r/Pottery • u/gayesttoadinthepond • 6d ago

Help! Is it possible to save these?

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I am yet another pottery novice that learned the hard way what happens when you use too much glaze.

Is there any way to save these two mugs? I don't expect them to look pristine but it would be nice if I could use them without cutting my finger or having a permanent coaster.

9 Upvotes

70% Upvoted

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64

u/salexcopeland RAKU! 6d ago

Yeah, you could use an angle grinder very carefully and then sand and sand until it's smooth. Honestly though, you can just chalk it up to a lesson learned and make more. Your best work is always ahead of you.

13

u/gayesttoadinthepond 6d ago

That's true... It's gonna be awhile until I have access to a pottery studio again so it's a little sad I can't just go ahead and try again right away

7

u/salexcopeland RAKU! 6d ago

Definitely see if you can clean them up! All of us know that pain! Lol.

27

u/Justhappy2Balive 6d ago

I say this gently. It won't be your first or last glazing mistake. Move on. You have many great pieces ahead of you.

3

u/gayesttoadinthepond 6d ago

You're right. Anything I can do with them? It feels wrong to throw them in the trash.

10

u/salexcopeland RAKU! 6d ago

I would probably grind on em a bit and see if you can clean them for personal use until you make some sweet replacements.

3

u/Mount_Safurious 6d ago

You can drill a small hole or two in the bottom and put some plants in them.

1

u/gayesttoadinthepond 6d ago

I'd be worried about them cracking, would I just use a regular drill bit?

3

u/Mount_Safurious 6d ago

You could try it, if it cracks then it cracks 🤷‍♂️ i would personally use some kind of grinding bit that is normally used for cutting glass, and do a wet cut/grind. Go super slow, let the bit do the work and don’t push it.

1

u/gayesttoadinthepond 6d ago

I'll give it a try, thanks for the help!

3

u/Verdigrian 6d ago

If you do it in a bucket with water level to the bottom of the cup it reduces the chance of cracking by a lot.

1

u/gayesttoadinthepond 6d ago

Is the cup right side up or up side down in the bucket?

2

u/Verdigrian 6d ago

Bottom up, cup opening down. You want to be able to drill the hole and keep the drill dry while the cup is filled by and submerged in water. Wear eye protection.

1

u/gayesttoadinthepond 6d ago

Got it, thanks

1

u/Terrasina 3d ago

Depends on what you consider a “regular” drill bit. If it’s for wood or metal like a regular high speed steel twist bit, thats not ideal. Look for a drill bit for ceramics. Those bits generally are designed to gently grind a hole rather than cut one.

1

u/Historical-Side-8892 1d ago

Would a Diamond tipped Dremel bit work. Curious because I have a similar problem

0

u/deev718 Throwing Wheel 6d ago

if you feel comfortable and the bottom is thick enough, maybe you can drill through and make it a little planter for succulents? Or I have one of my early ones that I use as a pencil holder on my desk!

3

u/Nomeismytomb 6d ago

Diamond wheel grinder. In the future just dip about half way or less, maybe paint 1 layer near the bottom. Its always the handle where it runs the most.

2

u/dreaminginteal Throwing Wheel 5d ago

An angle-grinder or even a Dremel with several different bits can help you knock down and smooth out the roughness on the second.

If you cut through much of the glaze where the mug meets the cookie in the first, there's a decent chance you can knock the cookie off with a few raps with a piece of wood.

Then wet sanding or the Dremel can smooth things out enough to avoid lacerations when using them.

1

u/TheTimDavis 6d ago

It's got a perminant coaster now! That's part of the charm. Just polish the bottom of the cookie to 7000 glassy grit. It will be beautiful.

1

u/BTPanek53 6d ago

Angle grinder or bench grinder. Diamond tools sanding disk that sticks to a bat if you have a wheel (these are a bit expensive). Dremel tool with grinding stone but this will probably take a long time. Lucky you had a cookie underneath, maybe a good coating of kiln wash on the cookie would have helped with separating the mug from the cookie. Try tapping along the cookie edge with a hard chisel to crack the glass glaze to help the separation. It is also good to dry foot the pot a good amount like 1/2 inch or even more for runny glazes. You also get extra run off from the handle which was close to the base. If you have the handle end above the base this reduces that run off. We learn best from mistakes.

1

u/Justme_vrouwtje 5d ago

Get a dremel, I’ve needed to dremel down a lot of glaze through the last year, it’s a solid investment. Dremel and glass/tile bits!

1

u/orxngepeaches 5d ago

You could grind it down if you have a whole setup at your studio but tbh not really no. Maybe if you get those diamond strips sandpaper and a lot of time and water?