Lesley
-
How Long do Kiln Elements Last? – How Many Firings?
One of the inevitable costs of owning a kiln is changing the elements now and then. But how long do kiln elements last? And how much will it cost each time you need to change them? These are good questions if you’re trying to work out how much it’s going to cost to maintain your…
-
What Does a Potter Do? A Day in the Life of a Potter
If you like making things out of clay, you may have thought about honing your skill and becoming a potter. But what does a potter do? And what is their working life like day-to-day? Here is all you need to know about the work and life of a potter. And what you can expect if…
-
Is Porcelain Oven Safe? – Using Porcelain in the Oven
I admit it, I’m a thrift store junkie. Recently I picked up a beautiful second-hand porcelain dish in a thrift store. It’s certainly large enough to cook a casserole in, but it got me wondering, is porcelain oven safe? So, I looked into it carefully and discovered the following… Modern kitchenware that has been made…
-
What Temperature to Fire Terra Sigillata? | What Works Best?
If you are starting to use terra sigillata, it’s most likely that you have made your own batch. But perhaps you are wondering what temperature to fire terra sigillata. After all, if you have made your own, you won’t have any manufacturers firing guidelines! There is quite a variety of opinions about the temperature to…
-
Salt Glazed Pottery – About Salt Glazing, Past, & Present
Salt glazing has been around since the 14th century. And though it’s no longer used as an industrial way of making pottery, it is still popular amongst individual potters. Small craft potteries still produce beautiful salt glazed pottery. In this article, I dive into how exactly salt glaze pottery is made. I’ll also look at…
-
Stoneware Vs Earthenware – How Do They Differ?
In the field of pottery, there are lots of different types of ceramic ware. Very broadly, ‘ware’ is a term used to refer to pottery objects, in their different stages of being made. You may have wondered what the difference is between stoneware and earthenware. This article will compare stoneware vs earthenware, and in particular,…
-
Kiln Wash on The Kiln Floor? – Does it Protect Your Kiln?
When I first looked into kiln maintenance, I heard it was advisable to put kiln wash on the kiln floor. Whilst I could understand the point of this, painting anything on my kiln made me feel nervous. Kilns are an expensive piece of kit and I didn’t want to ruin the kiln brick. So, I…
-
Japanese Raku Pottery – Raku Ware Past and Present
For a long time, Japanese raku pottery remained a mystery to me. I like to make raku pottery, and I was aware that the techniques I had learned are western raku methods. I knew that these were different from the Japanese methods. But I felt a bit intimidated and ill-equipped to understand Japanese raku. However,…
-
13 Ways of Finding a Pottery Wheel Near Me
Learning how to use a pottery wheel takes practice. Perhaps you are new to pottery, or maybe you want to practice your wheel throwing. Either way, you are probably wondering how to find a pottery wheel near me. It’s also possible that you would like to try pottery as a hobby. But you want to…
-
What is Terracotta Made of? – A Look at Red Burning Clay
I’d always thought that terracotta clay should be fired at low temperatures. Firing basically means baking the clay in a kiln. But I bought some recently and the manufacturer’s spec said it could be fired up to 1181C (2158F). This is much higher than I thought, and it led me to question what I know…
-
Where Is Clay Found? – How to Get Your Hands on Clay Soil
Clay is dug up from the ground and processed so it can be used to make pottery. Often it is manufacturers who mine the clay and transport it to a processing plant. Sometimes it is individual potters who want to be self-sufficient. But this raises the question, where is clay found? Good clay for pottery…
-
What is Earthenware Made of? – Earthenware Pottery 101
Earthenware pottery is everywhere. It is used to make everything from roof tiles, building bricks, plant pots, and dinnerware. So, what is this amazingly versatile material called earthenware? And exactly what is earthenware made of? Here is your answer in a nutshell: Earthenware is traditionally made from ‘red earthenware’ clay or ‘red terra-cotta’. However, some…