Thanks to the kiln disaster of last month due to some electricity problems (thanks Eskom!) and an unstable kiln – I have been looking at ways to fire and glaze my 3D clay prints in the shortest time possible, with the least amount of risk.
Seriously though, being a potter means there is always a curve ball in the review mirror, but after losing my entire collection (which I seriously thought about super gluing back together) – I am still scarred.
They say potters are the best at dealing with failure because of so many uncertainties during the creation process, but that still doesn’t mean we don’t feel every mishap and crack.
After a few sleepless nights, I decided to deliberate with a pottery confidante of mine, and we came to the conclusion that I need to look at how I can change it up.
To reduce the risk of a glaze not working in an unstable kiln I should look at spray glazing – instead of dipping my work in the glaze as I have always done.
In this way I can easily monitor the thickness of the glaze and have more control.
I suspect that because my printed walls are so thin, a problem of the “clay body fit” can occur with the glaze.
Clay and glazes expand during heating and contract when cooled.
Therefore, it can cause problems if the glaze is applied too thickly, causing tiny cracks all over the glazed body, or having the work literally break into pieces as you pick it up – BEEN THERE… DONE THAT!!
After coming up with a plan of attack, I went on with 3D printing some new clay works (with the glaze firing never far from my mind).
Once all the works were bisque fired and ready, I decided to play my cards right this time and only risk one work by spray glazing it.
Holding my thumbs and hoping the kiln god’s were betting on me getting this right, I was given a short demonstration on how the process worked.
Now I have never used a spray gun, and to be honest I actually bought one last year but I have never touched it * NOTE – go through all of your cupboards, you may not remember all the things you have bought that you never used!.
And if you don’t know this about me yet, I am not the biggest fan of glazing either.
I could lie and say all potters love glazing… but no… many of us dread it.
As I took over, I was however surprised by how easily I the glaze stuck to the form once I started spraying.
The form effortlessly changed into a beautiful powdery white without me even getting my hands dirty… what a joy.
My mind started drifting to snapshots of future works that would never have to be dipped and rolled in a glaze ever again, and it was like I was in pottery heaven.
Coming back down to earth… I finished it off and into the kiln it went!
After an A-OK from the kiln gods, I could feel my anxiety start to relax a bit.
The excitement took over as I made my way to the other studio to pick up a solid work of art and not a confetti of pottery rings [INSERT PREVIOUS BLOG HERE 😊].
My next few works have all been spray glazed and I am eagerly waiting for them to come out of the kiln – so watch this space.
I also feel like I have emerged from the dark-side of the glaze shown-down as the potter boss… so you can go and SUCK-IT glaze!