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how to make a glaze less chalky when applied?

updated fri 24 jul 09

 

Carole Fox on thu 23 jul 09


At the International Ceramics Festival in Wales this summer, I learned =3D
from Chris Gustin this handy tip: Spray the work with 50/50 white glue =3D
and water. The hardened surface makes it possible to maneuver large work =
=3D
w/o fear of damage to the glaze coat.

Woo-hoo! I had fun in Wales - going to the festival, visiting the =3D
studios of some potters in Wales and England, seeing the sights with =3D
Jacqui K. I came home with the most exquisite porcelain bowl made by =3D
Phil Mumford- a student of Lucy Rie and Hans Coper. He was just the =3D
nicest man! He invited us in for tea and showed me his collection of =3D
special pots. What a thrill!

Carole Fox
Silver Fox Pottery
Elkton, MD
silverfoxpottery@comcast.net

----- Original Message -----=3D20
From: "James Freeman"
To:
Sent: Tuesday, July 21, 2009 8:15 PM
Subject: Re: how to make a glaze less chalky when applied?


> This solution won't be practical for Paul's production ware, but might
> prove useful to folks making large one off pieces. Many of my
> sculptural pieces are very large and cumbersome. There is no way to
> maneuver them into the kiln without handling the glazed surface, so I
> often accidentally rubbed off areas of glaze, which required removal
> from the kiln, touching up, then trying again. As an experiment, I
> sprayed a glazed piece with lacquer from an aerosol can, laying it on
> fairly heavily. The lacquer dried very quickly and hardened up the
> dry glaze quite nicely. I also sprayed some fresh glaze over the
> lacquered coat in one area just to see what would happen. I was able
> to handle the lacquered piece and load it into the kiln without even a
> trace of glaze rubbing off. The piece fired just fine, even the area
> where the fresh glaze was atop the lacquer. I was working in the
> studio as the piece fired, and never noticed any bothersome fumes nor
> odor.
>=3D20
> I hope this helps someone besides me rather than just wasting your =3D
bandwidth.
>=3D20
> ...James
>=3D20
> James Freeman
>=3D20
> "All I say is by way of discourse, and nothing by way of advice. I
> should not speak so boldly if it were my due to be believed."
> -Michel de Montaigne
>=3D20
> http://www.jamesfreemanstudio.com
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesfreemanstudio/
> http://www.jamesfreemanstudio.com/clayart/
>=3D20
>=3D20
>=3D20
>=3D20
> On Tue, Jul 14, 2009 at 2:30 PM, Paul Borian wrote:
>> I am changing out my old rutile blue, which was fairly high in epk, =3D
to a
>> different one that has no clay at all. I have a feeling that is the
>> reason why it is very chalky when applied and easy to chip off. It =3D
also
>> seems to leave a lot more "bubbles" and such on the surface just =3D
after
>> pots are dipped in it and I am concerned that some of them may not
>> smooth out. When I rub them over with my fingers it tends to remove =3D
more
>> glaze than I want to.
>>
>>
>>
>> Any tips on how to deal with this issue? Is there some kind of =3D
additive
>> that could help?
>>
>>
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Paul
>>