SEMI-TRANSPARENT COPPER GREENS 817,818 - Although they are lead-free these popular greens exceed the copper threshold limits in the liquid, unfired state and therefore are NOT non-toxic. However, they are dinnerware safe if fired to the proper firing temperature. 817 also produces interesting results in Raku firings.
CRACKLE GLAZES 138,170 - Although they are lead-free and non-toxic, they are not dinnerware safe because of the possibility of bacteria growth in the cracks. After they have been fired to cone 06/04 and allowed to cool you can rub ink or dye into the cracks, in order to make the crackle pattern stand out the way it does in our color charts.
METALLIC GLAZES 144,145 - Since they contain fritted LEAD, they are NOT non-toxic or dinnerware safe. 144 Pewter is quite a stable formulation and performs well at cone 06 to 04. 145 Bronze is a more sensitive glaze. It provides a beautiful golden bronze finish, if the thickness and firing temperature are correct. It needs to be applied heavily (i.e. 4 coats by brushing) and it needs to be fired hotter than normal (i.e. may require cone 03 or even cone 02).
CADMIUM LEAD GLAZES 120,122 - They both contain fritted LEAD and CADMIUM and are NOT non-toxic or dinnerware safe. Unfortunately, this is still the only way to get these brilliant reds and oranges. These cadmium glazes are sensitive to glaze thickness and firing temperature. If the glaze is too thin the color may go silver in some areas. If the glaze is too thick or the temperature is too hot, black spots may develop. They should not be fired above cone 06. Also, a good supply of oxygen improves the firing characteristics of the two colors, so keeping peepholes open or ensuring that the kiln is not too densely loaded will help to get consistent results.
271-278 - These texture glazes are very matte and stiff and can be used effectively over the entire range from cone 06 to cone 6. They can be given an extra rough surface by applying the final coat with a sponge, which we have demonstrated on our charts. Although they are lead-free and A/P non-toxic, they are not dinnerware safe because the rough surface may tend to trap bacteria.
210-211 - There are two additional products that can be used with our Dragon Skin glazes which are 210 Minimizer and 211 Maximizer. The 210 Minimizer is an additive that can be mixed with any of our Dragon Skin colors, 212 to 219, in order to decrease the textured effect. We recommend mixing one part 210 Minimizer with one part of any of the Dragon Skin colors. This mixture should then be used the same way the regular Dragon Skin colors are used (see above). The 211 Maximizer is an additive that also can be mixed with any of our Dragon Skin colors, 212 to 219, in order to increase the textured effect. We recommend mixing one part of 211 Maximizer with five parts of any of the Dragon Skin colors. This mixture should then be used the same way the regular Dragon Skin colors are used (see above). A very wide range of textured effects can be achieved by using different proportions of 210 Minimizer or 211 Maximizer with our Dragon Skin colors.
212-219 - The eight colors in this series are designed to be used with our 250 Satin Clear to produce a textured and variegated surface which we call Dragon Skin. The technique requires that you first apply, on cone 03 bisque, one to three coats of the color. Let the color dry, then apply one to three coats of Satin Clear on top of the color. When the piece is fired to cone 06/05 a reaction takes place between these special colors and the Satin Clear glaze which produces the textured effect. Our samples show the results from using three coats of color and three coats of glaze. Other interesting results can be obtained by applying fewer coats of color and/or fewer coats of Satin Clear. Please do not use six coats (total) of glaze all the way to the bottom of the piece since such a heavy application of glaze will tend to move and could run off the bottom of the piece. Cut down the total number of coats to three towards the bottom of the piece. Also please note that color 218 Copper Green is significantly softer than the other colors and will tend to run more. This should be taken into account in the decoration of your piece. All of these colors are lead free. Colors 212,213,214,215 and 219 are non-toxic. Colors 216,217 and 218 are considered toxic in the liquid state due to the presence of copper oxide beyond the non-toxic limit and are therefore not suitable for use by small children or pregnant women. All of these colors are NOT considered dinnerware safe because the rough textured surfaces are hard to clean and tend to trap bacteria.
