How to Flocculate a Ceramic Glaze for Better Coverage Plus, tips on hydrometers! Linda Arbuckle

Have you ever glazed a piece and had the glaze run off the high points a little too much? Sometimes that effect is desirable, but other times you might want a more even coating of glaze.

In majolica glazing, an even coat of the base glaze is desirable because it acts as a canvas for the decoration. In this post, an excerpt from her video Majolica Decoration: Creating Colorful Surfaces, Linda Arbuckle explains how she tests her glazes and makes sure they are properly flocculated to ensure even coverage. Even if you do not do majolica, this advice can be helpful in other glazing situations. - Jennifer Poellot Harnetty, editor

This clip was excerpted from Majolica Decoration: Creating Colorful Surfaces with Linda Arbuckle, which is available in the Ceramic Arts Network Shop!

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To learn more about Linda Arbuckle or to see more images of her work, please visit www.lindaarbuckle.com.

Plus, Tips On Hydrometers!

Many ceramic artists stress the importance of having glazes mixed to a consistent thickness especially when making incised ware. The purchase of a hydrometer can make all the difference in the world when mixing glazes. In this post, potter Mea Rhee of Silver Spring, Maryland, tells us how to make a homemade, low-tech hydrometer for the clay studio. Whether you go high-tech or low-tech, a hydrometer can help you achieve consistent results when glazing! Do you need to figure out the specific gravity of your glaze? In this post, Roger Graham shows you how to make and use a hydrometer using a simple soda straw!

**First published in 2012.