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Glazing Checklist

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R. Burkett - SDSU 1993

Have you checked the following:

• Glaze stirred completely and frequently (no lumps or thick stuff on
  the bottom)
• Proper glaze for the type of firing (raku for cone 08-06; low-fire
  for cone 06-05; midrange for cone 5-6; stoneware for cone 10)
• Glaze application thickness is okay (If glaze is cracking and peeling off
  piece, it's probably applied too thickly or improperly.)
• No big drips near the foot of the piece
  No glaze on the foot of the piece (clean off glaze up the side of ware
  for 1/4 to 3/8 inch with stoneware, lowfire can be glazed to the foot or
  fired on stilts)
• Glazed piece placed on proper ware rack
  

Ways to apply glaze:

• Raku: Brush, pour, dip, spray (be sure to screen glaze before spraying)
• Stoneware: Pour, dip, spray, brush (brushing may give an uneven surface
  with many stoneware glazes - pouring or dipping best for even
  color)
• Lowfire commercial glazes: brushing (preferred) or spraying (spraying
  may be done with an airbrush, as the lowfire glazes are very finely
  ground)
• NOTE: Always wear an approved dust mask (NIOSH # TC21-C) when spraying
  glazes or any type of ceramic material!
  

Types of glaze resists:

• Wax emulsion, masking tape, crayons, latex rubber ("Mask & Peel" - peel
  off before firing!), removable labels, anything greasy, wet bisqueware

Ways to obtain color and other effects on clay and glaze:

• On raw clay (greenware): Slips, underglazes (opaque and transparent)
• On bisqueware: commercial underglazes (dampen bisqueware, apply several
  thin coats - transparent adhere best), engobes, oxide washes, glaze,
  slips (over textured surfaces only - most slips may crack off due to
  high clay content & shrinkage)
• Over raw glaze: oxide washes, other glazes, glaze trailing, thin slip
  or engobe (for a crusty surface - thick applications on vertical
  surfaces fall off)
  

Safety Concerns - IMPORTANT!

• Know what you are using!
• Don't eat, drink, or smoke when using glazes, slips, oxides, or
  underglazes.
• Whenever possible, keep hands out of glazes or wear rubber gloves - especially with glazes that contain toxic or caustic materials.
• Wash hands after glazing. Clean up and change out of work clothes when
  leaving studio. Wearing an apron can help to keep glaze off your clothes.
• Wear your dust mask when spraying anything! (And make sure it works
  for the chemicals you're spraying!)
• Read the labels! Especially on all commercial or new products.
• DO NOT use raku and lowfire glazes (these glazes craze over porous
  clay) or ANY lead-containing glaze on surfaces that could be used with
  food.
  

 

 

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