Mayco’s Stoneware glaze assortment, including Classic, Matte, Crystal, and Gloss, offers a variety of finishes, textures and endless possibilities for glaze combinations. Available in both liquid and dry.
CLASSIC, MATTE, CRYSTAL, AND GLOSS
One of the most distinctive traits of Mayco’s Stoneware is that the glazes provide consistent performance and intriguing visual interest. They are best known for being receptive and favourable to the user during both application and firing. Mayco Stoneware glazes are friendly to the user in application, layering and firing. Many glazes will break over textures, revealing secondary colours and shades. The choice of clay body, thickness of glaze application, firing process and temperature will affect the fired results.
CONSISTENT PERFORMANCE AND CONTROL
Mayco Stoneware glazes offer the depth, sophistication and reliability to artists working from mid-range to high-fire temperatures.
GLAZE COMBINATIONS
Mayco Stoneware glazes work great layered both under or over other glazes. Artists can achieve incredible finishes with a simple combination of two glazes.
ALL OVER COVERAGE
Used alone, Mayco Stoneware glazes produce beautiful colour variations, deepening with additional coats. One coat will allow more of the clay body to show through the glaze. Subsequent coats deepen the colour. Gloss Glazes are the ideal product for brightly coloured dinnerware.
GENERAL USE
Stoneware Classic & Matte Glazes: Stir well. Apply to soft-fired bisque (cone 04/06). Apply one, two or three coats depending on the result desired. Allow each coat to dry before applying the next coat. Fire from cone 5/6-10. See label for additional firing information for individual glazes and cone 10 performance.
Stoneware Crystal Glazes: Crystal glazes are designed to expand upon the surface with dazzling bursts of colour. Crystals will settle to the bottom of the jar and will need thorough mixing prior to initial use and in between each coat. Apply two to three coats using a fan or hake brush. While the glaze is wet, use your brush to redistribute crystals to achieve balanced coverage. Over application of the crystals can cause pinholing or running. Avoid placing crystals near the bottom third of a vertical piece as they may cause additional movement during firing. See label for additional firing information for individual glazes and cone 10 performance.
Stoneware Gloss Glazes: Stoneware Gloss glazes can be used in design, all over coverage and are the ideal product for intermixability at mid-range temperatures. The integrity of your design will remain unchanged as these glazes are incredibly stable and will not move or combine with surrounding colours. See label for additional firing information for individual glazes and cone 10 performance.
HELPFUL HINTS
STONEWARE CRYSTAL GLAZES
Crystals will settle to the bottom of the jar and will need a good mixing prior to initial use. Re-stir between each coat. Stir with palette knife or another unpainted tool.
Over-application or heavy deposition of the crystals can cause pinholing or running.
Crystals will flow more than the base glaze. During your last coat, use your brush to evenly distribute the crystals over the top two-thirds of the piece and move away from the bottom third.
While the glaze is wet, you can use your brush to redistribute the crystals to achieve balanced coverage.
When storing a crystal glaze, you may consider storing upside down to facilitate crystal dispersion on the next use.
STONEWARE MATTE GLAZES
SW-136 Weathered Blue, SW-137 Storm Gray and SW-138 Lemon Meringue are unique glazes that change in appearance with number of glaze coats. One coat will display more colour while additional coats will increase mottling and white variegation.
USAGE VARIATIONS AND FAQS
How do I know what Stoneware glaze is best for me?
There is a lot of variety with our Stoneware glazes so finding the glazes that work best for you can certainly be intimidating! There are some grouping throughout our Stoneware glaze line that are similar in performance, which can prove helpful when selecting glazes.
Crystals – Our Stoneware Crystal glazes are a unique line of glazes that contain colourful crystals in the glazes themselves that are designed to melt and bloom during the firing. We add glass aggregate to the base glaze, which melts during the glaze firing to create beautiful crystal blooms and colour variation.
Mattes – Our Stoneware Matte glazes provide a variety of colours and performance characteristics. Some matte glazes have opaque solid coverage and others are semi-transparent and variegated.
Ice Glazes (SW-201 through SW-212) – These glazes resemble celadons. They provide a variety of transparent colours that work well over design work and texture. Thicker application of these glazes will produce a more saturated colour that is still transparent. Pay attention to your brush strokes with these glazes, uneven application will produce variation in the colour saturation. To avoid a streaky finish, we recommend applying 3 coats of glaze in a cross-hatching motion. Brush glaze out to a smooth surface to avoid bumps and ridges in the wet glaze. SW-203 Amber Topaz, SW-204 Root Beer, and SW-210 Emerald Green are the only glazes in this line that can produce movement when applied thick. If using any of the 3 over design work, we recommend applying 2 coats to ensure stability. Movement with those 3 glazes will be increased on a vertical surface.
