Specialist Skills Course: Exploring Glazes – Glaze Technology

This workshop on glaze technology will focus on how to develop and adjust glazes through blend methods.

When: throughout the year (see below)
Where: Clore Studio & Library, Leach Pottery
Places: 8 (4 teams of 2 for mixing but everyone gets a set of test tiles each)
Duration: 4 days (Thursday – Sunday, 10am – 4pm)
Tutor: Britta James (Leach Pottery Studio Production Potter)
Equipment & materials: provided. If you have your own dust mask please bring it with you, if not we will provide basic masks
This course will: teach you some of the science of glazing and how to make and alter your own glazes
You will leave with: a selection of test tiles made using three individual clay bodies*
Level: for beginners & professionals alike – no previous knowledge or practice is required, yet it is also suitable for potters who have not had tuition in glaze chemistry.

Cost: £340

Dates

27 February – 1 March 2020
16 – 19 April 2020.

Overview

You will gain a basic understanding of what glazes are and how they work, learning how glaze recipes can be altered to develop your own glaze, as well discovering how glaze recipes are calculated. You will learn how the different raw materials affect a glaze as well as troubleshooting. You will:

• learn the basics of glaze chemistry theory
• learn about the properties of raw materials
• learn how to calculate glaze recipes
• test glazes using blends
• learn about glaze troubleshooting.

Day One: Glaze Testing & Basics Of Glaze Chemistry

• short introduction to glaze chemistry
• introduction to glaze testing
• line blend basic raw materials
• triaxial blends.

 Day Two: Glaze Testing

• quadraxial blends
• colour blends
• introduction to grid method.

 Day Three: Glaze Technology, Calculation of Recipes

• introduction to glaze technology
• basics (what is a glaze, what are the important oxides, eutectic mixtures)
• properties of glazes (viscosity, surface tension, thermal expansion)
• properties of oxides/raw materials
• calculating glaze recipes.

Day Four: Trouble Shooting, Analysis of Tests

• troubleshooting
• analysis of tests
• glaze surgery (bring examples of glazes that you have trouble with, for advice).

*You can also bring test tiles of your own clay body if you want to test them. They will need to be biscuit fired, made from a stoneware clay, and be no larger than 5cm in any dimension.

A one day introductory glazing course is also available.

Any questions? Please contact [email protected]