"glazing Pots & Lids" 101, Please

[Isculpt]

I have been following the post regarding lids stuck to pots by glaze, and it has raised some basic questions for me. I make sculptures, paint them with underglazes and fire them to cone 06. No sticking glaze issues because I only use underglazes. But I was invited to enter two sculptural teapots in a teapot show, and I suddenly find myself with glaze issues! I have bisqued the "pots", underglaze fired them (both firings at 06), and now it's time to add a clear satin cone 5 glaze. I had assumed that the lid and pot would be fired separate from each other, but after reading the post, it looks like that's not the way it's done (perhaps because they need to stay together to avoid warping differently from each other?) If I'm understanding this correctly, and I am supposed to fire them together, what is the secret to keeping them from sticking? Does it all come down to waxing? And do I have to worry about the glaze melting and running past the wax into the well where the lid and pot fit together? For that matter, since the two sculpture "pots" don't have a foot like typical functional ware, how far up the side of the pot must I wax to avoid glaze running down and sticking the sculpture to the shelf?

 

All of this leads me to what may be obvious to a functional potter, but seems like a stumbling block to me: I would rather that the pots be completely glazed around the neck openings, but if I have to fire the pots with their lids in place, it seems that it isn't possible. Am I missing something?

[Natz]

Hi

I have found that if you wax a circle on the "ínside"of the lid, more in from the centre

I run a pencil line roughly around a round prop pressed gently onto the inside of the lid, before waxing this area, let dry

Then dip the lid in the glaze - rest the lid right way up on the prop carefully and place beside the glazed pot into the kiln -This gives the lid an all over glazed appearance and also the pot rim - and only when you turn the lid over do you see the small circle of unglazed area

I hope this helps

Natz - in Australia