Chapter   Topic
Blends - Overview
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A standard technique for exploring the effects of systematic change in recipes is the use of recipe blends.

Matrix has the capacity to creating line, triaxial and quadraxial blends of various sizes.

It generates a worksheet printout containing all of the information needed to make the blend using the volumetric blending technique.

Matrix will also create a printout including all of the individual recipes in the blend and their unity formulae..

Blend recipes and formulae can be displayed on screen and saved to disc as a special recipe database if desired.

All information generated to create the blend can be saved so that worksheets can be recalled from disc and displayed or printed out.

Generated blend formulae may be collectively displayed on enlarged Limits and Al / Si graphs.

Making a blend worksheet is as simple as:

  • selecting the type of blend
  • telling Matrix how many sample glazes you want in the blend (it's size)
  • telling Matrix which corner recipes to use
  • printing out the worksheet,
  • saving the worksheet data, recipes into a database etc.

Making a Currie Standard Recipe Grid.

A Curries Standard Recipe Grid is a 5 x 7 (35) sample biaxial recipe blend based on a single recipe.

The blend is one which explores systematic variations in the kaolin and silica material content of the recipe.

This Standard Recipe Grid has been promoted and used extensively by Ian Currie. The technique is thoroughly explained on

and in his two publications.

  • "Revealing Glazes - Using the Grid Method" (Bootstrap Press)
  • "Stoneware Glazes - A Systematic Approach" (Bootstrap Press)

Matrix will automatically generate one of these special blends and give you printouts enabling you to mix and test fire all 35 glazes in the blend.

Making a Matrix Al:Si Recipe Grid.

The Matrix Al:Si Recipe grid is similar to the Currie Standard Recipe Grid but instead of always using Kaolin as the source of Al2O3 across the blend Matrix will use the clay originally used in the recipe and if the original recipe does not contain a clay will allow you to choose one.


Fig.1 The Blends Environment

Fig.2 shows the blend environment with a variety of controls for generating, saving, displaying and printing blends.

The moves down the Make Blend panel to direct you through the blend-making process.

 

Follow these links for more information about:

 

Blends
Overview | Creating a Blend | Line Blends | Triaxial Blends | Quadraxial or Biaxial Blends |
Currie Standard Recipe Grids
| Saving a and Printing Blend Data | Viewing Blend Data on Screen | Volumetric Blending