Dipping Pots into glaze

[Guest]

Well today I dipped my first pot into glaze, 20 of them actually. Between brushing, pouring, spraying and dipping I have to say dipping is miles ahead in ease and time.

For the most part it went well, I started with a couple of small pots which if I screwed up I wouldn't be worried. I had to adjust the glaze a little thinner each time after the first two pots and it all went smoothly after that.

One glitch happened on two mugs that I noticed after everything dried, the glaze pooled where the handles attached and cracked. I thought I let it drain enough but I guess I didn't. Should I be concerned?

[Mark C.]

Some pro tips to glazing mugs are to blow the glaze with your mouth right after dipping or pouring at bottom of handle to they get thinner and do not pool (run ) at this trouble spot .

 

[Min]

11 minutes ago, RonSa said:

Should I be concerned?

Yeah,  if the dry glaze cracked it will crawl when fired. If they were mine I would wash them off and redo them for the next load when they have dried out. Or if you really have to do them now rub down the cracked areas so the glaze is thinner.

[Guest]

Will do Min Thanks.  I'm going to rub one and wash the other to see how it works out.

Thanks for the tip Mark, I'll remember that next time.

[Guest JBaymore]

Another technique where a glaze (run) happens, in order to thin it out is to use the Fettling Knife to do what it was named after........ fettling.

You kind of "shave off" the semi dry glaze where it is thicker to have it "merge" with the thickness of the surrounding glaze.  If the spot is not severely cracked up from shrinkage, this is a viable approach.

If you wait til it is REALLY dry... this is a real dust hazard.  But slightly damp.... not so much.  If you do it too soon..... it just ulls off the glaze in chinks. If you do it WAY too soon.... it smears the wet layer 

best,

.............john

[neilestrick]

If you're getting drips and puddles that are so thick that they crack I'd say you need to thin out your glaze more. In my studio, we dip for a count of 6 to get the proper application thickness.

[Guest]

Thanks John, I was going to use a trimming tool but I can see that a fettling knife might be easier to use.

Neil,  I'll make it thinner. I only counted to three except for the time I dropped one into the glaze bucket then it was to "OH Cr_p." Thanks.

[Guest JBaymore]

1 hour ago, RonSa said:

..........except for the time I dropped one into the glaze bucket then it was to "OH Cr_p."

I've never done that. 

best,

................john

[Chilly]

13 hours ago, JBaymore said:

I've never done that. 

best,

................john

 

Can't be a real potter yet then  

[Guest]

On 11/17/2017 at 3:42 PM, RonSa said:

Should I be concerned?

 

On 11/17/2017 at 3:53 PM, Min said:

Yeah,  if the dry glaze cracked it will crawl when fired. If they were mine I would wash them off and redo them for the next load when they have dried out.

 

On 11/17/2017 at 4:59 PM, JBaymore said:

You kind of "shave off" the semi dry glaze where it is thicker to have it "merge" with the thickness of the surrounding glaze

After I scraped them the glaze was a lot thicker than I thought, thanks again for the heads up. I tried both methods on two different mugs.