Spraying glazes

[Kathy Ransom]

Does anyone have some advice for spraying glazes?  I use a small airbrush to spray underglazes and of course, have great luck with them going on smoothly.  I don't want to use my really good airbrush for my glazes though because I understand it is very hard on them due to the particle size, and of course I don't want to screen the glazes too finely because the particles give me the effects I'm looking for.  I'm using a larger automotive spray gun I bought at Canadian Tire but it constantly plugs on me and sometimes won't even start spraying.  I did brush my glazes on but really want a much smoother effect and I use a lot of different glazes in a small studio so don't have the space for more than a couple of them in big pails.

NOTE: Replies are posted from oldest to newest, so the most recent posts will be at the bottom of the last page.

[Kathy Ransom]

Thank you Martha, I saw some manifolds at Princess Auto the other day so I'll go back and get one.  I keep my glazes in mason jars so that may also be a good solution for me but is that a gravity or siphon system? 

[martha peddicord]

Kathy, the little critter is a siphon, but for me the multiple bottles is a such a plus, and it is much easier to fill or change glazes, just twist off the bottle stick the hose into a bucket of water that I keep handy on my glaze table right beside the other colors I plan on using, so easy.

[Kathy Ransom]

I just checked out the critter spray gun and discovered it is made in Canada and the Lee Valley in Calgary has them so as soon as I can I'm going to get one.

[George Lewter]

Links for spraying information and equipment available in the US.

Here is a good general glaze spraying primer. http://www.luepottery.hwy.com.au/PDF/glaze%20spray.pdf

 

Harbor Freight is a good place to go for spray equipment at bargain prices.

Better gun http://www.harborfreight.com/high-volume-low-pressure-gravity-feed-...

 

Cheaper gun but still very serviceable you could get 1/2 dozen and not have to clean between glazes. http://www.harborfreight.com/20-oz-high-volume-low-pressure-gravity...

 

This is a good sized compressor for glaze spraying. http://www.harborfreight.com/2-hp-8-gallon-125-psi-portable-air-com...

 

[Catherine Rehbein]

Hi Kathy,  A Critter spray gun works great...it takes a pint canning jar so that you can interchange glazes with out trouble..      http://www.bigceramicstore.com/supplies/sprayguns.htm

 

 

[Kathy Ransom]

I purchased my critter at Lee Valley and absolutely love it!  I find it very easy to clean and use and at the rate I work I think it may be all I need in the way of a spray gun along with my airbrush.  After an unsuccessful firing due to a thin glaze coat, I tried, tried again and I am very happy with the way my pieces look and the wonderful funky effects I am seeing.  I will post photos soon.  Now I just need to figure out how to keep my mugs from splitting when I single fire.  Even using a heat gun to dry each glaze coat isn't fixing the problem.

[Catherine Rehbein]

Even through I do not single fire...I always glaze the interiors of my vessels 24-48 hours prior to spraying the exteriors. If your pots are thin this may solve your problem. The saturation into the walls becomes an issue. Even between spraying glazes on the exterior the vessels are given time to dry. Hope you enjoy your critter! Can't wait to see your pix!

[Emily Lees]

I actually have a couple of questions about spraying glazes. Is the Critter siphon gun appropriate to use when glazing an entire pot, as opposed to a section of a pot?  And can it be used to spray slips?

[Kathy Ransom]

I use mine for spraying entire pots but it is great too if you want to highlight a smaller area with another color. I've used cold wax to mask an area off and there are many other ways to to smaller areas. I haven't tried it wit slips but if they were the right consistency and fine enough I think it would work very well, I'll have to try it!

[John Talbot]

I bought a sprayer that was meant to attach to a vacuum cleaner/blower.  I've been using it for kiln wash applications as well as glazing and it works great.  Here's an amazon link where you can find it:

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0016PKWGU/sr=8-2/qid=1320032702/r...

 

I bought mine for less than $10 and it's totally worth it.  I use mine with my Craftsman Shopvac and it's easy to clean with just water and a rag.

[George Lewter]

Rebecca McMann posed this question to me. I'm passing it on to this topic.

I tried spraying glazes for the first time last night, but my hvlp gun sprayed intermittently, even though I sieved many of the glazes. It's a very sensitive gun and it sprays fine with water. I was wondering if my glaze is too thick for the gun. I tried pulling out the needle a ways to let more glaze out, but then I got such huge coverage, and my pots are small. Any ideas on how to adjust my gun? Do I need to thin my glaze more? Do I need a detail gun? I don't want to spray any more of my pots until I can get a consistent stream. Any help is appreciated! Thanks.

[George Lewter]

Patricia Bridges has her video posted at http://ceramicartsdaily.org/pottery-making-techniques/ceramic-glazi... 

There are links to other spray techniques and equipment as well.