Most Commonly-Used Materials
The charts below show the most commonly used materials in Glazy. As you move up, higher amounts are used, while moving right the ingredients are used more often. By stocking your lab with the most common materials, it’s more likely that you’ll be able to make most of the recipes you find on Glazy.
For more information see “Stocking Your First Glaze Lab”
Mid-Fire Base Ingredients
This chart shows the most commonly-used base ingredients in mid-fire glazes. Both axes use log scale so that names are not obscured.
Mid-Fire Base Ingredients Data
| Material | % of Recipes Used In | Total % Amount Used |
|---|---|---|
| Silica | 80.90% | 349100 |
| Kaolin | 68.21% | 203915 |
| Whiting | 49.56% | 135978 |
| Nepheline Syenite | 35.22% | 214529 |
| Potash Feldspar | 30.09% | 195762 |
| Ferro Frit 3134 | 28.22% | 103004 |
| Gerstley Borate | 21.50% | 72844 |
| Dolomite | 20.66% | 44485 |
| Zinc Oxide | 22.16% | 34146 |
| Talc | 17.87% | 35968 |
| Wollastonite | 17.48% | 52784 |
| Soda Feldspar | 15.39% | 116153 |
| Ball Clay | 12.18% | 36742 |
| Lithium Carbonate | 8.20% | 7676 |
| Strontium Carbonate | 8.02% | 20174 |
| Ferro Frit 3124 | 7.35% | 33713 |
| Spodumene | 5.58% | 18682 |
| Barium Carbonate | 5.40% | 21749 |
| Bone Ash | 3.87% | 5716 |
| Magnesium carbonate | 3.72% | 6758 |
| Ferro Frit 3110 | 2.88% | 16735 |
| Calcined Kaolin | 2.71% | 6111 |
| Ferro Frit 3195 | 2.69% | 12879 |
| Cornwall Stone | 2.05% | 15071 |
| Colemanite | 1.38% | 3748 |
| Wood ash | 1.14% | 6501 |
| Redart | 1.08% | 7057 |
| Crecer Frit 804 /2012 | 0.96% | 4320 |
| Johnson Matthey Frit 169 | 0.91% | 2823 |
| Calcium borate frit | 0.69% | 1652 |
| Petalite | 0.66% | 2367 |
| Mixed wood ash | 0.56% | 6074 |
| Borax | 0.54% | 1334 |
| Albany slip | 0.51% | 4868 |
| Alberta Slip | 0.45% | 4243 |
Mid-Fire Base Ingredients Shopping List
Based on the most commonly-used ingredients chart above, here is an example shopping list for around $500.
Nepheline Syenite is used a lot and can be your primary source of alkaline fluxes, although it’s also good to have some Potash and Soda feldspar. Ferro Frit 3134 would be the primary source of boron, although the list adds other sources like Gerstley and frits for convenience. Lithium sources are extremely expensive these days, so you might want to skip them entirely. You can make Calcined Kaolin yourself by putting regular kaolin in your bisque kiln.
| Name | Amount (lbs) | Unit Price | Subtotal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silica (325 mesh) | 50 | $0.85 | $42.50 |
| Kaolin (EPK) | 50 | $0.62 | $31.00 |
| Whiting (325 mesh) | 50 | $0.37 | $18.50 |
| Nepheline Syenite (A-270) | 50 | $0.70 | $35.00 |
| Potash Feldspar (Mahavir) | 30 | $0.89 | $26.70 |
| Ferro Frit 3134 | 50 | $2.51 | $125.50 |
| Gerstley Borate (substitute) | 2 | $5.38 | $10.76 |
| Dolomite (Dolocron) | 10 | $0.73 | $7.30 |
| Zinc Oxide (Maximo 910) | 10 | $5.30 | $53.00 |
| Talc | 10 | $1.00 | $10.00 |
| Wollastonite | 10 | $0.77 | $7.70 |
| Soda Feldspar | 20 | $1.20 | $24.00 |
| Ball Clay (OM-4) | 10 | $0.69 | $6.90 |
| Lithium Carbonate | 1 | $69.57 | $69.57 |
| Strontium Carbonate | 1 | $3.11 | $3.11 |
| Ferro Frit 3124 | 1 | $3.08 | $3.08 |
| Spodumene (Substitute) | 1 | $14.83 | $14.83 |
| Barium Carbonate | 1 | $2.55 | $2.55 |
| Magnesium carbonate | 2 | $6.26 | $12.52 |
| Ferro Frit 3110 | 1 | $4.92 | $4.92 |
| Ferro Frit 3195 | 1 | $5.26 | $5.26 |
| TOTAL | $514.70 |
(Prices are from Laguna/Axner , but relative prices should be consistent amongst different suppliers.)
