Metal Scraping Marks When Cleaning Underglaze

[Lucy]

I am using a white low fire clay and would like to use underglaze to fill lines and drawn or carved designs. When I use a metal rib to scrape away the excess underglaze off the surface of the piece, it leaves blacks marks all over my clay. Is that going to still be visible after firing to cone 06 or will it "burn away?" I tried a wooden rib but it isn't sharp enough to remove the underglaze well and leave a crisp edge where the designs are.

 

Thanks much

[Christine]

I am using a white low fire clay and would like to use underglaze to fill lines and drawn or carved designs. When I use a metal rib to scrape away the excess underglaze off the surface of the piece, it leaves blacks marks all over my clay. Is that going to still be visible after firing to cone 06 or will it "burn away?" I tried a wooden rib but it isn't sharp enough to remove the underglaze well and leave a crisp edge where the designs are.

 

Thanks much

 

 

Hello Lucy .... I've only just seen this post, so you've probably sorted your problem by now, but I thought I'd just make a suggestion - could you not take off the excess underglaze with a sanding pad? If you let your piece dry thoroughly (which I expect you do anyway, prior to scraping it off) this will bring off the excess underglaze a treat. However, you MUST wear a mask whilst sanding.

 

Hope this helps