Easy way to clean off unwanted glaze from bisqueware

[docweathers]

I have always used a wet sponge to clean off bits of glaze on bisqueware that were unwanted. This is often tricky to get exactly what I wanted off and not get smears of the removed glaze. I just found a much easier and faster way to do it.  Those rectangular green scouring pads provide more precise control and do not leave any smears. The removed glaze is just powder that can be easily blown off.

[Mark C.]

I buy them by the box load myself-the green ones and the brown ones

[docweathers]

You pros know about this stuff. Us beginners fumble on to it.

[Pres]

Lately, I have a bat that I have glued a piece of rubber with thin cloth matt on top. These are sold as area entry matts now. I use it on the wheel with dry and it rubs off most of the bottom area and up the side about 1/4".  Little touch up and I'm done.

 

best,

Pres

[rox54]

16 hours ago, docweathers said:

The removed glaze is just powder that can be easily blown off.

I am thinking that it depends how much dry glaze you're talking about. If it's every pot you glaze, isn't that a lot of dry glaze floating in your studio and into your lungs?

 

[Hulk]

I still have the little round sponge that came with my (first) tool kit - it's a bit worn now; since, have taken Bill Van Gilder's advice and cut large sponges to handy sizes/shapes.

[docweathers]

2 hours ago, rox54 said:

I am thinking that it depends how much dry glaze you're talking about. If it's every pot you glaze, isn't that a lot of dry glaze floating in your studio and into your lungs?

 

I'm not that big of a klutz. It is only a tiny amount here and there

[Callie Beller Diesel]

3 hours ago, docweathers said:

I'm not that big of a klutz. It is only a tiny amount here and there

You could also just wet the scrubby and wring it out if it turns into an issue.

[LinR]

If you're looking to clean up narrow waxed areas a wet Qtip works.  Lin

[Pres]

A sponge brush also works well to clean areas larger than a Q-tip. I use sponge brushes a lot to clean areas around foot rings, or even to load a brush with stain when doing calligraphy. 

 

best,

Pres 

[docweathers]

On 7/1/2021 at 5:03 AM, Pres said:

Lately, I have a bat that I have glued a piece of rubber with thin cloth matt on top. These are sold as area entry matts now. I use it on the wheel with dry and it rubs off most of the bottom area and up the side about 1/4".  Little touch up and I'm done.

 

best,

Pres

I assume this technique generates a lot of dust. How do you deal with the dust?

[Pres]

Actually didn't do much, but yesterday after thinking about it I tried spraying the pad with a mister bottle, no dust. I had originally tried wetting it down with a sponge last year, and it got things too muddy. However, the mister bottle put just enough on to flatten the dust, and not muddy up the bottom. Once done I touch up easily with a damp sponge brush. On my large patens 12" diameter this saves a lot of time.

 

best,

Pres

[docweathers]

I like your idea. However, I am unclear what this thin cloth matt is. Can you describe it in more detail and possibly send a picture? 

[Pres]

@docweathers,The matt/rugs are sold around here as a decorative item, they fit into a frame holder of rubber. The pad/rug is thin rubber, maybe 1/4" with a piece of something that feels like felt on top. This is my pad that I use that I glued onto the old bat, and then stapled the edges.  I only really need the center area to about 8" out, but hope to take a little more time to fill out the edges. 

 

 

 

best,

Pres

[docweathers]

I have mine on order from Amazon. I will put this thing together this weekend. 

thanks for the idea and all the information

[LeeU]

I get the scotch brite-type pot scrubber pads-very thin-from the dollar store & cut them for various clean up/edging purposes-magic eraser, dampened & then & wrung out works well too