Pottery Process and Techniques
There are so many techniques and styles that I would like to try but most of my work is created using the following process.
Preparing the Clay
I buy moist clay in 50lb. boxes since I currently don't have the equipment or desire to make mixing clay worth the effort. When I pull clay out of the bag it is usually ready to work with. I might mix the new clay with some clay that I have reclaimed. For most pieces I use Warm Brown Stoneware by Amaco. I wedge the clay to remove air bubbles and make sure there are no hard or soft spots. When the clay is weighed and cut to desired amounts it is ready to be used.
Throwing or Building Forms
Most of my work is done on the potter's wheel. I start by centering the clay as the wheel spins and then opening up a hole in the middle. Then I start squeezing the walls from the bottom to pull the walls higher. After a few pulls the walls can be shaped and the rim can be finished. I cut the clay off the bat and put it on a board to dry.
Drying, Trimming and Attachements
After the clay is leather hard (not sticky but still somewhat soft) I add texture, handles and other attachments. When everything is finished I set it on a shelf to dry or under plastic if slow drying is needed.
Bisque Fire
When I have enough pieces that are completely dry I load them into my electric kiln and fire them for 9-10 hours. This firing reaches cone 04 (about 1945°F). These pieces are now solid like glass but not fully vitrified so they can absorb water.
Glazing
After the bisqued pieces are cool I wipe or wash off dust to make sure the glaze sticks. The glaze is made of powdered chemicals suspended in water. For every piece I brush on 3-4 coats of glaze or dip and pour glazes which I have a large enough quantity. The water evaporates and leaves a thin layer of chemicals on the pot.
Glaze Fire
Before loading the kiln for a glaze fire I prepare the kiln shelves. This includes scraping off flaking or bubbling kiln wash and applying new kiln wash. This protects the shelves in case glaze runs off a pot when it melts. The glaze firing takes about 8 hours and reaches about 2220°F. When the firing is finally finished the kiln must cool which takes at least 12 more hours. I use a kiln vent to suck fresh air into the kiln and suck odors and chemical filled air out.