How to Make a Glaze for Firing Ceramic Photo Tiles

Firing glaze covers the ceramic in a glossy, protective coating.

Ceramic photo tiles make a unique gift for loved ones they can keep for years to come. Before you can present your homemade gift to the intended person, you must add a firing glaze to finish the ceramic photo tile. Several commercial glazes are readily available for purchase. However, they can be a bit expensive for the amount of glaze you get. Instead, make your own homemade ceramic firing glaze using products found at craft and pottery stores.

Things You'll Need

• Respirator
• Rubber gloves
• Safety goggles
• Triple beam scale or a digital scale
• Tenmoku custer feldspar
• Whiting
• Silica
• EPK kaolin
• Barium carbonate
• Zinc oxide
• Red iron oxide
• Bucket

Instructions

1. Wear a respirator, rubber gloves and goggles to prevent possible health complications caused by the glazing ingredients. Mix the ingredients in a well-ventilated area.

2. Measure out each dry ingredient using either a triple beam scale or a digital scale. No matter what scale you use it must measure accurately to 0.1 grams.

3. Mix 50.5 percent tenmoku custer feldspar, 12.1 percent whiting, 20.6 percent silica, 5.6 percent EPK kaolin, 2.3 percent barium carbonate, 2.3 percent zinc oxide and 6.6 percent red iron oxide.

4. Pour water in a bucket. Most ceramic firing glazes are about 50 percent water. For example, 1,000 grams of dry ingredients would typically require 4 cups of water.

5. Add the dry ingredients to the water a little at a time. Stir the mixture together after you add a little of the ingredients to the water. Continue stirring the water and dry ingredients until the mixture is smooth with no chunks. The glaze should have the same thickness and consistency of cream.

6. Use the homemade ceramic firing glaze as you would commercial firing glazes.

Tips & Warnings

• Store the homemade firing glaze in an airtight container placed in a cool, dry location. Stir the homemade glaze once a week.