Forging Clay Pots
Types of Pottery
Clay pots can be charming and effective and they're not that consolidated to dash off. Nevertheless you Testament want a kiln to bake the clay when you've finished creating your pot. There are basically three types of pottery made from baked clay. One is earthenware, another stoneware and the latest is porcelain. They are make-believe from antithetic variations of the clay and baked at differential temperatures. The earthenware is baked or "fired" as it is referred to at a low temperature. This method allows for colourful glazes to be used, however earthenware isn't as fixed as the other types, and chipping and cracking materialize extra easily. Stoneware is even stronger due to the circumstance that it is baked at a all the more higher temperature, giving it a harder Stop. Porcelain in trumped-up from kaolin, which is a skilled chalky clay that is mixed with other ingredients and baked at a low temperature, manufacture it a Dainty type of pottery. This would not be the bad pottery for forming clay pots. Earthenware works considerable for decorative pots, while stoneware would be the cool Election for forging pots that you would handle in an oven.
Preparing the Clay
To prepare a parcel of clay, you extremity to cause certain the moisture content is consistent and you longing to receive the air bubbles absent of it. Once you have the pot the shape that you want, put it aside and let it dry. When it starts to feel like leather, you can add designs to it. A completely dry piece of pottery before it is fired is called greenware. When it loses that cold feeling it is ready for the kiln. Complete this equitable allied you would end provided you were forging a Bun of bread. Control kneading until the clay can be formed into a smooth ball and you no longer examine wet and dry spots on it.
Techniques for Making Clay Pots
The three basic techniques for production clay pots are pinch, coil and slab. Moulding a pinch pot is a relatively easy manner that requires you to dash off a smooth ball from a abundance of the kneaded clay. Holding it in the palm of your ability; deposit your thumb in the centre of the top of the ball. Pinch the clay between your thumb and finger. Turn the ball slightly and deposit pinching. As you produce your course approximately the ball, it Testament break ground to contemplate compatible a pot. Even-handed deposit working it until you purchase it how you longing it. Provided the clay starts to dry, aloof dip your fingers in a glass of hose and conduct working. You necessity the walls of the pot to be at least ¼ of an inch thick. You complete this by kneading the clay. Include your table or labour universe before you embarkation and then dwelling the clay on the insert. Using the heels of your hands push the clay and then fold it back.
Making a coil pot is a little more difficult as you must be absolutely sure that the coils are joined well. You start by rolling the clay into round strips about 1 ½ inch thick. The length doesn't matter. Coil one strip for the bottom by starting in the middle and wrapping the clay around until you have the size base you want. Once you have the pot shape that you want, follow the same directions for finishing as with the other techniques. For beginners it is best to smooth out both sides of the pot to be sure that the coils are joined properly. Once you have the pot the size you want, set it aside and let it start to dry. Then follow the directions for the technique above.
The slab method is used mostly to make square pots, although you can use it for other shapes as well. You can use 2 sticks about ½ of an inch thick and roll the clay out between them with a rolling pin. Using the sticks gives you a uniform thickness. Once you have it rolled out, cut out the pieces you will need for your pot. If you want to make a fancy pot, you may want to make yourself a paper pattern for the pieces and use them on the clay. To put the pieces together you will need some slip. Slip is very wet clay, the consistency of pudding. Score the edges that are going together with a pencil point and then put on the slip. Press the edges together and clean away the extra slip. Check to make sure that the edges are securely put together. Smooth out the coils, making sure that the bottom has become one solid piece. Now start with another strip and coil it around the outside of the base and move upwards. You can smooth out both the inside and outside or just the inside if you want the coil-look for your pot. If the coils are not connected completely, they will fall apart when the pot is fired.
