Fixing uneven wobbly bottoms on tiki mugs - Other Crafts

L LavaLounger Member The Great Plains of Kansas Joined: Dec 27, 2005 Posts: 81	L LavaLounger Posted posted on Thu, Jan 11, 2007 11:51 AM I'll say up front that it's always a gamble to mess with finished ceramics, yet it's simple to even the bottoms of mugs, but only bottoms where the ring base is UNGLAZED, also this works to smooth out burs so they won't scratch surfaces. I do it to all my storebought ceramic mugs so they don't scratch my countertops and tables and I've repaired minor chips on bottoms of some mugs so they don't slice someone's finger open. I also do things like teapots, cups, and decorative items because of the burs left by kiln stilts. Here's how: 320 grit wet/dry sandpaper 600 to 800 grit wet/dry sandpaper I use automotive wet-dry sandpaper. Soak the paper. Soak the mug bottom good and wet. Start with the 320 paper and lay it on a flat surface, grit side up, place mug on paper and with very light pressure and holding the mug near the bottom, make circles with the mug. Keep the sandpaper very wet. After about 10 circles, check the wobble. Rotate the mug a little and do a few more circles until it's reasonably flat. Make sure the paper is kept wet and rinse it once in awhile to get the crud off the paper. Rotate the mug, a few more circles. It won't take long. Don't use heavy pressure as it might make your whole cup lop-sided. Many of the cheap commercial mugs are not fired real hard so they will sand away pretty quick. When you finally get a flat bottom, then use the finer grade of paper, very wet, and keep doing a few circles until you get a nice smooth finish on the bottom of the mug. This can also work on a glazed bottom if you dare, but it will take the glaze off so you are on your own if you want to attempt it. I've done it, but I'm not picky about the value of my mugs. Sometimes there's a glop of baked on glaze on the bottom which makes it wobbly and I've removed it this way, but again, it takes the glaze off. You may have to do a little handwork with the sandpaper around the bottom edge to smooth it out so you don't have a thin rim of glaze sticking out as it'll chip REAL easy. You wanna avoid that. Once you try it, you'll get the hang of it as it takes a little bit of skill so you don't over-sand the bottom. Good luck, LavaLounger

I'll say up front that it's always a gamble to mess with finished ceramics, yet it's simple to even the bottoms of mugs, but only bottoms where the ring base is UNGLAZED, also this works to smooth out burs so they won't scratch surfaces. I do it to all my storebought ceramic mugs so they don't scratch my countertops and tables and I've repaired minor chips on bottoms of some mugs so they don't slice someone's finger open. I also do things like teapots, cups, and decorative items because of the burs left by kiln stilts. Here's how:

320 grit wet/dry sandpaper
600 to 800 grit wet/dry sandpaper

I use automotive wet-dry sandpaper. Soak the paper. Soak the mug bottom good and wet. Start with the 320 paper and lay it on a flat surface, grit side up, place mug on paper and with very light pressure and holding the mug near the bottom, make circles with the mug. Keep the sandpaper very wet. After about 10 circles, check the wobble. Rotate the mug a little and do a few more circles until it's reasonably flat. Make sure the paper is kept wet and rinse it once in awhile to get the crud off the paper. Rotate the mug, a few more circles. It won't take long. Don't use heavy pressure as it might make your whole cup lop-sided. Many of the cheap commercial mugs are not fired real hard so they will sand away pretty quick.

When you finally get a flat bottom, then use the finer grade of paper, very wet, and keep doing a few circles until you get a nice smooth finish on the bottom of the mug.

This can also work on a glazed bottom if you dare, but it will take the glaze off so you are on your own if you want to attempt it. I've done it, but I'm not picky about the value of my mugs. Sometimes there's a glop of baked on glaze on the bottom which makes it wobbly and I've removed it this way, but again, it takes the glaze off. You may have to do a little handwork with the sandpaper around the bottom edge to smooth it out so you don't have a thin rim of glaze sticking out as it'll chip REAL easy. You wanna avoid that. Once you try it, you'll get the hang of it as it takes a little bit of skill so you don't over-sand the bottom.

Good luck,
LavaLounger

Post #278219 by LavaLounger on Thu, Jan 11, 2007 11:51 AM