Mid-Fire Additives
The chart below shows the most commonly-used additives in mid-fire glazes. Bentonite is the most frequently used, but usually used in small amounts of 2%, while Red Iron Oxide is the most used by percent amount. Chrome Oxide is used quite frequently, but often in very small amounts.
This chart shows the most commonly-used additives in mid-fire glazes.
Mid-Fire Additives Data
| Material | % of Recipes Used In | Total % Amount Used |
|---|---|---|
| Bentonite | 20.55% | 7490 |
| Red Iron Oxide | 15.39% | 16291 |
| Copper Carbonate | 13.62% | 6865 |
| Rutile | 12.81% | 11314 |
| Titanium Dioxide | 9.86% | 8713 |
| Cobalt Carbonate | 9.42% | 3065 |
| Tin Oxide | 7.31% | 6292 |
| Zircopax, Ultrox | 5.71% | 7633 |
| Chrome Oxide | 5.18% | 697 |
| Cobalt Oxide | 4.12% | 1010 |
| Black Copper Oxide | 3.51% | 1384 |
| Manganese Dioxide | 3.17% | 3915 |
| Stain | 1.92% | 1892 |
| Silicon carbide | 1.51% | 442 |
| Black Nickel Oxide | 1.37% | 394 |
| Yellow Iron Oxide | 0.74% | 873 |
| Bone Ash | 0.53% | 512 |
| Yellow Ochre | 0.53% | 350 |
| Black Iron Oxide | 0.51% | 426 |
| Epsom salts | 0.48% | 77 |
| Manganese Carbonate | 0.37% | 582 |
| Green nickel oxide | 0.36% | 115 |
| CMC Gum | 0.32% | 74 |
| Ilmenite | 0.23% | 126 |
| Nickel Carbonate | 0.16% | 49 |
| Soda Ash | 0.14% | 154 |
| Spanish Red Iron Oxide | 0.09% | 66 |
Mid-Fire Additives Shopping List
Based on the above chart, below is a sample shopping list costing about $250. Multiple sources of iron are included because they’re fairly cheap, as well as two sources of cobalt (oxide & carbonate) because they are used so frequently, but you could always go with a single source and use material substitution. For silicon carbide you could go with a 300-600 mesh for lava glazes, 1000-1200 mesh for localized reduction glazes, or just leave it out if you’re not interested in those effects. I listed natural bone ash but you could go with the more expensive synthetic.
