Ceramist's blog
How to formulate a glaze, read a pyrometric cone, choose between oxidation and reduction, calculate Seger UMF. No mystification — dry, practical writing.
November 7, 2026 · 8 min read
Practical step-by-step guide: raw materials, percentages, cone, atmosphere. Covers empirical method, Seger UMF validation, and using AI to speed up the process.
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November 7, 2026 · 7 min read
What makes a truly matte glaze — not just underfired. Two chemical routes to matte at cone 6, target UMF chemistry, a base recipe to test, and food-safety considerations.
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November 7, 2026 · 7 min read
Why celadon needs reduction, how much iron to use, the 4-3-2-1 base recipe, the importance of thickness, and common mistakes that leave it yellow, washed-out, or muddy.
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November 7, 2026 · 7 min read
How kiln atmosphere transforms the same oxides into completely different colors. Iron, copper, cobalt, and the celadon effect explained.
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November 7, 2026 · 5 min read
Keramoslab's AI for generating, importing and editing glaze recipes has been upgraded to Claude Sonnet 5, Anthropic's latest model. What improves, what stays deterministic, and pricing.
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November 7, 2026 · 6 min read
Learn what pyrometric cones measure, the difference between cone 06 and cone 6, which to choose for your clay body, and why the kiln's pyrometer isn't enough.
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November 7, 2026 · 6 min read
Without test records, your memory turns into a year-old recipe. Learn to log photos, cone, atmosphere, layers and notes to build real knowledge about your glazes.
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November 7, 2026 · 8 min read
Tenmoku glaze cone 10: saturated-iron chemistry, kaki break at the rim, critical thickness, and cooling. Base recipe, UMF, and bench tests.
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November 7, 2026 · 6 min read
How to chat with an AI to swap raw materials, adjust percentages, and validate glaze chemistry in real time — no more Excel for cone, atmosphere, or SiO₂/Al₂O₃ ratio tweaks.
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November 7, 2026 · 9 min read
Understand the chemistry behind crackle glaze, how to adjust the crack network by modifying oxides and cooling rate, and the real food-safety warning.
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November 7, 2026 · 9 min read
The molar unity formula (Seger UMF) explained without heavy math. Why it exists, how to read RO/R₂O₃/RO₂, and how to use it to diagnose glaze defects.
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November 2, 2026 · 9 min read
How to fix shivering glaze: understand excessive glaze compression, the risk of sharp flakes, and how to adjust thermal expansion.
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November 2, 2026 · 9 min read
Porcelain glaze at cone 10: why fit is tight, how to avoid unwanted crackle, and how to apply on low-absorption bodies. Full technical guide.
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November 2, 2026 · 8 min read
Zirconium silicate (ZrSiO₄) opacifier: how it works, ideal dosage, the difference from tin oxide, and why it's the most-used opacifier today.
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November 2, 2026 · 9 min read
A well-tuned alumina matte glaze feels like microcrystalline velvet; poorly tuned, it's dry and porous. Learn UMF, Al₂O₃ range, and fixes.
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November 2, 2026 · 9 min read
Ideal bisque firing temperature: cone 06–04 vs high bisque, firing schedule, organic burnout, and chemically bound water explained.
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November 2, 2026 · 8 min read
Classic celadon depends on reduction. See why oxidation at cone 6 gives amber instead, reliable base recipes, and how to simulate the effect in an electric kiln.
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November 2, 2026 · 8 min read
Ceramic frit is pre-fused glass used to stabilize soluble and toxic oxides. Learn what it is, how it works, and when to use it in your glaze recipe.
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November 2, 2026 · 9 min read
Blue cobalt oxide: why 0.3–2% is already saturated, how to soften it with rutile/iron, kiln speckling, and real cost. Technical guide with a base recipe.
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November 2, 2026 · 9 min read
Technical guide to copper oxide glaze: green in oxidation, alkaline turquoise, copper red in reduction, volatilization and toxicity risks.
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November 2, 2026 · 8 min read
Understand the real causes of glaze crawling: surface tension, bisque contamination, thick application, and excess plastics — with practical fixes.
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November 2, 2026 · 9 min read
Iron oxide in ceramics: how Fe₂O₃ shifts from honey to tenmoku, oxidation vs reduction, iron spotting, and the differences between red, yellow and black iron.
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November 2, 2026 · 9 min read
Understand the ceramic glaze leaching test: ASTM C738, Brazil's Ordinance SVS/MS 27/1996, RDC 722/2022, and when to send samples to a lab.
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November 2, 2026 · 9 min read
Technical guide to magnesium matte glaze: UMF, dolomite vs talc, silky texture, cobalt coloring (mauve-pink) and a cone 6–10 base recipe.
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November 2, 2026 · 9 min read
Raku glaze in practice: thermal expansion, red-hot removal, sawdust reduction, controlled crackle, and why these pieces are never food-safe.
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November 2, 2026 · 9 min read
Rutile in ceramics: how TiO₂ + Fe₂O₃ create variegation, streaking, and silky matte surfaces, and how they interact with copper and cobalt. Chemistry and base recipe.
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November 2, 2026 · 8 min read
Understand glaze thermal expansion coefficient, the difference between crazing and shivering, and how to adjust oxides to fix it for good.
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November 2, 2026 · 9 min read
Learn how to set up and read a ceramic glaze triaxial blend: how it differs from line and biaxial blends, how many tiles to make, and how to interpret results.
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August 29, 2026 · 8 min read
Understand why pinholes appear in ceramic glazes — gases, porous bisque, thick application — and learn how to adjust ramp, soak, and recipe.
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July 6, 2026 · 8 min read
Learn why your transparent glaze crazes, how to adjust thermal expansion with oxides, and how to test clay-glaze fit before firing.
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July 6, 2026 · 8 min read
Barium matte glaze substitution: understand barium leaching risk, why to switch to strontium carbonate, and how to adjust the recipe in practice.
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June 27, 2026 · 8 min read
Understand shino glaze chemistry: feldspathic base, carbon trap in reduction, orange-peel texture and pinholes. Base recipe for cone 9–10.
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June 23, 2026 · 8 min read
Engobe and glaze: understand the chemical differences, application stages, shrinkage matching, and when to use each in your ceramic practice.
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