Help Us Organize C6P Glaze Education Days - - - January 15 - February 28, 2015

[George Lewter]

Please volunteer to present an article designed to help our ceramic artists navigate the sometimes treacherous waters of glaze development. (PLEASE DO NOT PUBLISH YOUR ARTICLE UNTIL THE START OF THE EVENT ON JANUARY 15, 2015, but by all means go ahead and promote it.)

A few topics that could be very helpful to members:

• basic glaze chemistry - weight percentages, unity, and molar formulas and how each is or is not useful.
• What are limit formulas
• glaze room safety
• clear strategies for substituting raw materials
• methodology for creating a glaze that is economical and free of defects
• step-by-step testing methods and when to use which (fast five, line blends, triaxle, and currie grids)
• getting comfortable with Insight-Live glaze recipe database
• firing schedules
• glaze combinations that work together

What topics are you interested in, where online information is scant or very hard to find? Providing well described links to good, existing information is as useful, and far easier than starting from scratch.

Half a dozen committed facilitators could turn this event into the liveliest interaction yet on the cone6pots network. If the interest is sufficient, we can utilize web meeting technology for live sessions (Skype for small groups and webx for larger groups.  

[Norm Stuart]

It will be interesting reading the conversations.

[Chantay Poulsen]

I would like to see something specific to adding colorants to glazes and about adjusting them. 

[Becky Keck]

Hello, I'm brand new to this forum and looking forward to some great discussions!

[Dawn Lewison]

I too am new to this site. I have been trying to learn how to adjust a favorite glaze color to not craze on my clay body and to find a good clear satin base glaze to use with mason stains. Many of these topics I would love to be part of. Several members of the guild I am in would poss. be interested in a small Skype lesson.

Thanks for the topics.

[Corina]

I could probably add a few things I can talk about safety, raku firing. Substituting chemicals in glaze I will probably forget before January 15 as that's when college gets going again. - corina

[Trish Emrick]

I enjoy learning about glazing and want to learn ways to use one or more glazes over another.

[Lyn Rapley]

This is a great idea.  I am, for the most part, self taught and doing my own little thing is a quiet corner.  When I read some of the entries I feel quite humbled by the knowledge and understanding shared so freely.  At present I don't really have anything to share, but as soon as I do I will certainly chip in.

[Tresa Killion]

Glaze formulation and firing is a topic I have set for myself to grow in this year. So excited to see this topic as a 2015 focus!

[Carl Ray Crutchfield]

I would like to post an article based on my own experience of deciding between using commercial glazes or making glaze from scratch.  I will work on it and send you a copy to consider when it is done, if that is okay?

[Brenda B Hardt]

I am very new to glaze making having just started with taking SA Hill workshop  June 2014 and making his glazes and spraying them... about 4 kilns full.  Now I am ready to experiment a bit more and so bought John Britt thanks to this site. I need more support than a book with 300 recipes-- where to start?  what combinations go well, which are safe for food? etc.     Much appreciation for creating this wonderful site! and having the idea for this focused project!!!

[cp dunbar]

This will be fun.  Looking forward to it, marking calendar.

cp

[George Lewter]

Sounds like a great idea, Carl. But you have full autonomy to post your article as you see fit. I would be happy to review it pre-publication as "author's proof reader or editorial assistant" or to read it and comment after you post it. There are plenty of opinions on both sides of the issue you raise, and valid reasons for selecting either preference.