Using pottery glazing tongs to dip pieces into buckets of glaze is a great way to get a good coat of glaze on a pot without leaving fingerprints. Glazing tongs can also minimize clean up. You can buy ceramic glazing tongs at most pottery suppliers, but as Hazel Frost points out in the May 2024 issue of Ceramics Monthly, you can easily make them from old kitchen tongs too!
In today's post, Hazel shows you how to make your own DIY pottery glazing tongs from repurposed kitchen tongs, and the advantages these handmade glazing tongs provide. –Jennifer Poellot Harnetty, editor
PS. Don't miss any of the ingenious tips provided in each issue of Ceramics Monthly! Subscribe today!
I often like my pottery to have different interior and exterior glazes. Pouring the inside glaze is simple, while the outside glaze application is more finicky. I needed a method to securely grip the pot’s exterior while dipping it into the glaze,
ensuring a smooth application without noticeable marks.
So, I made tongs that can grip the outside of the pot securely enough to dip it into a tub of glaze. Using ordinary kitchen tongs as a base, I flattened the ends, drilled six holes into each end, then drilled screws through the holes to create the gripping
points (1). Arranged in a diamond pattern, these screws ensure that, regardless of the pot’s shape, about three points make contact with each side of the vessel’s exterior, adapting to various configurations securely (2).
What I love about this technique is the bubble that forms inside the pot when it’s dipped face down. This bubble acts as a shield, preserving the inner glaze while facilitating an even coating along the rim.
Additionally, I’ve found that this method allows me to make the most of smaller quantities of glaze. The slender design of the tongs enables them to fit into narrow containers (3), while the interior bubble displaces glaze, stretching its use. With
each dip, the glaze level rises, maximizing the efficiency of even modest amounts.
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Published May 20, 2024
Using pottery glazing tongs to dip pieces into buckets of glaze is a great way to get a good coat of glaze on a pot without leaving fingerprints. Glazing tongs can also minimize clean up. You can buy ceramic glazing tongs at most pottery suppliers, but as Hazel Frost points out in the May 2024 issue of Ceramics Monthly, you can easily make them from old kitchen tongs too!
In today's post, Hazel shows you how to make your own DIY pottery glazing tongs from repurposed kitchen tongs, and the advantages these handmade glazing tongs provide. –Jennifer Poellot Harnetty, editor
PS. Don't miss any of the ingenious tips provided in each issue of Ceramics Monthly! Subscribe today!
I often like my pottery to have different interior and exterior glazes. Pouring the inside glaze is simple, while the outside glaze application is more finicky. I needed a method to securely grip the pot’s exterior while dipping it into the glaze, ensuring a smooth application without noticeable marks.
So, I made tongs that can grip the outside of the pot securely enough to dip it into a tub of glaze. Using ordinary kitchen tongs as a base, I flattened the ends, drilled six holes into each end, then drilled screws through the holes to create the gripping points (1). Arranged in a diamond pattern, these screws ensure that, regardless of the pot’s shape, about three points make contact with each side of the vessel’s exterior, adapting to various configurations securely (2).
What I love about this technique is the bubble that forms inside the pot when it’s dipped face down. This bubble acts as a shield, preserving the inner glaze while facilitating an even coating along the rim.
Additionally, I’ve found that this method allows me to make the most of smaller quantities of glaze. The slender design of the tongs enables them to fit into narrow containers (3), while the interior bubble displaces glaze, stretching its use. With each dip, the glaze level rises, maximizing the efficiency of even modest amounts.
Unfamiliar with any terms in this article? Browse our glossary of pottery terms!
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