Glazing an awkward size/shape

[Tumbleweed Pottery 5]

I have a commission for 12 slab built platters. I am using a new GR pottery form I have, and the two I have as greenware right now look awesome. They are roughly 8x13 rectangles. They do have feet, but not all the way around the plate. Just enough to keep them off the ground, and one to support the middle.

I plan to wax these feet and glaze the rest of the piece one color.

My client (my cousin, hence why I’m probably doing more for her than I would another client I don’t know from Adam) wants 3 different glazes (4 of each). One of them we have in my communal studio, and two others we don’t. I planned to buy 25# dry mix of one of the glazes (because it’s cheap, and I like it enough to use in my personal studio), but only 5# of the other because I just don’t like the color and don’t plan to use it afterwards except for commission pieces (watch this be my most popular color!).

I plan to dip 8 of them in the 5 gallon pails, half and half if there’s not enough glaze to cover all 13” of the plate. But on the other color, how should I go about glazing with only 5# dry mix?

I have considered pouring onto the piece, catching the excess in a pan. And then there’s brushing on the glazes with some CMC gum mixed in, but I’m way out of my element there. Any brush on glazes I’ve bought have been pre-mixed with gum (ie Amaco pints). Plus, I would then render that small pail of glaze forever a brush-on glaze.

How would you all handle this larger, more awkward piece for those remaining 4 pieces?

Edited June 17 by Tumbleweed Pottery

[liambesaw 1,564]

Use a dishwashing pan and just pour it on.  If you have a wide enough pan to fit the entire piece in, you can just lay it down in there and pour glaze over it, flip it over and pour the back.  I use a large Kimchi mixing pan because they are very cheap large round containers that work awesome.  If you have an h-mart around you they sell the large plastic kimchi tubs for 15 bucks.

[Tumbleweed Pottery 5]

14 minutes ago, liambesaw said:

Use a dishwashing pan and just pour it on.  If you have a wide enough pan to fit the entire piece in, you can just lay it down in there and pour glaze over it, flip it over and pour the back.  I use a large Kimchi mixing pan because they are very cheap large round containers that work awesome.  If you have an h-mart around you they sell the large plastic kimchi tubs for 15 bucks.

My husband brought that idea up. How do you get around having finger smudges on your wet glaze? I have tongs, but they don’t seem like they’d fit the bill here.

[liambesaw 1,564]

I get a little glaze on my finger and touch up any finger marks.  

If you are really worried about marks and you have a sprayer you can just spray the front and wait for it to dry, then spray the back as well.

[Callie Beller Diesel 1,708]

If the glaze in question doesn’t show drips on application, Liam’s suggestion of just touching up the marks with a fingertip or a brush is your best bet. 

[Min 2,276]

One of my favourite glazing tools are staple removers, they just leave 2 tiny snakebite marks on the surface. I would use one staple remover to hold the pot nearly vertical over a catch basin then with your other hand pour the glaze over the pot. I would do each side right after the other to minimize glaze overlaps showing. If you have someone to help it would help if they held the pot while you poured. (and practice with a tray or something to get the rhythm right before doing the pots) Where the glaze goes around the staple remover I just rub the snakebite marks over when the glaze is dry.

If you do decide to make the dipping glaze up as a brushing glaze then I would just add the CMC (or brushing medium or Magma) to the small amount of glaze needed to glaze these pots and save the rest to use for a dipping glaze. Would save making up 5lbs of brushing glaze when you don't need that much.

 

[CactusPots 93]

To size up the dishwashing basin, a concrete mixing tub from Home Depot.  I drill 2 holes on each side and run 2 rods across.  Then put the pot on the rods and the whole mess on the wheel.  Center and pour as the wheel slowly rotates.  Obviously, this only works for the outside of the pot.

 

[Bill Kielb 579]

On 6/17/2019 at 2:14 PM, Tumbleweed Pottery said:

I have a commission for 12 slab built platters. I am using a new GR pottery form I have, and the two I have as greenware right now look awesome. They are roughly 8x13 rectangles. They do have feet, but not all the way around the plate. Just enough to keep them off the ground, and one to support the middle.

I plan to wax these feet and glaze the rest of the piece one color.

My client (my cousin, hence why I’m probably doing more for her than I would another client I don’t know from Adam) wants 3 different glazes (4 of each). One of them we have in my communal studio, and two others we don’t. I planned to buy 25# dry mix of one of the glazes (because it’s cheap, and I like it enough to use in my personal studio), but only 5# of the other because I just don’t like the color and don’t plan to use it afterwards except for commission pieces (watch this be my most popular color!).

I plan to dip 8 of them in the 5 gallon pails, half and half if there’s not enough glaze to cover all 13” of the plate. But on the other color, how should I go about glazing with only 5# dry mix?

I have considered pouring onto the piece, catching the excess in a pan. And then there’s brushing on the glazes with some CMC gum mixed in, but I’m way out of my element there. Any brush on glazes I’ve bought have been pre-mixed with gum (ie Amaco pints). Plus, I would then render that small pail of glaze forever a brush-on glaze.

How would you all handle this larger, more awkward piece for those remaining 4 pieces?

My wife has these forms as well so when she wants a perfect finish (often applies underglaze artwork to them) I spray them. Spraying takes longer than dipping but does allow for precise smooth application. Many of her commission pieces need to be precise and show off the artwork as well so this may not be worth your effort.

I spray the bottom first by setting the inverted platter on a suitable spacer elevating them a bit on the banding wheel and spray away not having to worry about overspray migrating  or collecting at the edges since they are elevated by the spacer. After a short time I flip it on its legs  (often on a batt on the banding wheel) and spray the front.

the banding wheel allows me to  spray evenly all around and the spacer I use allows me to easily spray the edges precisely without the buildup that can occur when the edges of the item are in  direct contact with the surface below. In this way I can spray front and back two different glazes and be pretty precise with the edge joint without a bunch of effort.

once set up, I can easily spray several platters and simply move from one to the next using the drying time between coats to move on to the next platter.

I have included a couple examples of this type of application below on smaller bowls. Sorry only pics I have convenient, but gives an idea of the above method. Her  commissions are often matching sets with similar hand painted artwork throughout the set. If I don’t get the glaze just right, I am usually in huge trouble for destroying the hand painted work effort.