CLEAR GLOSS GLAZE 700 - An excellent lead free, dinnerware safe, A/P non-toxic clear glaze, which is compatible with most commercially available underglazes. It has good tolerance for a wide variety of low fire clay bodies and rarely crazes. We recommend applying it thinly (i.e. 1 to 2 coats by brushing) as it may cloud when applied too heavily.
OPAQUE GLOSS GLAZES 701-747 - A wide range of lead free, dinnerware safe, A/P non-toxic colors, including excellent bright primary colors. These glazes require 3 coats by brushing for opaque coverage. In general, a more even appearance can be achieved by alternating the direction of brush strokes by 90° to the previous coat (i.e. first brush up and down the piece, next coat brush side to side). These glazes do not bleed together very much so they can usually be butted against each other without the colors running.
NEW! This line has undergone a major overhaul and now includes 55 colors. We have discontinued a few colors and added 11 new colors.
801-816 - These lead free, dinnerware safe, A/P non-toxic glazes can be used to produce a multi-tone appearance since the color gets darker where they are thicker, such as in places where they flow into the details on pieces. Generally, it is best to apply them thinly (i.e. 2 coats by brushing). The exception in this group is 801, which is actually an opaque white glaze with black speckles.
NEW! Like the 700 series this line has also undergone some major changes. A few colors were discontinued and we've added 10 new colors.
Our Raku glazes were developed for firing in either electric or gas kilns. The firing process is described below. Three of our Raku glazes are not lead-free (857,858, and 867 contain lead and cadmium). Four of the Raku glazes are lead-free and non-toxic (850,851,854, and 856). All of the rest are lead-free, but are over the threshold limit for copper and are therefore not non-toxic in the liquid state. Our liquid glazes (available in 4 ounce, pints and gallons) are set up for brushing application. They can also be poured or dipped on pieces, although they should probably be thinned with a little water for this type of application. Our dry glazes (available in 10 pound bags) are set up for dipping application. Please follow our "Dry Glaze Mixing Instructions" for mixing procedures and for the amount of water required. 862 to 867 are not available dry.
Due to the many variables involved in Raku firing, particularly during the reduction phase, our chip charts and printed color charts should be used only as approximate guidelines. Your results may vary greatly.
RAKU FIRING - Raku glazes can be fired anywhere from 1600 F up to cone 06 (1850 F) in either an electric or gas kiln. We recommend firing 850 to 859 to a peak of 1700 - 1750 F and 860 to 867 to a peak of 1600 - 1650 F. They should be allowed to cool in the kiln to 1600 F. Different combinations of peak temp and reduction starting temp will produce different results. While still red hot they should be transferred as quickly as possible into a reduction bin (typically a lidded metal garbage can or small metal container that has been lined with organic material, such as newspaper and/or sawdust, etc.). As soon as the pieces are in the bin the lid should be put on to keep oxygen from entering the container, in order to develop the reduction atmosphere. The pieces should be allowed to cool in the bin for at least 20 minutes. When the red hot pieces go into the bin the organic material ignites producing flames and smoke so this part of the firing, particularly the opening of the reduction bin, should be done outside.
FIRING TIPS:
Try to size the reduction bin to the size of the piece
Establish a good seal to the reduction bin so that air is not entering and smoke is not leaving the bin.
Position the organic material ( newspaper, sawdust, etc.) and the piece so that the flames can get all around the piece.
Different organic materials may produce very different results, for example a glaze reduced in newspaper could be a beautiful blue color and the same glaze reduced in sawdust could have a metallic copper appearance.
Pieces should be cleaned immediately with water and a hard bristle brush.
After cleaning, warm the pieces in the kiln to evaporate any water from the piece. This helps to set the colors more permanently.
