Into Double AughtThis issue marks the second full year of Pottery Making

Illustrated and we re now preparing for the future based on the great response we’ve received. In 2000, we re adding a fifth issue to the PMI schedule with the special “Potters Guide” issue coming out in July. To avoid scheduling conflicts on production, we’re moving the mailing date for the Summer issue up a couple of weeks so you should be getting that magazine sooner than you did in the previous years.In-depth Help

In addition to our usual mix of articles, we’ve decid­ed to give one topic a little extra attention in each issue. This time, we contacted Rosette Gault, the primary force behind the paper clay movement, and asked her to explain working with paper clay. While there’s more information available in books and magazines and on the Internet, her article provides all you’ll need to know to get started.

Over the next few issues, we’ll explore other topics— some common and some not-so-common. Since the majority of potters have informal or casual training in many areas, the upcoming coverage should be equivalent to a classroom or workshop discussion. This makes this feature a great place to learn the basics, or get started on some in-depth research. Send us suggestions for topics you’d like to see covered.A New Web Site

We’ve also updated our web site. After reviewing which pages visitors studied most, we’ve altered the structure to make it easier to find what you’re looking for. Barbara Coultry’s ClayLinks have been updated with the current version, but we’ve also kept her previous reviews so new potters will benefit from them, too. And Sumi von Dassow’s past book recommendations will also be available along with the current reviews.Your Help is Needed

Pottery Making Illustrated is the most illustrated pottery magazine in the world, and we’d like to continue that standard into the next millennium. Photos and drawings make a great number of techniques, projects and processes readily understandable so that thousands of potters can easily learn and incorporate them into their work. We thank the many contributors who have given their time and talents by presenting information on our pages, and we welcome contributions from the rest of you. To do so, check out the writers’ guidelines on the web site at www.potterymaking.org

Pottery Making illustrated 1

2 Fall 1999

ClayLinksbv Barbara Coultrv...................................................................... 6Our pottery surfer discovers clay instruments online

Handbuilding with Slabs and Cones and Cylindersby Scott Dooley............................................................. .............. 9Try a little geometric handbuilding with your next functional or “funktional” piece

Pouring to Perfection—Fundamental Principlesby Ivor Lewis ..................................................... ......................14Science is at work when your pitchers dribble and drip—here’s why

The Lazy Way: Throwing a Jar and Lid in One Pieceby Sumi von Dassow...................................................................17Guarantee your lids fit every time

Making Snowmenby Craw Hinshaw ......................................................................21Show kids there’s no need for snow when you’ve got a little clay around

Sprig Decoration on Mugsby Brad Sondahl ....................................................................... 23Learn how to repeat an applied decoration quickly and easily

Paper Clay—A Primerby Rosette Gault ........................................................................25Discover the basics about an innovative technology

Not the Clay You’re Used Toby Beverly Wallace ....................................................................31A ceramics teacher shows just how easy it is to use paper clay

Building a Domed Cylinder Kiln—Part IIby Don Adamaitis ......................................................................33Construct a fire-ring and firing chamberforf the dome top kiln in Part I.

Secrets of a Bat Man: How to Make Outstanding Batsby George Juliano with Elizabeth Hudgins ................................... 40Make a common woodworker’s jig to create inexpensive bats for the studio

Studio Safety: Dressing for Safetyby Jeff Zamek ............................................................................43Make a safe fashion statement in the studio

Off the Shelfby Sumi von Dassow...................................................................46Check out the recommendations on books about sculpture

Cover: “Teapot,” 16 inches in height, handbuilt and textured porce­lain, gas fired to Cone 5, by Scott Dooley. See story page 9.

Volume 2, Number 4Editor: Bill JonesProduction Manager: John Wilson Graphic Design: Debi Hampton Graphic Production: ErlaWise Advertising Manager: Steve Hecker Advertising Assistant: Debbie Plummer Customer Service: Mary Hopkins Publisher: Mark MecklenborgEditorial, Advertising & Circulation Offices

735 Ceramic Place PO Box 6136Westerville, OH 43086-6136Phone: (614) 794-5890Fax: (614) 794-5892E-mail: potterymaking@acers.orgWeb site: http://www.potterymaking.org

Pottery Making Illustrated (ISSN 1096-830X) is pub­lished 5 times a year by The American Ceramic Society, 735 Ceramic Place,Westerville, OH 43081. Standard mail (A) postage paid at Westerville, OH.Opinions expressed are those of the contributors and do not necessarily represent those of the editors or The American Ceramic Society.Subscription rates: One year $18, two years $34, three years $49. Add $15 per year for subscriptions outside North America. In Canada, add GST (R123994618). All payments must be in US$ and drawn on a US bank. Allow 6-8 weeks for delivery.Advertising: Ad rates and ad information are avail­able on the web site or by contacting Steve Hecker at the address above or by phone at (614) 794-5809.Change of address: Send your change of address via e-mail or to the Circulation Department. Allow six weeks advance notice.Contributors: Writing and photographic guide­lines are available on request and on the web site. Mail manuscripts and visual materials to the edito­rial offices with a self-addressed postcard for notifi­cation of receipt.Photocopies: Permission to photocopy for per­sonal or internal use beyond the limits of Sections 107 and 108 of the U.S. Copyright Law is granted by The American Ceramic Society, provided that the base fee of US$5 per copy, plus US$0.50 per page, is paid direcdy to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Dr., Danvers, MA 01923 USA (508) 750-8400.This consent does not extend to other kinds of copying, such as copying for gen­eral distribution, for advertising or promotional pur­poses or for creating new collective works. Requests for special photocopying permission and reprint requests should be directed to the Director of Publications, The American Ceramic Society, PO. Box 6136,Westerville, OH 43086-6136.Back Issues: When available, back issues are $5 each, plus $3 postage for the first copy and $1 for each additional copy thereafter. For orders outside North America, add $6 ($2 for additional copies). In Canada, add 7% GST.Postmaster: Send address changes to Pottery Making Illustrated, PO Box 6136, Westerville, OH 43086-6136.

Copyright © i999 The American Ceramic Society All rights resewed

4 Fall 1999

Pottery Making illustrated 5

by Barbara CoultryThe Sounds of Clay

When I told Burnt Earth’s Barry Hall that I could throw a bottle and sculpt the human figure but could not make a simple whistle, he replied, “If you can throw a bottle, then you’ve already made a whistle! Just blow across the top edge to produce a sound. Add a few fmger holes in the body of the bottle to produce different notes. What you will have is very similar to the ancient Chinese xun, which was egg-shaped.”

I thought, “Of course! What child hasn’t blown across the opening of a Coke bottle, the most basic of flutes?” A Coke bottle’s single note, however, loses its fizz next to the music that clay can make, and proof of this is out there on the web in the form of flutes, drums, horns and even a pipe organ. Besides pictures and step-by-step directions, you’ll be treated to sound files of the actual instruments. (See the sidebar “A Few Notes . . .”)

Travel to the following sites for a journey through both the ancient and the modern shapes and sounds of clay:

How to Make a Clay Whistlewww.geocities.com/RainForest/Canopy/2525/whis- tles/whistle.htmlWithin the space of just one web page, Dwight Bartholomew has managed to give crystal-clear directions for making a whistle. He takes you step-by-step through making the body, the nozzle and the opening, and then he guides you through the refinements of pitch and tuning. A clay whistle positively begs for adornment, and so Dwight even manages to fit in a few decorating tips.

Burnt Earthwww.ninestones.com/index.shtmlBarry Hall, an accomplished musician and clay artist, has a web site with everything from flutes to didjeridus, udus to doum- beks, plus a few of his very own creations such as musical flow­erpots and a “stone fiddle,” something you must see and listen to. You’ll come first to a table of contents leading you through an exotic array of music. Don’t skip any of it, but do click first on “Burnt Earth,” an audiovisual tour of clay instruments. Also, listen to the “Burnt Earth Ensemble,” an all-clay group. To go around the world and even back to the beginnings of clay music, click on absolutely everything.

A few notes . . .• Listening to Clay—If you have computer speakers but are new

to sound files, I’d like to make a recommendation: Go to RealNetworks’ site at www.real.com/products/player and download RealPlayer G2. It’s free, it’s painless, and once you have it, you’ll be able to hear all the sounds that clay can make.

• Coming up—For the next issue, I’d like to cover “Other Cultures, Other Times,” in which I’ll concentrate on those sites that cover ceramic art in other cultures—past and present—such as Mexican pottery, African masks, ancient Greece, Pueblo ceramics history, etc. If you know of any sites that fall into this category, drop me a line and a link and I’ll check it out.

• Keep in touch—As always, continue to send your favorite sites and discoveries to me at claylink@nycap.rr.com. Also, put my e-mail address into your address book. When you find a particularly good site that you think other PMI readers might be interested in, send me the link. I can’t per­sonally answer everyone’s e-mail—I’m sure you under­stand—but, believe me, I’ll be checking out each and every link you’re kind enough to send. B. C.

