For Amaco, Laguna and Spectrum glazes (other than
Nova's), when you purchase them in liquid form (pints, gallons, etc)
they are are formulated for brushing. When you purchase them in
dry form, they are formulated for dipping, pouring or spraying.
Coyote glazes (and Spectrum Nova glazes) are formulated the same whether
purchased in liquid or dry form.
As a general rule of thumb, for 1 lb of dry glaze powder, use 11 ounces of
water for dipping glaze, 8 ounces of water for spraying glaze, or 7
ounces of water for brushing glaze. Or, 25 lbs makes about 3
gallons. This is only a starting point.
To use a dry glaze for brushing, a brushing medium, such as CMC or
glaze medium may be
added. CMC acts as a binder and allows the glaze to flow smoothly. If you
purchase CMC or brushing medium in dry form, it is best to add those to
your dry glaze before adding water. Or the liquid forms of CMC or
brushing medium will mix more readily into glazes that are already
mixed.
To mix a dry glaze, first add bentonite to the dry glaze to keep it in
suspension and increase the drying time. (Not all glazes will need
this. It depends on the composition.) Bentonite is mixed at
approximately 2 grams (.0044 pounds) per pound of dry glaze.
Measure water
into a clean plastic bucket. Mix the measured amount of glaze into the
water as best as you can. Then pour the mixture through a sieve
into a second bucket, pushing the clumps through the sieve with a rib or other
tool. Repeat several times. (Note: Glaze recipes sometimes specify a
mesh to use, and that will affect the outcome of the glaze.
Otherwise, for glazes, 80-100 mesh are most common. (Lower numbers
are usually for mixing slips.)
Optionally, a hydrometer
could be used to check the viscosity of the mixed glaze. The hydrometer
reading should be approximately 900-1000 for dipping, 1500-1700 for spraying,
and 2200-2500 for brushing.
Let the glaze sit for 24 hours, remix, then use.
Glaze should be stirred
often, as contents can settle during use. If the glaze thickens over time,
you can usually just add water.
Some people
find that if they use a power mixer they don't have to sieve their
glaze. The sieving process accomplishes 2 things. 1) Makes
sure the glaze is well mixed, and 2) Gets rid of lumps.
Read Spectrums
tips on mixing dry glazes
http://spectrumglazes.com/helpfulhints03.htm
Read more about this subject
and what affects glaze thickness.