Glaze bleeding (crawling) under stencil

[docweathers]

I'm using 4 mil Mylar stencils.  Glaze tends to crawl under the edge of the stencil which takes a lot of work cleaning up. I have tried making the glaze quite thick with CMC.  This is helpful but it is not getting the job done.  I am careful to brush away from the stencil.  

Suggestions please

[Hulk]

Hi Doc!

I've had some luck with tape, glaze (wait for thorough dry), wax (wait for dry), then carefully pull the tape. The patch that was under the tape takes glaze - any bit that gets on the wax blots off easily. The resultant edge between glazes will be sharp, a bit blurred, to very blurred, depending on the glazes. Setting a design in tape can be a pain, but it does work.

The other thing I've tried - borrowed from Tony Hansen - glaze just beyond the desired border (wait for thorough dry), wax (being careful not to get wax on the bisque ...burning it off works ...wait for through dry), cut the desired border in the wax/glaze, sponge clean the the remaining glaze on the unwaxed side of the line (wait for dry), glaze.

Aaand finally, have used paper stencils for underglaze. Seems like underglaze doesn't bleed under the paper, however, the paper may only last for one use - a few at best. Am thinking of spraying the cut paper stencil with some spray lacquer (from a rattle can), heavy on the outside, light on the clay side, so the paper can still stick to the clay - that's the nice thing about paper, it sticks.

From there, will be interested to see what others may suggest!

Oh, forgot about spraying - have had very good luck with spraying over stencils of several types, using the spray booth at school, which I no longer have access to. With spray, the bleeding can be controlled, just don't flood on to the point it wicks/runs under the stencil, as successive applications will build up to the desired thickness ok...

[docweathers]

Thanks Tom, those are some really good ideas. I will give them a try. I am surprised no one else made suggestions.

 

[Mark C.]

Doc I do not use stensils . I do sometimes use wax or lately liquid latex. It peels off cleanly for tight lines

It can only be shippped in summer so now is agood time to order some.I get mine from Laguna Clay Co.

 

[docweathers]

I use latex too... from Laguna Clay.  As just a hobbyist potter, once I get something working,  I lose interest in  it  and start experimenting with something else. Dumb I know, but that is what entertains me.

[neilestrick]

When I use stencils with underglaze, I find that the underglaze will bleed under the stencils. So I do it in reverse- I cover the piece in underglaze, then wipe away the underglaze with the stencil in place. There are limitations to what you can do with this method, but it may be worth exploring.

 

 

[Roberta12]

I have made my stencils out of vinyl that is sticky on the back.  It sticks to bisqueware in most cases.    If I am working on greenware, I use paper stencils.  Put the paper against the pot and lightly spritz with water to make it stick or dab with a sponge.  That will give you an clean crisp line.  

Roberta

[docweathers]

Thanks all for a lot of good ideas to experiment with