GLAZE MIXING CHECK SHEET

GLAZE MIXING CHECK SHEET

INVENTORY - Make sure we have all materials needed to make the glaze. Replenish chemical containers from the sculpture room or the clay mixer room.
KEEP SUPPLIES PURE - To avoid cross-contamination with the wrong ingredient NEVER SET MORE THAN ONE chemical container out NEAR THE SCALE. Otherwise excess materials get returned to wrong container.
MAINTAIN INVENTORY - Notify instructor of any nearly empty supplies.
CHECK SCALES - Set to zero and balance the scales with empty pan on scales. Make sure you understand how to use the weights and extra weights. If in doubt, PLEASE ASK.
KEEP CARDS CLEAN - Copy the recipe to your own notebook or paper. Do not subject the card file to the glaze mixing table mess.
QUANTITY - Make from 5000 to 8000 grams of commonly used glaze that already has a bucket with a label. Make 100 to 1000 grams of a new glaze not generally used.
AVOID ERRORS - Check off each chemical as you finish weighing it. Place each chemical in a separate visual pile in your dry glaze container or place each ingredient on a labeled circle on a newspaper.
DRY MIX - After all ingredients including colorants are weighed, dry-mix them until color is uniform. Do it outside if it makes dust. Some dust is TOXIC. All dust is BAD to breathe.
ADD DRY MIX TO WATER - After dry mixing, dump it on top of clear water. Do not stir . Do this outside to avoid dust. Pour extra water down the edge of the can if needed, but do not stir until wet. Push dry powder humps over into clear water if needed. Begin with water less than half as deep as your powder. It takes less water than one thinks. See next item.
MIX - When all is wet (submerged), stir until smooth. Add water if it is thicker than final glazes should be. If it is too watery and thin you can set it aside overnight and remove some clear water from top or you can make more dry glaze.
HOMOGENIZE - Screen through 50 mesh screen until no lumps remain (about three times through the screen).
LABELING - Be sure the label is correct and legible with the following information:

NAME OF GLAZE

% OF COLORANT

Rhodes 32 +8% Rutile

CONE

List TOXIC ingredients (if any) This is a link to a paper on toxic ingredients

Replace hard-to-read or loose labels.
Use gummed labels provided.
Never write on cans.
Never label lids - people switch them.
Because we are a school, glazes and their recipes used in this shop must be available for all, so make a card for it if needed.
Never store low fire glazes (RAKU or EARTHENWARE) with the high fire glazes

ã MARVIN BARTEL GOSHEN COLLEGE March 7, 1999

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