Glaze Recipes and Expert Tips for Great Pottery Glazing Results Frank James Fisher

In ceramics, finding the perfect glaze for your work is only part of the challenge. If the application is sloppy, it will show in the finished glazed piece!

So in this post, Frank James Fisher shares some handy tips to make sure your glaze goes on right. He also shares recipes for three cone 6 glazes that work very well together. -  Jennifer Poellot Harnetty, editor

Glazing Tips

Glaze needs a firm clean surface to cling to, so always wipe bisqueware before glazing to prevent glaze from sliding off onto a kiln shelf during firing.

Glazing very dry bisque surfaces can result in an extra-thick glaze application, because the moisture from the wet glaze is quickly absorbed into the dry bisque, causing a thick layer of glaze to adhere.

Wiping the surface with a damp sponge before glazing yields a thinner glaze layer. Don’t use too much water, however, which may cause the glaze to run off the bisque resulting in a thin or uneven coat.

The best sponges for glazing are the large wallpaper sponges sold at building supply stores. These sponges have small pores and are excellent for wiping wet glaze off pots. A large-pore sponge doesn’t last as long and leaves uneven edges.

If you need to wipe glaze off your pot, do so while the glaze is still wet. Wet glaze is removed more easily and results in less staining than if you wait until the glaze is dry on the pot.

**First published in 2009