6 Fall 1999

Ocarina Originatorswww.ocarina.demon.co.uk/index.htmlThis is an everything-ocarina site. My favorite page is filled with ocarina legend, but you may be more pragmatic than I and find yourself studying the widely varied designs. Then again, history may be your favorite pastime and you’ll want to find out where the ocarina first showed up on earth. Of course, you can lean back in your chair to listen to these little flutes. I promise that you’ll find at least one thing of interest at Ocarina Originators, but more likely, you’ll find a lot.

Uduboywww.uduboy.comOkay, you say, I think I’ll make a clay drum, but how do I make music with it? Brian Melick (the Uduboy) comes forth to get you started. Brian isn’t a clay artist; rather, he’s a musician, a writer, an inventor, and an educator who has fallen in love with the sound of clay. This talented, extremely busy man has writ­ten a full course on playing the udu and has been kind enough to freely share some of the basics with us. Click on “Products,” then “The ‘How To’ of UDU,” and finally on “Read excerpts from the book” to begin your understanding of clay drum­ming.

Barbara Coultry welcomes suggestions and comments from readers about ClayLinks. Please send your favorite sites and discoveries to her at claylink@nycap.rr.com. While she can't respond to each e-mail, she will check every link suggested.

Below is a collection of even more not-to-be- missed musical clay sites:Congahead.comwww.congahead.com/People/Don_Alias/body_don_alias.htmlWithin a site devoted to percussion is this page where you can hear Don Alias playing the udu. There’s only one word for the sounds he draws from clay: phenomenal.Anita’s Ocarinaswww.scn.org/~bg599/ocarinas.htmlHere you’ll find all kinds of ocarinas accompanied by sound files to round out the experience.Clayzeness Whistleworkswww.clayz.comThis is an ocarina potpourri of information, pictures and music guaranteed to inspire you right back into your studio to try creating a little of your own music.Exploring Ocarinas as Art and Musiccoe.ilstu.edu/labschool/metcalf/curric/art/suan/clay.htmHere you’ll find “Directions: Clay Ocarina Making” by Suan Guess-Hanson of Illinois State. Replace “clay.htm” with “fin- ger.htm” to find an ocarina fingering chart.Gossett Potteryhome.att.net/~coolpotter/pottery/potsx.htmlIf you’re like I am and always need more than one set of direc­tions, try Amy Gossett’s site. It has clay whistle directions and pictures of some of Amy’s own delightful designs.How to Make a Quenawww.dynalogic.com/andina/kenamake.htmlThese are directions for making an Andean flute from PVC pipe, but there’s mention of substituting clay. It’s a design that should translate easily.Jacobsladdertinpan.fortunecity.com/fluke/68Though you’ll find lovely flutes of clay, you absolutely must go see the pipe organ!Lark in the Morningwww.mhs.mendocino.k12.ca.us/MenComNet/Business/ Retail/Larknet/OcarinasTake a tour of many different types of ocarinas, then replace “Ocarinas” with “Africa” in the URL, scroll down, and enjoy the udu drums.Mr. Hayakawa Play Ocarinawww.ensc.com/Kaic/Vshop/Hayakawa/Hayakawa- J/owner.htmlYet another set of directions, but this one is specifically for “tra­ditional” ocarina design.Musically Functional Porcelain Bugleswww.efn.org/~clay/index.htmlOf course you can make clay bugles.Rhythmswww.afrorhythms.com/drums.htmTravel here to find variations on the udu theme.Songbird Ocarinas www.songbirdocarina.comClick on “To hear a selection from my CD Ocarina Enchantment,” then relax during a small musical clay interlude.

Pottery Making illustrated

8 Fall 1999

by Scott DooleyIn 1998, I began handbuilding with

slabs, breaking with my previous work, which had been entirely wheel thrown. I started to use plastic pipes and other objects as templates to wrap clay around. At the same time I began handbuilding, I discovered an interest in metal objects, such as funnels, oil cans, mufflers, petroleum storage tanks and grain silos. The overlapping of metal seams, the use of rivets and the aged, weathered look of these forms influenced the direction of my clay work. I began to mimic these metal elements as I devel­oped new forms, cutting and altering the clay to add animation. Through this experimentation, I began to texture and layer oxides and glazes to simulate an aged, weathered surface.

Vve primarily produced functional pieces in this new style, relying on the ewer, bottle and teapot forms as the basis

for my creations. Working with the teapot and its inherent possibilities is especially enjoyable, and combining parts, like pieces of metal, allows endless combinations. With this method of building, I have opened up a world of possibilities for creating objects that are distinctly different in process and feel

from my previous wheel-thrown work.

“Teapot,” 16 inches in height, handbuilt and textured porce­lain, fired to Cone 5 in a neu­tral atmosphere.

Pottery Making illustrated 9

TECH NOTES - JOINING SLIP

Figure 4

Once the large cylinder is leather hard, I turn it upside down and, using a sharp fettling knife, cut out half circles for the foot. I then fit a slab to the bottom, which I score and join.

NOTE: When joining the bottom, take care to cut the slabs to fit together with 45° angles. This allows for a stronger joint, as there is more surface area of the clay joined.

The joining slip I make works very well for handbuilding. I have used several dif­ferent clay bodies with this building method, and the slip has held up. The Darvan 7 deflocculant allows one to use less water in the slip. This, in turn, means that there will be less shrinkage at the joints where it is used. The powdered clay is prepared from leftover scraps that have dried out. Currently, I am using a commer­cial porcelain body.

First, I mix the Darvan 7 and water together in a pint container. I then add powdered clay, mixing until I get the desired consistency. It is easier to add dry clay, as it absorbs into the solution more quickly. I like the slip to be thick enough to brush on. It is best to let the slip sit for a day or so, to avoid chunks in the mixture.

The following is for a pint of slip:

Figure 1

I begin the building process by making the individual parts that will be used in constructing a piece. After rolling out slabs, I cut them to the necessary dimensions. Shown here are the slabs for the body, spout and handle of a teapot. Virtually every part for my work is based on cone and cylinder shapes, which are then altered.

Figure 5

Once the bottom slab is in place, I turn the cylinder right side up and make the first angled cut into the body. It is important that the clay is fairly stiff at this point, or the fettling knife will not make a clean cut.

Figure 2

NOTE: Make sure that the newspaper is not too tight around the pipe; it should easily slide on and off.

To form a spout, I cut a wedge shape out of the circular slab. After the slab has set up, it is formed into a cone, scored on the edges and joined.

TIP: I make a variety of widths for these cones to allow for more options when I am making the spout (see figure 3).

The handle and body are made by wrap­ping the slabs around various sizes of PVC pipe. I use newspaper sheaths so the clay will not stick to the plastic. I over­lap the clay about 1/4 inch to allow for scoring and joining. Once the clay is joined and stiff enough to hold its own weight, I remove the pipe and newspa­per. I then bow the large cylinder into an oval. The parts are left to stiffen a bit more if necessary. Shown here are the beginning parts for a teapot with the PVC pipes used in the making of the handle and body.

Approx. 2 tsp. of Darvan 7 deflocculant ½ pint water Dry, powdered clay body

10 Fall 1999

Figure 3

PRO

CES

S PH

OTO

GR

APH

S: L

ISA

PA

NK

RA

TZ

Figure 6

I then turn the top section upside down and make the second cut going the opposite direction on the cylinder, creat­ing a wedge-shaped scrap.

Figures 9 & 10

The opening at the back is sealed, using cut and joined slabs. The creation of this bulge adds volume to the teapot and gives me a point of connection for the handle. The top of the body is a shallow cone shape. As with the foot, it is joined with 45° angle edges.

Figure 7

The body is then trimmed and sized to fit back to the bottom. This stage takes some patience, but it is very important to have a good tight fit without gaps. I use a sharp scalpel for the small detail trim­ming when fitting the parts together. Once the pieces are trimmed well, I score and attach the parts. Often I need to lean the body up against something to keep it from tipping backwards. I then take small coils of clay and work the seam both on the inside and outside.

Figure 8

The next cut is back in the other direction to help balance the body. The process of cutting and attaching is repeated. I leave a gap at the back of the body. This allows me to have more freedom in choosing how the last section will attach to the body.

Figure 11

The lid and neck are added next. The lid is also formed from a shallow cone. A cylindrical flange is sized to fit inside the neck and then attached to the lid. As a finishing touch, I add a small cylinder to the top of the lid to mimic the body of the teapot.

Figures 12 & 13

At this point, with a metal ruler, I cut nar­row strips of clay from a slab. These are added to the attachment points of the foot, top and neck of the teapot. They are used to create the look of metal seams.

Pottery Making illustrated 11

Figure 14

Once the strips are added, I begin work­ing on the spout. I attach the largest of the cones to the body. Small coils of clay are used to seal the seam where the spout attaches to the body. I then cut the cone at an angle.

Figure 15

The next smallest cone is chosen and cut at an angle to fit. It is scored, slipped and attached. Again, small coils are used to smooth the joint. The process is repeated, altering the angle of the cones. When the spout is finished, I add anoth­er narrow strip where the spout and body attach.

Figures 16 & 17

Once the spout is finished, I start the same process with the handle. However, I have found that it is easier to attach the handle after the pot is completely assem­bled. This allows me more freedom to play with the angle of attachment.

