Production Process » Glazing
Most of the glazes are applied by spraying,
using an inexpensive, gravity-feed paint sprayer. Spraying gives precise control over the application thickness of the glazes and allows for
a broad range of possible combinations as various layers are applied over one another. Some of these glazes need to be applied very thin,
sometimes with only one quick pass with the sprayer as the pot revolves on a banding wheel; while others need to be applied thick with
several passed needed. Large bowls and platters are easily covered this way. Although some pieces, like mugs and vases, are partially
glazed by pouring and dipping, every piece gets at least one pass with the sprayer and some are glazed entirely this way.
When most of the space in the clay studio
is filled with pots, I begin the process of bisque firing them in this old kiln shown to the right. This kiln was fired thousands of times,
mostly for glaze firings, at the studio where I apprenticed. Once it was considered not worth fixing anymore, it was replaced and eventually
given to me.
I rewired all of its electrical components and sprayed a special coating on the inside to prolong the life of the soft firebrick. It looks like I will get another thousand or so firings out of it. It takes about four bisque firings in this kiln to get enough pots to fill the large kiln for a glaze firing.
As the pots are unloaded from the
bisque kiln they are brought back to the clay studio, which is then transformed into the glazing studio. Every available flat surface is used
during the process in order to glaze the 200 or so pots needed to fill the kiln.
A company that installs kitchen sinks gives me all the Formica™ cutouts I can use. Most of the tables, shelves, carts, and even the spray booth are made from this easy-to-clean material.
Pictured on the right are bowls with the
Lotus Flower design, glazed and ready to be wheeled across the driveway into the kiln shed. Below are some teapots and vases
with the green ash glaze applied that are ready to fire, as well as some other pots in various stages of the glazing process.
Next step: Loading the Kiln >>
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