6 Ways to Use Wax...and Why I Hate it!

[@aubreytauer7308]

Just a couple of pointers: water down your cold wax, using it this thick leads to a lot of the problems that you disliked. Also, its a good idea to massage a little watered down dish soap into your brushes before you use them with the wax, it makes them easier to clean up and the wax doesn’t ruin them. You can also mix a little bit of alumina powder into the wax when using it to keep lids and galleries from sticking to each other. I think thinning it with water, which most people do, makes it so much easier to use and just, a lot less problems!

[@LittleStreetPottery]

Good info Aubrey...thanks for sharing with the group!

[@adriennedupree2600]

I love the advice thank you so much for sharing your experience this will definitely help me later on down the road to making amazing pieces.

[@Mariede425]

Mr. Marks Wax On and Mr Marks Wax Off are great and are water soluble, so the wax does NOT build up on the brush (if you wash it off right after you complete whatever you're waxing)

[@dovehill1]

I use "wax on" exclusively, it dries on leather hard clay in about 10 minutes.. I do a lot of cuerda seca and buy the wax line resist from aftosa. It took me a long time to find a recipe for the resist because the black lines can be boring. if you pounce/blot the glaze spots on the waxed area with a paper towel when the glaze dries you can use a damp small flat brush and a q tip to get all the glaze off. dried wax can be removed ( from brushes) with household ammonia.

[@splufty]

Oh man I laughed so hard. Love this video thanks for the info

[@annruel9142]

Haha, Im glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching

[@harrietheller7039]

The studio where I work has always used wax. The wax is colored with food coloring. We have students at all levels & using wax is a must. I teach my students how to carefully use the wax without getting it on unwanted surfaces. They wash the brush or sponge immediately after use & wash their hands with soap before glazing. I use some of the methods you demonstrated in the video especially waxing over a glaze & then using a second glaze.

[@LittleStreetPottery]

Thanks Harriet! Its interesting how different studios approach wax - my college professor banned the use of wax! It can be a good tool if used correctly as you've noted.

[@penguinista]

I use wet Q-tips to remove glaze over wax resist in small areas like the tape lines. Wonderful video as always! Thank you so much!!

[@LittleStreetPottery]

Great tip! Thanks for watching!

[@freddiemoretti8456]

I can't imagine the heights of beauty and production you could achieve if you embraced and loved using wax..... I agree with you on the dislikeable things about wax and have used very little of the bottle I got when I first started....maybe a fraction of an ounce. Your results are really neat with the butterflies taken the lead. I am interested in Cuerda Seca as something to try down the road. Thanks for sharing. Cheers and be well...Freddie. P.S. will be going back to doing bisque for a while and one of the benefits is that I can clean glaze from the bottoms of the pots using a wet piece of carpet without rubbing out my logo.

[@LittleStreetPottery]

I once embraced the wax Freddie...so much it became a problem. Luckily I found a program..."one day at a time" as we say. Thanks for watching as always friend!

[@annruel9142]

Haha. You use a wet piece of carpet to remove the wax? You are so clever Freddie! I have never heard of that.

[@freddiemoretti8456]

@@annruel9142 No no no, I use the carpet to clean the glaze off.....hard to find any wax in use @ Freddie's Pottery. You had me going there Ann, thinking I had not written a sensible message, Whew!

[@annruel9142]

@@freddiemoretti8456 Whoops, I meant glaze, sorry. Thanks for the correction....I had "wax" on the brain, haha., and it is hard to clean off.

[@freddiemoretti8456]

Hi Ann, this is not where I saw it originally but this is a neat demo for two reasons. The carpet fix and the T-shirt message. In the past I have used a shallow aluminium tray to put the carpet it and add water to just at the base of the carpet nap. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gYK6aqabarF7h68

[@susyward581]

If you stand your work in a shallow amount of water (cat litter trays are good) the glaze will not take, you do have to wipe the base but then you do if using wax. Also, with the cuerda seca you can screen print the design if the oil based paste/liquid is the right consistency directly onto the clay slabs, perfect for repeat tiles. Hi from Cornwall

[@nancyw8866]

We have to use wax on the bottom of our pieces and up to 1/4 inch up the side in the city pottery studio. I have a hard time getting a nice line.

[@JudyHensley-xn5gu]

Thank you, that was very interesting, and I hate wax too!😂

[@beckypots1]

I agree wax is tricky, it is most useful to me to paint it around joints and layers of leaves, when the clay is moist, then the area waxed will nor dry out as quickly.

[@nathanspevack1697]

I've used a brulee torch to melt wax off of bisque. Next time you want to remove some wax, give that a try :) Also, it is easier to clean the brush if you rub soap into it before dipping it into the wax.

[@LittleStreetPottery]

Great tip!

[@wendydee3007]

I use a thick wax paste (rub it on with my fingertip) that is intended for texture, in mixed media artwork. It works easily for bottoms, but I'm not sure about using it for other techniques.

[@jimruel2121]

Hmm...we’ll have to check that paste out. Thanks!

[@chowfun1976]

2:19 I get the feeling you don’t like wax 😂

[@cakeismyfavoritecolor7207]

Liquid latex is a much better tool, it does exactly what wax does except you peel it off. So you wouldn’t have to use a sponge to wipe off dried droplets. Also if you accidentally get a little in an unwanted area you can peel it off

[@LittleStreetPottery]

Thanks!