“Teapot, Creamer and Sugar,” to 12 inches in height, handbuilt and textured porcelain, fired to Cone 5 in a neutral atmosphere.

“Industrial Stirrup Bottle,” 22 inches in height, handbuilt and textured porcelain, fired to Cone 5 in a neutral atmosphere.

12 Fall 1999

Figure 18

When the handle is constructed, I texture the whole teapot, except for the strips. The possibilities for texturing tools are endless. Most often, my choice is a scrap of concrete. After texturing, I attach the handle and add small strips of clay where the handle joins the body.

Figure 19

The final touch is to add small scraps of slabs in various places on the teapot. These will remain untextured and will be glazed a different color than the body of the teapot.

NOTE: Black copper oxide will run if it is on too thick. One needs to experiment with it in combination with one’s glazes before trying it on a finished piece. I texture my test tiles on one side so I can see the result of the oxide on a glaze both with and without texture.

Once the teapot has been bisque fired, I apply a layer of black copper oxide mixed with water. This is then sponged off, leaving oxide in the textured areas. The clay strips have a thicker layer of oxide applied to them. This layer is lightly sponged to keep it from being too thick. I then spray glaze over the oxide. The oxide will burn through the glaze and remain black.

“Two Ewers,” 7 inches in height, handbuilt and textured porcelain, gas fired to Cone 5 in a neutral atmosphere.

“Industrial Bottles,” to 23 inches in height, hand- built and textured porcelain, fired to Cone 5. The texture on the bottles was achieved by pressing found metal objects into the surface of the clay before it was formed into cylinders and cones.

Pottery Making illustrated

Scott Dooley is currently a graduate student at Kansas State University. He will be graduating with an MFA in May 2000. His work has been exhibited nationally and internationally. You can e- mail comments to him at srdl216@ksu.edu.

13

GLAZING TIPS

A combination of well-known physical forces and forms causes many pots to dribble and drip—

effects that cannot be prevented but can be minimized.

One enduring aspect of making pottery throughout the ages has been the constant need for a way of dispensing liquids. The necessity to regulate both the volume and rate of flow has resulted in a variety of solutions, leaving the clear impres­sion that its nearly impossible to fashion a lip or spout that neither dribbles nor drips.

A potters ability to control the flow and behavior of liquids from pots is a craft skill that depends on the ability to combine some under­standing of fluid flow, the action of surface tension and capillary forces, and knowledge of clay-forming processes to create an acceptable design solution.

14

The Forces Be With YouThere are good reasons that

explain why a drip always eases itself over the edge and trickles toward the foot ring. They arise out of physical relationships between liquids and the surfaces over which fluids flow, from an interplay of the forces that exist within liquids, at the surface where air touches it, through forces that occur between liquid and glaze and the effect of that all-Opervasive force—gravity. Water, alcoholic bev­erages, milk, fruit juice, custard and gravy (even oil) all exhibit the same behavior when they flow over a glazed or glassy surface. They wet it and stick to it.

Within a body of liquid such as water, the forces between the molecular particles are equal, so things remain pretty calm. However, where the boundary between liquid and some other substance at an edge or surface exists, there is an attractive force that goes unsatisfied, or alternatively, the force can be over-satisfied. When water and air interface, the former situation exists. Between water and the glaze, the latter happens.Cohesion

The force of attraction between particles of a liquid is called “cohe­sion.” This attraction surrounds each particle to bind it with neighboring particles. Particles on the surface expend the same amount of energy, but since there is a different sub­stance (i.e., air) next to it, energy is diverted to clinging to neighboring liquid particles. The result is that the liquid appears to have a surface skin, and this force is called “surface ten­sion.” Surface tension holds the sur­face of large volumes of water flat. In addition, it causes small volumes to become spherical droplets and allows immiscible fluids (liquids that don’t mix) of the same density to remain suspended like small weight­less planets in space. Razor blades will sit on the surface of a dish of water, and surface tension causes a stream of tea flowing from a pot to form a narrow jet.

AdhesionHowever, the magnitude of

surface tension is small compared to the force between the glaze and a liquid (e.g., water, tea or milk).This force is called “adhesion,” and it causes liquids to bind to our glazes, to glass and to other materials. Adhesion is the force that causes water to wet things, and it is a par­ticularly strong force.Capillary Action

When the force of adhesion is stronger than the force of cohesion, “capillary action” occurs. Capillary action always exerts itself in pottery to provide a reservoir that creates objectionable dribbles and drips when the force of gravity causes all fluids and liquids to flow down­ward. These effects will be exagger­ated if the glaze is one that has a high affinity for the liquid. Capillary action will pull it around the edge, rather than allowing it to project forward and away from the spout or lip.

The combined effects of surface tension and capillary action also cause a small volume of liquid to remain at the top of the lip or spout when pouring stops. The actual thickness and shape of that edge determine the volume and hence its mass or weight. So every potter has problems of designing edges for pouring channels that will retain a minimum volume. The smaller the volume of retained liquid, the less likely there will be a dribble.

If the affinity of the liquid for the glaze is greater than the force of surface tension, liquid will be pulled up to and over the rim by capillary action. A small residual volume that collects may either drip or dribble down the outside of the pot. As the width of the edge gets thinner, the amount of liquid that can collect diminishes down to a minimum quantity. This reduces the size of the final droplet and can effectively pre­vent dribbling.

Fall 1999

by Ivor Lewis

SolutionIts important to consider

extreme and intermediate solutions to lip or spout design when finishing the rim of a thrown pot. The one solution that’s least prone to dispensing that large final drop requires an effort to minimize volume and assist in reversing the movement of the liquid.

Stage AThis stage illustrates, in an exaggerated way, the effect of surface tension and the activity of capillary action between the fluid and the glaze on the pot. These forces create a concave area where the liquid meets the glaze, lifting the fluid.

Stage BOnce the level of the fluid rises higher than the lip, gravity causes liquid to flow over the edge. The width of that edge will determine if it is a wide or narrow stream. If the glaze is one that is easily wetted, then the liq­uid will be pulled round the lip and flow down the outer surface of the pot.

Stage CBackward rotation of the pot has the effect of lower­ing the level below the rim. This stops the flow, but even so, capillary action continues to pull back toward the rim or lip and fractional amounts of fluid can continue to flow over the edge and down the out­side of the pot. If the glaze has a strong pull on the liq­uid, this could result in a continuing dribble for a short period of time, suffi­cient to cause concern.

Example 1 - Rounded RimThe most common solution is to round the lip by running the clay under a chamois to create a semicircular contour. The amount of liquid that adheres is largely determined by the thickness of the clay. A thick rim retains more liquid so there are larger dribbles, where­as thin clay does the opposite. This has special significance in the design of mugs, cups and beakers.

Example 2 - Square Section Rim

An intermediate solution is where the lip is cut, leaving a horizontal flat surface between two sharp edges. This allows fluid to sit on the rim, forming a reservoir that feeds the dribble, and is often produced when the top of the pot is trimmed with a needle tool, or it may be created by allowing the clay to run between fin­ger and thumb of the left hand while the right forefinger bears down on the top of the spinning clay.

Example 3 - Knife EdgeThe extreme solution is to create an acute, sharp angle where the inner and outer surfaces meet—a cutting edge. There is nowhere for a reser­voir of excess liquid to be stored so the sharp edge becomes a barrier to capillary movement. It’s extremely efficient and is found on metal jugs, teapots and kettles, but on ceramic vessels it’s fragile and brittle. Teapot spouts and pitcher lips that employ this solution are effective but prone to chipping. They may exude a sin­gle drop, but they never dribble.

Note: Acute angle is for illustrative purposes only. In practice, use less acute angle to achieve reduction in capillary action. Ed.

Ivor Lewis is a retired teacher of arts, crafts and sciences. He has a studio at his home in Redhill, South Australia, writes freelance for several ceramics magazines, subscribes to Clayart and continues making glazing and deco­rating pots. He can be contacted at ivorredhill@yahoo.com.au.

Pottery Making illustrated 15

16 Fall 1999

The Lazy Way:The saying is that necessity is the

mother of invention; perhaps so, but then laziness may be the father. The desire not to have to do some­thing over and over again is a powerful motivator to find a better way. I happen to not like making lids—measuring with calipers,hoping the lid will fit and look good when the two pieces are put together; maybe making an extra one in case one doesn't work out. So I worked out a fun way to make a pot and lid in one piece. All you need (in addition to a wheel and clay and the usual throwing tools) is an X-acto® or utility knife, and a sharp square- cornered trimming tool.

The key to making this technique work is keeping your clay perfectly centered, and having a large enough lump of clay to start with so that you can collar the top half in to close the

form without thinning it out too much.You will be forming something that looks like a bottle or vase, except that instead of having a small open­ing in the top, the lip will be closed over to become a knob. Because you will need to cut the lid from the body and trim flanges into the cut edges, any eccentricity in the throwing will complicate your life immensely; and a too-thin wall will make your task impossible. However; once you master this technique, I guarantee that peo­ple (at least other potters) will exclaim over your close-fitting lids.

“Fish Jar,” 8 inches in height, earthenware, burnished and decorated with terra sigillata, and smoked.

