Post #646834 by BeezleBug on Sat, Aug 4, 2012 11:14 AM

Topknot continues...

Normally, I finish cast mugs with some hand tools, my thumb, and some water. This time, I thought I'd step it up a notch by sanding. It certainly helped, as the result was a smooth surface with the Maori lines clearly visible. The bisque fire was next. 1855 degrees F in a Paragon electric kiln. The mug was "candled," whereby the mug was kept under 300 degrees for the first couple of hours. As for glaze, a base coat of green matte crystalline glaze was followed by a blue gloss crystalline glaze. A ragged feather brush was used to create a wood-like grain pattern. Here's the mug after the glaze was painted:

The glaze-fire went to 1800 degrees F with the kiln lid slightly open until the last few degrees. In order to glaze the bottom, the mug was balanced on its back on some kiln stilts. Once cooled, the mug was cold-painted with red oil on the exterior, then wiped down. The red only stuck to the exposed matte areas. I love the result and am glad I decided to break out of my old glaze habits. Here she is in her final form: