opulence matt base question

[Wyndham Dennison]

I have been gifted 25 lb's(dry) of Opulence matt base(cone 6). and am wondering what are some of the amts of coloring oxides/carbonates and opacifiers will look good with this base.

There's no real information on Mid South's web page, though I'll call them later for any info.

For starters, I was thinking of testing some zircopax, about 6-8% and some red iron ox about 2% for a cream, hard to tell from the web pixs if this is a clear base or what.

Hope someone might have a thought, thanks

Wyndham

[Kabe Burleson]

May I Suggest. Weigh up 3 or 4, 100 gram batches. Make a pile of test tiles.  Add water to the first 100 grams and dip a tile so you can see what the base looks like and how well it fits your clay. Then add a small amount of zircopax and dip, add a measured amount more and dip again.( looking through some of my tests 8% to 11.5% turned some of my clears into a white, but it would depend on the base)  The effects of what you add will not be exact because you are using up a little bit of the base each time you dip, but it will give you a rough idea. Take another 100 gram batch and add increments of iron. 2%, dip,4% dip,6% dip,8% dip. each time you add 2 % more to the first 100 grams. Do the same with copper and cobalt( .2% .4% cobalt is very strong. a full % is a lot) Try rutile and yellow ocher. you get the point. Then pour 2 of the container together say copper and iron. You might have 200 grams of base -the dips, with 8% copper & 8 % iron. You might make a lot of ugly or you might get a nice glaze. Also you can take a tile and dip it twice in one batch and then just dip the top in another. I leave room at the base of my tile in case it runs real bad and if I am real afraid say an ash glaze I put the tiles on a piece of scrape bisque ware so I do not damage my shelves. Keep good records. You can mark you test tile with red iron oxide mixed with bentonite like an ink with a small paint brush. This may all be old news to you, I do not know how much testing you have done,  but I find it is a great way to get the most out of a 100 gram batch. If you find something you like then you can weigh it out and see it in it's true proportions. It will give you a gradient of how much oxide it takes to have a visual effect. 2% changes might not do much with one oxide so the next time do increments of 5%. That my 2 cents. happy firing 

[Robert Coyle]

Kabe gives good advice. Very few glazes result in a slam dunk on the first trial.

The only thing I would add to this is to write down everything you do  and mark the tiles with a black slip or something so that you know which test is which when they come out of the kiln.

[Wyndham Dennison]

Thanks,Oh I will definitely do some line test, but thought someone here might know a bit about the basic look of the matt base.

I called mid south and found that it has some zinc in it, so any chrome will go muddy brown and that it's more of a satin matt and a bit opaque.

I also have some pieces on both white cone 6 & speckled brownstone for testing.

I'll post pixs if anything looks promising

Wyndham