This cut-away drawing shows how contouring, cutting and trimming work together to enable you to form a jar and lid from one piece.

Pottery Making illustrated

Throwing a Jar and Lid in One Pieceby Sumi von Dassow

17

Figure 1

Center a fairly large, well-wedged piece of clay and form a cylinder.

Figure 2

Begin collaring in the top half of the cylin­der. To make collaring easier, don’t thin the clay out too much, or the inward pressure will cause the walls to buckle.

Figure 3

As you collar, the wall will thicken. Stop collaring, and thin this portion of the wall (the shoulder) a little bit more. If you find you don’t have enough clay to close the top over completely, start the collaring process again a little lower down on the body of the cylinder. Before the opening gets too small to get a hand inside, make sure the walls at the bottom are thinned enough and there is no water or slip inside. There is usually no need to belly out the bottom of the pot, as the process of collaring in and closing the top will round out the form.

Figure 4

Continue collaring and thinning alter­nately until you have a very small open­ing. At this point the pot should look like a narrow-necked vase, flaring out slightly at the lip.

Figure 5

Cut off the top with your needle tool to make it perfectly even.

Figure 6

Instead of continuing to pinch the neck ever narrower until it closes (you risk simply twisting off the top completely if you do), push the lip in and mash it down to form a knob shape. You can even push a plug of soft clay into the opening. Experiment with this step until you find what works for you.

Fall 199918

Figure 7

Refine the shape of the knob.

Figures 8 & 9

Use a flexible metal scraper or a kidney rubber to refine the profile of the pot and to delineate where the lid will be cut off.

Figure 10

Trim excess clay from the bottom and set aside to dry to leather hard. There is no need to make a hole in the wall—the slight shrinkage of the clay will cause the trapped air inside to swell the form a lit­tle, but it won’t burst the walls.

Figure 11

Once the pot is leather hard, re-center it on the wheel. If it was thrown on a bat, you should be able to simply replace the bat on the pins. Using a sharp, thin- bladed utility knife, X-acto knife or scalpel, cut at a 45° angle to separate the lid from the body. The angled cut will prevent the lid from falling in.

Figure 12

Be careful as you cut—the trapped air inside may cause the lid to pop loose, which can be startling if you’re unpre­pared.

Figures 13 & 14

Remove the lid and lightly trim the sharp corner at the outside of the opening cut; smoothing this corner with a finger.

Pottery Making illustrated 19

Figure 15

Use a sharp square-cornered trimming tool to cut a flanged lid seating into the cut edge. The thicker the wall of the pot, the easier this job will be.

Figure 16

Trim the sharp corner on the inside of the opening cut. Don’t remove too much clay or the lid may fall in.

Figure 17

Turn the lid upside down in the opening, and center by tapping it into place while the wheel is turning. If necessary, tiny bits of clay can be used to secure it in place, but its weight should keep it centered without help if you trim lightly with sharp tools.

Figures 18 & 19

Trim a square-cornered flange into the cut edge of the lid, mirroring the flange you trimmed into the body of the pot. Trim down and smooth the corners of the cut (you may have to remove the lid and center it right side up, directly on the wheel to smooth the corner on the out­side of the cut).

20

Figure 20

Try the lid on the pot. It should fit snugly but easily into its seat. You may have to trim a little bit more to get the fit just right —it’s usually easier to do this refining on the pot rather than on the lid. If the walls of the pot are thicker than you like, trim the pot while it is still centered right- side up.

Figure 21

Center the pot upside down and trim a foot in the usual manner.

A potter for 20 years, Sumi von Dassow teaches pottery at the Washington Heights Center for the Traditional Arts in Lakewood, Colorado, and is a frequent contributor to Pottery Making Illustrated. Visit her web site at http://www.well.com/~sumifor more information.

Fall 1999

Snowmen! Clay snowmen! That’s I what Carson, a perky second grader, told me she would like to make in the next art class. She had seen me in the school hallway one snowy January day, and asked what we would be making next. I had returned the question to her asking what she would like to make. When possible, I like to honor students’ request for special lessons, but I felt clay snowmen did not offer enough creative

I possibilities for an engaging art lesson.I What I developed is more challenging and personal than three balls of clay stuck vertically together.

The next week I visited Mrs.I Woodward’s second-grade class. I told her students they could thank Carson for this art lesson—as we would be making clay snowmen. The students clapped and Carson beamed with pride.

First-grade student constructing clay snowman and self-portrait.

ProcedureStep 1. Each student received three small lumps of a low-fire white-bodied clay, a 6x6-inch piece oftagboard (heavy paper) to use for a base, a toothpick to use as a clay tool and a small cup for water. One lump of clay was flattened onto the tagboard, creating a “snow- covered ground.” I instructed the stu­dents that this should be about as thick as their finger.Step 2. The next lump was for the snowman. I passed around pictures of snowmen I had photographed during our Michigan winters. Since many of the students in our district are new arrivals from other countries, pictures help these students, who may not be fluent in English, to visually understand the lesson. I also wondered if some of the children from the warm climates of Middle Eastern and African countries have ever seen a snowman. I gave stu­dents the option to make snowwomen or even snow animals.Step 3. I demonstrated rolling three balls in the palms of my hands. With my finger tip, a little water was rubbed between each ball to ensure they would stick together, and then I stacked one on top of the next. The little snowman was then moistened and stuck to the base. If any of the balls were larger than 1½ inches in diameter, I pushed a pencil up through the base, which allowed the clay to dry out and lessen the possibility of breakage during the bisque firing.

Step 4. Using the third lump of clay, I asked the students to create a small, sculptural self-portrait of themselves making their snowman. I reminded them it would be cold outside and that they should dress their clay person accordingly—hats, gloves, scarves. The toothpick was used for detail work, adding eyes, hair, etc.Step 5. The following week, after the pieces were bisque fired, we glazed them. Students used small brushes and low-fire underglazes to add color to the snowsuits, hats, hair, etc.The ground and snowmen, being white clay, were not painted with underglaze. A coat of clear glaze was brushed over the entire piece, then the pieces were refired.

The finished pieces radiated the same type of intrigue one feels when looking into a snow globe. Some of the self-portraits were so detailed, students could recognize each other. Although students wanted to take them home, I wanted to share their charm with other students, teachers and parents. I first exhibited them in the school display case, later in the intermediate school dis­trict display cases and then at our district art show. Finally, on a hot day in June, I returned the little sculptures to the stu­dents—a permanent reminder of a winter activity on a snowy day in January.Craig Hinshaw is an elementary art specialist in the Lamphere School District in Madison Heights, Michigan. Send comments to hinshaw@lessenger.kl2.mi.us.

Second-grade student painting under-1 glazes onto her bisque-fired sculpture.

Pottery Making illustrMd

First-grade snowman. Students made “arm holes” with a sharpened pencil, and after the | glaze firing, glued in small twigs for arms.

Amy’s self-portrait, with her distinctive red hair, made her easy to identify by her teacher and classmates.

22 Fall 1999

by Brad Sondahl

Repeating an applied raised-clay decoration to pots is easy to do. This type of decoration, which can be either a detailed bas-relief from a mold or a medallion of clay applied to the ware, is known as “sprigging,” and mugs are a traditional favorite for this kind of dec­oration. Here's one way to make a plas­ter sprig mold and directions on how to apply a sprig decoration to the side of a mug to create a unique decoration with consistent results. Many people enjoy the tactile sensation of raised relief dec­oration on a mug, and Tve used this technique for logos for centennials, camps and towns. Each decoration comes out slightly different because of placement, pressure and the size of the clay wad, so the result doesn't have the machine-perfection look of decals.

Figure 1Make plaster sprig mold blanks in juice cans or thrown forms. I like to throw forms on the wheel, then fill them shortly after with plaster. If you use non-clay forms, lubricate them with petroleum jelly before casting.

Figure 3

Clean the mold blanks with a loop tool or knife.

Part I—Making the MoldStep 1. Sprig molds can be made from either plaster or by bisquing a clay master. I prefer plaster because it has a fine grain that accommodates delicate carving. Begin by making plaster blanks in forms, which can be any shape—round, oval, rectangular (see figure 1). You’ll also need to make a cylindrical form that is slightly smaller in diameter than the inside of the mugs you’ll be decorat­ing. Insert a 12- to 15-inch-long piece of 1x2 wood into this form to serve as a handle. This cylinder will be used somewhat like a shoe last— it holds the pot in place while you press on the decoration.

Figure 2Fill the forms with plaster. Place a 1x2 stick in the larger cylinder.

Figure 4

Draw a grid on the plaster blank and transfer a drawing square by square onto the blank. Remember that the design you carve must be the mirror image of the design you want to appear on the mug.

