Mixing glazes is not complicated if you have a good batch recipe. Yes, some chemicals are a little dusty, hence masks. If glazes are mixed in the fired arts area, the vent hoods we have for the kilns should be adequate.
There is a technique for using a base white or clear glaze and mixing measured amounts of colorants into small (measured) jars to get various glazes. this is relatively straightforward, and not usually a dust problem.
Colorants like copper that can affect nearby pots in a reduction firing, do not do so in an oxidation firing, because they are not trying to steal oxygen from wherever.
The discussion that Beth and I were thinking about concerned how you can take a glaze recipe for one temperature and convert it to another temperature. Can also be used when you have a glaze recipe but not the exact chemicals that are called for in the recipe, to figure out how to substitute. This involves a LOT of math and chemistry calculations. So if you don’t like math and chemistry, you may not like the discussion.
We might do a couple of classes, one on the altering a base white/clear glaze by adding colorants, and what colorants will (usually) get you what effects. Second on the actual calculations to convert recipes to empirical formulae and back again. Also maybe on digging your own clay in
N Dallas, and problems associated therewith.
Am looking at Nov, Dec, Jan time frame for this, due to my show schedule and other DMS classes (mostly in jewelry) I already have scheduled.
Let me know how the interest on this develops.
Thanks
Sue Rogers