You might try experimenting with Amaco glazes. I have a raku red that is really a deep red. The red in picture looks like it has some orange in it or it's just the translusence of being on porcelain. The raku red I used was much more opaque so it might not be as bright. Its instructions called for 3 coats.

The Duncan Christmas Red is semi opaque. It requires three to four coats and there are four coats in this picture. The color does trend toward orange a bit, almost like tomato red. Every other red in the Duncan line, whether underglaze or glaze is more of a darker, almost burgundy red. The glaze companies seem to have all abandoned heavy metals like lead or cadmium, in order to produce glazes that are safe for children to use.

I will check into the Amaco glazes for the raku red.

I haven't had the nerve to work in porcelain yet. The ornament is earthenware. I was told that porcelain is so breakable in greenware that it has to be cone 018 fired, just to be able to work with it. It also fires at a hotter temperature than the earthenware slip I use. I have an electric kiln which can fire at high temps, but I no longer have access to someone who could repair it if needed and it was not designed to be used for high fire on a regular basis.

Do you know if I can find a leaded clear glaze or find a recipe for making my own leaded clear glaze?

I wish I could help you, Collie, but I don't have a clue. Check out Highwater Clay's website. I do LOVE your ornaments - so special!

Highwater P-10 is bisqued to the same temps as their stonware. I've used it for horsehair pots which are preheated then fired to a 1000F so that the horeshair will carbonize. I've had them crack when pulled out of the kiln after I've put them on firebrick that may have been too cold. But forthe most part it's easy to work with. There are midrange porcelains from highwater I've just not used them. It sounds like you have good success with slips so why reinvent the wheel.

If you go back to page 14 of May 2008 there's a raku platter with a red design on it. That's the Amaco raku red. It's not quite that deep a red. It's from the reduction process for the raku that darkens it so much.

I am not looking for a slip recipe. I am happy enough with the slip I buy from a local ceramic shop. They have it custom mixed to their specifications. It needs to be bisque fired to cone 02, unlike most earthenware slips. It has a higher kaolin content than most earthenware slips. They told me that they do that because it reduces shrinkage. When I moved here and started using their slip, I had a real problem with crazing, even with leaded glazes and it turned out that I was not firing hot enough for their recipe. I had been bisque firing to cone 03 or 04 (I don't remember which), then glaze firing to cone 05½. Now I glaze fire to cone 06 and I don't have crazing problems anymore.

I would want a recipe for a leaded clear glaze if I can find one.

I only use the leaded glaze for ornaments that use the red glaze. I have an unleaded glaze that I am satisfied with for pieces that do not need the red glaze.

I did find the Amaco red raku glaze and it looked very nice, but it has been discontinued. I still have a bit of the leaded red glaze left, but I need leaded clear glaze to use with it, since the unleaded clear glaze causes the red glaze to bleed into it.

Peggy, I just looked at the Highwater site. Great site! They have a leaded red glaze, which I am amazed and happy to find, but I am still searching for a clear glaze with lead. I am trying to find glaze recipes for clear glaze, but I am guessing that most people who make their own glazes are not using clear glazes. I need the clear glaze because I use one stroke underglazes to paint the detail in the dogs I do. The image above is slightly larger than life sized, so you see I do a fairly detailed rendering of the dogs.

I make those ornaments from molds that I also make. I sculpt an original in modeling clay and cast the mold from casting plaster. As I pull the mold off the original, I repair the original and make another mold from it. I try to make at least ten molds from one original. I cast in the above mentioned earthenware slip, paint with the underglazes, bisque fire, repaint and refire if the underglazes are not saturated enough, then glaze fire the piece. Some of the pieces have gold or silver accents and get fired one more time. I have quite a collection of little stilts and wish I could find more. I have even made my own stilts by breaking up stilts I have to use the pins.

I have a 5 gal bucket of leaded clear glaze at our old house I can't remember the brand. I can't use it. I am going back this weekend I will check what kind it is. You might also think about using inclusion stains..they have some nice reds.

Mudqueen, that sounds wonderful. Keep me posted about that clear leaded glaze.

What is an inclusion stain?

It's a Mayco clear, but it has lead. They said it was safe for foodware, but it has lead. I did use it on some tiles and it did come out a nice clear glaze. I know i have used a commercial red glaze..I think Mayco makes it..called Red Hot.

Thanks mudqueen. I would be interested in getting this from you if you have no more need for it. I will not be using it for anything but the ornaments, so food safety is not an issue.

Most of the glaze companies have discontinued the use of leaded glazes, because most if not all, of them sell supplies to schools and schools won't buy glazes that contain lead. Too much risk with children.

I have a small bit of red glaze left and the Highwater site that Peg pointed me to does have one leaded red glaze, so I can continue to make my little ornaments without difficulty.