Mayco’s Stoneware glazes are available in both liquid pint and dry glazes in increments of 5lbs. Dry formulas are added to water and used in buckets for dipping or pouring techniques. Many functional potters prefer dipping to painting for even coverage. The colors and formulas are identical in dry form, minus the added organic gums. Mayco Stoneware Dry glazes (SD is the prefix, it stands for Stoneware Dry) are great for pieces with a lot of surface texture and for layering techniques. See videos at the bottom of this page for more information.
The colors and formulas are identical with one exception. Mayco Stoneware Dry glazes (SD is the prefix, it stands for Stoneware Dry) do not contain any organic gums. In our Stoneware (liquid) line of products, gums are added to allow proper consistency for brushing. Too much gum added to a dipping version of the same glaze can cause it to lose the ‘sheeting’ action that is desirable in dipping formulas. The glaze will seem too thick and will take a long time to dry. Also, the glaze will sometimes cling to the piece to thickly.
So, you can look at it this way, Stoneware (SW) glazes are liquid Stoneware glazes which have added gum. They are perfect for brushing, pouring and using in a sliptrailer. Stoneware Dry (SD) glazes are the exact same thing in dry form, minus the added organic gums. They are great for dipping application and saves time.
The lack of organic gum in the dry (SD) line of products allows it to not “go bad” in the bag or the bucket, if properly mixed and maintained.
Is it very important that users wear an approved NIOSH respirator mask any time when mixing glaze. Following the instructions for mixing and using a good respirators makes the process completely safe for users.
Your initial purchase of 10-25 pounds of dry glaze will be the big investment. Once you have mixed a bucket of glaze with added water, that bucket will only need an occasional “recharge” or addition of 5 pounds of dry. Most artists just keep this system going for years. Some artists will add gum or bentonite to their mixes. This is an acceptable technique to customize the consistency of the product for individual needs.
Our studio and lab tests have shown extremely positive results on the performance of the Stoneware dry glazes. They do not hard pan. All dipping glazes will settle after being stirred. A lot of homemade or even competitor glazes tend to settle to a very hard consistency in the bottom of the bucket, making it very difficult to remix at the time of use. This is called “pancaking.” All Mayco Stoneware Dry glazes are formulated to prevent pancaking when mixed. Our dry glazes consist of very fine and uniform in particle size, which keeps them from settling out hard, if mixed properly. They sheet off of bisqueware quickly, causing a barely noticeable dry mark. Again, the fine particle size is the reason. They grip perfectly to bisque. Unlike our competitors, the quality of our dry glazes is remarkable; one dip is equivalent to three coats brushing. Try for yourself and see!
Contact you nearest Mayco distributor or order on our website on the Stoneware page!