best brushes for glazing

[elaine clapper]

For years I have applied my glazes by dipping. I like the process. I like the results. That means I need to have 3-5 gallons of a glaze to work as I have been.  Glaze is getting more and more expensive. I am thinking  I might change things up and try to brush my glaze.  So I need to buy some brushes...  Any recommendations on brushes?

 

[Kelly in AK]

I’m a fan of soft moppy brushes for applying glaze. I have a couple Mayco 3/4” mops and a Duncan 1” mop I use. Hake brushes are great for larger areas like plates. They hold a lot of glaze and apply it evenly. That said, I have a wide variety of brushes. The sumi brushes are probably my next most used, for decoration. I use stiff bristled brushes for mixing small quantities of glaze. And I can’t forget the cheap practically disposable chip brush, natural bristle, from the hardware store. They leave a character of brushstroke that’s really nice if you’re into that sort of thing. I usually use them for slip. 

[neilestrick]

3 hours ago, elaine clapper said:

For years I have applied my glazes by dipping. I like the process. I like the results. That means I need to have 3-5 gallons of a glaze to work as I have been.  Glaze is getting more and more expensive. I am thinking  I might change things up and try to brush my glaze.  So I need to buy some brushes...  Any recommendations on brushes?

 

Have you been mixing your own glazes from scratch, or buying pre-mixed dry glazes?

[davidh4976]

The Mayco and Amaco fan brushes are excellent. But, I find that I use these fan brushes from Amazon more often: https://a.co/d/goF7COH

[Callie Beller Diesel]

I got a n inexpensive calligraphy brush set from that South American River website. They’ve been good for slip application and they’d be good for dotting or coarse line work/stripes. 

That said, if you’ve been buying commercial dipping glazes, mixing your own doesn’t have to be that intimidating. You have forum friends who can help vet recipes or supply some even. 

[High Bridge Pottery]

These squirrel hair brushes are the best. They do cost a lot but 100% worth it in my opinion. The big one I have holds enough glaze in 1 dip to do a full coat on the outside of a mug.

[PeterH]

4 minutes ago, High Bridge Pottery said:

These squirrel hair brushes are the best. They do cost a lot but 100% worth it in my opinion. The big one I have holds enough glaze in 1 dip to do a full coat on the outside of a mug.

Winsor & Newton?
https://www.winsornewton.com/row/brushes/watercolour-brushes/professional-watercolour-squirrel-brushes/

[High Bridge Pottery]

That's them, I just checked and mine is a size 12.

[elaine clapper]

On 8/6/2024 at 7:35 PM, neilestrick said:

Have you been mixing your own glazes from scratch, or buying pre-mixed dry glazes?

I have been using 25 lb dry Amaco Potter's choice.  I have avoided mixing totally from scratch. My studio is in my basement and I do not want to store the raw materials in the house. With the dry potter's choice I only buy and immediately mix it when the weather allows me to do it outside.  In north central Ohio that is not all year long. I do realize that if I switch to brush application I may have to switch glaze also. I will just experiment and see how it goes.

[Callie Beller Diesel]

I feel you on that cold weather mixing thing! If I have to do it in the cold months, and especially with a pre mixed glaze, I take my bucket with water and a lid outside long enough to add powdered ingredients, slap a lid on and bring it back in.  It can slake in peace in the warmth, and no dust cloud in the house.

[neilestrick]

4 hours ago, elaine clapper said:

I have been using 25 lb dry Amaco Potter's choice.  I have avoided mixing totally from scratch. My studio is in my basement and I do not want to store the raw materials in the house. With the dry potter's choice I only buy and immediately mix it when the weather allows me to do it outside.  In north central Ohio that is not all year long. I do realize that if I switch to brush application I may have to switch glaze also. I will just experiment and see how it goes.

You can get all the Potter's Choice glazes in pints and gallons ready to brush, so you shouldn't have to switch colors. The dry mix is probably cheaper in the long run, but you can by smaller quantities so you're not spending so much at a time. If you plan to buy smaller quantities of the dry mix, you'll need to make up some gum solution to make them brushable.

[elaine clapper]

Thank you, I appreciate everyone's input.

[Pyewackette]

Have you considered pouring your glazes?  Get a piece of aluminum angle ... stuff.  

https://www.homedepot.com/b/Hardware-Metal-Stock-Angles/Aluminum/N-5yc1vZ2fkos9rZ1z115lq?sortorder=asc&sortby=price

It comes in 3' and 4' lengths, cut one of those in half and you'll have 2 pieces either 18" or 2' long.  Place these across a plastic bin or bucket, balance your piece on the pointy parts, and pour your glaze over the piece.  You can smooth over any voids (if any) left where the piece was resting on the angle stuff.

Or just use a couple flat pieces of wood.  When I do this I glaze inside first, wax the bottom, balance the piece on the angle or flat pieces (if its tall and wobbly I'll go flat), pour from bottom to top, let that set up until you can handle the piece, dip the rim.  There are a lot of ways to do this, just check out youtube.

Here is Simon Leach pouring glaze though I find his method particularly messy.  Just check out various ways to pour glaze and pick what works for you.

But honestly I don't see this or brushing as a way to save any money.  Sooner or later you're going to have to mix up more glaze, whether you're doing that one gallon at a time or five it really doesn't make a lot of difference.  One gallon 5 times is the same materials cost as 5 gallons once, only a lot more time spent measuring and mixing.

[oldlady]

good ol' dollar tree sells makeup mops that hold a ton at a time.   not pointy but i use them to apply a full covering of slip from top to bottom.   carving through the slip is my final step.   

using colored slip made from your own clay is a simple, just add colorants to the slurry and test for the depth of color you want.   then you can use only one glaze to finish, clear or matte.    another rabbit hole to dig into.

[High Bridge Pottery]

20 hours ago, Pyewackette said:

But honestly I don't see this or brushing as a way to save any money.  Sooner or later you're going to have to mix up more glaze, whether you're doing that one gallon at a time or five it really doesn't make a lot of difference.  One gallon 5 times is the same materials cost as 5 gallons once, only a lot more time spent measuring and mixing.

 

Making a brushing glaze saves me money when I am ready to test a glaze on mugs. I can glaze 3-4 by mixing up 150g of glaze/225ml and brushing it on and I am not sure I could pour the inside and out of that many with 225ml and get a nice surface finish. I find it helps to bridge the gap between test tile and making a bucket of glaze.

[Hulk]

Applying test batch(es), good point High Bridge Pottery!
I typically dip test tiles, and have used squirt applicators for test cylinders, small test bowls, etc., and, and, AND a moppy brush in some cases.

"Squirt" applicator:

  An ear syringe is handy for filling and then sucking out excess glaze.

  A plastic ketchup/condiment squirter is handier for repeat work, for it holds so much more and stands up, but it doesn't suck, err, vacuum up glaze nearly as well as the ear syringe.