How To Mix Glazes

For 5000G of glaze in a 5 gallon bucket:

• general rule of thumb: equal parts dry materials to water

5000g is good to fill a new/almost empty 5 gallon bucket with enough glaze for dipping.

1. Fill the 5 gallon “MIXING” Home Depot bucket about halfway with very warm water. There is no specific water amount, but right around halfway is good. Too much water won’t mess up your glaze mixing; you can always sponge it off later.
   
   
2. The recipes listed here are for 100g of dry glaze mix. They are able to be scaled up to whatever amount you need. We’re making 5000g, which means you have to multiply each number by 50 to get the amount of grams you want (since 5000g/100g = 50). 
   
3. Do the math for all of the dry material first. Write down the new amounts. For example, if it says 40g of feldspar, multiply it by 50, (40g x 50 = 2000g). Numbers marked as a percentage are done of the total dry weight. For example, if it says 4%, then you calculate 4% of 5000g = 0.04 x 5000g = 200g.
   
4. Make sure you have enough of each dry material before you start mixing.
   
   
5. Put on a respirator with a particle filter. Most of these chemicals are safe unless you inhale them. You will make a big dusty cloud at some point in the mixing process, so wear proper protection! Please look at the MSDS for each material you use.
   
   
6. Put a weighing bowl on the scale and zero/tare the scale. Use a scoop to scoop the first raw material into a clean weighing bowl or bucket (this can be any vessel, but make sure it’s at least 2.5 quarts because 2000g is a lot!)
   
   
7. Once you have the correct weight of material, slowly and carefully dump it into the MIXING bucket with your water. Cover the bucket at all times to prevent floating particles.
   
   
8. Tare the scale and measure the next raw material. Make sure your scooping device is clean for each new material, but don’t worry about washing out the weighing bucket in between, since everything is getting mixed together anyway. 
   
   
9. Once you have all your materials in the MIXING bucket, take your hands (with rubber gloves on) and begin to squish and hydrate all the particles with your hands. Scrape the bottom of the bucket with a plastic rib/spatula to get anything stuck there. 
   
   
10. Now, use a mixing attachment on a corded drill. Mix the glaze for as long as you can—for at least 4 - 5 minutes AFTER it looks completely mixed. It’s easiest if you sit on a stool. Try not to touch the bottom or sides of the bucket or you will end up with plastic in your glaze! 
    
11. Put the sieve on to your clean, empty FINAL bucket. 
1. Orange buckets are for low fire glaze.
2. White buckets are for mid-fire glazes. 
   
   
12. Slowly pour from the MIXING bucket through the sieve into the FINAL bucket. Use the brush and the rib to squish the particles through the mesh. Use the rib and spatula to scrape as much as you can from the MIXING and weighing buckets into the FINAL bucket. Make sure to get everything off the inside and bottom of the sieve, too. 
    
    
13. Label the final bucket with the name of the glaze. 
    
    
14. Clean up! Wash everything in the sink with plain water. Clean the floor with a mop, and wipe down all surfaces, including the outside of the dry material containers.
    
    
15. Wait a few days for the glaze to settle.
    
    
16. Once settled, sponge off excess water until the consistency is closer to heavy cream and not skim milk.