Step 2. Prepare a batch of plaster and fill the forms (see figure 2). Gently tap the molds to flatten the surface and to bring the bubbles to the surface. The top surface is the part used for the stamps, so it should be as smooth as possible. After most­ly filling the larger cylinder, push the stick halfway into it and support it until the plaster sets up.Step 3. After the plaster has hard­ened, remove the forms and clean any odd bits of plaster from the mold blanks with a loop tool or knife (see figure 3). Note: Plaster bits and pieces can contaminate clay. Discard plaster debris and any clay you used for the forms. If the top of the mold blank is not smooth and free of bub­bles, scrape it with a knife until you reach a better surface. On the large piece with the stick, round over all the edges since they will scratch the inside of the mug.Step 4. Draw a design onto the plaster blank, keeping in mind that the final result will be a mirror image. If you have difficulty concep­tualizing the design backward, most computer graphics programs can easily reverse images. Draw a grid on the image, then transfer the design to a grid on the mold blank (see fig­ure 4).Step 5. Carve the design into the mold using a small nail, dental tool or other fine-pointed scraper. Make the first carving carefully, and a groove will be established for subse­quent scratching. Take a small wad of clay the size of the mold and press it onto the mold, pushing it firmly against the surface. Peel the clay off and take note of any areas that need to be cut deeper. If you’ve removed too much plaster from a design, you can refill the area with a little fresh plaster. Note: Sharp edges should be avoided since these tend to tear the clay when attempting to release the mold from the clay. Set the finished sprig mold in a warm dry place to remove excess water.

Pottery Making illustrated 23

Part II—Sprigging on MugsStep 1. Find a place on the edge of a table to secure the plaster cylinder with the stick handle (hereafter dubbed the “potlast”). Drill a hole in the end of the stick, then screw the potlast to the table far enough in that it will not pull loose when downward pressure is applied on the outside plaster part. Using only one screw to secure it allows it to swivel out of the way when not in use (see figure 5).Step 2. Prepare small wads of clay. The wads of clay may be sliced from a thick coil of clay so as to approxi­mately standardize them in size. Experience determines the proper amount needed.Step 3. Slide the mug onto the pot­last with the side on which you wish to place the decoration facing up. You may wish to vary the side you apply the decoration to since left­handers and right-handers may have different preferences.Step 4. Roll the wad of clay in your hand into a ball to remove any irreg­ularities. Flatten it with your hands to the approximate shape of the stamp. Press it gently onto the center of the sprig mold. Firmly press the sprig mold and clay onto the cloth until the clay is nearly sticking out on all sides (see figure 6). Remove the clay and mold from the cloth. If stickiness is a general problem, try using a drier clay for the wads, but if the clay wads crack when being pressed, they are too dry.Step 5. Brush a small amount of slip on the entire back of the clay sprig. Roll it across, applying a slight pres­sure, on the place you have chosen to locate it on the mug (see figure 7). If the plaster is dry, the clay should adhere to the mug and release from the mold.Step 6. With a wet fmger, smooth the edges of the decoration to com­press it onto the mug (see figure 8). The mold may become sticky if it is used for over 30 mugs at a time, in which case you may need to warm it gently to dry it out.

24

Figure 5

To apply sprigs to a mug, you’ll need a small piece of smooth cloth, some clay slip from your slop bucket, a small brush and small wads of clay. Here, a “potlast” holds a mug in place awaiting decoration.

Figure 6

Firmly press the clay wad into the sprig mold until the clay begins to show around the edge of the mold.

Figure 7Apply slip to the clay sprig, then apply the sprig to the mug, using the mold as the holder. Roll the sprig on with slight pressure. The sprig should stick to the mug and the mold should release.

Figure 8With a wet finger, smooth the edges of the decoration to compress it onto the mug.

Example of finished mug with an applied sprig decoration.

Brad Sondahl has studios in Nezperce and Spirit Lake, Idaho, where he makes functional stoneware. He has written articles for Pottery Making Illustrated and Ceramics Monthly. Visit his web site at www. camasnet. com /~asondahl/bradindex.html where he has many tips for potters.

Fall 1999

by Rosette Gault

If you’ve been looking for a clay body that can be used to make large slabs with little or no warping or crack­ing; has incredible green strength; can be assembled at any stage (from wet to leather-hard to dry); is compatible with your existing glazes; and, when fired, weighs up to 50% less than ordinary bodies, you’ll find such a miracle body in paper clay. The clay in paper clay can be porcelain, stoneware, terra cotta, earthenware and/or scrap.

Given a good foundation in basic clay- working techniques, such as coiling, pinching, slab building, press molding or even throwing, there’s no need to be shy or too cautious with paper clay. Before the bisque firing, almost anything goes. After the bisque, you’ll need to consider the natural properties of the clay, such as its maturation temperature, because the paper will be gone.

You’ll need some special equip­ment for paper clay, but nothing

that you can’t readily find.• 2 large, clean, watertight bar­

rels—one for the paper pulp, one for the clay slip. A third empty bucket or barrel is convenient.

• Heavy-duty drill with blunger attachment for mixing and blending pulp and slip.

• Large screen(s) for straining the paper pulp.

• Large plaster slab(s) for drying the mixture. (Optional, but useful.)

• Assorted tools and supplies, including heavy-duty garbage bags, plastic covering, large sponge(s), plastic rib, mixing stick, large scoop or cup, needle tool, knife, rasp and serrated rib(s), plus (optional) bleach and deflocculant (such as Darvan).

Paper clay can be fired in elec­tric, raku, natural gas and even salt kilns. I use an electric kiln with the lid propped open until the paper burns off completely. All switches are on medium by that point. The smoke, which is equivalent to wax resist burn-off, should stop after the temperature exceeds 500°F, depending on how much paper you have in your clay. Here are the few things to watch out for when firing paper clay:• Be sure to fire paper clay only in

well-ventilated kilns.• Never use cellulose fibers with

fire retardant in them (such as building insulation).

• Expect a smoking period during the first two to three hours of the firing, depending on how much paper clay is in the load.

Rosette Gault has written and lectured extensively about paper clay over the past decade. Inventor of P’Slip<D and P'Cloy®, commercial varieties of paper clay and paper clay slip, Rosette is also the author of two books on paper clay. She currently resides in Seattle, where she teaches at Pottery Northwest.

You may notice that <(paper clay ” is two words and not one word as commonly found. While Rosette did not pur­sue the trademark on “paperclay” in 1990 based on legal advice she received, another company did trademark the name Creative Paperclay®fora resin-based non-firing clay. Rosette later trademarked P’Clay and P’Slip to distinguish paper clays intended for firing from polymer clays not intended to be fired. Rosette’s trademarked names are used

for products manufactured according to her patents and now under license with New Century Arts, Inc.

Pottery Making illustrated 25

Before getting started with paper clay, here are a few tips on how to select and evaluate the types of paper to use:

Lower-grade paper, such as shredded paper from copying machines, works very well. Even office carbon copies or yellow- or pink-colored papers do not adversely affect the mix. Fired results of lower-grade paper are rel­atively more dense and slightly heavier than with higher grade. Toilet paper (bathroom tissue) is also a good source.

Certain types of better stationery and/or brochures or leaflets printed on nonglossy paper are among the higher grade papers. Higher “rag” content means more delicate fibers.

Don’t use newsprint, brown bags or cardboard if you want a clean, white result. There is too much sawdust-grade pulp in their compo­sitions.

Glossy brochures and catalogs take a longer time to break down into pulp so they should be avoided.

Use a consistent source for your paper. Once you’ve selected a paper, make a test batch of clay and test fire it to be sure that you like the clay color. Most inks, including those used in photocopiers, are carbon based and burn out during firing; but ink-containing mineral oxides will stain your clay. Testing also helps determine the best proportion of paper to clay for your purposes.

Wet clay particles are much smaller than paper fibers so they mold to the fibers as they dry. When the paper burns away during firing, a fine-grained latticelike structure results.

Be aware that adding paper to your clay body may significantly change the maturation temperature, because small amounts of clay are routinely added to commercial papers to improve texture, and the clay in your pulp will tend to raise overall maturation temperature.

Step 1

Turning paper into pulp is simple. For already shredded paper, use a large, watertight barrel. Fill it halfway with the dry, spaghetti-like shreds.

Step 2

Pour in clear water, enough to fully satu­rate each piece of paper. Hot water seems to speed this. Soak as desired.

Step 3

For papers/brochures that have not been shredded, fill the watertight barrel a third of the way with clean water, hot if possi­ble. Tear the paper into 3x4-inch scraps. Drop each scrap into the water. The wet paper will start to disintegrate and expand. Some papers are so absorbent they grow like sponges to five or six times their original volume.

26 Fall 1999

Step 4

Once the paper scraps are thoroughly saturated, use a glaze-mixing blunger to homogenize.

Step 5

Be generous with the water in pulping and add water if the mixture is too thick; it should be very soupy so as not to over­tax your mixer. Add a few drops of bleach to retard mildew and bacteria growth, especially if you don’t plan to use the pulp within a day or two.

Step 6

Mix the slurry until the printing is illegible and the pulp appears to be homogenous.

Step 7

To drain, pour the slurry over a large-mesh screen, and press the water out by hand. Strain the pulp gently.

Health and Safety• If you have any skin sensitivities or skin allergies, wear

rubber gloves when handling paper clay.• If you batch any dry powder materials, be sure to wear

an approved respirator.• When blunging the clay, wear goggles.• Due to the wide variety of potential ingredients found in

clays, papers and waters in various regions of the world that are beyond the control of the authors and the pub­lishers, use caution and care in trying these methods.

