I recently made a lovely red terra cotta vase, and bisque fired it. I was wondering what glaze to use when it occurred to me that a nice white slip would look good. But I had already bisque fired it and I wondered, can you apply decorating slip to bisque. So, I did a little …
Can You Use Decorating Slip on Bisque? – Slip on Bisqueware Read More »
Making pinch pottery is very tactile. As you pinch your pot you will feel the thickness of the clay between your fingers and thumb. But just how thick should a pinch pot be? Exactly how thick you want your pinch pot to be is a matter of personal choice and taste. However, there are a …
How Thick Should a Pinch Pot Be? – Pinch Pot Walls Read More »
Pinch pots are one of the oldest ways of making pottery. There is evidence that pinch pot history starts many thousands of years ago. The simplicity of the technique has survived over the millennia. When I discovered that pinch pots were being made as far back as the Neolithic era, I was oddly reassured. …
Pinch Pot History – A History of Pinch Pots Over the Years Read More »
I had been thinking about running some pottery classes. And one of the questions on my mind was how to provide a wheelchair accessible pottery wheel. So, I started looking into it and this is what I found out. You can buy a wheel that is specifically designed to be wheelchair accessible, however, these are …
Wheelchair Accessible Pottery Wheel – What are the Options? Read More »
I decided to buy a table top pottery wheel. The two most highly recommended table top pottery wheels I could find, are the Shimpo Aspire and the Speedball Artista. But which one is the best? I wanted a table top pottery wheel that I could put in the back of my car, and transport easily. …
Table Top Pottery Wheel – Shimpo Aspire or Speedball Artista? Read More »
There are different types of kiln, and each of them works a bit differently. However, regardless of design, kilns are simply chambers that are heated up to bake clay at high temperatures. In this article, I will look at the question, how do kilns work? I will consider some of the differences between types of …
How Do Kilns Work? – All about How Pottery Kilns Fire Clay Read More »
Raku firing pottery is often described as a low fire fast method of glazing or finishing your pottery. But if you are thinking of firing raku, you might be wondering what exactly is the recommended raku firing temperature? In the context of a raku firing temperature, what does ‘low fire’ mean? Raku pottery is often …
What is the Recommended Raku Firing Temperature? Read More »
The most common practice when making ceramics is to fire pottery twice. The first fire is the bisque or biscuit fire. But what is the second firing of clay called? The second firing of clay is called the glaze fire. After the first fire, liquid glaze is applied to the bisque fired pottery. This is …
What is the Second Firing of Clay Called? – Glaze or Glost? Read More »
One of the first things that you will learn about firing clay is that it happens in two stages. These two stages have different purposes. This article is all about the first stage. So, let’s look first at what the first firing of clay is called… The first firing of clay is called the bisque …
What is the First Firing of Clay Called? – Bisque, Biscuit or Bisc? Read More »
Usually, clay is fired two times. The first time is the bisque fire and the second time is the glaze fire. Clay undergoes changes during both of these firing processes. And this article is all about what happens to clay when it is fired in a bisque and a glaze fire. In essence, when clay …
What Happens to Clay When it is Fired in a Kiln? Read More »
When you are starting out in pottery, most likely someone else is firing your pieces. Or perhaps you have a new kiln and you are wondering about firing schedules. Either way, you are probably wondering, how long does it take to fire clay in a kiln? This article is all about how long the firing …
How Long Does It Take to Fire Clay in a Kiln? – Clay Firing Facts Read More »
Firing clay is the process of turning it from clay into ceramic material. Most of the time pottery is fired twice, and the second firing is called glaze firing. So, what exactly is glaze firing? The first step in firing pottery is the bisque fire when clay turns into ceramic ware. After the bisque fire, …
What is Glaze Firing? – All About Glaze Firing Pottery Read More »
Firing pottery can seem like a mysterious process to the new potter. There are lots of technical terms that can sound quite foreign. So, I thought it would be helpful to write an overview of the stages of firing clay. Here is a guide to the 3 stages of firing clay. There are 3 main …
3 Stages of Firing Clay – A Beginners Guide to Firing Pottery Read More »
When I first started firing my own pots, one of my questions was how long does a bisque firing take? This can be a pressing question if you are up against a deadline or excited to see your fired ware. Over time, this is what I have learned about bisque firing pottery… A bisque firing …
How Long Does a Bisque Firing Take? – 6 Factors at Play Read More »
When I first got my kiln, I had no idea how to use it. The first hurdle was to learn about firing greenware to bisque. It was a bit of a learning curve for me and some of it I learned through trial and error. So, I thought it would be helpful to put together …
Firing Greenware to Bisque – 11 Tips on Bisque Firing Pottery Read More »
Plaster has lots of uses to potters. For example, it can be used, for mold making, casting, and making damp boxes. But there are a lot of different types of plaster. And if you are trying to figure out which one to use, it can be confusing. In particular, you might be wondering about the …
Pottery Plaster Vs Plaster of Paris – Which to Use? Read More »
I really like the look of flowing glazes, so when I first saw the Potter’s Choice range, I loved them. When I began to use them, I had a few difficulties and I wasn’t getting the results I wanted. With a bit of research, and with trial and error, I have worked through these. Here …
4 Potter’s Choice Glaze Problems – And How I Solved Them Read More »
A lot of heart and soul can go into making your pottery. So, it can be gutting when your glaze doesn’t turn out how you wanted it to. If your glaze is underfired, you might be wondering if you can do anything to salvage your work. The question is, can you refire underfired glaze to …
Can you Refire Underfired Glaze? – Rescuing Underfired Pottery Read More »
Pottery for beginners can be very exciting. It can also feel a bit overwhelming. It can seem like there is a lot to learn. And like most hobby’s, the more you learn, the more you realize you don’t know. But pottery is really just about making things out of mud! All you really need to …
Pottery for Beginners – How to Start Making Pottery at Home Read More »
When you are firing pottery in a kiln, you need to control the temperature that the kiln reaches. You also need to control how long it takes for the kiln to reach that temperature. So, what is a kiln sitter? There are three main types of kiln controller. They are the fully manual controller, the …
What is a Kiln Sitter? – And How do Kiln Sitters Work? Read More »