Glaze with an encapsulated stain is bubbling. It needs Zircopax.


Friday 4th August 2017

These two pieces are fired at cone 6. The insight-live.com/glossary/262">base transparent glaze is the same - G2926B Plainsman transparent. The amount of encapsulated red stain is the same (11% Mason 6021 Dark Red). But two things are different. Number 1: 2% Zircopax (zircon) has been added to the upper glaze. The stain manufacturers recommend this, saying that it makes for a brighter color. However, that is not what we see here. What we do see is the particles of unmelting zircon acting as seeds and collection points for the bubbles (the larger ones produced are escaping). Number 2: The firing schedule. The top one has been fired to approach cone 6 and 100F/hr, held for five minutes at 2200F (cone 6 as verified in our kiln by cones), dropped quickly to 2100F and held for 30 minutes.

Pages that reference this post in the Digitalfire Reference Library:

Mason 6021 Red Stain, G2926B - Cone 6 Whiteware/Porcelain transparent glaze, Orange Peel Surface, Firing Schedule, Encapsulated Stain, Glaze Bubbles, Cone 6 Drop-and-Soak Firing Schedule


This post is one of thousands found in the Digitalfire Reference Database. Most are part of a timeline maintained by Tony Hansen. You can search that timeline on the home page of digitalfire.com.