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Spraying soda into the kilnBuckner White Stoneware
BSO2
^10

Tile 6 kaolin    20
EPKaolin    20
Goldart    20
fireclay    20
XX sagger    20

potash feldspar   +10%
silica     +5%
medium grog (48m)   +10%

Developed for the soda kiln. Flashes nicely.

 

BSO2 soda fired
These glazes and clay bodies are ones I either use or have used in studio. The source is indicated as I know it. They represent either ones I developed or that were passed to me. I share them with you in the same spirit of sharing information. Please feel free to use and/or share them. I only ask that you retain and cite the source if you share them. Also, please change the citation accordingly if the recipe is altered. While some fire well in either reduction or soda, I will indicate when there is a preference. Those glazes and clay bodies with my name were developed by me.         -BB
    

Buckner Stoneware Body
FBG7
^10

fireclay    34
Goldart    34
ball clay    14
Redart      3
feldspar      3
silica      7
medium grog (48m)      5

Developed for the reduction kiln.
Medium dark. A bit too dark in soda for my taste.

My shino glazes are listed on the Shino page.

Buckner Clear Glaze
BBCL
^10

nepheline syenite    37
silica    37
whiting    17
Grolleg kaolin      9

bentonite    +2%

This is a bright, glossy clear. It is quite hard - good for dinnerware as it will not craze nor scratch. The addition of 2% Spanish red iron oxide or 3% yellow iron oxide yields a a rather nice, cool blue-green celadon in the proper firing. See my firing notes on reduction below.

Briscoe Ash Glaze
BRIS
^6-10

unwashed hardwood ash    50
Redart clay    50

This glaze came to me years ago from Bob Briscoe from Harris, Minnesota. Since that time I have seen it in use in many places. So, I do not know who developed it. But, it is definitely a winner in appearance and in its simplicity! We also use it successfully at ^6 oxidation in the electric kilns at the Marist School.

Ash glaze sample

Cushing Blue-Green Matte Glaze
^9-10

Cornwall stone    46
whiting    34
kaolin    20

copper carbonate    +4%
tin oxide    +4%

A nice, soft matte with interesting and surprising color response in the soda kiln. Works in reduction, too. Works very well with other coloring oxides. Experiment! Source: Val Cushing.

 

Lewenstein Base Glaze
^7-10

soda spar      4
whiting    31
kaolin    40
silica    18
dolomite      7

bentonite    +2%

This is a high alumina matte. It works well in oxidation, reduction and soda. Great base for colorants. Matte surface with mottled color variations. Source: Emmanuel Cooper.

 
Notes on firing:

I bisque fire to ^07-06 (~1000° C) in an electric kiln. The bisque fire is slow - approximately 24 hours. The kiln lid and floor have 1/2" ventilation holes (two in floor, two in lid) that provide a natural draft for good oxidation during the firing.

The reduction kiln is fired in oxidation to ^012. At that time, I begin a relatively heavy reduction for about 45 minutes. This early reduction favors the shinos, celadons, and ocassional copper reds that I fire. After 45 minutes, a moderate reduction is maintained until ^10 is half way down. I then go to a stronger reduction again for 30 minutes. Then the burners and dampers are adjusted to provide an oxidizing soak for 2 hours. The kiln is clammed up and cooled.

The soda kiln is fired in relatively light reduction starting later - ^07 for about 40 minutes. The fire is maintained neutral to slightly oxidizing until ^9 is starting down, when the salting process begins. Salting is done in moderate reduction to keep the vapors in the kiln, but with damper fluttering to help move the rather stubborn soda vapors through the chamber. The salting process proceeds over about a 2 hour period.

I have tried a variety of means of delivering the soda into my firings ranging from Gail Nichols' technique (which involves making a plaster like mass of whiting, soda ash and sodium bicarbonate), to mixing soda ash with damp wood shavings, to simply spraying a soda ash solution into the kiln. Unexpectedly, the simplest method has turned out to produce the best results. I use a garden sprayer (with a brass wand!) to deliver 2-3 pounds of soda ash into my 24 cubic foot kiln. This yields the best surfaces in my opinion. My kiln was designed with several salting ports. However, I generally use a single one - the one in the front of the kiln over the firebox, with some auxillary spraying in the rear corresponding port and in throug the three burner ports. I gave up on the Nichols technique only because I didn't enjoy having to clean out the firebox after every firing (which involved dismantling and rebuilding the bagwall). Otherwise, it and the wood chip method work well.

If you know of or have used other methods for delivering soda, I would certainly be interested to hear about them. Thank you.      <bbuckner@sodaglaze.com>

 

Kenzan's Ash Glaze
^7-10

talc      7
hardwood ash    36
Alberta slip    20
soda feldspar    30
kaolin      4
silica      3

red iron oxide    +2%
rutile    +4%

I do not know he source of this glaze. It is a nice ash glaze, runnier than most.

Oribe Glaze
^10

potash feldspar    31
kaolin    13
silica    25
whiting    22
talc      8
bone ash      1

copper carbonate    +6.5%
bentonite    +2%

Good in reduction or soda. Source unknown.

Sombright in reduction

 

Sombright Green Glaze
^9-10

45    potash feldspar
  7    whiting
10    zinc oxide
25    strontium carbonate
13    ball clay

+5.00%    copper carb.
+1.00%    rutile
+1.25%    red iron oxide

This is a nice, rich forest green with a soft matte surface. Great in soda. Also works in reduction. Source: Jeff Oestreich.

 

Oribe in reduction

 

   
 
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