900-924 - Our exciting new line of low fire (cone 06/04) glazes that give the appearance of stoneware. The first nine colors have a glossy finish. 901 to 905 are semi-transparent two-tone glazes that produce a beautiful effect when used on pieces with some detail. 906 to 908) are glazes that break up and give one color in areas where they are thick and another color in areas where they are thinner. The remaining sixteen glazes (909-924), with the exception of 917 Terra Cotta, have a satiny finish and they will all break up to varying degrees. The exception, 917 Terra Cotta is a very matte glaze that does not react with any of the other Low Stone glazes. It is designed to give an appearance just like plain terra cotta bisque when applied on top of a white clay body. We have added 900 Clear to this line which can be used, for example, to line the inside of pots. Please do not use our 900 series glazes on the same piece with our 700 series glazes. Due to significantly different expansion rates this combination can cause pots to crack.
In addition to the chip samples in our color chart which show the result of applying 3 coats of each glaze on white bisque and firing to cone 05, please also look at the bell samples which show example of some of the wonderful effects that can be created by layering these glazes. These bells were done by putting 1 coat of one of the Low Stone glazes on the top half of the bell and then applying 2 coats of one of the other Low Stone glazes over the entire bell. We only had space to show a few of the numerous possible results that can be achieved this way.
All 24 of these glazes are lead-free and dinnerware safe when fired correctly. 16 of the colors are AP non-toxic, but 8 of the colors (901,902,903,913,914,915,923 and 924) have Health Labels for use in the unfired state. This is due to the presence of copper oxide and/or nickel oxide exceeding the prescribed limits.
NEW! Our most popular Low-fire Glaze line has been increased by an amazing 37 colors. This line now includes 62 colors and infinite number of layering possibilities.
RAC 1-16 - Raised Accent Colors are slip-based colors (or engobes) which are available in 2 oz. applicator pens with a fine metal tip for decorating on greenware or bisque. They create embossed or raised designs on ceramic decorative work because the colors do not flatten out when they are fired. They are also available in 16 oz. squeeze bottles, which can be used to refill the pens or which can be used for slip trailing applications.
HOW TO USE THEM - Each 2 ounce squeeze bottle comes with a separate metal tip. After removing the screw cap from the bottle the metal tip can be screwed onto the plastic nipple. Before using the pen on your ceramic piece squeeze some out on a piece of paper to remove any air bubbles and to establish a consistent flow of color. When you are using the pen on a piece of greenware or bisque, hold the pen in contact with the piece. It makes it easier to control the writing than holding the tip above the piece and dropping the color onto the surface. Also the slight scratching of the surface improves the contact between the color and the piece. Do not hold the pen directly vertical when writing because this leaves no space for the liquid to flow out of the tip. Hold the pen at an angle to the surface so that there is an opening for the color to flow through. Because the color is quite thick you must write more slowly than with a pen so that there is time for the liquid to flow through the tip. You can create a large variety of line thicknesses by varying finger pressure and writing speed. The harder you press and the slower you write the thicker your lines will be.
CR01 - CR12 - Our Glaze Crystals are all lead-free and dinnerware safe when fired to a minimum cone 06. These crystals are very versatile and can be used successfully from cone 06 to cone 6. They can be used with any glaze in this firing range to produce a great variety of different appearances. They can also be intermixed. Many beautiful combinations of two or more colored crystals on your choice of glaze background can be used. Please be aware that, due to varying expansion coefficients, some of these crystals may cause crazing on some glazes, particularly at stoneware temperatures. Please test for suitability in your application.
One method of applying the crystals is to drop them onto the final coat of glaze while the surface is still wet allowing the crystals to stick to the glaze. If the glaze dries out before all the crystals are applied try spraying a little water on the glaze surface to help the crystals stick to it. In this way you can position the crystals where you want them on the piece. Alternatively, you can try sprinkling some of the crystals onto a piece of paper and then dabbing your brush, already loaded with glaze, into the crystals as you are applying the final coat of glaze. However, be aware that these crystals will run a lot when fired up to cone 5 or 6 and should not be applied near the bottom of the piece for stoneware firings. This is not of concern at cone 06 or 05 as they will not move and spread nearly as much at lower temperatures. These crystals can also be mixed into a liquid glaze to be brushed on. However, one of the reasons that we decided not to prepare pre-mixed crystal glazes is that the crystals are large and heavy and tend to settle to the bottom of the container. Therefore, you will need to stir the glaze frequently if you choose to mix the crystals into a glaze.
