Pushing the Limits of my Craft
Throw thick, even blanks on bats, then trim the stepped exterior at leather-hard stage while checking wall thickness by touch.
- Keep walls about 10–12 mm thick and dry slowly to reduce distortion before heavy trimming.
- Feel the wall from the opposite side as you trim; stop to check the pot’s weight and thickness.
- For thick crackle glazes, glaze outside and inside on separate days, then carefully fettle uneven edges.
The firing and glazing demonstrations show techniques and results that notes alone cannot convey. · Best for: Potters exploring heavily trimmed forms, thick glazes, and reduction firing.
The potter develops stepped bowls by throwing thick blanks with smooth interiors, trimming the exterior in stages, then glazing and reduction firing them. The finished pieces inform changes for the next batch.
Throwing thick blanks for later trimming0:01
- To keep the interior smooth and consistent, throw thick walls first and cut the stepped exterior later rather than forming steps during throwing.
- Throw on bats to help preserve circular form; aim for walls around 10–12 mm thick.
- Remove exterior slip and dry slowly and evenly. Wait until the clay no longer distorts under light pressure before trimming.
Trimming the stepped form6:55
- Check the rim’s spin, flatten the base if needed, and secure the pot before trimming upright.
- Trim the rough planes and foot first, then carve the ledges and hollows; use a tungsten carbide trimmer to start the incisions.
- Keep a hand opposite the tool to feel wall thickness and movement. Check the pot’s weight during trimming to find excess clay.
- Keep the cross-section even, especially around the foot, and dry the finished pieces slowly to reduce cracking and distortion.
Bisque firing, sanding, and waxing15:57
- Bisque fire in an electric kiln to 1,000°C; the porous fired body absorbs glaze water.
- Wet-sand gritty edges to limit dust, wash the dust off, and let the pots dry before glazing so they can absorb enough glaze.
- Apply wax emulsion quickly, rotating the brush to avoid dragging it against the pot.
Glazing and cleanup19:13
- For the thick crackle glaze, fill and swirl glaze inside, then dip the exterior; glaze the two sides on separate days so the second coat can adhere thickly.
- Scrape glaze from waxed areas and tidy rims and feet gradually. Avoid thin patches; excessively thick glaze can crawl.
- Keep the work area clean and wear a mask when scraping dried glaze. Reclaim removed glaze.
Reduction firing and finished results28:16
- Wad the feet of the moss green bowls to reduce the risk of running glaze sticking them to the kiln shelf.
- In the gas kiln, close the dampers halfway at 860°C to create a reduction atmosphere; finish around 1,290°C, at cone 10.
- After cooling, smooth sharp bases; if wadding has fused to a pot, grind it away with a diamond-tipped Dremel bit while the surface is wet.
- The results suggest trying thinner, sharper, more varied lines and adjusting their placement in the next batch.
Step by step
- Throw a thick-walled, smooth-interior blank on a bat, leaving enough clay for the foot.
- Remove excess slip and dry the blank slowly until firm enough to trim without distortion.
- Center and trim the base, exterior planes, ledges, foot, and underside; feel the wall and check weight as you work.
- Dry the finished form slowly, bisque fire, wet-sand gritty edges, wash off dust, and allow it to dry.
- Wax the foot; apply glaze in stages appropriate to the glaze, then fettle uneven rims and feet once dry.
- Wad feet if the glaze may run, reduction fire, and smooth the finished bases after cooling.
Tools & resources mentioned
- Tungsten carbide trimmer — starts the hollows and incisions for the stepped lines.
- Wax emulsion — protects areas such as the foot from glaze.
- Electric kiln — used for bisque firing to 1,000°C.
- Rohde KG 340 gas kiln — used for reduction firing.
- Kaolin and coarse alumina hydrate — mixed to make kiln wadding for the moss green bowls.
- Dremel with diamond-tipped bits — removes fused wadding from a fired base.
Notes are AI-generated from the video's transcript and may miss nuance.