Build Your Dream Pottery Setup
Ed Shears
Water can be added to glaze to thin it out and make it more fluid. The amount of water added will depend on the desired consistency and the specific glaze recipe being used. Too much water can dilute the glaze and affect its final appearance and performance, so it’s important to add it gradually and … Read more
Glaze should dry completely before firing to avoid cracks and bubbles in the glaze surface. The drying time depends on the thickness of the glaze, humidity, and temperature conditions, but generally it takes anywhere from 12 to 24 hours. It’s best to wait until the glaze is completely dry to the touch before firing to … Read more
You can use an extension cord with a kiln. It is important to make sure the extension cord has the right gauge wire to handle the current the kiln requires. A kiln draws a lot of power, and using an extension cord with too small of a gauge wire can lead to overheating, fire, or … Read more
Kilns are oven-like structures that use heat to bake or dry a variety of materials such as ceramics, bricks, and wood. They work by heating a chamber to a high temperature and controlling the amount of air flow inside. This process allows for controlled and efficient heating, making it possible to produce consistent results. Kilns … Read more
Construction involves using slabs of clay rolled out to a uniform thickness and then cut and joined together to form the desired shape. Using a consistent thickness of clay, scoring and slipping the edges to ensure a strong bond, and allowing sufficient drying time to prevent cracking are all essential for successful hard slab pottery … Read more
Silica dust can stay in the air for varying lengths of time depending on factors such as air flow and humidity. In still air, silica dust can remain suspended for several hours. However, in an area with good ventilation, the dust will dissipate more quickly. Humidity can also impact the duration, with higher humidity causing … Read more
A chawan is a type of tea bowl used in the Japanese tea ceremony. It is typically made of ceramic or pottery and has a round shape with a wide rim and a deep bowl. The chawan is designed to be held in the hand and is used to prepare and serve tea in the … Read more
The stages of clay include dry clay, slip, plastic clay, leather-hard clay, bone-dry clay, bisqueware, & glazeware. Dry clay is mined and ground into powder. Next, slip is clay mixed with water, plastic clay can be molded. Leather-hard clay is firm but still pliable. Bone-dry is completely dry and hard, bisqueware is fired but not … Read more
Cracks are caused by stress on the clay. Cracks form when parts of the clay pot dry out faster than other parts of the pottery. Clay dries at different rates because of the various thicknesses of the clay pot.
What Are Pyrometric Cones? For more than a century, pyrometric cones or pyrometric devices have been used to monitor ceramic firings. They can tell you when the firing is finished and if the kiln delivered adequate heat. Pyrometric cones can even tell you if there was a temperature differential in the kiln, or if an … Read more