Step 8

Squeeze out as much excess water as possible. Store the mostly de-watered pulp in an airtight plastic bag until you are ready to mix it into clay slip. However, do not let this wet pulp sit for more than two weeks or it will smell worse than a garbage dump. To store the pulp so it won’t rot, you can freeze it in convenient packages. A better way, however, is to allow unused pulp to dry out, then reconstitute what you need in water.

Pottery Making illustrated 27

Select an appropriate clay body, basing your decision on desired color and texture. If you want a fine surface, use a refined clay, casting slip or porcelain, as well as the high­est rag-content paper you can find.

Prepare a bucket of well-blended slip from your selected clay. I start with about 100 pounds of dry clay per large barrel. This makes about half a barrel full of slip. Consistency should be like thick honey, with or without a deflocculant, such as Darvan.

Before mixing paper fibers into the slip, decide how much pulp you want to add. Judge by eye. Anywhere from 20% to 50% (by volume) paper pulp added to the slip will work. If just starting out, try about 30% to 35%. If your paper clay is cracking too much when drying, add more pulp to your batch. The more pulp, the less the cracking in general. I add more pulp for the larger works.

Measure the pulp to be added from the main batch; otherwise, it is too easy to lose track of how much you already put in. Then you wouldn’t know quantities involved in some wonderful clay and would have to guess again the next time you try to mix it.

Remember that the higher the ratio of paper pulp to clay, the lighter and more porous the fired result; a large amount of paper also will raise the body’s maturation temperature. Consider the proper­ties of the pulp grade you are using.

Start mixing the clay slip with a strong glaze blunger if you have one. If not, stir the slip with a stick and add handfuls of moist paper pulp, mixing well after each addition. Let stand, sponge out excess water from the top, if desired. As the mix dries to desired consistency, stir occasion­ally with the stick or by hand.

Note: Some potters have suc­cessfully mixed paper clay in com­mercial clay mixers. If you decide to try this, beware of clumps of unsat- urated paper; they could cause unwanted pits on the fired surface.

Paper clay can be prepared by spreading the slurry over a plaster drying bat. If you do not have a plaster bat, try spreading the wet mix over butcher paper on the floor. Because there is no absorption in the floor and there is evaporation only from the top, floor-dried slabs do tend to warp, which could be to your advantage. However, to avoid warping, turn slabs over from time to time as they dry. Floor-dried slabs take about five times longer to set up than plaster-dried slabs.

Add pulp to clay slip by volume. Anywhere from 20% to 50% paper pulp added to the slip will work. If just starting out, try about 30% to 35%.

If you want flat slabs, the best approach is to pour a layer of paper clay slurry over a plaster slab; lift the “leather” just once off the plaster surface as soon as you can without tearing it, then put it back down. Additional layers may then be poured over top to achieve the desired thickness. Let the slab dry out completely on the plaster.

28 Fall 1999

Paper clay can be handbuilt, cast in molds or poured out onto large plas­ter bats to make slabs of any thickness. I start with a thin layer, let it set up a bit, compress with a rubber rib, then add successive layers of fresh paper clay, successfully building slabs up to 2½ inches thick. The plaster will absorb the excess water much more quickly than you might expect. Most slabs produced on plaster do not warp, unless you encourage them to, or if the slab is too thin or the paper-to- clay ratio is wrong.

Paper clay does not wedge like normal clay and, in certain ways, its “window of opportunity” or plastic stage is generally shorter. I usually avoid wedging altogether—which is easy to do because the paper clay is already homogenous—and work with it as a thick slip.

There’s no need to cover your work with plastic to keep it moist.You can if you want to, but you can also let the piece dry out completely in the open air, then add wet clay over dry indefinitely. You can fix cracks, attach parts and so forth until it’s time to fire. You can even mix and match different paper clay bodies (e.g., low-fire red and white paper clay) with each other, too.

You can also use plaster or latex molds with paper clay, and you’ll find it releases sooner and is stronger to handle. For latex, simply peel the mold off the totally dry paper clay. No need to worry about minor under­cuts. Paper clay greenware is usually strong enough to survive intact as you peel the latex off.

Do not try to use paper clay slip in bisqued molds, however; it will not release. Use this property to your advantage to repair bisqueware. You should be able to repair minor bisque cracks (the larger the crack, the greater the risk) with fresh paper clay slip, or even build anew onto wet bisque- ware. Re-bisque repaired/altered pieces, then glaze and fire as usual.

Paper clay is an excellent choice for large-scale projects, including wall

pieces, because the finished weight is noticeably less than a conventional clay body. You can also mix/attach different concentrations of paper clay to itself. Try a super-lightweight (high ratio of paper pulp) interior armature with a more dense (lower paper con­centration) mixture for the outer shell surface.

Green strength is noticeably improved with paper clay bodies, and so most unfired dry pieces can take some bumping and shocks; even a car ride to a kiln for firing is usually no problem. And if a break does occur, it can easily be repaired. If your paper clay slab inadvertently cracks, try repairing it with a fresh layer of the same mix or with a compatible slip. In most cases you will be happy with the result. Reinforce weak or super-thin areas as desired by adding fresh layers of wet and/or dry slabs of paper clay.

Conventional clay items at the bisqued, glazed or even greenware stage may be placed immediately into the wet and/or drying paper clay. There will rarely be shrinkage cracks around them, as would be expected if you were working with a convention­al clay body.

It’s also possible to combine thick and thin paper clay slabs. I have built forms that have 2½ inch next to ½- inch-thick elements. While it may be tempting to make super-thin or ultra- outrageous shapes, remember, as soon as the piece is bisqued, it behaves just like the regular clay body. Be careful not to fire it beyond its maturation temperature, or the form may slump. You may have to reinforce thin or unsupported areas with interior struc­tures of paper clay.

Even bone-dry sections can be assembled, using wet paper clay as an adhesive. For best results, quick dip the ends of dry pieces in water or sponge joints with water and/or slip before scoring and assembling with paper clay. When these joints dry, you can build up or fill in areas by adding more wet paper clay as desired.

As with ordinary clay, all kinds of

surfaces (from burnished smooth to scored rough) are possible. If you want to carve detail on dry surfaces, but find it too difficult, try firing to 1000°F.The slab will carve beautifully after that because the paper fibers will be gone, but the clay will still be immature. This burning-out process works particularly well for low-fire talc bodies and porcelains.

Paper clay bodies are also suitable for raku/pit-fire work; most (even some porcelains or low-fire talc bod­ies) exhibit improved thermal-shock capability if they have been bisque fired. Before the bisque, surfaces can be burnished smooth (at the soft- leather-hard stage) with a flexible rubber rib or textured with tools.

Remember, once the fiber is burned out after the first firing, what is left is plain fired clay, so all rules dealing with clay in this state apply.

To cut a slab after it is totally dry, simply score and gently snap apart like glass or dry wall.

Some people prefer to use a saw or jigsaw to cut totally dry paper clay slabs.

Pottery Making illustrated 29

Dip leg in paper clay slip. Attach some fresh paper clay over paper clay slip on the wet part.

Mending cracked or broken greenware can be a challenge with standard clay. But with paper clay, the fix is just a matter of knowing the steps to follow for great results every time.

Oops! Leg is broken ... Re-wet the leg.what to do now? (No sweat)

Model a key to fit inside the boot.

Let dry out completely overnight.

Re-moisten dry post with paper clay slip (generously).

Insert post into the boot.

Trim and fettle detail as you desire.

Let dry out and fire as normal.

Add ears or change other parts if desired.

FOR MORE For More InformationBooksGault, Rosette. Paper Clay. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1998. Comprehensive reference for the stu­dio artist.

Gault, Rosette: Paper Clay for Ceramic Sculptors. Seattle: Clear Light Books, 1993. Original handbook, spiral bound.ArticlesGault, Rosette. “Amazing Paper Clay.” Ceramics Monthly (J/J/A 1992): 96-99.Gault, Rosette. “Rules, Rules, What Rules?” Ceramics Monthly (J/J/A 1996): 77-80.Mau, Linda. “Paper Clay and Steel.” Ceramics Monthly (May 1997): 46-47.Internetumv.paperclayart.com/ Rosette Gault’s site. Well-developed web site and a good starting point for research on the web.www.ceramicart.com.au/papercly.htm Comprehensive article on paper clay that first appeared in Ceramics Technical, by Graham Hay, an Australian clay artist using paper clay.www. escribe, com/art /clay /search. html?qsubject=paper+clay Web site containing the search results for CLAYART messages containing the word “paper clay”www.escribe.com/art/clay/search.htmUqsubject~paper clay Same as above but a search on the other spelling “paper clay.”

30 Fall 1999

The head is formed separately. After the head is attached and rein­forced, modeling and detail work are done.

The mouth is cut, the tongue inserted and secured, and the mouth rejoined with wet paper clay. Ears are made of wet paper clay and attached to the leather-hard piece.

by Beverly Wallace

Paper clay blends traditional clay with paper pulp to produce a medium that is amazingly versatile. Many of the problems associated with traditional ceramic sculpture are circumvented with the use of paper clay—plasticity is increased, shrink­age reduced and adhesion improved.