[@ruthpallek5202]

Brushes don't get ruined when they are used with wax. Wash brushes in very hot water and then in soap. Use same brushes for wax and store them in a container by themselves.

[@LittleStreetPottery]

Good tip Ruth! You gotta keep em' seperated!

[@thehallhive9425]

@@LittleStreetPottery please tell me that was an Offspring reference. 🤣

[@nancycowell-miller4321]

More terrific info! Thanks for sharing 👍

[@annruel9142]

Thanks so much Nancy. Im glad it could be helpful to you.

[@bobm2331]

A blow torch on a spot of wax will burn it off rather than putting it back in the kiln for another bisque. Just a thought.

[@LittleStreetPottery]

Thanks Bob!

[@erikadonaghy3651]

I use wax for the staining quality of my blue rutile glaze like you mentioned. It's the only way I can keep the clay nice and white when I use that one.

[@annruel9142]

Interesting Erika. You are right, even though wax is not a good thing for a messy potter like me, it has a usefulness. :-)

[@grafkimber]

Can you use other wax' besides AFTOSA WAX?

[@annruel9142]

Hi Kimberly. There are all sorts of waxes out there. You just have to figure out what you want to do with it, then research what wax will be the best for your technique. For example there are some waxes that will stick to a bisque surface but will flake off when applied over a glazed surface. Really read the labels and if you need to.... call the pottery supply for advice with the wax they sell.

[@vivianvisser4387]

I like your style

[@adriennedupree2600]

Thank you so much for another amazing helpful video.

[@snkaraca8257]

Thank you for this video💫🌺 what happens if we do not use frit in the recipe Cuerda Seca?

[@charlottesmom]

Our studio makes us wax the bottom of every pot.

[@LittleStreetPottery]

Yep...I had teachers that made me as well...

[@nadjabierbaum8136]

You're right, in my opinion, about wax. Very early in my potter's carriere I put wax resist-technics asside because the wax hardened on the brush before I could even touch the pieces . But then I was trying to use homemade wax recipies. You are using readymade wax, as I saw. Do you know any recipies to make the wax by yourselve?

[@LittleStreetPottery]

Not really - I so rarely use wax - I use tape and other things for resist. I've got several vids on those techniques - check em out! Thanks.

[@vulcanswork]

Just brilliant.

[@leovomend8789]

the wax we use in my academy dries in no more than 10 minutes

[@dennystewart3238]

For the Cuerda Seca , will any other wax work in the recipe?

[@annruel9142]

Hi Denny. I would think that most of the cold wax emulsions would work for this, but I have not tried them and cant really vouch for them. Give them a try. Experiment!

[@dennystewart3238]

@@annruel9142 Thank you. I'll try it with the wax I have.

[@annruel9142]

@@dennystewart3238 Oh good, Have fun!

[@blueskiesmudpies1061]

clean the beads of glaze off with a q-tip

[@roberthazard3077]

06:03 Dead XD Can't wait to try Cuerda Seca, nice video

[@patspotpage]

Hi Ann, thanks for posting this. FYI, only the wax and lens links work. All the others go to a generic Amazon page.

[@LittleStreetPottery]

Oh thank you!

[@marinabenitez379]

I find your videos very inspirational🙃

[@LittleStreetPottery]

I'm so glad!

[@dummydami]

i use normal white glue on the foots of my pieces and it works the same ☺️

[@thehallhive9425]

Do you burn or peel it off? I've seen people use loquix latex and peel it off. It looks fun!

[@dummydami]

@@thehallhive9425 it burns away! you can't peel glue off unfortunately :( well, actually there's one way to peel it off, which isn't that convenient but it's possible. you saturate your bisque with loads of water, youll see that the transparent dry glue turns white again and peels away ☺️ if you need to peel it off easily, latex is definitely your best choice! the only problem I've found is that there's no way to clean your brush afterwards :0 I've talked to some ceramicists and even a makeup artist and tried multiple solvents and haven't had luck. that's why some people told me this life hack: apply it with a q-tip and discard it afterwards! Edit: since I've written my comment I've also tried water based liquid wax (the one made for floorings and wood furnishings) and works perfectly apart from being very cheap! 🥳 and if you make a mistake you can sand it off (which you can't do with latex or glue)

[@taylorrodriguez3144]

I would hate wax too if I used that one. I’ve never seen a wax that looks or acts like that.

[@LittleStreetPottery]

Taylor, it was very naughty wax wasn't it! What wax do you find works best?

[@taylorrodriguez3144]

@@LittleStreetPottery I use Mr. Mark’s No Drip wax on resist. It’s pink so you can see where it’s applied, and it’s super smooth and dries immediately. I really enjoy using it and highly recommend

[@annruel9142]

@@taylorrodriguez3144 Thanks Taylor. I havent heard of that one. I will look that up!! Appreciate that tip!

[@annruel9142]

One other thing, This particular wax really was a nice product. it did everything I asked it to do. I am just not a huge fan of wax in general as I am a bit of a messy potter :-)

[@evangeliemourouti]

Thank you Ann!

[@LittleStreetPottery]

You are so welcome!