Glaze help

A very special little friend has asked me to make a pot for her birthday. She has described the shape, style & size she would like and also the colour glaze she wants on it HOT PINK! I have been looking thru catalogues to see if a commercial glaze is available to no avail. Having said that i would much prefer to make up my own over a bought product anyday so ...

Its not the sort of colour that would be seen on a bonsai pot but I am hoping someone here may be able to help, or atleast point me in a good direction to start experimenting.

Many thanks in advance
Matt

My wife, who is a ceramicist, recommends a mason stain of the color you want mixed into a base glaze or an under glaze with clear glaze over it. Hope this helps.

MattA,
Try adding up to 10% stain to your base glaze. Be careful though, as some stains do not fare well with certain oxides which may be present in your base glaze. Color stability can also be affected by final temperature. I know that some colored stains that we use here in the states do not hold up in high stoneware temps.

At any rate, and you probably have heard this, do lots of tests before you commit your final piece.

Good luck!
Rob

Jim & Rob,

Many thanks for the information, I am still very new to the whole thing so half of that makes sense & the other half didnt. I am seeing my mentor over the weekend to glaze & fire my next lot so will ask her to help fill in the blanks in my knowledge.

She asked me for a pair, powder blue and hot pink. I still have to get the clay to make these for her but already have the perfect blue glaze for one. If i am lucky i might be able to cobble together some test pieces for this firing to atleast start the process.

I have a few months in which to work it out & make the final pieces so... dont be surprised if I come back to you guys with more questions

Matt

Holy barbie pink !!!!!

Jim give your wife a huge hug and tell her she is the most wonderful woman in the world. I just discovered Mason stains

Any colour you like and the theory sounds simple enough I just swap my glaze colourant for it. HHMMMM Am going to have to get some in from the UK they have a larger range of colours than I found in the US. I might get a few different shades & do some tests for her to choose from.

Will let you all know how it goes.

Matt

What temp are you firing?

I have been firing to cone 9 but into the future who knows. My own kiln is on its way & should be up & running by new year I hope.

I have just started firing a full load of my own work for the first time, am half holding my breath until I can unload sunday morning. A lot of time & effort into alot of pots I wont be a happy boy if it turns to disaster. It doesnt mean I will give up just salvage what I can, learn even more & await my kiln being ready to burn. In the mean time I am getting a couple tonne of clay along with it to supplement what I already have.

These particular pots will be the largest by far of any I have made to date and present a number of issues that I am still trying to work out. Which construction method to use, body thickness and engineering of it. Making individual pots that stack together or one bigger pot etc etc... plenty of time to nut it out in my head then ask anything I dont know.

Matt

Rather late to reply but I've only just seen your request for help with a pink glaze.

Is the colour on the pot below the sort of pink you're after or does it make you want to throw up!

cheers, Dan