Paper clay adds a whole new dimension for the handbuilder or sculptor. It opens up as-yet unex­plored areas of creative possibility Tony Birks, author of The Complete Potter’s Companion (see “Off the Shelf. ” PMI, Summer 1999) states: “The most revolution­ary development for sculptural ceram­ics this century has been the rapid spread over the last decade of the use of paper clay.” He may be right.

A slab of paper clay is loosely formed over old towels, which aid in drying the clay while supporting the body.

Once the clay is dry enough to support itself, legs are formed separately and attached to the body with paper clay slip.

Beverly Wallace is a retired high school art teacher and currently teaches ceramics at Trinity Valley Community College in Athens, Texas.

Pottery Making illustrated 31

32 Fall 1999

The type of base you can construct for the domed-top fiber kiln shown in Part I (see PMI, Summer 1999) depends on your ability and the materials you have available. Here are three examples.

A firing chamber made from a large old electric kiln with a 10 firebrick ring.

Note: It’s not necessary to have a tubular burner port for this type of chamber.

An example of a firing chamber made from standard firebrick. The fire-ring sits on top of the bricks to provide a seal with the cylindrical domed top.

An example of a fire-ring on a firing chamber made from 14-gauge galva­nized wire mesh lined with 2 layers of ceramic fiber blanket and attached to a firebrick disk. This is the finished product described in this article. The domed cylinder kiln chamber described in Part I sits on top of a fire- ring and a firing chamber, which is made from wire mesh, lined with ceramic fiber blanket and attached to a firebrick disk.

The base for the domed-top fiber kiln consists of two units—a fire-ring and the firing chamber. The type of base you choose to construct depends upon your ability and the materials available. The base described here uses the same basic tools used in Part I and utilizes the excess material left over from that construction. You’ll have to purchase a box (24 firebricks per

box) of 2300°F-rated insulating firebrick. The box price is less than bricks purchased separately.

The fire-ring is made using 9 insulating firebricks (IFBs), allow­ing a wide base and seal between the domed top and the firing chamber. The firing chamber is made using the same wire screen fabric construction described in Part I. A firebrick disk forms the bottom of the chamber.

The completed firing chamber works well with a 75,000+ Btu venturi-type propane burner. This kiln unit can sit on hollow concrete construction blocks as a permanent set-up. With a little welding ability, you can make a lightweight mov­able platform with a kiln-cylinder lifting frame. I have constructed several variations of this configura­tion for schools in the area.

Pottery Making illustrated 33

by Don Adamaitis

SafetyPlease refer to the “Health

Risks” cited in Part I. In addition, always wear leather gloves and safe­ty glasses when handling sheet metal, and a NIOSH-approved res­pirator when working with ceram­ic refractory fiber material. The fir­ing chamber is the simplest part of the construction of your kiln and many options are open to the builder, providing you follow these basic safety rules:• The firing chamber must sit on a

platform that will allow for air circulation under the base.

• The firing chamber must be placed on nonflammable materi­al, such as a single layer of fire­brick placed on concrete blocks or on a welded frame with sup­porting legs.

• The outer walls of the chamber must be safely secured so they will not collapse under the weight of the fire-ring and kiln, nor when it is bumped or moved.

• Due to the chance of potential contact burns with the outer surface and for fuel economy, plan to line the inner walls of the chamber with at least one layer of ceramic fiber blanket, prefer­ably two layers.

The Fire-Ring ConstructionThe fire-ring provides stability

and a seal between the dome top and the firing chamber of the wire­frame kiln.

Cut nine pieces of ½-inch-thick plywood or heavy cardboard to the same size as your firebrick {AV2X9 inches) to be used as cutting tem­plates. On each of these templates, mark the 70° angles, starting ¾ inches down from the outer side of your intended fire-ring. Each piece should look like the brick template in the template drawing. Cut each of the bricks with your miter box to match the furnished template. Arrange them in a circle to make sure that you have a close fit. It’s better to have a minor gap between the template bricks on the outside of the ring than on the inside. A 0.5°-variance in the angle of your cut can make a big difference in the final fit of the circle.

Place your cut firebrick on a flat surface in the intended circle to check for fit. Place the banding material around the outer edge, so you have a 3-inch overlap and mark the strip. Cut the banding metal to length. CAUTION: Round the sharp corners with your tin-snips to prevent unwanted cuts.

Take the two compression ring clamps and cut them in half so that you have an equal length of solid band on each portion.

Slightly bend the banding metal every nine inches (the length of a firebrick), starting at 4½ inches from the end for the first bend. Place the banding metal around the ring of the firebrick. Place the screw portion of the compression ring clamp at the 4/4-inch end of the banding metal and position it by clamping with the vise-grip pliers. Center punch and drill through the screw portion and banding metal while it is still clamped with the vise-grips, and install the rivet or pop-rivet. Place two rivets in each cut section of the compression clamps.

To locate the rivet position of the “slotted threaded” portion of the compression clamp, screw it into the screw assembly until the slotted threaded portion extends on the other side of the screw assembly. Compress the metal banding around the fire-ring so you have a snug fit. Mark the position to install the pop-rivets. Use the vise-grips to hold the compression clamp ends in place during drilling and riveting.

Once you have both compres- sion-clamp units secured with riv­ets, place the banding ring on a solid metal surface, and hammer the rivets as flat as possible on both sides.

Before clamping the fire-ring together, use a spray bottle to dampen both the firebricks and cut surfaces, and apply a thin coating of the high-temperature coating to the nine firebricks. Make sure that the bricks are on a flat surface and that the inner edge of each firebrick matches its neighbor’s edge. Place the metal banding on your fire-ring and tighten the compression fit­tings. Coat the top, the bottom and the inner-circle surfaces of your fir­ing ring with a thin layer of the high-temperature coating, and let dry.

34 Fall 1999

Figure 1

Make 9 plywood or cardboard templates to use as cutting guides for the insulating firebricks (IFB).

Figure 2

Cut templates and check the fit. It’s less expensive to check your cutting angle on the templates than to experiment with your K-23 firebrick. It is better to have a minor gap between the bricks on the outside of the perimeter rather than on the inside.

Figure 3

Mark each firebrick with a sharp pencil, using the template as a guide.

Figure 4

Cut firebricks using a large-toothed saw (tree or pruning saw) and a custom-fabri­cated miter box with a 70° precut guide. Hold the firebrick firmly while cutting.

Figure 5

On a flat surface lay out your cut firebrick to check the fit and to measure the cir­cumference for the fabrication of the banding ring.

Figure 6

Cut the compression ring clamps in half, allowing enough solid metal for riveting to the banding ring.

Figure 7

Clamp the compression ring straps with vise-grips to hold secure during drilling and riveting.

Figure 8

Smashing the pop-rivets flat allows the compression ring clamps to slide over the banding metal easier.

Figure 9

The firebrick is held in place with a thin coating of high-temperature cement and the fabricated compression ring. A thin coating of the high-temperature mixture is brushed on all exposed surfaces.

Pottery Making illustrated 35

The Firing Chamber ConstructionStep 1. Prepare the bottom disk

Begin construction by laying out the insulating fire­brick on a flat surface to form a 221/4-inch square (see fig­ure 10). Cut the circle-scribed firebrick (see figure 11) being careful to keep the sides vertical. Tip: Using a saber saw with a 3-inch, coarse-toothed wood blade works best. Assemble the cut firebricks to make sure you have a “matching” firebrick circle (see figure 12), then sand smooth any saw marks.Step 2. Form the cylinder

Cut the outside wire from the top and ends of the welded wire mesh, leaving 1-inch-long wires sticking out along these sides. Line up the horizontal wires on the 10- inch ends of the screen, so that you have an overlap joint of two complete squares of wire. Bend the outer end- wires inside through the screen. Take the inside overlap­ping end-wires and bend them outwards through the screen. This should form a two-square, overlapping joint, as you did for the domed cylinder in Part I (see PMI, Summer ‘99, p. 40). Check to see that the formed wire mesh fits the outer edge of your firebrick disk, then ham­mer the overlap joint flat.

