Tuesday, March 6, 2018

Ceramic Decoration Materials and Tools

Special Slips
Red Earthenware Slip is a terra cotta slip popular for slip trailing color or totally covering and using the Sgraffito technique. Most low fire leadless and leaded glazes fit this body. Use as a polishing slip for the Terra Sigilata method. Best to bisque at 03-02. $9.49/lb.
Porcelain Slip, bright cool white Cone 05-06. Use as the base for colored slip. $13.20/gallon.

Sodium Silicate is used as a major deflocculant in preparing slip. It reduces the amount of water needed, therefore reducing shrinkage. Must be diluted 50/50 with water before adding to slip. $2.25/pint.

Glaze Additives
Barnard Clay Sub is a blend of minerals that closely simulates Barnard (Blackbird) Clay, a widely used clay that contains iron and manganese. It is used as a source of iron in firing dark glazes that require clay. A mixture of 90% Barnard and 10% calcium carbonate will result in a nearly black glaze at Cone 9. By itself, it will begin to melt at Cone 06. $2.04/lb.
Dolomite is a very plastic magnesium clay containing colloidal matter which in small amounts lends plasticity to a clay body. Also used as a suspending agent in glazes. $1.31/lb.
Bentonite is a non-swelling Calcium bentonite. Excellent for use in clay bodies, especially in conjunction with Macaloid in porcelains.
Macaloid is a suspension agent that increases the drying rate of water suspended glazes. It is similar to a very clean, white type of Bentonite. Also used as a plasticizer in fine porcelain. $11.36/lb.
Nepheline Syenite is a soda spar. It can reduce crazing tendencies when added to a clay body. Also used in glazes where a soda spar is required. $1.44/lb.
Plastic Vitrox (PV) Clay can be used to increase plasticity in porcelain bodies instead of Potash Feldspar; a complex material similar to and sharing properties with Potash Feldspar and Cornwall Stone. $1.47/lb.
Mahavir Potash Feldspar is a selected white firing high grade potassium feldspar ground to 200 mesh for ceramic applications. Moderate potash content and low iron oxide. $1.55/lb.
Custer Potash feldspar, 325 Mesh is a selected white firing high grade potassium feldspar ground to 200 mesh for ceramic applications. Moderate potash content and low iron oxide. $1.55/lb.
F-4 Feldspar (Minspar or Soda) is a 200 mesh flotation grade soda Feldspar. $1.40/lb.
Cornwall Stone is a Cornish Stone substitute is a calcium feldspar mineral used as a major constituent of glazes, and occasionally as a flux in bodies. Cornwall Stone is partially kaolinized, and can contain between 5-12% Kaolin. $1.91/lb.
Flint Silica, 200 Mesh increases the thermal expansion in clays and decreases thermal expansion in glazes. Also used to raise the melting point in glaze. $1.41/lb.
Silica, 325 Mesh increases the thermal expansion in clays and decreases thermal expansion in glazes. Also used to raise the melting point in glaze. $1.53/lb.
Calcium carbonate (Whiting or chalk) is the most common source of calcium in glazes. It is a high temperature flux that gives durability and hardness to glazes. $1.31/lb.
Wollastonite Vansil is a natural calcium silicate used to reduce shrinkage in clay bodies and glazes during firing. Can replace silica and whiting. Also aids in fast firing of clay bodies. $1.36/lb.
Soda Ash (Sodium Carbonate) is an active flux which serves an important function as a deflocculant in preparing liquid slip. It increases strength and workability and reduces shrinkage. $1.98/lb.
Barium carbonate is the main source of barium oxide in glazes where it functions as a flux and assists in producing matte finishes. It is also used to neutralize sulfates in clay bodies. $2.82/lb.
Magnesium carbonate is a ource of magnesium in glazes. Imparts strength and color with little shrinkage. In larger proportions, it produces a dry opaque quality to glazes. $5.60/lb.
Gerstley borate is a sodium-calcium-borate compound used as a low and mid-range glaze flux. This is a conglomerate mineral made up primarily of Colemanite, Ulexite and Hectorite. $3.10/lb.
Zircopax Plus is a very effective zirconium glaze opacifier. $4.43/lb.
Zinc Oxide is a high temperature flux. It increases the maturing range of glazes and produces bright, glossy colors. May also be used to give opacity to glazes. $4.90/lb.
Tin Oxide is the most effective opacifier to produce even, opaque, glossy glazes. The normal use of Tin Oxide in a glaze is between 5% and 10%. A dull matte glaze can result when used in excess. $27.76/lb.
Ferro-Frit 3134 (lead free) is a Calcium Borate source used with other frits for low cost pottery glazes from Cone 06 to Cone 01. Melting Range 1450 degrees. $3.10/lb.
Ferro-Frit 3195 (lead free) is a very fluid, clear Cone 06 frit. Melting Range 1500 degrees F. $3.37/lb.
Ferro-Frit 3124 (lead free) is used with other frits for low cost pottery glazes from Cone 01 to Cone 06. Melting Range 1600 degrees F. $2.87/lb.
Ferro-Frit 3110 (lead free) is a high calcium/sodium, low alumina frit for Cone 06. Often used in crystal glazes. High expansion. Melting Range 1600 degrees F. $3.15/lb.
CMC Powder (Carboxy/Methl Cellulose) is an organic cellulose gum which functions as a thickener, binder, and suspending agent in glazes. $16.16/lb.

Colorants

Wax Resist is a water based wax emulsion used for glaze decorating. Glaze will be resisted where wax is applied. Dries quickly on bisque and in a consistency favorable to brush work. $7.95/pint.

Mason Stains can be used to color clay bodies, slips, or glazes. They can be mixed with water or with frits and brushed onto pottery forms, either over or under a glaze. Price varies.

Earthtone Mineral Pigments can be used to color clay bodies, slips, or glazes. They can be mixed with water or with frits and brushed onto pottery forms, either over or under a glaze. $5.30/lb. This site has formulas for obtaining different saturations for each pigment. Generally pale (0.5 lb pigment/94 lbs cement), soft (1lb pigment/94 lb cement), medium (2lb pigment/94 lb cement) and deep (4lb of pigment/94 lbs cement). These ratios can be scaled down accordingly and adapted to white clay. Obviously, other clay colors will yield different results.

Decorating Supplies


Trailer: 2 oz. bottle with a Purple 16 gauge 1" tip and a "T" cleaning needle, Pink 18 gauge and Yellow 20 gauge 1/2" tips with Grey fine tip cleaning wire, and one tip cover -- great for glaze or slip trailing. $4.95.

There are many sizes of precision applicators and several options available. Keep a thin needle tool nearby when working with trailers, because the fine ones tend to clog quite easily.
  
These are used by artists.
 
Henna applicators on the left and hair dye applicators on the right.
  
Frosting and icing decorators offer a lot of possibilities for texture.
 
Macaron pots come in small and large, and are easy to load and clean.

Hake Brushes for applying glaze. These brushes are able to hold lots of glaze and will spread it well and evenly. Set of 3. Approximately 1.0" wide head, 9.5" long, Approximately 2.0" wide head, 12.5" long, and Approximately 3.0" wide head, 13.0" long. $5.99/set.
Royal Langnickel has a nice 10 piece pack sold by walmart for $4.47 that includes the brushes you'll use most often: #6 and #10 flat shaders, 1, 3 and 5 round, 3/0, 2/0 and 0 detail and 5/8" wash. You can also purchase packs of flat, round, angle, and detail brushes.

The Cretacolor 5.6mm lead holder is available for $9.99 on eBay for holding ceramic pencils.

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