DIY Pocket Slab Roller Makes Perfect Slabs Every Time Make even clay slabs quickly with this brilliant and inexpensive DIY slab roller! Best thing is, this homemade slab roller is portable! Jan McKeachie-Johnston

Slab rollers are wonderful for making clay slabs of even thickness, but not everyone has the space or the money for this piece of equipment. So a lot of folks think about making a DIY slab roller for their studios. But clever potters like Jan McKeachie-Johnston and her husband Randy have a solution that not only makes slabs of even thickness, but also gets them done quickly and nearly effortlessly. Best of all this portable DIY slab roller is easy and inexpensive to make!

In today’s video clip, an excerpt from their video In the Studio with Randy Johnston and Jan McKeachie-Johnston, Jan explains how to make and use their DIY slab roller, or what they lovingly refer to as the “pocket slab roller.” –Jennifer Poellot Harnetty, editor

To learn more about Randy Johnston and Jan McKeachie-Johnston or to see more images of their work, please visit www.mckeachiejohnstonstudios.com.

More DIY Slab Roller Tips!

Another great way to make even slabs is to use a rolling pin and some dowel rods as thickness guides. Set one dowel rod of the desired thickness of your slab on each side of the clay you are rolling out. Then roll the rolling pin over the clay making sure that each end of the rolling pin is resting on the dowel rods. For best results, rotate the piece of clay so that you are rolling in multiple directions.

If you're looking for thin slabs, check out Michelle Swafford's great tip for rolling out clay!

Or, if you would like to pursue the route of a making your own more traditional slab roller, you can watch this great video that includes slab roller plans!

Finally, here's a slab technique to try after you roll your slabs!

**First published in 2016.