Before glazing a piece, you have to wash your hands and wipe off the bique ware so that the glaze sticks to the piece and not the dust around it. Any grain of dust could make the glaze look grainy, and the oils of your hand could make the glaze slip off. You always have to apply wax resist to the bottom of your piece so that if the glaze drips within the fireing process it does not stick and mess up the pieces around it.
When using a bucket glaze, you must keep the pot in contact with the glaze for one or two seconds only. If you try to brush on a bucket glaze, it is unlikely that you will manage to get all of the layers of the glaze on the piece. Some components of the glaze may be separated (like oil and water) and you not be able to get the heavier components at the bottom of the bucket.
