Vibrant glazes, reliable results

That depends on the raw materials and the form in which the glaze is made available.

SOGO glazes are offered as powder glazes, allowing for all application methods (spraying, brushing, pouring, dipping). These glazes are more hazardous than liquid glazes because prolonged inhalation of fine dust is detrimental to health. Glazes almost always contain quartz. Ultrafine quartz dust is harmful to long-term health and can cause silicosis. Therefore, an FFP3 mask is a must when preparing and handling powder glazes.

In addition to quartz, some glazes contain other harmful ingredients that should not be inhaled, such as cobalt oxide or manganese oxide.

Gloves are also necessary. Some glazes contain substances like cobalt oxide that can cause an allergic reaction on the skin. Wearing gloves prevents skin contact and also ensures that no glaze residue gets under the fingernails, which could then be accidentally ingested.

With the necessary protection, the risk is fortunately minimal. Always read the label on the back of the packaging. It states the risks and protective measures.

Please note the following symbols: they indicate a health risk when using the powders, requiring protective measures.

SOGO glazes are lead-free and cadmium-free, thus complying with current European and Belgian legislation regarding food contact materials. According to current legislation, testing ceramics made with any glaze is the responsibility of the end producer, i.e., the ceramicist in question.

Some SOGO glazes contain substances that are regulated in other countries (such as the Netherlands). The clay used, the firing temperature, and the firing schedule can have a significant impact on the potential release of ceramic components. If, as a ceramist, you want to be absolutely certain that your pieces comply with the laws of your country, it is necessary to have your finished pieces tested by a certified laboratory.

Some glazes can be bad for the environment. They sometimes contain substances such as zinc oxide, copper oxide, cobalt oxide, ... which are harmful to aquatic organisms.

Therefore, glazes should never be simply rinsed down the drain. Washing out brushes and containers should also not happen in the sink. Glaze residue must always be collected. The advantage of glazes is that they are not or hardly soluble in water. The glaze settles, and the overlying water can be carefully poured down the drain. You can make a surprise glaze with the glaze residue.

The symbol shown below on the packaging indicates whether there is a danger to the environment. Always dispose of glaze residues according to the instructions on the packaging and applicable regulations.

SDS (Safety Data Sheets) are available for all SOGO glazes. This is legally required. Are you a professional user or do you want to distribute SOGO glazes? Ask for the SDS sheets.

Consumers are sufficiently informed by the safety labels on the package. Would you like to receive SDS anyway? No problem, ask for it.

Always wear gloves, an FFP3 dust mask, and optionally safety glasses when preparing glazes. Making SOGO glazes brushable is perfectly possible. You will need a good brush-on agent like pehatine for this. You can buy it at any ceramics store or in the webshop.

1. First, make a diluted pehatine solution. To do this, add 1 part pehatine to 2 parts water. For example, add 100 ml of pehatine to 200 ml of water.
2. Pour the diluted pehatine solution into a pot that holds 1 liter. Use the correct amount of pehatine solution as specified on the label of each SOGO glaze.
3. Now carefully add the entire contents (500 g) of the powdered icing bag.
4. Mix the mixture with an immersion blender or whisk vigorously for at least 90 seconds.
5. Sift the glaze through a 60 or 80 mesh sieve for a perfectly homogeneous result.
6. The brush-on glaze can be used immediately.

Always wear gloves, an FFP3 dust mask, and safety glasses if necessary when mixing glazes.

1. Weigh water according to the instructions on the SOGO glaze label. Pour it into a bucket with a volume of at least 3 liters for 2 kg of glaze powder and 10 liters for 7 kg of glaze powder.
2. Now carefully add the entire contents of the bag of powdered sugar glaze.
3. Mix the mixture with an immersion blender (small quantities), a paint mixer (large quantities), or mix vigorously with a brush.
4. Sift the glaze through a 60 or 80 mesh sieve for a perfectly homogeneous result.
5. Let the glaze rest for at least 24 hours before use.
6. Stir the glaze very well again after the resting period and check the specific gravity and viscosity (see instruction manual, instruction videos or this FAQ).
7. Adjust these parameters as needed.
8. The glaze is now ready to use.

Yes, that is possible.

Prepare the glazes as you would for dipping or pouring. You may need to sieve them through a finer glaze sieve of 100 or even 120 mesh to prevent the spray nozzle from clogging.

Glazes can look very different when applied thinly or thickly. Test different spray coats to discover what best suits your preference and style.

Always wear gloves and an FFP3 mask when spraying, and work in a spray booth.

Glazes with vibrant colors and many shades, such as SOGO glazes, look very different when applied thinly or thickly on the bisqueware.

By brushing, you can control the layer thickness by applying multiple layers on top of each other. Depending on the amount of glaze on the brush, a layer can be applied thicker or thinner. The number of layers also plays an important role in color development.

When dipping and pouring glaze onto a piece, the thickness of the piece and its porosity (the ability of a piece to absorb water) play a significant role. Thicker pots absorb more glaze faster than very finely thrown work. The dipping time (contact time) is an important factor.

You can achieve the exact same results with brushes and dipping, but it's important to coordinate the number of brushed layers and the contact time. This is particularly harder to achieve in practice with dipping and pouring. A large piece remains in contact with the glaze longer than a small cup. This can significantly affect the color and intensity of a glaze. Test different contact times and layers and try to work as consistently as possible.