| Name | Amount (lbs) | Unit Price | Subtotal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Iron Oxide | 2 | 7.25/lb | $14.50 |
| Rutile | 2 | 14.33/lb | $28.66 |
| Titanium Dioxide | 1 | 6.05/lb | $6.05 |
| Zircopax, Ultrox | 2 | 5.58/lb | $11.16 |
| Bentonite | 2 | 1.09/lb | $1.09 |
| Copper Carbonate | 1 | 6.23/¼lb | $24.92 |
| Tin Oxide | ¼ | 32.69/¼lb | $32.69 |
| Manganese Dioxide | ½ | 3.27/¼lb | $6.54 |
| Cobalt Carbonate | ¼ | 26.07/¼lb | $26.07 |
| Black Copper Oxide | ¼ | 6.47/¼lb | $6.47 |
| Cobalt Oxide | ¼ | 25.74/¼lb | $25.74 |
| Chrome Oxide | ¼ | 6.21/¼lb | $6.21 |
| Manganese Carbonate | ¼ | 3.81/¼lb | $3.81 |
| Bone Ash | 2 | 2.33/lb | $4.66 |
| Yellow Ochre | 1 | 5.00/lb | $5.00 |
| Black Iron Oxide | ¼ | 5.55/lb | $5.55 |
| Silicon carbide | 1 | 1.98/lb | $1.98 |
| Black Nickel Oxide | ¼ | 17.41/¼lb | $17.41 |
| Soda Ash | 1 | 1.88/lb | $1.88 |
| Epsom salts | 1 | 2.34/lb | $2.34 |
| CMC Gum | ¼ | 9.77/¼lb | $9.77 |
| TOTAL | $242.50 |
High-Fire Base Ingredients
This chart shows the most commonly-used base ingredients in high-fire glazes.
High-Fire Base Ingredients Data
| Material | % of Recipes Used In | Total % Amount Used |
|---|---|---|
| Silica | 73.88% | 173193 |
| Kaolin | 68.36% | 102803 |
| Whiting | 59.97% | 97614 |
| Potash Feldspar | 52.29% | 224069 |
| Dolomite | 24.44% | 33783 |
| Nepheline Syenite | 24.40% | 105562 |
| Zinc Oxide | 17.55% | 14161 |
| Talc | 16.42% | 17384 |
| Ball Clay | 16.38% | 25150 |
| Soda Feldspar | 13.69% | 52528 |
| Gerstley Borate | 12.36% | 19330 |
| Barium Carbonate | 9.71% | 16143 |
| 0.00% | ||
| Wollastonite | 8.28% | 17052 |
| Ferro Frit 3134 | 7.29% | 11848 |
| Spodumene | 6.84% | 14099 |
| Strontium Carbonate | 6.23% | 8348 |
| 0.00% | ||
| Lithium Carbonate | 5.25% | 2168 |
| Wood ash | 3.95% | 16507 |
| Cornwall Stone | 3.67% | 24962 |
| Magnesium carbonate | 3.13% | 2734 |
| Ferro Frit 3110 | 2.50% | 6485 |
| Ferro Frit 3124 | 1.99% | 4036 |
| Calcined Kaolin | 1.79% | 2001 |
| Redart | 1.64% | 4973 |
| Albany slip | 1.42% | 7231 |
| Colemanite | 1.35% | 1872 |
| Petalite | 1.27% | 2419 |
| Alberta Slip | 0.74% | 3285 |
High-Fire Base Ingredients Shopping List
For high-fire our list of base ingredients is similar to mid-fire, except we don’t require an expensive source of boron, resulting in our sample shopping list being about $100 cheaper than for mid-fire.
| Name | Amount (lbs) | Unit Price | Subtotal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silica | 50 | $0.85 | $42.50 |
| Kaolin | 50 | $0.62 | $31.00 |
| Whiting | 50 | $0.37 | $18.50 |
| Potash Feldspar | 50 | $0.89 | $44.50 |
| Dolomite | 25 | $0.73 | $18.25 |
| Nepheline Syenite | 50 | $0.70 | $35.00 |
| Zinc Oxide | 10 | $5.30 | $53.00 |
| Talc | 20 | $1.00 | $20.00 |
| Ball Clay | 25 | $0.69 | $17.25 |
| Soda Feldspar | 10 | $1.20 | $12.00 |
| Gerstley Borate | 1 | $5.38 | $5.38 |
| Barium Carbonate | 2 | $2.55 | $5.10 |
| Wollastonite | 10 | $0.77 | $7.70 |
| Ferro Frit 3134 | 2 | $3.13 | $6.26 |
| Spodumene | 2 | $14.83 | $29.66 |
| Strontium Carbonate | 1 | $3.11 | $3.11 |
| Lithium Carbonate | 0 | $69.57 | $0.00 |
| Magnesium carbonate | 5 | $6.26 | $31.30 |
| Redart | 5 | $1.03 | $5.15 |
| Albany slip | 5 | $2.32 | $11.60 |
| TOTAL | $397.26 |
High-Fire Additives
The chart below shows the most commonly-used additives in high-fire glazes. As with mid-fire, both red iron oxide & bentonite are the most-used additives.
