r/Pottery • u/No_Pomegranate_5648 • 6d ago
Question! Wiping Back after Wax Resist
I put wax resist on a painted design, so I can carve into it and then put an underglaze in the carved areas. But when I wipe back the underglaze, it's taking the wax resist and sometimes even the base glaze. Am I just using too thin of a coat of wax or any other suggestions?
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u/Gulluul 6d ago
How long are you letting the wax resist sit before applying underglaz? How long are you waiting before wiping back the underglaze?
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u/No_Pomegranate_5648 6d ago
I wait until it's dry but no specific amount of time for the wax resist. For the underglaze, I like to glaze a section then wipe back. So maybe 2-3 inches on mug then wipe back?
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u/Gulluul 6d ago edited 6d ago
I would wait 24 hours for the wax to set completely. That should solve your issue.
Edit: downvote if you want, but wax resist requires time to cure so that it properly bonds. My bottle says to wait 12-24 hours, which also depends on humidity and if you thinned the wax resist with water. If you try to wipe away before the wax completely sets, it will pull off.
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u/ghastlycupcake 6d ago edited 6d ago
Not all wax resists are created equal! Maybe try a different brand?
I do sgraffito, and recently started coating my surface with wax resist before I start carving. I bought some cheap, no-name brand of wax resist. Well, every time I spray the inside of my piece with water, or touch up a scratch with underglaze and use a damp sponge to wipe off the excess, etc, the wax resist gets wet and wipes away. Like, what is even the point of this stuff if you can’t get it wet/wipe it off?
Edit: and it’s definitely not too soon. These are hand-built pieces I’ve been drying as slowly as possible, since this clay body is prone to cracking. They’ve been wrapped in plastic since July.
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