Why dipping transparent glazes may not cover underglazes well

Underglaze brushstrokes were applied to this test cup at the leather hard stage (lower left) and then bisque fired on. On the lower right a ball of the pure underglaze emerged from the same bisque firing, notice that it is certainly fusing enough to seal the surface of the bisque. Notice what happened on the upper left: Although the bisque piece was immersed in a dipping glaze the underglaze is not covering. Yet on the upper right a just-applied transparent brushing glaze has covered well (although three coats were needed with plenty of drying time between). Why is this? Brushing underglazes contain a lot of gum, it makes them spread well like paint - and dry hard, impervious and non-absorbent. And the frit they contain makes them fire even denser. Manufacturers of brushing underglazes assume that gummed brushing glazes will also be used over them and thus no coverage issues will occur. This being said, a thixotropic dipping glaze may cover. Or a first coat dipping glaze.

Related Pictures

Is it impossible to get a good clear over-glaze for cone 6 brush decorated stoneware?

The mug on the right is terra cotta slipware firing at cone 04 using underglazes and a leaded transparent over-glaze (lead glazes are still commonly used in many parts of the world and considered safe). Mug on the left: This potter wants to use the same technique on cone 6 stoneware. Pretty well all cone 6 transparents depend on a boron frit (or Gerstley Borate or Ulexite) to melt them, this is no different. But it produces micro-bubble clouding and boron blue even though it is only slightly thick. Also, there are many more surface defects. The colors are washed out, partly because of the clouding but also because these commercial underglazes are overfired by cone 6, they are beginning to melt and diffuse into the clear overglaze (lightening their color). Achieving the warm brown color thus requires a more refractory underglaze (possibly with an addition of some terra-cotta colored stain). A better transparent glaze, better able to shed bubbles coupled with a drop-and-hold firing would also help. Finally, careful control of the glaze thickness and quality of laydown would also help. Preparing it as a brushing glaze, at least for application on the outsides, would enable tight control of thickness being applied and enable dense laydown.

Our own black underglaze better accepts the clear overglaze

The commercial product has two serious issues. First, it is just not covering well enough, to get jet black requires three or four coats. Second, it is intended for transparent brushing glazes over top - dipping glazes do not cover well over it, even when the underglaze is bisque fired (upper left). By contrast, our own black (90% MNP, 10% Nepheline Syenite, 10% black stain, 1.5% CMC gum, 5% bentonite) overglazes perfectly (upper right). And one brush stroke almost covers enough (we later settled on 15% stain).

How to make a clear dipping glaze work over solid underglazes

This is what typically happens when applying a dipping glaze over an underglazed bisque-fired piece - it does not stick. Commercial underglazes impede the absorptive powder of the bisque but it still might be possible to make it work. Here are some options:
- Bisque the under-glazed ware to a low temperature (e.g. cone 010 or lower) and apply dipping glaze to that.
- Make your own underglaze for dipping, leaving out the CMC gum.
- Make your glaze thixotropic - because it is gelled it may hang on in an even layer over the underglaze.
- Make a brushing glaze and paint that over the underglaze. 1%-1.5% CMC gum will make it paintable. 1% additional Veegum will gel it enough that it can tolerate more water and go on thinner, this enables applying multiple coats and gives good control of the final thickness.

Links

Glossary	Transparent Glazes Every glossy ceramic glaze is actually a base transparent with added opacifiers and colorants. So understand how to make a good transparent, then build other glazes on it.
Glossary	Underglaze An intensely pigmented highly opaque non-melting ceramic material mix meant to adhere best to leather hard pottery and fire-fit the body. Often transparently overglazed. Starter recipes.

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