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Some small (half pint) jugs made and fired recently do not pour at all well. They basically end up dribbling down the front, more than just a drip or two. Putting a smear of butter under the lip allows them to pour perfectly!

 

Is there anything I can actually do to them (grinding away a bit of glaze?) to make them better?

 

Obviously for future jugs I am going to have to adjust the design of the spout, and from what I've read, possibly the lip should end more horizontally (you'll see in my pictures that the spout is angled upwards somewhat).

 

I shaped these with my little finger, pulled between thumb and forefinger of other hand.

 

Any tips/advice gratefully received!

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Walk round the house/studio/everywhere and fill all jugs/teapots with water and pour them.  Then compare to see what worked and why.  Cafe teapots ALWAYS seem to dribble tea everywhere.  There is a real knack to getting this right.

 

I like the look of your jugs, it's a shame they don't pour well.  Yet !!  Good luck.

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Yes there is one trick I learned for a teacher long ago.

wipe the smallest amout of butter from you finger under outer lip just where fluid woould dribble -the place where it just would drip. Thos may help you-its a small invisable film that keeps the drip less.

Next time make the lips different.

Mark

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Yes there is one trick I learned for a teacher long ago.

wipe the smallest amout of butter from you finger under outer lip just where fluid woould dribble -the place where it just would drip. Thos may help you-its a small invisable film that keeps the drip less.

Next time make the lips different.

Mark

Just wonder if there is another substance that is super-slippery and I could paint a dab under the lip to make a (more) permanent fix? silicon maybe?

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Just wonder if there is another substance that is super-slippery and I could paint a dab under the lip to make a (more) permanent fix? silicon maybe?

I'm sure it's not a matter of "slippery" but one of hydrophobia. Water and oil don't mix. The fat in the butter repels the water in the stream, counteracting the surface tension that makes it want to run down the underside of the spout.

 

So what you're looking for here is RainX.

 

That's my armchair scientist evaluation of the situation. :)

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Is there a reason why you want to go to such lengths to save these 3 pots that didn't work out instead of tossing and re-doing until you perfect the form?

 

Sure, well it's no great lengths to be honest, just experimentation, these three are the first of this design so I guess I'm not quite ready to give up on them (and it's fair to say I was very annoyed with myself for messing them up – I should have tested the lips at the bisque stage).

 

However... this evening I have been using my wife's Dremel drill with a carbide tip and have managed to alter the spouts of the white and clear-glazed jugs to give a slightly flatter and sharper profile which is certainly pouring better, I think I may even get away without re-glazing them because the Dremel has given a very smooth finish.

 

I've also just used the Dremel to adjust the lips on two remaining bisque fired jugs and they now pour perfectly, so I'll see how they come out when they've been glazed. I'm going to use the clear glaze as I can put it on very thin.

 

Yes, next ones I WILL make the spouts better!

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Spouts need to be three times as big. Your spouts are like those on glass measuring cups that never pour. Also, the rim needs to be sharper. You pull the rim up, like you pull a handle, then squeeze it to form the spout. They always want to relax, so you have to squeeze them a couple of times. Save the butter for your toast and smash the three dud pitchers with a hammer. You will be much happier.

TJR.

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Make the spout wider and more pronounced, with more of a throat below the lip.

 

This one's from about 10 years ago:

 

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When I was trying to figure out pitcher spouts way back when, I threw 6 pitcher necks (about 4 inches tall) and pulled 4 spouts out of each one. By the time I got to 20 I had it figured out pretty well. Then I wedged all that up and threw some actual pitchers.

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Consider not just the sharpness of the lip ... but also the shape and length of the channel that leads to the lip. Also, consider the amount and shape of the overhang.

 

The channel leading to the lip should act like a funnel that accelerates the speed of the liquid by forcing a wider flow into a narrower channel The sharp edge of the lip should be at the narrowest part of the channel where the speed of the liquid is fastest.

 

The overhang should be long enough and be angled so that when the pitcher is held sidewise in pouring position, the sharp edge of the lip is the lowest point. You want it to be possible for the last drop of a pour to fall directly off the end of the spout ... perhaps aided by a knowing jiggle performed by the person doing the pouring.

 

If all else fails, rub a little beeswax on the lip which will have a more lasting effect than thinner hydrophobic edibles.

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Neil"s practice spouts  will be added to my practice.

Don't stuff around , make more.

Not for every designer, but I run my middle finger up the inside of the jug from about 1/3 from botton to rim, and then pull and manipulate the spout after that.

I also accent the channel by running my thumbs down either side of the channel on the outside, curving away towards the the back of hte jug as the action nears the bottom.

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