Ceramic Glazing Instructions
Although beautiful ceramic pottery begins with flawless molding and construction, it is incomplete without a clean glaze finish. Glazes add another dimension to the aesthetics of the piece and emphasize small details that were carefully designed into the clay. Potters use a variety of methods to glaze their pottery, but novices typically utilize the dip method because of the ease of application.
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Things You'll Need
- Ceramic pottery piece
- Glaze
- Wide, deep bowl
- Electric mixer
- Sponge
- Water
- Small sand paper squares
- Drying rack
- Small cleaning brush
- Plastic or latex gloves (optional)
Instructions
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Prepare the pottery
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1
Wash your hands to remove oils and lotion before handling the pottery. Oil and lotion create resistance spots on the piece which reject the glaze. Wear plastic or latex gloves if you want, though not required.
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2
Hold the pottery securely in your hand. Take a sand paper square in your other hand and lightly scrub the piece. Smooth uneven surfaces and bumps on the clay.
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3
Lightly dampen a sponge with water and smooth it on the surface of the clay. Get rid of shaven clay particles created by the sand paper. Clean the sponge after each use so you don't transfer the particles back onto the pottery.
Prepare the glaze
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4
Choose the glaze color and pour it into the bowl. Do not mix different color glazes in the same bowl.
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5
Place the electric mixer in the bowl while it is in the off position. Turn the mixer on to a medium speed. Stir the glaze thoroughly by moving the mixer from the top to the bottom layers of the glaze. Keep the blades of the mixer in the glaze.
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6
Turn the mixer off and pull it out of the glaze. Shake the mixer to remove the glaze. Remove the blade and clean the glaze off with soap and water. The glaze is harder to remove when it dries.
Glaze the pottery
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7
Turn the pottery upside down and hold the bottom firmly in your hand.
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8
Dip the pottery in the glaze up to 3/4 of its length. Avoid touching the sides and bottom of the bowl. Quickly pull the pottery out of the bowl and shake off any extra glaze. Do not add an additional coat of glaze. If glaze drips onto a previously glazed area, wait for it to dry. Take the cleaning brush and lightly scrape it off.
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9
Remove glaze that spilled on the bottom of the piece. Take a damp sponge and wipe the bottom of the pottery. Clean off the sides at least 1/2 -inch from the bottom. The pottery sticks to the kiln during the firing process if there is glaze on the bottom.
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10
Place the pottery on the drying rack on a side that is not glazed.
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1
References
- Photo Credit pottery image by Gina Smith from Fotolia.com
