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Foot Alterations
The foot ring of a plate or platter presents the opportunity to incorporate hanging mechanisms in a variety of ways. One simple method is threading a loop of string or wire through a hole that has been drilled into the unfired foot ring. When the piece is leather hard, find the area of the foot ring that corresponds with the top of the plate in terms of how you want it to hang. Use a needle tool to poke a small hole through the foot ring. Depending on the thickness of the clay, you may want to poke this hole halfway from both sides of the foot ring, meeting in the middle, to make sure it is placed where desired.
Alternatively, an indented channel can be made around the base of the foot ring using a loop tool or wooden rib (3, 4). Once fired, wrap a wire or cord tightly around the foot ring and create a loop to hook onto a nail (5). Use a cord or wire that fits well into the channel to avoid slipping.
Lips and Notches
If the piece is flat on the back like a slab or tile, a notch can be carved in the clay to later catch on a nail in the wall. On leather-hard clay, measure and mark the middle of the slab at least a half inch or so down from the top. The carved notch can be rectangular or rounded, but should drive into the surface at an angle. Compression is key so that the clay can withstand supporting the piece once on the wall. I used a carving tool and a rubber-tipped tool to bore out and compress the notch shown here (7, 8).
High-Temperature Wire
Post-Firing Mechanisms
Two-part epoxy and hardware, or commercially made adhesive hanging discs (I’ve seen them online and at The Container Store) are great options to have in your arsenal of hanging mechanisms. These methods have the added benefit of generally requiring less planning in the greenware stage. Be sure to follow package instructions for mixing and adhesion, and always test on your particular clay body and surface.
Katie Sleyman is the acquisitions and content editor for Ceramics Monthly, Pottery Making Illustrated, and CeramicRecipes.org as well as the books manager for the Ceramic Arts Network.
Unfamiliar with any terms in this article? Browse our glossary of pottery terms!
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