Dipping Glazes

7 glazes / The Clay Hole

Seven buckets we mix ourselves. They are the only glazes in the Bible that do not come from a manufacturer, and the only ones you dip rather than brush.

That is why they are not on the glaze shelves. They live in buckets, and a piece goes in and comes out in seconds.

Cone 5½Bisque to Cone 04

Dipping Glazes by the numbers

7glazes on our shelves
6at Purple Level
1at Black Level

Every Dipping Glazes glaze we have in house

Hover any tile to see a pot fired in it, or tap once on a phone.

Jump straight to one

7 to choose from

The Clay Hole Dipping Clear as Mud glaze test tile, fired at The Clay HoleA pot fired in The Clay Hole Dipping Clear as Mud at The Clay Hole
Clear as Mud

The Clay HoleDipping Glazes

🟪 Purple Level

No Tile

Our clear. The tile for it is dipped over a rainbow of underglaze so you can actually see what it does, which is nothing except make the color underneath brighter and glossy.

The Clay Hole Dipping Tamjoda glaze test tile, fired at The Clay HoleA pot fired in The Clay Hole Dipping Tamjoda at The Clay Hole
Tamjoda

The Clay HoleDipping Glazes

🟪 Purple Level

No Tile

A soft olive green with a stony surface. Four seconds, the longest dip of the seven, and it needs every one of them.

Pots decorated with The Clay Hole Dipping Glazes glazes at The Clay Hole pottery studio

How the Dipping Glazes line works

The dip time is the recipe. One second on Bronzealot and Sunny Charcoal, three on most of the rest, four on Tamjoda.

There is no undo on a bucket. A second too long is a coat too thick, and thick is how a dipping glaze ends up on the kiln shelf instead of the pot.

Coats

One dip, for the number of seconds on that glaze's page. Not two dips, and not a top up.

Layering

These are a finish rather than a base. Brush-on glazes over a dipped pot is not something to try without asking a staff member first.

Food and safety

Mixed here and fired here on one schedule, which is the only way we can say anything about them with confidence. Ask a staff member before using one on anything unusual.

Clays that suit Dipping Glazes

Dipped over cone 04 bisque. Every one of our clay bodies works.

Blocks of clay in the studio at The Clay Hole The complete guide to clay bodies What each body is made of and how it behaves under a glaze. The clay bodies we stock at The Clay Hole The clays we carry Every body on our shelf, with bag sizes and prices.

Common questions about Dipping Glazes

Why are these in buckets?

Because they are dipped, not brushed. That is what they were mixed for.

How long do I dip?

It depends on the glaze. One to four seconds, and each page says which.

Can I dip twice?

No. One dip. A second one puts the coat somewhere these were never tested.

Who makes them?

We do.

Which level are they?

Purple Level, except Dan's Secret Sauce, which is Black Level.

Are they on the glaze shelves?

No, and they never will be. They are buckets.

From The Clay Hole University

More info about Dipping Glazes below, but first... Everything we teach about glazing, written down and taught properly. These are the glaze lessons, and they are a small corner of a library that runs from centering your first pot to selling your work.

How to Use Dipping Glazes GuideHow to Use Dipping Glazes Glaze Brushing Techniques, Coat by Coat GuideGlaze Brushing Techniques, Coat by Coat Glazing Big and Intricate Pottery Faster GuideGlazing Big and Intricate Pottery Faster Getting the Most Out of the Mega Glaze Tool GuideGetting the Most Out of the Mega Glaze Tool Making, Logging and Dialing in Test Tiles GuideMaking, Logging and Dialing in Test Tiles Glaze Problems, Causes and Fixes GuideGlaze Problems, Causes and Fixes Glazing on the Wheel for Even Coats and Clean Bands GuideGlazing on the Wheel for Even Coats and Clean Bands Bubble Glaze with Dish Soap GuideBubble Glaze with Dish Soap Mixing Your Own Glazes: What It Actually Involves GuideMixing Your Own Glazes: What It Actually Involves Making a Glaze Catcher GuideMaking a Glaze Catcher Oxide and Carbonate Washes GuideOxide and Carbonate Washes When to Use Celadon Glazes GuideWhen to Use Celadon Glazes How to Use Underglaze: Techniques, Rules and Firing UnderglazeHow to Use Underglaze: Techniques, Rules and Firing Mishima: How to Inlay Slip and Underglaze into Carved Lines UnderglazeMishima: How to Inlay Slip and Underglaze into Carved Lines Wipe-Away Texture: Underglaze and Oxide Washes on Bisque UnderglazeWipe-Away Texture: Underglaze and Oxide Washes on Bisque
Browse all 170+ lessons and guides
Browse every glaze and underglaze we carryAll The Clay Hole glazesFind one on our shelves
Test tile pots lined up on the glaze shelves at The Clay Hole

The Dipping Glazes test tile pot

This family does not have a test tile pot. The colors and results come out close enough to what the book shows that a pot would not tell you much more, so work from the printed Glaze Bible and the tile above.

About these images and what your pot will actually look like

We have done our best to represent every glaze here accurately, and you should still expect your pot to look different from what is on this screen.

Our glaze tile images are digitally created. They are built to show the character of a glaze, not to be a color match.

A screen is not a printout, a printout is not a test tile, and a test tile is not a finished pot. Each step in that chain shifts what a glaze looks like, sometimes a lot.

On top of that, the pottery itself changes the result: the clay body, how thick the glaze went on, whether it was brushed, dipped or sprayed, what was layered under or over it, where the piece sat in the kiln, how hot that spot ran, how fast it cooled, what was fired next to it, and how much texture the surface had. Two pots glazed from the same jar on the same day can come out different.

Treat every image here as a starting point, and treat a test tile fired on your own clay as the real answer.

Download the PDF