Frit 3110

3110 is high in sodium with little alumina, so it melts into a very fluid glass. Don't use it alone. Start with 90 grams of frit and 10 grams of kaolin (a white clay), add more kaolin if it still runs, and test.

A frit is glaze material that's been melted into glass at the factory, cooled and ground to a powder. Melting it first locks in ingredients that would otherwise dissolve in water, like boron and sodium, so they behave predictably. Frits are the backbone of most low-fire glazes and help many mid-fire glazes melt. On its own, a frit usually runs and settles in the bucket, so recipes add some kaolin (a white clay).

Start with the frit your recipe names; they aren't interchangeable without testing. In short:

Frit 3124 is the all-round frit for clears and colors, from low fire to cone 6.

Frit 3195 has alumina built in. It's a top pick for low-fire clears that don't craze.

Frit 3134 is the strongest boron melter, with no alumina. Recipes reworked to drop Gerstley Borate often use it.

Frit 3110 is high in sodium. It's glossy, crackles on most clays and turns copper turquoise.

Frit 3269 is high in sodium and potassium, for crackle glazes and bright low-fire color.

Start with 90 grams of frit and 10 grams of kaolin (a white clay), apply it to bisqueware (pottery that's been fired once) and fire. These frits shrink more than most clays as they cool, so the glaze forms a web of fine cracks. After firing, rub ink or shoe polish into the cracks to show them off. Keep crackle glazes for decorative pieces: the cracks can hold food residue and weaken the pot.

Glazes high in sodium and potassium, like those made with these frits, turn copper turquoise instead of green. Try 2% copper carbonate (2 grams per 100 grams of dry glaze) and fire a test tile.

Glaze and clay recipes go by weight, not by volume, and they don't count water. Each ingredient is a share of the dry total. 2% means 2 grams for every 100 grams of dry ingredients. For a 500-gram batch, that's 10 grams. Colors and opacifiers are often listed as extras on top of a recipe that adds up to 100, written like "+2" or "add 2%." Weigh those the same way: 2 grams for every 100 grams of the base recipe. A digital scale that reads to 0.1 gram makes small amounts easy.

A test tile is a small piece of the clay you use, glazed and fired just like your real work. Raw materials vary from bag to bag, and results also change with your clay, how thick you apply the glaze and how your kiln fires. A test tile is the only way to know what you'll get before you glaze a whole batch of pots. Write what's on each tile on the back (an underglaze pencil works), and keep notes so you can repeat what works.

Yes, whenever you handle the dry powder. Fine dust is the main hazard with most raw materials, and some can harm your lungs over time. Wear a NIOSH-approved respirator (N95 or better) while you weigh and mix. A basic dust mask that isn't N95-rated won't protect you. Once a material is mixed with water, dust is much less of a problem, but wipe up spills with a wet sponge before they dry, and mop instead of sweeping. Don't eat or drink while you work, and wash your hands afterward. Check each product's Safety section for anything extra that material needs.