Recreate this buttery, fiery finish using Abbots Haystack, Abbots Smoky Copper, and Abbots Butterscotch.


Glaze layering system:  Abbots Haystack, Abbots Smoky Copper, & Abbots Butterscotch

What you’ll need: 

Here’s everything you’ll need for this project:

• Abbots Haystack

• Abbots Smoky Copper

• Abbots Butterscotch

• Abbots Universal Medium (optional, but handy!)

• A bisque-fired piece (bisque-fired means the clay has been through its first firing, making it porous enough to absorb glaze) 

• A soft brush

• A sponge and water 

• Banding wheel, potter’s wheel, or lazy susan (optional) 

• Access to an electric kiln (firing to Cone 6)
  
    
  Abbots Haystack        Abbots Smoky Copper     Abbots Butterscotch
  

Step-by-step

Step 1 ~ Top 1/3: Apply 2 coats of Abbots Haystack

Apply Coat 1

Before you start, give your jar a good shake! Getting the glaze moving like this really helps with brushability. Think of shaking the jar as the equivalent to giving your glaze a warm-up before a solid workout session. 

Apply the first coat of Haystack to the inside and top 1/3 of your piece. 
Leave the lower 2/3 of your piece unglazed.

Tip: If you find your brush is dragging on the bisque, you may find it helpful to mix a small amount of glaze with a few drops of Universal Medium in a small bowl for your first coat. 

Allow time for the coat to dry before applying the next one. 

Apply Coat 2


Apply the second coat of Haystack, again working only on the inside and upper third of your pot.

If you’re using a banding wheel, place your piece in the centre and get it spinning. Coat your brush in glaze, and gently ease it onto the spinning bisque, letting the glaze flow down the brush and onto the piece.

Once you feel the brush begin to grab, flip the brush over and use the glaze on the other side.

Allow the coat to dry. 

Drying time for the first and second coats should be quite quick (30 seconds - 1 minute).

✨ Step 2 ~ Middle 1/3: Apply 2 coats of Abbots Smoky Copper

Apply Coat 1

As with our first glaze, give Smoky Copper a good shake before you start.

Apply a band of Smoky Copper to the middle ⅓ of your piece. Be sure to overlap the band of Haystack at the top by about 1- 2 cm (or as desired).

Leave the bottom third of your piece unglazed.

Allow to dry before moving to the second coat. 

Apply Coat 2

Once the first coat of Smoky Copper has dried, apply the second coat.

Again, remember not to glaze the whole piece. Instead, just concentrate on creating a nice even band in the middle ⅓, with a 1- 2 cm overlap over the band of Haystack at the top.

Don’t worry about making your bands perfectly horizontal - a subtle wave can create beautiful effects where glazes overlap and melt into each other.  

Allow your piece to dry. 

✨ Step 3 ~ Bottom 1/3: Apply 2 coats of Abbots Butterscotch 

Apply Coat 1

Give Butterscotch a good shake. 

For the third and final glaze, you’ll be working on the bottom ⅓ of your piece. 

That said, be sure to also leave a small margin at the foot to prevent any drips during firing.

Apply the first coat of Butterscotch to the bottom ⅓, making sure to overlap the band of Smoky Copper by about 1-2cm (or as desired).

Allow to dry before moving to the second, and final, coat. 

Apply Coat 2

Once the first coat has dried, apply the second coat of Butterscotch.

You’re all done - well done!

Allow your piece to dry before firing. 

Step 4 ~ Firing 

Wipe any glaze drips from the underside of your piece before firing.

Fire to Cone 6 (~1200C) in an electric kiln. 

You can find a suggested firing schedule here. 

Your final task is to find something interesting enough to distract you while you await the firing! 

✨ Notes & suggestions

Why not try this banding technique with other Abbots glazes? 

A tip is to pick: 

1x high contrast colour (here we used Smoky Copper)
2x more understated, tonally similar glazes (here we used Haystack and Butterscotch)

Join Abbots Glaze on socials!

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To connect with fellow Abbots Glaze enthusiasts and find inspiration for your next project, join the Abbots Glaze Lab Facebook group. 

About the author:

A self-confessed glaze nerd, Amy is a content creator for Abbots Glaze on a mission to get people excited about glazing! When she’s not making reels or testing new glaze recipes, you can find Amy making pots in her pottery studio, Palmerston North. You can follow Amy’s work on Instagram @fettlepotterynz