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. Photo courtesy of Joanna Andrzejewska, Krakow, Matopolskie, Poland.

July 20, 2007

Great Ideas for Potters

by Ceramic Arts Daily | Read Comments (11)

Each week, Ceramic Arts Daily provides you with a selection of helpful hints and ideas drawn from suggestions submitted by Ceramics Monthly readers. 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.

Got a tip of your own that you'd like to share?
Whether it's a solution to a particular problem that you encountered or a hint to facilitate production flow, our weekly series "Great Ideas for Potters" is the perfect place for you to share your tip with fellow potters. Email your tip today!

• Did you ever throw a lid that didn't quite fit, one that would be perfect if only you could stretch it just a tad, but the clay was too stiff? Try moistening the edge with a sponge (you can even dip it in water after the clay has changed color), then pinch around the edge repetitively--just enough to expand it slightly. The repetitive pinching increases the diameter of the lid and creates a decorative edge that looks like it was planned, instead of being a "gimmick" to make the lid fit better. You may even want to use a modeling stick to exaggerate the expansion pattern.

• Two methods to increase the probability of slabs drying flat: The first involves the use of a pasta roller (it looks like a ribbed rolling pin) purchased at an import store. After flinging or rolling out a large slab, turn it over and roll with the ribbed pin in one direction, then roll perpendicularly to create a checkerboard effect. After work on the top side is complete, the slab is laid on a layer of sand to dry. The crosshatched back promotes even drying by allowing air to circulate, and the sand lets the clay shrink without warping.

• The weather can make raku firing tricky. The sky can be clear one moment, and raining cats and dogs the next. To avoid raku problems, try building a kiln on a wheeled cart. Then, if it starts to rain, simply roll the kiln under cover. The firebrick base is enclosed in a basket of sorts so the brick is not subject to shock or dropping. Use standard perforated angle steel (1Hx1H-inch) and electrical conduit to build the framework. The inside of the frame is lined with steel wire mesh; this gives the brick support and allows heat to bleed off. The conduit handle slides out and can be put aside while firing. You can spray the entire assembly with zinc primer to prevent rusting. The wheels are standard plastic and rubber wheels on a H-inch shaft. The chamber is expanded metal lined with fiber insulation.

• So you don't have a scale, but you want to know how much clay it takes to produce same-size forms. It's very easy. Simply wrap that first ball of clay with a length of nylon thread, and cut it so that it measures the circumference. Now you can use the same thread to measure the size of additional balls. Later, you can identify the thread (e.g., cup, plate, bowl) for throwing another day.

• Long hours spent throwing or trimming at the wheel can do a real number on a potter's neck and back. The following simple tricks can help enormously: If your wheel pedal is under your right foot, place a brick under your left foot. This makes your knees level and eliminates asymmetrical stress on the lower back. Use a stool on wheels. Tiny variations in distance to the wheel head allow you to use a range of back muscles, reducing fatigue. Keep at least one tool that you use frequently, such as a cutoff wire, high above your head. This will force you to reach up and straighten your back at regular intervals. This is particularly helpful in avoiding those headaches due to tense neck muscles.

Coming next week to Ceramic Arts Daily: Learn more about how you can stay fit and healthy so you can beat the aches and pains of pottery.