DIY Network

Glazing the Bowl Glazing the Bowl From "Throwing Clay" episode DTHC-105

Figure A

Master potter Bill Van Gilder is making a chip and dip bowl. So far, he's thrown three pieces: a large bowl with a twisted rim, a small bowl and a stem. When the pieces were leather hard, he trimmed them and cut a hole in the base of the large bowl. He assembled the small bowl and stem to make a goblet. Once the pieces were bone dry, he fired them in a bisque kiln. He's now ready to glaze the pottery (figure A).

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1. Bill suspends the bowl on a clay cylinder, allowing it to rotate evenly as the base is waxed. He also turns the bowl over and waxes the inner edge of the hole, working through the bottom of the bowl (figure B) (figure C).

Figure B

Figure C

2. The goblet is not waxed. It will be glazed and stand in the large bowl during the high-temperature firing, which, because of the glaze, will seal the two pieces together.

3. Bill has tested his glazes and picked two colors. The majority of the bowl will be dipped in a white glaze. A small amount of the bowl will be glazed a shade of blue. Where the colors overlap, the color will change to a blue/green shade.

4. Three-quarters of the bowl is submerged in the white glaze and held to a count of four (figure D).

5. Next, Bill glazes the inside stem of the goblet. He uses a small measuring cup to fill the stem with glaze, then pours the glaze back into the glaze vat. He dips the outside stem to just below the foot of the bowl, then lets it dry upside down, which prevents any accidental glaze drips from marring the finish (figure E).

Figure D

Figure E

6. When dry, the large bowl is partially redipped in a blue glaze. Before redipping, Bill cleans any accidental glaze drops that have stuck to the wax. Any wax drops that accidentally become attached to the bisque ware (the glaze) prior to firing can be removed and the remaining spot covered with white glaze.

7. He dips the small bowl in the glaze at an angle, letting the liquid cover the inside of the bowl. The glaze must cover the rim of the bowl completely since the rim is the area that will be attached to the large bowl (figure F).

8. When the white glaze has dried, the bowl is redipped in blue glaze, then held still until the glaze stops moving on the finish before turning the bowl over (figure G).

Figure F

Figure G

9. The goblet is placed in the center of the bowl and the piece is loaded in the kiln. During firing, the glazed parts can touch only where the bowl and goblet meet; they'll fuse together during firing to become one piece of pottery (figure H) (figure I).

10. The kiln fires for 10 to 12 hours at a temperature of 2200 degrees, then cools for at least 24 hours before being unloaded. The bowl is now ready for use (figure J).

Figure H

Figure I

Figure J

RESOURCES :

Kilns
L & L Kilns
Website: www.hotkilns.com

Clay
Highwater Clays
Website: www.highwaterclays.com

Extruders
American Art Clay Co. Inc. (AMACO)
Website: www.amaco.com