MKG001 Posted January 1, 2023 Report Share Posted January 1, 2023 Hi! I'm trying to create a smooth, glossy white surface with Mayco Stroke and Coat Cottontail on a light clay body, but the glaze is coming out rough and pitted. I used 3 coats of the glaze and fired to cone 5. I tried to brush it on nice and evenly. I've attached photos of the bisqued test-piece and the glazed surface. I'd greatly appreciate advice on this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted January 1, 2023 Report Share Posted January 1, 2023 The rough areas look like it wasn't on thick enough. The pinholes could be from the firing schedule, poor bisque firing, or could just be from the texture of the clay itself. But start with dialing in the application. Make sure you apply each coat of glaze with lots of glaze on your brush so it flows nicely, and apply each coat in the opposite direction of the previous coat. It takes practice, for sure. Callie Beller Diesel, Rae Reich and MKG001 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MKG001 Posted January 1, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 1, 2023 (edited) Thanks for your suggestions! I didn't realize that the glaze results could be so dependent on brushing technique. I'm using a Hake brush, by the way. Is dipping easier/more reliable? Since you mentioned the firing, here are those details: The bisque firing was cone04 with Skutt defaults including a 1 hour preheat at 180F. It took about 16h to reach cone04, and I opened it probably another 16h later at about 125F. The glaze firing was a Skutt factory default "medium" to cone 5 and took 8 hours to reach the target temperature. I opened it at about 110F. Edited January 1, 2023 by MKG001 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MKG001 Posted January 1, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 1, 2023 Just wondering... maybe there is also another white glaze (Amaco HF-11?) that might be more forgiving? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MKG001 Posted January 1, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 1, 2023 ... This might sound odd, but for the piece I'm working on, I'm aiming for a smooth, uniform, glossy, almost "factory-made" surface. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kswan Posted January 1, 2023 Report Share Posted January 1, 2023 Something else that may help you is to get the surface smooth after you trim. It looks like you have grog raised above the rest of the surface, maybe from wiping with a sponge. Trimming can also drag grog across the clay and leave grooves and holes. After you trim, smooth your piece with a flexible rib (metal or silicone) to even out the trimming lines and push grog back down into the clay. Hulk, Rae Reich, MKG001 and 3 others 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MKG001 Posted January 2, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 2, 2023 Okay, I will give that a try. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Kielb Posted January 2, 2023 Report Share Posted January 2, 2023 This is a low fire glaze that will melt at 06, yet can be fired to cone 6 without dripping so likely high in alumina. My sense is your application is too thin. It’s hard not to have brush stroke lines and therefore brushing in multiple directions is the suggested. Your application almost looks smooth and sprayed. Stir your glaze well, apply as shown in many of the videos on their website waiting for the previous coat to dry. Glaze will not smooth everything, so the smoother your trimmed work the better. Metal ribs do a nice job of smoothing or burnishing smooth. MKG001 and Rae Reich 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MKG001 Posted January 2, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 2, 2023 Thank you! Is there a brush that is better than a hake brush for putting on good, thick coats? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Kielb Posted January 2, 2023 Report Share Posted January 2, 2023 (edited) This may help Take a look at this video https://youtu.be/hwUIxyTN3lg, she uses a hake brush and applies very liberally. Hake brushes are often used by artists for washes and are fine. Any brush that allows you to load and apply a smooth even heavy coat is fine. Mayco examples here https://youtu.be/YXCzbS1b9tA Edited January 2, 2023 by Bill Kielb MKG001 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly in AK Posted January 2, 2023 Report Share Posted January 2, 2023 The bisque piece looks like you sponged it over while it was greenware. The sandy surface is from wiping away the clay and leaves grog sticking out. Like Bill said, smooth surfaces with a rib or flat smooth tool and push the grog in. The gritty surface multiplies odds of glaze defects. At cone 04 putting a layer of clear glaze on top of Stroke and Coat glazes has worked well for my students, but I have to say they use it on its own without problems too. None of them have played with it at cone 5/6, so that’s unknown territory for me. Babs, Rae Reich and MKG001 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeeU Posted January 3, 2023 Report Share Posted January 3, 2023 On 1/1/2023 at 6:06 PM, MKG001 said: another white glaze I find Coyote's cone 6 White MBG023, when applied as Neil described, to look like a glossy white mug you might get at Target. I also find that Stroke & Coat is not that great for mid-fire and the results are not always consistent w/what the labeling says the 05 will look like at 5. Kelly in AK 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MKG001 Posted January 3, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 3, 2023 (edited) Thanks I am going to try this. Do you have a cone 5 or 6 strong shiny red to recommend also? Edited January 3, 2023 by MKG001 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Callie Beller Diesel Posted January 3, 2023 Report Share Posted January 3, 2023 A friend of mine who runs a paint your own pottery place uses Stroke and Coat for their underglaze colours, but she also covers all the pieces with a clear coat of glaze. Stroke and Coats can be a little on the dry/stiff side sometimes, and a zinc free clear glaze can help with that. The colours tend to be very stable, so if all you want is more gloss, that could be a very easy fix. MKG001 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bny Posted January 24, 2023 Report Share Posted January 24, 2023 I have had good glossy results with Cotton Tail and other Mayco Stroke and Coat glazes up to cone 1, but more usually at 06 or 04. Bodies were Clay Planet Low Fire White and its lightly sand/grogged low fire cousin San Jose White, last year's formulations. I have had good results both as a sole body glaze (The Blues, Tuxedo black), and, for most colors in sample kits #1 and #3, in sort of Mishima technique with a clear overglaze of Mayco Crystal Clear Dipping glaze (brush applied). Not a Mayco ad, but their sample kits are very handy for color patterning tests, and fun for coffee cups and small decorative items. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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