Gerstley borate

Hi All,

As an Aussie I find it frustrating that so many of your lovely glaze recipes require Gertsley Borate which, I understand, is in very short supply. I would love to see more recipes reformulated to include more readily available ingredients, particularly for us poor souls 'down under'.

Greetings to all from Western Australia!!

Clive

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Permalink Reply by George Lewter on October 8, 2013 at 2:46pm

Have you seen Tony Hansen's pages on gerstley borate? http://digitalfire.com/gerstleyborate/substitutes.html

As we now have an assured supply of fairly consistent composition gerstley borate, there is less pressure on US potters to find alternatives. If you are in the US and use glaze calculation software, you might want to update your composition from the 1997 or 99 formulations to the currently published formulation found at http://www.lagunaclay.com/support/pdf/Chemical_Composition_of_Gerst...

Permalink Reply by Norm Stuart on October 9, 2013 at 7:57am

Importing Laguna's Gerstley Borate from Laguna Clay, the company which now owns the Gerstley Borate name and produces this (almost certainly) blended product, is more expensive than buying it in Los Angeles for $1.94 a pound or $0.63 a pound for a fifty pound bag.

http://wc.strategyonline.com/BA390.500/Gerstley-Borate-_dash_-Natur...

Where do you buy ceramic supplies on the west coast? Someplace in Perth?

In the past some have suggested Ferro Frit of Australia's 4112 frit as a substitute.

http://digitalfire.com/4sight/material/ferro_frit_4112_2389.html

The one real advantage of Gerstely Borate over a frit is that its clay-like properties suspend the resulting glaze.

Looking at the finished products, there's obviously someplace to get stuff:

http://www.ceramicartswa.asn.au/gallery

Permalink Reply by Ivan on October 9, 2013 at 11:53pm

walker ceramics in melbourne Phone 03 87616322

$10.oo per kg in small quantities

$140 for a bag of 22Kg

Transport costs might be a problem

cheers Ivan

Permalink Reply by Clive Eger on October 11, 2013 at 4:26pm

Thanks for that info Ivan - I will check out Walkers when I am next in Melbourne.

Cheers!

Permalink Reply by Clive Eger on October 11, 2013 at 4:41pm

Thanks George!

At the moment I am happy with my glazes that don't need GB, but it is tantalizing to see such nice glazes from you guys in the States and not being able to try them myself. I will check out Tony Hansen's page - always educational stuff to be found on his site!

Cheers!

Permalink Reply by Jennifer Arthur on January 10, 2014 at 10:31pm

Hi,
I'm up in Cairns, FNQ. We order online having no supplier up here. Haven't had any problems with Gerstley Borate though.

You could try the Clayshed on the Sunshine Coast, they are really helpful.

Cheers,

Jenny

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