When dip glazing, it is almost always a very good idea to make certain you have prepared your pots well, including giving their bottoms a good coating of wax resist. You also need to make sure that the glaze has been prepared properly. Stir it thoroughly but gently (ensuring no air bubbles get into it) with a stick before you put your pot into it. The thinner the consistency of the glaze, the longer the pot will need to be dipped. To glaze interiors, glazes can be quickly poured into a pot, left three seconds, then quickly poured back into the glaze bucket. Any excess glaze can be flicked off using a sharp rotation of the wrist while keeping the pot’s rim parallel to the floor, it can be wiped off with a sponge or towel, or it can be left as it is, for its decorative effect. Glazes can also be poured over the outside surfaces of a pot. This is often done to apply a thinner coat of glaze over the top of a base layer of glaze. The two glazes will interact, at least to some degree, often resulting in a more interesting glaze with greater visual depth. Be careful not to mix different glazes if you are using different colors. Commercial glazes are made to smooth out most brush marks, so if you want to use the brush marks as part of your pottery’s decoration, make certain to noticeably vary the thickness of the glaze coat as you apply it. You still need to make sure that the glazes have been stirred well before use. The best brushes for this job tend to be the synthetic sables. They are both durable and can spring back from such use. Always wash your brushes fully after use.
The nozzles used must be large enough to handle glaze particles without gumming up and becoming plugged.Spraying glazes should always be done in a spray booth with adequate ventilation for safety reasons.A well-maintained dual-cartridge respirator which is NIOSH/MSHA approved should always be worn whenever spraying any ceramic materials, including glazes.