This can happen if you pour or dip glazes.

When dipping and pouring glaze onto a piece, the thickness of the piece and its porosity (the ability of a piece to absorb water) play a significant role. Thicker pots absorb more glaze faster than very finely thrown work. The dipping time (contact time) is an important factor.

If you first pour glaze into the inside of a pot, the bisqueware will quickly absorb water from the glaze. This will make the bisqueware ‘wet’ and partially reduce its absorbency. If you wait too long to then dip the outside, there will be a thinner glaze layer. You won't necessarily see this during glazing itself, but you will after opening the kiln. The glaze on the outside may look thin, splotchy, and dull, while the inside is perfect.

Some tips:

1. Glaze quickly and efficiently. Do not keep the glaze in contact with the interior for too long to avoid saturated pots.
2. Don't wait after glazing the inside. Pour out and immediately dip the outside. An alternative is to wait at least 24 hours for the inside to dry completely. This allows the piece to regain its full absorbency for glazing the outside.
3. Keep the outside in contact with the glaze for just a little longer than the inside.
4. For large pots: first dip or pour over the outside. Pouring water into a large piece takes a reasonably long time anyway. This results in a longer contact time and a thicker glaze layer.

Be sure to also check out the effects of layer thickness on color. You can find these on the shop pages for each glaze. Below is an example of the effect of layer thickness on the Primeval Forest glaze. As you can see, the glaze is brown when applied thinly, but becomes a beautiful moss green when applied more thickly (by using more layers or a longer dipping time).

That depends a bit.

Brush-on glazes are ready to use immediately after mixing.

It is best to let dipping glazes rest for a minimum of 24 hours. After this resting period, check two important parameters: specific gravity and viscosity. Be sure to consult the instruction booklet and videos regarding viscosity and specific gravity to see how you do that.

The specific gravity of a glaze provides an indication of the amount of water and solids in the glaze. It increases over time due to water evaporation from the glaze, but also due to the glazing process itself. Specific gravity is an important parameter that is always measured before dipping and pouring. For brush glazes, the specific gravity will remain much more constant and will need less frequent measurement.

See here how to measure specific gravity. You will also find this explanation in the instruction manual.

Compare the obtained specific gravity to the instruction on the SOGO glaze packaging. Is it higher? Add water and measure again until you reach the ideal specific gravity. Be careful not to add too much water! Is the specific gravity lower? Then your glaze contains too much water. Wait until the glaze has settled and carefully remove water with a syringe. Measure the specific gravity again until you reach the correct value. Always measure the specific gravity of a dipping glaze before a glazing session.

Viscosity is the thickness of the glaze in the bucket or pot. A glaze that is too thin or too thick can alter the glaze color or even cause the glaze to run off. Controlling the viscosity of brush-on glazes is less important. Here, the number of brushed-on layers plays a more significant role in developing the correct color.

You check the viscosity of glazes before pouring or dipping. This changes over time due to environmental factors such as the studio temperature. You measure the viscosity immediately after checking and adjusting the specific gravity.

Here's how to measure viscosity. This is also written in the instruction manual.

A simple viscometer (also called a flow cup) is an indispensable tool for reproducible glaze results. You can buy one here.

The finger dip method inserting a gloved finger into a glaze to check its thickness gives an indication of viscosity. However, it's a bit of a trial-and-error method. You need quite a bit of experience. Moreover, not every SOGO glaze needs to be equally thick to achieve good results.

You best control the viscosity with a flow cup to achieve good results.

Sieving a glaze with a glaze sieve (minimum 60 mesh) is necessary at the following times:

1. After preparing the powder glaze with water or brushing medium.
2. If a lot of residue is stuck to the edge of the bucket which falls into the glaze.
3. If grains or small stones appear to form in the glaze.

In this last situation, crystals have formed in the glaze. These are created by certain raw materials in the glaze and especially after a long resting period with temperature fluctuations. The small stones are important in the glaze and they should not just be discarded. After all, you would be throwing away important raw materials if you did that.

After sifting, scrape out the sieve and add the granules/stones to a small jar. Pour a little hot water over them. Stir well, and you will see that they dissolve quickly. Add this back to the glaze. Perhaps you should re-measure the specific gravity of your glaze.

SOGO glazes are low stoneware glazes. This means they need to be fired in the “cooler” spectrum of stoneware. Stoneware glazes range from approximately 1200°C to 1300°C. SOGO glazes are best fired somewhere between 1200°C and 1230°C in modern, well-insulated kilns.

However, simply describing an end temperature is not enough. The firing schedule, the oven's insulation, and the age of the heating elements all play a role.

Instead of temperature I like to refer to heatwork. This is measured with pyrometric cones (also called Orton cones). SOGO glazes are developed for cone 7. Some can be fired a bit higher or lower. This is stated on the label.

I use this simple firing curve to perfectly bend a cone 7.

• 150°C per hour to 1050°C
• 60°C per hour until 1215°C
• 10 minute hold (holding temperature) at 1215°C
• uncontrolled cooling

Every kiln is different. You will need to use pyrometric cones to check if your programmed firing cycle effectively reaches cone 7.

Cones can be bought in the webshop. More information can also be found in this instruction video.