes for High School Classroom

[Caroline E]

Hello everyone!

I am a high school ceramics teacher and I am looking to mix a range of ^6 glazes for my high school ceramics studio. I am looking for glazes that are stable, consistent, and most importantly, do not run easily (to keep those kiln shelves clean!). I would like to have a range of glossy, matte, opaque, and translucent glazes. I am hoping to have around six-eight glazes that I can have in dipping buckets in my high school studio. We do not have a sprayer, so I would like to use glazes that look good brushed or dipped. I would like for the glazes to look good when layered together and also by themselves.

I have a background of mixing glazes, but am newer to using ^6 glazes and do not have a personal selection that I have tested.  I have been researching trusted sources such as Glazy.org and Digitalfire.com and have found some interesting recipes but it would be very helpful to hear from some people that already have a good range of glazes that work well together in a beginner ceramics environment. 

 

Would anyone be willing to share some ^6 studio glazes that meet what I mentioned above? I have read through many of these community posts and they have always been so helpful. 

 

Thanks in advance for any help or advice that can be offered. 

Caroline Ennis

Edited August 23, 2022 by Caroline Ennis

[neilestrick]

Here are a few glazes that we use in my studio that are very stable and consistent.

Butter is great on top of other glazes, and also looks good alone on brown speckled clay.

Harris Red is a great iron red glaze, tends to be the most red on brown bodies.

Runny White is quite stable on its own, but flows a bit on other glazes. Looks great by itself on speckled brown bodies or on top of just about anything.

S-4 Blue looks a lot like denim, has nice surface variation, and looks good on both white and brown clays, especially on speckled brown.

Spearmint is a nice green with good surface variation.

Nutmeg is a fake shino, which I normally hate, but this one's not bad. Goes lighter as it gets thicker.

*edit- These tiles all show double dips. They are not runny with a single dip.

Nutmeg.pdf Spearmint.pdf S-4 Blue.pdf Runny White.pdf Harris Red.pdf Butter.pdf

[Kelly in AK]

I use cone 6 glazes at my school, but I buy them already dry mixed. It’s tougher on the budget, but I can barely get everything done as it is so mixing my own for school happens rarely. I have tried Tony Hansen’s 20 x 5 base with both cobalt+black stain and copper carb, both came out great. 

Those are some beautiful looking glazes Neil! I may have to change my ways. 

 

[Pres]

Welcome to the forum, @Caroline Ennis, I hope you enjoy your time here and find some useful answers. I used a combination of glazes from the M^6 book, and from Bill Van Gilder, along with some glazes that were commercial from Minnesota clay and ART. The Van Gilder glazes played well with the glazes from M^6 and I still use some of these today. My liner glaze that I use is a transparent liner glaze that I added some opacifiers to for a white over darker clay bodies. Mixing your own should stretch your budget if you have been using commercials up to this point. However, the first year of buying materials and equipment can be expensive. 

 

best,

Pres

[Caroline E]

1 hour ago, Pres said:

Welcome to the forum, @Caroline Ennis, I hope you enjoy your time here and find some useful answers. I used a combination of glazes from the M^6 book, and from Bill Van Gilder, along with some glazes that were commercial from Minnesota clay and ART. The Van Gilder glazes played well with the glazes from M^6 and I still use some of these today. My liner glaze that I use is a transparent liner glaze that I added some opacifiers to for a white over darker clay bodies. Mixing your own should stretch your budget if you have been using commercials up to this point. However, the first year of buying materials and equipment can be expensive. 

 

best,

Pres

Dear @Pres, 

Thank you so much for your recommendations! This is all very helpful.  Is the Van Gilder book you are talking about titled, "Wheel Thrown Pottery"? And is the M^6 book you are referring to called, "Mastering Cone 6 Glazes: Improving durability, fit and aesthetics" by, John Hesselberth?

 

Caroline

[Caroline E]

23 hours ago, neilestrick said:

Here are a few glazes that we use in my studio that are very stable and consistent.

Butter is great on top of other glazes, and also looks good alone on brown speckled clay.

Harris Red is a great iron red glaze, tends to be the most red on brown bodies.

