Cone 6 Glaze Tests

 

I took my glaze tests out of the kiln at about ten o'clock last night and I am really happy with how they turned out.  Right before school started I bought some clay down in Sacramento from IMCO.  I bought two cone 6 clays, Cone 6 Porcelain and  Navajo Wheel.  I use INSIGHT glaze calculation software from DIGITALFIRE. This is an ultra low expansion clear cone 6 base glaze that I tried out on both of the clay bodies.  The first one on the left is clear, the second has 10% zircopax to make a white and the third is the navajo wheel with the white.  All of these tests were fired in oxidation to cone 6 in a skutt kiln with a 30 minute soak at the end.  I'm also learning how to program the kilns which is awesome!

 

This is Mason Stain 6242 at different percentages in the clear:  5%   2.5%  1.25%   This is called Bermuda Green and it's just how I feel today.  The sun came out and it is 68 degrees in the shade.  I actually got hot sitting out in the sun in shorts and a t-shirt.

 

This next one is Cerdec Intensive Red Inclusion Stain at different percentages.  The last one is a mix with some of the white.

 

Cobalt Carbonate in clear.

I ran out of my clear glaze and only had the white left so I dipped a bunch of the red clay test tiles into it and brushed tiny bits of stain mixed with water over them to get an idea of how it might look mixed into the glaze.  After all, it was about midnight when I got to this point after about six hours worth of work.  I was getting pooped out.  I also tried out some old Pemco stains that have been in the studio for years to see what they looked like.  I wasn't impressed with a deep purple that I mixed into the clear and applied to the porcelain. However, when I cut it in half with the white and saw how it came out on the red clay I thought there might be some possibilities for it.  Who knows?

 

Overall, I am pretty excited and I can't wait to do some more glaze tests.  I have a mug made out of the Navajo wheel with a clear on it that is coming out of a cone 6 reduction and after I see that I might be able to start glazing some of my sculptures.  Progress is being made.