Washes are essentially oxides and water. You can add Gerstley Borate, Custer Feldspar, or frits to get different affects with your wash. Another great technique to use washes with is do some sgraffito on your piece, bisque the piece add a wash onto the sgraffito area and then wipe away. This should highlight the sgraffito areas because you have wiped away the oxide from the outside but the oxide wash is still inside the grooves of the sgraffito lines.
For a more runny wash add a frit, for more soft washes add gerstley borate and for a solid wash add custer feldspar. Normally we would use 50% oxide to 50% frit, gerstley borate, or custer feldspar.
Flux
Low Fire Flux Mid Range Flux High Fire Flux
cone 010 – 01 cone 1 – 6 cone 7 – 10
Fritt Gerstley Borate Custer Feldspar
| Lowfire Flux | Mid Range Flux | Highfire Flux |
| Cone 010-01 | Cone 1-6 | Cone 7-10 |
| Frit | Gerstley Borate | Custer Feldspar |
Dry flux and oxides materials are mixed with water
Making the mix:
- The mix is made by volume / parts – a ratio
- Use a teaspoon , 1 part flux to 1part oxide, add water
- The 50 /50 mix or 1part / 1part is a starting point
- There’s no right or wrong ratio it is a personal like
- Some people use a 1part oxide to 3 parts flux or more
- This mix does not have to be as accurate as mixing slips or glazes , so you do not use %
- By mixing and testing you will come to a ratio that you like
Example:
- Use small containers, make small batches
1)
| 1 part frit | 1 part gerstley borate | 1 part custer feldspar |
| 2 parts red iron oxide | 2 parts iron oxide | 2 parts Red Iron Oxide |
2)
| 1 part Frit | 1 part Gerstley Borate | 1 Part Custer Feldspar |
| 2 Parts Rutile | 2 Parts Rutile | 2 parts Rutile |
3)
| 1 part Frit | 1 part Gerstley Borate | 1 part Custer Feldspar |
| 1 Part Red Iron Oxide | 1 part Red Iron oxide | 1 part Red Iron Oxide |
4)
| 3 part Frit | 3 part Gerstley Borate | 3 part Custer Feldspar |
| 1 Part Cobalt Carbonate | 1 Part Cobalt Carbonate | 1 Part Cobalt Carbonate |
- Use this example as a starting point
- You can use other oxides and combination of oxides
- You can also use this with Mason Stains
