10 lb. dry bag.

Why use Dry?

Dry formulas are added to water and used in buckets for dipping techniques. Many functional potters prefer dipping to painting for perfect coverage. Dipped glazes are great for pieces with a lot of surface texture and for layering techniques.

Are Mayco's Stoneware Dry Glazes the same as the Mayco Stoneware Glazes that I buy in pints?

The colors and formulas are identical with one exception: Mayco Stoneware Dry glazes (SD is the prefix, it stands for Stoneware Dry) do not contain any organic gums. In the stoneware (liquid) line of products, gums are added. The organic gums in a glaze allow it to have the proper consistency for brushing. Too much gum added to a dipping version of the same glaze can cause it to lose the 'sheeting' action that is desirable in dipping formulas. The glaze will seem too thick and will take a long time to dry. Also, the glaze will sometimes cling to the piece too thickly.

How do you mix the SD Dry glazes?

• Start with a clean 5-gallon bucket.
• Add one pint of distilled water per pound of dry mix you plan to add. On a 5# bag, put 5 pints water in the bucket first. This will usually make a somewhat thick mixture. Add water to get the consistency you like. Be careful though, if you add too much water, you can offset the intended ratio enough to cause the product to hard pan) Your initial purchase should be for at least 10 of pounds dry glaze. This makes a nice depth of liquid glaze in a typical 5-gallon bucket.
• After adding the dry mix to the water, allow glaze to slake down into the water and become completely saturated before stirring or moving the mixture. (With most of our Dry Glazes, running the mixture through a sieve is OPTIONAL, thanks to fine particle size.)
• Stir with a wooden paddle or stick.