Opals (SW-250 through SW-255) – These glazes are semi-transparent glazes that have variation in colour and opacity that is dependent upon application. Thicker applications will result in a more opaque and saturated colour that will pool and break over texture. Thinner application will result in a transparent finish. Applying Opals over design can produce movement depending on the application thickness.
Gloss (SW-501 through SW-510) – This line of glazes was developed to produce bright, opaque colours with a high gloss finish. They are perfect for detailed design work or all-over vibrant colours at stoneware temperatures. (Also, check out our Gloss article here…)
Texture (SW-403 through SW-406) – Our Stoneware Texture glazes create a unique and dimensional surface. We offer two different kinds of Stoneware Texture glazes currently, Mudcrack and Magma. Our Mudcrack glazes have a soft matte finish that will pull apart during the firing to reveal the underlying clay body. We have a white and a black Mudcrack available. Our Magma glazes have a dry and cratered finish that expands during the firing to create a textured and dimensional surface. We have a dark and a light Magma available. (Also, check out our texture article here…)
Flux (SW-401 and SW-402) – Our Fluxes are designed as “glaze enhancers”. They were developed to be used in combination with other stoneware glazes to enhance the mobility. Our Fluxes interact with other glazes to create movement, which bring out hidden colours and variation.
Washes (SW-301 through SW-305) – Our washes are highly concentrated oxides that can be used alone or in combination with other glazes. Each wash has its own unique qualities, so we recommend testing on test pieces to get an understanding of their individual performance.
Do Stoneware glazes work well in combination?
Mayco’s Stoneware Classic and Matte glazes are great for layering with other glazes. There is a large variety in performance amongst these glazes, some that we recommend for their performance and compatibility in combinations are SW-104 Black Walnut, SW-106 Alabaster, SW-108 Green Tea, SW-110 Oyster, SW-128 Cordovan, SW-165 Lavender Mist, SW-166 Norse Blue, SW-167 Sand and Sea, SW-168 Coral Sands, SW-172 Macadamia, SW-173 Amber Quartz, and SW-174 Leather. They work great layered both under or over other glazes. Find some inspiration in our stoneware combination gallery.
Mayco’s Stoneware Crystal glazes are also great for layering with other glazes! The crystals will often pop through with most combinations and really add an extra element of excitement to any combination. Our crystal glazes work great layered both under and over other glazes.
All of our Stoneware Gloss glazes can be layered with other glazes. We recommend applying our Stoneware Gloss glazes as the top glaze in a combination if you want the colour to be most visible. Applying it as a base of a combination will not produce any ill effects, but it is likely to get lost underneath another glaze due to the stable nature of the product. These glazes do not add much movement to glaze combinations.
What is the best way to apply Mayco’s Stoneware glazes?
We offer both brushing and dipping formulations for all of our Stoneware glazes.
For brushing application: apply 2-3 coats of glaze allowing the glaze to dry in between coats.
For dipping application: Agitate glaze immediately before use. Securely grab the piece with dipping tongs and submerge for 1 full second to achieve the equivalent of 3 coat brushing glaze. Allow the piece to dry before subsequent dips if desired. Mayco’s Stoneware glazes have a variety of performance qualities. For best results we always recommend testing with your preferred clay body and firing temperature. Glazes variation is dependent upon application technique and thickness.
How should I fire Mayco’s Stoneware glazes?
All Mayco’s Stoneware glazes have a firing range from cone 5 to cone 10. No particular firing schedule is necessary to achieve the beautiful variation that these glazes create. All of the samples that we showcase in our promotional material and literature are glazed on a white clay body and fired to cone 6 unless otherwise noted. Expect some variation in the results depending on the glaze thickness, clay body, firing atmosphere, and firing temperature. We have cone 10 reduction results on our website, in our Stoneware Brochure, and listed on the label.
Are Mayco’s Stoneware glazes Food Safe and Dinnerware Safe?
