Pottery and Ceramics Glaze Recipes
MATH TIPS FOR GLAZE RECIPES
If you are mixing your own glaze most likely it is because you can not find it anywhere else.
Below is some excellent information on how to make your glaze recipe total 100%.
This is very important in order for your glaze to turn out ok.
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If all glazes are written this way, it is easier to compare the ingredients.
Especially if you are looking for a particular effect from certain fluxes or other ingredient.
If a glaze base does not add up to 100, here are 2 ways to change the numbers and still keep the ingredients in the correct proportion.
If your math is correct, the new total should be 100.
OLD RECIPE |
NEW RECIPE |
|
| Ingredient A | 85% | 72% |
| Ingredient B | 16% | 14% |
| Ingredient C | 12% | 10% |
| Ingredient D | 5% | 4% |
| TOTAL | 118% | 100% |
This is how you can do it:
Divide each old recipe ingredient percentage amount by the old recipe total.
Round percentage to the nearest whole.
Ingredient A . . . . . 85 ÷ 118 = 72 |
Below shows you how to use algebra, not me, I have to use a calculator for just plain math!
It is all Greek to me, besides it looks like it uses a lot more paper to do!!
This is how to figure for ingredient A, and you just repeat for each ingredient
85/118 = 1/100 |
Do you want to know how much dry material it takes to make a five gallons of glaze?
Pottery and ceramic artists usually use five gallon buckets to hold liquid glazes they make themselves.
Make sure the buckets are only 3/4 full to allow space for displacement when work is dipped into the glaze.
Here are some facts to know.
Liquid weight
1 pint = 1 pound, the world around1 gallon = 8 pounds
1 pound = 453.6 grams
How to figure
5 gallons x 8 lbs per gal = 40 lbs40 lbs x 3/4 full = 30 lbs liquid glaze needed.
About 1/2 the 30 lbs finished liquid glaze weight is water, so
15 lbs dry glaze is needed
15 lbs dry glaze x 453.6 grams per lb = 6,804 grams dry glaze
If you need about 6,800 grams of dry glaze materials,
you can multiply a recipe that adds up to 100 by 60 or 70
to fill a five gal bucket 3/4 full.
About 6,800 grams of dry glaze materials
makes a good amount for a five gallon bucket.
Do you want to compare costs of ready made glazes to those you make yourself?
One average glaze batch is 6,800 grams or 15 pounds.Dry materials are cheaper when ordered in 25 or 40 pound bags.
You will probably use the most common ones in different proportions in more than one glaze.
Homemade Glaze
A 25lb bag of four ingredients cost $7.50 each which will be about $60 to $80 for 100 lbs.Ready made dry mixes cost $50 to 60 per 25 lb. bag or $200 to $240 per 100 lbs.
If each glaze you mix is 15 lbs dry, you could get six buckets of liquid glaze out of 100 lbs of dry mix, so that would be $60 to $80 ÷ 6 buckets = $10 to $15 per four gallons, or $3 to $4 per gallon.
Ready Made Glaze
Ready made liquid glazes run about $10 to $25 per pint or $80 to $200 per gallon.
Remember that cost is not the only factor to consider.
Some commercially prepared glazes may function better than ones you make yourself or may be more consistent.
But, you will still need to test the commercial glazes with your particular clay body and firing conditions.
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