Season 5

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Explore all Season 5 episodes of the For Flux Sake Podcast.

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Ep 127 – What materials should I buy to start mixing glazes?

Season 5

We love questions from our educator friends. Today’s episode starts with a question from a high school teacher who wondered what the best materials are for starting a glaze lab. The gang also answer a question about cleaning up clay with soap and take a trip to Materials Corner to report on the recent bankruptcy of a major ceramic materials supplier.
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Ep 126 – Is it best to use the medium or fast fire setting on my kiln?

Season 5

Have you ever wondered what the firing rates are for the pre-programmed kiln schedules in modern kilns? In today’s episode the gang talk about the differences between slow, medium, and fast on Bartlett controllers, and how the rates affect glaze outcomes.
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Ep 125 – Why are my plates cracking?

Season 5

Unloading a kiln can be an emotional rollercoaster, especially if its filled with a new form that gives you trouble.
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Ep 124 – What causes carbon coring in clays?

Season 5

What is carbon coring, and should we care about it? The term is actually a misnomer, with the real culprit being iron, a common ingredient in reduction fired clays.
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Ep 123 – Do I really need to sieve my glazes?

Season 5

Glaze preparation is a necessary part of the ceramic process, but have you ever wondered why sieving glazes is important? Today the gang talk about various ways to prepare a glaze and why you might not need to sieve as much as you think. They also break down the idea of glazes that fire at multiple temperature ranges, and answer a listener's question about bubbling in a clear glaze.
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Ep 122 – Should I make my own clay?

Season 5

To start today’s episode we take a ride to Materials Corner to talk about the situation with EPK, as well as, if there is an easy substitute to use in clay and glazes. The gang also answers a listener's questions about the feasibility of making your own clay. What equipment do you need?
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Ep 121 – Do kilns really need peep holes?

Season 5

Have you ever wondered why kilns have peep holes? Today Matt, Rose, and Kathy debate the function and necessity of peep holes, while also tackling a question about glazing only the interior of a pot. They also start the episode talking about the research Kathy is doing at Harvard Ceramics into the historic use of graphite as a ceramic sealer.
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Ep 120 – Is there a difference between real and fake ash glazes?

Season 5

Happy New Year! To start 2026 the gang answer listener questions about ash glazes, mixing brushing and dipping glazes, and how the particle size of colorants affects glaze outcomes. They also begin the episode sharing stories about the highs and lows of art center holiday sales.
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Ep 119 – Gabriel Kline and Bill Collins on food safe glazes

Season 5

Have you wondered what makes a glaze food safe? Today we are happy to welcome Gabriel Kline and Bill Collins to the show to talk about the topic, and their new book Amazing Glaze: Food Safe Recipes. They discuss the definition of food safety, how to test glazes, and what they learned after testing dozens of popular cone 6 and cone 10 recipes.
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Ep 118 – Why is the last 200 degrees of the firing the most important?

Season 5

Do you fire your kiln fast or slow? And does it really matter? Today the gang answer a few listener questions about the relationship between temperature, glaze melt, and vitrification. They also discuss a class of clays out of the UK that vitrify at low fire temperatures.
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Ep 117 – Why is my casting slip hard-panning?

Season 5

Commercial casting slips are great for their convenience, but what do you do when your recipe hard-pans in the bucket? Today the gang talk about why hard-panning happens and how you can fix it. They also discuss making temp checks, the best bisque temp for commercial glazes, and the controversy around the sale of fake ceramic pigments.
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Ep 116 – HELP my clay is plucking!

Season 5

Have you ever had small pieces of an unglazed foot ring stick to a kiln shelf? This bummer of a phenomenon is called plucking, and today the gang talk about how and why it happens. They also answer a listener's question about increasing plasticity in halloysite porcelains and take a trip to Materials Corner to discuss the rumors swirling around EPK production.
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