Water Etched Stoneware Tall Pitcher/ Vase

Designer: William Pulse

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Instructions

  1. Pour CD-1334 Tall Pitcher Vase a bit heavier than normal with Mayco Stoneware Slip. Let dry.
  2. Use a Clean Up Tool to fettle the seam lines from the piece. Use the Green Grit Cloth to sand the seam lines further and to dress down the throat of the pitcher. Use a moistened Sea Wool Sponge to wipe down the ware to remove any dust. Check the inside of the pitcher for any debris.
  3. On a piece of Aluminum Foil pour out some AC-302 Wax Resist. Remember to handle the ware carefully as it is greenware. Use the CB-604 Soft Fan to apply 1 coat of Wax to the bottom of the pitcher and slightly up the side walls of the pitcher about ¼” to form a line. Do not paint the handle with any wax. Load the flat surface of the sponge with wax. Make a test of the pattern on a piece of paper to see how the pattern of the sponge transfers the wax. Reload the sponge with wax. Use the Sea Wool Sponge to print/vail the pitcher surface. Repeat this until the outer surface of the pitcher is printed/vailed with wax. Notice the placement of the sponge as you apply the wax.  It may be necessary to rotate the sponge to accomplish an even pattern of waxed areas to the unwaxed ones. You don’t want a contrived pattern to the waxed areas. The surface should be about covered with about half waxed areas and half unwaxed areas.  Let the wax dry.
  4. Remember that the piece is greenware. You will be adding water to the ware and is more fragile due to the added moisture. Use the Sea Wool sponge fairly saturated with water to slowly scrub the unwaxed areas away.
  5. Use the sponge in a rotating scrubbing motion.  Not much pressure is needed to erode the background area. Rinse the sponge often to remove excess clay from the sponge and ware. Continue the etching of the surface until the surface has been eroded about 1/8” in depth. Larger areas will naturally be deeper than smaller ones. Let the piece dry.
  6. In a Plastic Cup thin some SW-130 Copper Jade to a melted ice cream consistency. Remember that the ware is fragile. Pour the glaze into the greenware pitcher.  Being careful and working quickly, rotate the ware to fully cover the inside surface with glaze. Pour out the excess glaze and invert the ware to drain and dry.
  7. Using CB-604 Soft Fan to apply 3 coats of SW-130 Copper Jade to the outer surface and handle. Let the glaze bead up on the wax and leave the small beads of glaze. If the glaze doesn’t seem to want to bead up on the wax, use a moistened sponge in a pouncing motion to break the tension in the glaze surface and to remove any excess glaze on the waxed areas. You want some beads of glaze to remain on the waxed areas. Let Dry.
  8. Wipe off any glaze from the bottom of the ware before firing. Place the pitcher fully on a shelf in the kiln. Fire the ware to Shelf Cone 5-6 mid-range high fire.
    Note: Another glaze that can be used in place of SW-130 Copper Jade is SW-101 Stoned Denim.

Supplies

Form

  • CD-1334 Tall Pitcher Vase cast in SLS01 Stoneware Slip. Cast a bit heavier than normal.

Colors

  • SW-130 Copper Jade

Decorating Accessories

  • CB-604 # 4 Soft Fan
  • AC-302 Wax Resist

Miscellaneous Accessories

  • Clean-up Tool
  • Green Grit Cloth
  • Sea Wool Sponge
  • Plastic Cup
  • Aluminum Foil
  • Small Plastic Pail

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