Techno File: Clay Memory
Plasticity is a sought after characteristic in clay bodies, but too much plasticity often leads to troublesome issues with clay … Read More
Tag: compression
In wheel throwing, the act of hand or finger pressure on the clay, resulting in lower moisture content and a denser structure. Lack of compression in bottoms of pots can result in S-cracks. Source: Clay: A Studio Handbook
Using a Pottery Wheel to Make Cool Slab Built Pottery
Most of us don’t think of the pottery wheel when we think about making slab built pottery. But there’s no … Read More
Crazy Beautiful Crazing: Uncovering the Mysteries of Snowflake Crackle Glazes
I have been messing around with crazing as a deliberate decorative effect lately. Though it is technically a glaze defect, … Read More
The Pounding Pad: An Energy-Saving Clay Tool
Because the process of working with clay is so enjoyable to us, it’s easy to forget that this material we … Read More
Balance and Comfort
After all these years making pottery, mugs are still my favorite things to create. Like small sculptural exercises, they offer … Read More
Persnickety Porcelain Clay: How to Minimize Your Loss Rate
Porcelain clay is a clay body that draws in many a potter because of its bright white color, translucency, and … Read More
An Introduction to Hanging Ceramic Wall Pieces
If you are interested in taking your ceramic art from the tabletop to the wall, but aren’t quite sure what … Read More
Pitcher Perfect
Designing and making pitchers is both exciting and challenging. There are considerations such as leverage, balance, and the movement of … Read More
Porcelain for Beginners—8 Tips for Getting Off to a Good Start with Porcelain
Switching to a porcelain clay body may seem like an easy enough thing to do, but if you’ve ever worked … Read More
Techno File: Flat-Top Roof Repair
The flat-top kiln design has been around for decades. It typically uses two fuel-fired burners located near floor level, one … Read More
