View Larger Image Tips and techniques in our weekly series Great Ideas for Potters come from all levels of experience: studio artists, production potters, students, teachers and industry experts.

June 29, 2007

Great Ideas for Potters

by Ceramic Arts Daily | Read Comments (0)

Every Friday, Ceramic Arts Daily provides you with a selection of helpful hints and ideas drawn from suggestions submitted by Ceramics Monthly readers. The willingness to share techniques and studio practices has contributed significantly to the growth of pottery. Today’s secrets to success are not closely guarded, passed only from master to apprentice, but freely shared between friends, at workshops and on the Internet.

These ideas come from all levels of experience: studio artists, production potters, students, teachers and industry experts. They run the gamut from eminently practical for many production applications to project-specific advice. As you'll see from the weekly series, some ideas are quite serious (especially those directed toward health and safety precautions), while others are more lighthearted. You'll find ideas for forming processes, decorating, glazing and firing, along with tips for outfitting your studio and creating and using tools.

Whether you're looking for a solution to a particular problem or a variety of hints to facilitate production flow, our weekly series "Great Ideas for Potters" is sure to meet your needs and comes just in time for the weekend...TGIF!

Mold Making
When making press molds from plaster of Paris, you really do not have to clean up anything but your hands. Begin by lining a plastic bucket (large enough to accommodate the object from which the mold will be cast) with two plastic bags (used to carry groceries from the supermarket). After smoothing the bags' bottoms and folding the tops back over the rim of the bucket, pour in hot water. If either bag leaks, replace it at this time. If the bags are watertight, sift in plaster and stir. Using warmer water encourages the plaster to set up quickly, and you can place the master form in the plaster without a lengthy waiting period. After the plaster has set, remove the master and clean up the mold, removing any scratches or irregularities. Allow the mold to dry thoroughly, usually overnight. Because the plaster is encased on the bottom and sides by the bags, it takes longer for the moisture to evaporate. Tapping out the mold is usually very easy to do, as it can be helped along by pulling on the plastic bag handles. Leaving the mold in the handled plastic bags makes it easy to carry, and protects it from dust in storage. Just be sure the mold is thoroughly dry before storing.

Bisqueware Techniques
If you make a lot of thin, flat tiles with brushed underglaze decoration, and have trouble with the tiles warping after decoration, the solution is to brush the back sides with water before decorating, thus evening out the moisture content.

Health and Safety   
While sanding clay should be avoided because of the danger of inhaling silica particles, it sometimes must be done. Besides wearing a proper respirator, you could do the sanding over a large basin of water (a kitty litter box works well). That way, the dust falls into and is held by the water. This water trap also makes cleanup easier and safer.

Tools for Throwing
A kitchen spatula with a wooden handle will make a variety of throwing tools. The hardwood handle, if sharpened to a point, is an excellent separating stick for removing clay from the base of a freshly thrown pot before it is cut from the wheel head or bat. The rubber part is equally useful as a rib, or it can be cut and sanded to form a decorating rib.