Runny White is quite stable on its own, but flows a bit on other glazes. Looks great by itself on speckled brown bodies or on top of just about anything.

S-4 Blue looks a lot like denim, has nice surface variation, and looks good on both white and brown clays, especially on speckled brown.

Spearmint is a nice green with good surface variation.

Nutmeg is a fake shino, which I normally hate, but this one's not bad. Goes lighter as it gets thicker.

*edit- These tiles all show double dips. They are not runny with a single dip.

Nutmeg.pdf 66.44 kB · 9 downloads Spearmint.pdf 67.11 kB · 7 downloads S-4 Blue.pdf 62.53 kB · 6 downloads Runny White.pdf 66.67 kB · 4 downloads Harris Red.pdf 61.28 kB · 5 downloads Butter.pdf 66.23 kB · 4 downloads

Dear @neilestrick,

Wow! This is GREAT! I very much appreciate you taking the time to send the recipes and test tiles. These look like they will work wonderfully in our studio. I am going to make some tests. 

Again, thanks so much!

Caroline 

[Caroline E]

7 hours ago, Kelly in AK said:

I use cone 6 glazes at my school, but I buy them already dry mixed. It’s tougher on the budget, but I can barely get everything done as it is so mixing my own for school happens rarely. I have tried Tony Hansen’s 20 x 5 base with both cobalt+black stain and copper carb, both came out great. 

Those are some beautiful looking glazes Neil! I may have to change my ways. 

 

Dear @Kelly in AK

If you have been buying Amaco's dry glazes, they are being discontinued. That's why I am looking for other recipes  If you're not using Amaco, do you mind sharing which brand you are using? 

Thanks!

Caroline

[Pres]

2 hours ago, Caroline Ennis said:

Dear @Pres, 

Thank you so much for your recommendations! This is all very helpful.  Is the Van Gilder book you are talking about titled, "Wheel Thrown Pottery"? And is the M^6 book you are referring to called, "Mastering Cone 6 Glazes: Improving durability, fit and aesthetics" by, John Hesselberth?

 

Caroline

Caroline yes on both counts. If looking for books, you can also look up. . . The Complete Guide to Mid-Range Glazes, John Britt, ISBN 978-1-4547-0777-6.  Very well organized and a wide variety of glaze categories and explanations.

As with any new glaze, I highly recommend testing, testing, testing. In my later years, I cheated on that requiring that 2nd semester wheel throwing students had to include 20 glaze test tiles in their final portfolio. These were required to have single glaze, and multiple glaze test tiles so that layering of glazes was explored. We made their work a little easier by having a test tile extruder die that would make  two strips of  self standing test tiles tat were cut to 11/2 inch pieces.

best,

Pres

[Hulk]

I'd like to suggest that you identify the clay(s) you're looking to use in the studio, then look at glazes to fit them*.

I'm also using several of the recipes from van Gilder's book, a few from local JC recipe book, and a few others ...however, have tried many others and then abandoned them, due to problems, including crazing, pitting, foaming, yucky, expensive,  etc., hence:

Test carefully, particularly clear and liner glazes for fit and performance.
Test carefully for fit and performance!

Midrange (cone 5/6) clays exhibit a wide variety of behaviours!
In my search for a well-fitting clear (or slightly white) liner glaze for white stoneware, I've abandoned three white stoneware clays and five glazes, well four - the fourth one started out as a recipe with promise that could be easily reformulated. The fourth reformulation of the fourth glaze is in production in my studio. If you're considering IMCO DC 3-5, Clay Planet Venus White clays (and/or have crazing) I've a glaze for you!

That said, I'd like to suggest that you identify the clays you're looking to use in the studio, then look at glazes to fit them.

...and now I'm copying that last sentence to the top!

*Thanks to several of the regulars here for support, analysis, suggestions and a recipe.

Edited August 25, 2022 by Hulk
checked van Gilder, add Venus White

[Kelly in AK]

I use glazes from Clay Art Center in Tacoma. Sagebrush Celadon, Floating Blue, Caribbean, Stellar Rust, and Cola Green are the ones I probably go through the most of.