My favorite Pottery Glazes

Favorite Cone 6 Glazes

by Randy McCall

The following compilation of Cone 6 glazes is the results of 5 years of testing glazes. These glazes come from potters throughout the ceramic world. All these glazes were collected from public files and on the internet. ClayArt is the main source of these glazes. However some of the glazes have been adjusted to suit my needs and the needs of other potters. Some of these glazes are very useful by themselves, but in working at the Cone 6 level I have discovered that in order to get the effects that are most suitable you have to layer glazes on on top of the other and visa versa. Great beauty and visual depth can be achieved by layering different and multiple glazes. The following pages of recipes and pictures have been tested and have been proven over time. They are reliable and repeatable for most potters. I do not use a complicated firing schedule. The main process I use in firing is to make sure you hold your kiln at 1650 deg F for at least one hour on the cooling cycle for a glaze firing. I also make sure I get a hard Cone 6 in temperature. I have also found that you need to hold your bisque and glaze firing at medium temperature for at least 5 hours to reduce pinholing to make sure organics in clay is completely burnt out. You should have no trouble in repeating these glazes as long as the materials have not changed as of 2010. There are also some commercial glazes that are mentioned in layering for those potters that make be interested in purchasing glazes rather than making there own. The main objective of this work is to aid new potters or folks getting into ceramics that need tried and true glazes to get them started in their work. A real thanks to all the potters on ClayArt as this is an invaluable tool of thousands of potters throughout the world that have a love of pottery and desire to share their knowledge and wisdom. In closing one more note should be mentioned that for each glaze the originator of the glaze if known will be mentioned if available. Some glazes may only be referred to by a book and author.

Part I

Single Glazes

Part II

Layered Glazes

Part I

Single Glazes

Nutmeg Variation

Recipe Name: Nutmeg Variation

Cone: 6 Color: red

Firing: Oxidation Surface: Glossy

Amount Ingredient

23.3 Dolomite

23.3 Spodumene--Gwalia

6.8 Frit--Ferro 3134

23.3 Red Art

23.3 Silica

100 Total

Additives

3.2 Yellow Ochre

4.9 Tin Oxide

Comments: This is glaze was originally developed by Richard Burush but was changed by removing the kaolin and subing with redart clay and reducing the red iron oxide. It changes color from red where thin to cream where thicker. Pouring or dipping a thin coat gives a shiny reddish brown color similar to shino. A lot of color variation based on thickness. One of the best glazes in layering.

C Harris Tenmoko

Recipe Name: C HARRIS TENMOKU

Cone: 6 Color: TEMMOKU

Firing: Oxidation Surface: Glossy

Amount Ingredient

18.6 Nepheline Syenite

8.5 Gerstley Borate--1999

9.3 Dolomite

9.3 Talc

18.6 Ball Clay Number 1

28.2 Silica

7.5 Bone Ash

100 Total

Additives

11 Iron Oxide--Red

Great iron red glaze. The best I have ever used. Layers great. Best red with three thick coats and a hold at 1650 deg F.

Orange Matt

Recipe Name: Orange Matt

Cone: 6 Color: blue

Firing: Oxidation Surface: Matte

Amount Ingredient

7.2 Dolomite

11.3 Gerstley Borate--1999

13.9 Talc

39.1 Nepheline Syenite

9.5 Kaolin--EPK

19 Silica

100 Total

Additives

10 Rutile

Comments: Variation of Jayne Shatz's Blue Matt

MCCALL'S GREAT GRAY

Recipe Name: MCCALLS GREAT GRAY

Cone: 6 Color: GREY/BROWN

Firing: Oxidation Surface: Matte

Amount Ingredient

5 Gerstley Borate--1999

2 Whiting

41 Feldspar--Custer

12 Ball Clay Number 1

10 Red Art

4 Spodumene--Gwalia

9 Dolomite

7 Bone Ash

3 Talc

2 Lithium Carbonate

5 Silica

100 Total

Additives

2 Crocus Martis

1 Manganese Dioxide

1.3 Rutile

4 Iron Oxide--Red

Comments: Semi Matt green gray glaze. Somewhat complicated in amount of materials. Nice smooth glaze with some specs and variation. Try thin or two coats. Antique type glaze. Can go green if thicker.

Warm Jade

Recipe Name: Warm Jade

Cone: 6 Color: GREEN

Firing: Oxidation Surface: Glossy

Amount Ingredient

44.2 Nepheline Syenite

25.2 Gerstley Borate--1999

18.9 Silica

11.7 Ball Clay Number 1

100 Total

Additives

3 Copper Carbonate

4 Rutile

5 Tin Oxide

Comments: Adjusted from Chappell's Floating Blue. Gives a nice warm jade green glaze. Three thick coats brushed.

Great green glaze. 4% copper carbonate will give an iridescent green. 2% copper carbonate will give a celedon light green. This glaze is not stable in a dish washer.

Noxema Blue

Recipe Name: Noxema Blue

Cone: 6 Color: Noxema Blue

Firing: Oxidation Surface: Glossy

Amount Ingredient

48.3 Feldspar--Custer

23.2 Wollastonite

10.3 Kaolin--EPK

10.1 Gerstley Borate--1999

4.5 Silica

96.4 Total

Additives

2.8 Cobalt Carbonate

Comments: This glaze is usually used as a compliment or accent to other glazes. Layers well over iron glazes.

Leach's Clear Satin

Recipe Name: Leach Clear Satin

Cone: 6 Color: Clear

Firing: Oxidation Surface: Satin

Amount Ingredient

21.7 Feldspar--Custer

21.7 Whiting

21.7 Silica

21.7 Kaolin--EPK

13.2 Frit--Ferro 3124

100 Total

Comments: This is the very best semi satin glaze I have been able to find. No crazing. Most other clears will craze that I have found, not this one. I got the glaze from Roxanne Hunnecut on Clayart. Not sure where it originated. Takes cobalt stains very well no running. A real keeper. Make sure you just put on two thin coats anything over that will creat bubbles. Nice and smooth when you get the coats on right. I usually brush one coat and sponge the second coat.

Leach's Blue

Recipe Name: Leach Blue

Cone: 6 Color: Blue Jean Blue

Firing: Oxidation Surface: Satin

Amount Ingredient

21.7 Feldspar--Custer

21.7 Whiting

21.7 Silica

21.7 Kaolin--EPK

13.2 Frit--Ferro 3124

100 Total

Additives

1.5 Cobalt Carbonate

4 Rutile

1.5 Iron Oxide--Red

Comments: Great Blue jean blue glaze tested. Apply two thin coats. Will break green if thin. If you get it to thick it will turn a transparent blue. Looks just like faded blue jeans. Created from Leach's clear satin.

June Perry's Chrome Red

Cone: 6 Color: Candy Apple Red

Firing: Oxidation Surface: Glossy

Amount Ingredient

21 Gerstley Borate--1999

16 Nepheline Syenite

11 Kaolin--EPK

32 Silica

20 Whiting

100 Total

Additives

.2 Chromium Oxide (that is point 2)

5 Tin Oxide

Comments: This glaze needs three thick coats, thick. It will break white if thin and on edges. When it is applied right it will produce a very nice candy apple red that has a very waxy feel.

Green Matt