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sieving glaze, mixing glaze

updated sat 3 dec 11

 

David Finkelnburg on fri 2 dec 11


This has been said often enough on the list but bears repeating:
--Sieving fresh-mixed glaze through a fine sieve (80 mesh or finer) is a
great way to disperse colorants and prevent color specs. Use it,
especially, with glaze tests. Brushing the sieve surface gently with a
cheap paint brush with natural bristles cut short (~2 cm, 3/4-inch) is
helpful. This is only practical on a small scale or when one has a lot of
time.
--Sieving used glaze through even a coarse sieve forces one to the bottom
of the bucket, and also removes trash like bits of bisque that otherwise
become glaze faults. :-(
--A Talisman glaze sieve with fine screen (80 mesh) is a workhorse manual
way to screen buckets full of glaze quickly and thoroughly. With a coarse
screen (35 mesh) one can simply pour a bucket of glaze through to remove
bisque and other trash.
--A paint mixer on an electric drill is incredibly useful to stir glaze
which has been stored for a length of time in a large plastic bucket. The
design Vince mentioned is best for not damaging the bucket.
--If a glaze is prone to settle, stirring in any way is a requirement! A
wooden "oar" is good, as is a nylon brush, but stir with something. Once
the glaze is suspended and in use, figure out what to do to keep it from
settling so fast--at least so between stirrings one has time to glaze a few
pots.
There are many, many ways to do all of this. This is just a short
summary.
Good Glazing!
Dave Finkelnburg
http://www.mattanddavesclays.com