All of Mayco’s Stoneware glazes are both Food Safe when used according to manufacturer’s directions and Dinnerware Safe with the exception of SW-132 Mirror Black, SW-182 Antique Brass, SW-164 Satin Patina, our Stoneware Texture glazes (SW-403 through SW-406), and our Stoneware Washes when used alone (SW-301 through SW-305). There is a factor of personal discretion when considering the use of any glaze on a surface that comes in contact with food. Some factors such as clay body, firing temperature, firing atmosphere, and the layering of glazes also contribute to the suitability of a ware for dinnerware use. It is the responsibility of the customer to practice practical consideration of these factors and observe how they affect the final fired surface. For more information about Food Safe and Dinnerware Safe guidelines check here:
Can Mayco Stoneware Glazes be fired to cone 10?
Yes the can. Some will change significantly, some not much. Best we can do is provide this visual gallery and let you see what each glaze can do at cone 10 reduction. Cone 10 colour performance can also be found on the left side of the stoneware glaze label. The choice of clay body, thickness of glaze application, firing process and temperature will affect the fired results. Due to variability, we recommend testing prior to application to artwork.
What is this stuff in my Stoneware Crystal glaze?
The crystals that we mentioned above are actually glass aggregate that create the beautiful crystal blooms and variation in the fired glazes. These crystals are designed to expand upon the surface during the firing. No particular firing schedule is required to produce the dazzling burst of colour that the crystals provide.
How is knowing the base glaze of the Stoneware Crystals helpful?
Knowing the base glaze to any of Mayco’s Stoneware Crystal Glazes is useful information for several reasons. First, it provides some insight as to how the glaze will perform. SW-181 Night Moth for example, the base glaze is SW-508 Black Gloss. Black Gloss is a very stable and opaque glaze, which gives reason to believe that Night Moth will not have much movement and will provide great coverage. Of course, there are multiple factors that contribute to the performance of any glaze, but familiarizing yourself with the base glaze is a great place to start! Another benefit of knowing (and possessing!) the base glaze is the option to control the crystal loading and possibly even extend the life of your glaze. If you have the base glaze in your studio, you can cut in some coats of the base glaze to help lighten the crystal loading if you only want a little variation or are glazing near the bottom of your piece. It also provides a great compliment to be used alongside the crystal glaze.
How do I get the Stoneware Crystals off the bottom of the jar?
When you first open a jar of Mayco’s Stoneware Crystal glazes, be sure to agitate the crystal pebbles from the bottom of the jar by stirring. Once you have broken up this glorious mound of magical star dust, replace the lid tightly and give it a good shake to distribute the crystals throughout the entire jar. Then you are good to go! Storing our crystal glazes upside down can help keep the crystals near the top of the jar, but no matter how you store your glaze, be sure to give it a good shake before each use.
What is the best way to apply Stoneware Crystal glazes?
We offer both brushing and dipping formulations for all of our Stoneware Crystal glazes.
For brushing application: apply 2-3 coats of glaze allowing the glaze to dry in between coats.
For dipping application: Agitate glaze immediately before use. Be sure to adequately disperse crystals throughout the glaze and immediately pour the glaze over the ware using a ladle or cup.
While glaze is still wet, use a brush to help evenly disperse the crystals. Be aware of the crystal loading and dispersion on all of your pieces. Heavy concentrations of crystals can create movement in the glaze. Avoid having a heavy concentration of crystals near to bottom of your piece to ensure successful results.
How should I fire Mayco’s Stoneware Crystal glazes?
As with all of Mayco’s Stoneware glazes, they have a firing range from cone 5 to cone 10. No particular firing schedule is necessary to achieve the beautiful variation that these glazes create. The samples we showcase in our promotional material and literature are glazed on a white clay body and fired to cone 6 unless otherwise noted. Expect some variation in the results depending on the glaze thickness, clay body, firing atmosphere, and firing temperature. We have cone 10 reduction results on our website, in our Stoneware Brochure, and listed on the label.
Can I mix your Stoneware Gloss glazes to create new colours?
These glazes are 100% intermixable and perfect for shading and blending. Looking for a grey? Mix one-part SW-508 to three-parts SW-501 and there you have it, a perfect grey for all your shading needs. If you can do with paint, you can do it with Mayco’s Gloss glazes! Using teaspoons of colour is a good way to experiment with different ratios of colour without wasting glaze. Once you have found the colour you want, you can always up the size to tablespoons, ounces, cups or 5lb bags of dry colour. Enjoy exploring the endless colours you can create with this palette of ten simple glazes.
Mayco Stoneware Dry-Mix Glazes don't have to be sieved - why?
Our manufacturing process includes ball milling to very precise particles sizes. All you need to do to use our dry-mix glazes is add water, slake, stir and DIP. You’ll love the sheeting action when dipping and be pleased to find that our dry-mix glazes will not settle out in your storage bucket.