This chart shows the most commonly-used additives in high-fire glazes.
High-Fire Additives Data
| Material | % of Recipes Used In | Total % Amount Used |
|---|---|---|
| Red Iron Oxide | 17.56% | 8171 |
| Bentonite | 16.33% | 3459 |
| Copper Carbonate | 10.44% | 2447 |
| Rutile | 9.22% | 4747 |
| Cobalt Carbonate | 8.20% | 1416 |
| Tin Oxide | 8.06% | 3100 |
| Titanium Dioxide | 6.90% | 2900 |
| Zircopax/Ultrox | 5.63% | 4028 |
| Chrome Oxide | 4.52% | 621 |
| Cobalt Oxide | 3.99% | 567 |
| Manganese Dioxide | 3.08% | 2248 |
| Black Copper Oxide | 2.85% | 714 |
| Black Nickel Oxide | 1.29% | 192 |
| Yellow Iron Oxide | 1.12% | 271 |
| Silicon carbide | 1.10% | 161 |
| Yellow Ochre | 0.94% | 480 |
| Epsom salts | 0.80% | 99 |
| Stain | 0.75% | 449 |
| Bone Ash | 0.74% | 370 |
| Black Iron Oxide | 0.60% | 187 |
| CMC Gum | 0.43% | 37 |
| Green nickel oxide | 0.33% | 67 |
| Ilmenite, Granular | 0.29% | 73 |
| Soda Ash | 0.25% | 156 |
| Mason 6600 black stain | 0.22% | 104 |
| Manganese Carbonate | 0.19% | 83 |
High-Fire Additives Shopping List
| Name | Amount (lbs) | Unit Price | Subtotal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Iron Oxide | 5 | 7.25/lb | $36.25 |
| Bentonite | 2 | 1.09/lb | $2.11 |
| Copper Carbonate | 1 | 6.23/¼lb | $24.92 |
| Rutile | 2 | 14.33/lb | $28.66 |
| Cobalt Carbonate | ¼ | 26.07/¼lb | $26.07 |
| Titanium Dioxide | 1 | 6.05/lb | $6.05 |
| Zircopax/Ultrox | 2 | 5.58/lb | $11.16 |
| Chrome Oxide | ¼ | $6.21/¼lb | $6.21 |
| Cobalt Oxide | ¼ | $25.74/¼lb | $25.74 |
| Manganese Dioxide | ½ | $3.27/¼lb | $6.54 |
| Black Copper Oxide | ¼ | $6.47/¼lb | $6.47 |
| Black Nickel Oxide | ¼ | $17.41/¼lb | $17.41 |
| Yellow Iron Oxide | 1 | 6.71/lb | $6.71 |
| Silicon carbide | 1 | 1.98/lb | $1.98 |
| Yellow Ochre | 1 | 5.00/lb | $5.00 |
| Epsom salts | 1 | $2.34/lb | $2.34 |
| Bone Ash | 1 | 2.33/lb | $2.33 |
| Black Iron Oxide | ¼ | 5.55/lb | $5.55 |
| CMC Gum | ¼ | 9.77/¼lb | $9.77 |
| Ilmenite, Granular | 1 | 2.59/lb | $2.59 |
| Soda Ash | 1 | 1.88/lb | $1.88 |
| Manganese Carbonate | ¼ | $3.81 | $3.81 |
| TOTAL | $239.55 |