1. Glaze
Ceramics I

2. What is glaze?

3. What is glaze?
A thin coating of minerals which produces a glassy, transparent or colored coating on bisqueware

4. Ways to apply glaze
Dipping/dunking- Mostly at college level. Cheaper to buy, difficult to prepare.
Airbrushing- Used primarily in commercial applications (Factories). Expensive to maintain
Painting/brushing- Most High Schools. Expensive, but ready to go out of bottle

5. What is glaze made of ?
Silica: The ingredient that makes the glaze turn into glass. It is found naturally in sand. Quartz is a form of pure silica. Silica melts at 3100 degrees! (Too hot for our kiln)
Flux: Minerals that lower the melting point of the silica. This makes it easier for us to fire at a reasonable temperature.

6. What is glaze made of ?
Alumina- Makes the glaze stable. Keeps the glaze sticky so it doesn’t run when it is melted.
Water- The vehicle that makes powdered glaze easy to brush or dunk.

7. Things to Know…
Glaze is NOT paint.

8. Things to Know… Glaze is NOT paint.
If you mix yellow and blue glaze, you do not necessarily get green.

9. Things to Know… Glaze is NOT paint.
If you mix yellow and blue glaze, you do not necessarily get green
Glaze can be hazardous to your health! (some glazes still contain lead and cobalt)

17. Color of the tile and color of the actual glaze color are not the same-(always check the tile)
Read the Label- Food Safe & number of coats
Blot on even coats that are not too thick or too thin (too thin will be streaky, too thick will run)
Do not glaze anything that makes contact with something else (Bottom, Lids, etc.)-they will get stuck
CTL glazes- has small chips in it that melt