Adjust the screen fabric circle to fit snuggly, as the bot­tom 3 inches are intended to extend over the outside of the firebrick and will be clamped to the firebrick disk with the compression banding ring. Now, cut out the bottom two horizontal wires of every fifth set of squares. Skip one section of this procedure, marking the area of the skipped cutout with a piece of tape. This will be the area of your burner port. You now have a piece of screen that has 1-inch vertical wires extending from the top. On the bottom you will have a set of squares measuring 3x4 -inch squares and then a three-square vertical space extending up from the bottom, except for the area where you marked for the burner port (see figure 13).Step 3. Assemble the chamber

Place the wire-mesh cylinder over the firebrick disk, measure the circumference and cut a length from your 2- inch banding metal that has a 3-inch overlap. Attach the compression ring-clamps with rivets as you did for the firing support ring. With water, lightly dampen the 2½- inch sides of the firebricks that are in contact with a neighboring firebrick of the disk and coat them with a thin layer of high-temperature cement coating mixture. Reform your firebrick disk and place the wire-mesh cylinder over the 2 ½-inch sides so that the ends of the mesh wires are even to the disk’s base. Place the banding

ring over the wire screen and tighten. (Note: Install the lifting handles at this time if you wish.) The 3-inch verti­cal slots you made will allow compression of the wire screen cylinder and the firebrick disk. Measure a length of the ½-inch galvanized wire to form a hoop around the top of the cylinder screen. Cut it so you have a 4-inch overlap. With your pliers, bend all the top 1-inch vertical wires outwards over the ½-inch galvanized wire, forming a bracing hoop. Secure the ends as you did for the bottom portion in the construction in Part I (see figure 14).Step 4. Line the cylinder*

Measure the depth of the inside of your firing cham­ber from the top of the wire hoop-ring to the top of the firebrick disk; increase this measurement by 1 inch. Cut a 70-inch length of ceramic fiber blanket and split it into two sections.They should be the depth measurement plus 1 inch. With a brush, paint a thin layer of the high-tem­perature coating mixture on the top surface of your fire­brick disk. Also paint a thin coating on the bottom cut edge of one of your lengths of ceramic fiber blanket. Place this piece of ceramic fiber blanket inside the chamber, compressing it against the coated firebrick disk and against the wire screen wall of the chamber. Compress the ceramic fiber blanket so it fits snuggly and evenly against the wire chamber wall. Secure this layer of ceramic fiber blanket to the wire screen wall with “U” pieces of Nichrome or stainless steel wire, about 1½ inches long per leg, placed about every 5 inches.These “U” pins strad­dle a wire of the firing chamber and go through the ceramic fiber blanket from the outside. Their ends are then curled outwards like a “box-staple” on the inside of the ceramic fiber blanket. Spray a thin coat of the high- temperature coating to the inside wall of the ceramic fiber blanket you just installed (see figure 15).

Spray a thin coat of the high-temperature coating on one side and the bottom edge of the second wall-piece of ceramic fiber blanket (see figure 16). I use an old quart jar sandblaster to apply the high-temperature coating, but a thinned solution of the coating can be applied with a brush, providing you use only single brush application strokes. Place this second layer inside the chamber, coat­ing to coating, and placed so the joints of the two layers are at opposite sides. Compress the second layer of ceram­ic fiber blanket against the bottom and existing ceramic fiber blanket wall; you may have to cut to length to form a snug fit. You do not need to install any attachment devices to this layer as the compression and high-temper­ature coatings between the touching surfaces will cement it in place.

Health Warning: Refractory Ceramic Fiber (RCF) materials are currently under study as a human carcinogen that may share characteristics similar to asbestos. RCF materials are usually contaminated with crystalline silica, a known human carcinogen, and the agent that also causes silicosis. Airborne fiber dust is an extreme health hazard. Before attempting to handle these materials, contact your refractory supplier for the Material Safety Data Sheet and recommended handling procedures for any materials you plan to use. Use of NIOSH-approved respirator, local pickup ventilation, protective clothing, stringent personal hygiene and extensive site cleanup are mandatory to minimizing risks. Ed.

36 Fall 1999

Materials• 10"x76" piece of 1x1 wire mesh (see Part I, PMI,

Summer 1999)• Vs-inch dia. galvanized wire (80 in. req’d.)• K-23 insulating firebrick (13 req’d.)• 87 inches of 2-inch wide stainless steel banding

metal or galvanized-metal flashing• VaxVs steel pop-rivets (8 req’d.)• 2½- to 3-inch-diameter screw-closing compression

clamps• High-temperature coating (see Part I)• 6-foot length of 24-inch ceramic fiber blanket• Saber saw with long coarse blade will be very useful

Figure 10

(1) Start with a half brick, then (2) set brick in a spiral pattern. (3) Locate the center by scribing lines from one corner to oppo­site corner. (4) Using a string as a compass, mark a circle 22½- inches in diameter. Locate the center of the firebrick base, then scribe a circle with a sharp pencil and a string to mark the cir­cumference of the firing chamber.

Figure 11

Carefully cut the firebrick using a saber saw with a coarse blade.

Figure 12

Arrange the cut firebrick to form a disk and use coarse sandpaper or a rasp to remove any irregularities.

Figure 13

Cut away the top and bottom horizontal wires on the 1Ox76-inch wire mesh. Make vertical compression slots every 4 inches. Skip one of the vertical slots and mark with tape where you intend to make your burner port.

Figure 14

Place wire mesh cylinder over the com­pleted firebrick disk. Attach your fabricat­ed compression banding ring and tight­en. Attach the 1/8-inch wire bracing hoop to the top of the fire chamber form.

Figure 15

Apply a thin coating of high-temperature cement coating mixture to the first layer of fiber blanket attached to the inside of the firing chamber.

Figure 16

Apply a thin coating of high-temperature cement mixture to the second layer of fiber blanket that will be fitted inside the firing chamber.

Pottery Making illustrated 37

Step 5. Form the burner port*The ceramic fiber blanket should

extend about ½-inch above the brac­ing hoop at the top of the chamber and not require any holding studs. Find the area where you placed the tape over the skipped cutout section. This will be the area for the burner port. With your wire cutters, cut a hole in the screen that measures 5 inches wide by 4 inches high. The bottom of this opening should be even with the inside of the firebrick base (see figure 17). Release the com­pression band from the base of the firing chamber and apply a thin coat­ing of the high-temperature mixture to the inside and outside of the chamber. Let dry, but do not coat the top edge of the ceramic fiber blanket. Replace the compression ring, and tighten before attempting to move the firing chamber.

With a sharp knife, cut a hole in the outer ceramic fiber blanket layer only. This hole should be even with the firebrick base but 1 inch smaller than the wire opening you cut. Pull the ceramic fiber blanket outward, wearing protective gloves. Saturate the ceramic fiber blanket with the coating mixture. Work this layer to form a “mouse-door hole” shape. Once this is finished, cut out the inner layer of ceramic fiber blanket to match this shape (see figure 18). Apply a thick layer of the coating mixture and work the ceramic fiber blanket to form a smooth shape over­lapping the outer edges of the screen cylinder.

Cut a piece of ceramic fiber blan­ket that measures 8x6 inches, and cut the same size and shape hole in its center. Taper the bottom area so that it fits under the compression ring. Coat both the outer surface of the firing chamber and one side of the 8x6-inch ceramic fiber blanket fire shield with a layer of the high-tem- perature coating mixture (see figure 19). Release the compression ring again to tuck the bottom of the ceramic fiber blanket fire-shield patch under the compression ring. Press the ceramic fiber blanket fire- shield patch over the fire-port hole and apply the coating mixture liber-

Figure 17

Mark and cut the wire mesh for the burn­er port; this is centered at the point you marked with the tape in figure 13.

★ WARNINGTo reduce RCF health risks, wear a NIOSH-

approved respirator while working with all refractory

ceramic fiber materials!

ally to the opening, working the fibers of the ceramic fiber blanket to form a smooth opening to the inside of the fire chamber.

Apply a generous coating of the high-temperature mixture around the burner port and the surface of the fire-shield patch. Apply several thin coats, allowing it to dry between applications. This will provide a durable surface that will give you good service (see figure 20). With a venturi-type sprayer or brush, apply a thin coating on the outside of the fire chamber and allow to dry. Again, take care to not coat the top edge of the firing chamber. This is necessary to form the seal between the firing ring and the chamber. Allow the chamber to dry thoroughly before using, about one week in warm, dry weather.

Figure 19

Apply a liberal coat of high-temperature cement mixture, working the fiber blanket out over the wire mesh wall of the firing chamber.

Don Adamaitis has been an active potter since 1962. He has a degree in the physical sciences, worked for ARAMCO Oil Company in Saudi Arabia for many years. Since retiring in 1981, Don has devoted his attention to glaze chemistry and various types of kiln construction.

Figure 20

After applying a coat of the high-temper­ature cement mixture to the back side of the burner port patch, release the com­pression band, coat the complete out­side of the firing chamber except for the top edge, and press the burner port patch in place. Reattach the compres­sion band, holding the bottom of the patch, and liberrally coat the patch with the cement mixture.

Figure 18

Cut through the outer layer of the fiber blanket wall of the firing chamber’s burn­er port area. Work the fiber blanket out over the wire mesh wall of the firing chamber, then cut a piece of fiber blanket for a patch to go over the burner port opening.

38 Fall 1999

Pottery Making illustrated 39

I’ve used the familiar plastic and particleboard bats for years, but found that my large thrown platters often cracked while drying. A fellow potter recommended that I use cabinet-grade birch plywood for the bats since they would absorb water as I worked and enable a piece to be removed from the bat much more easily. This water absorption and easy removal from the bat would also help keep larger pieces

from cracking.

Making the JigStep 1. Cut a piece of ¾-inch- thick cabinet-grade birch plywood into a 14-inch square.Step 2. Place the plywood square on a band saw table so that the front of the board is flush with the edge of the table and the left edge is rest­ing against the blade. Mark where the tip of the blade is on the board, then remove the board and draw a horizontal line across the wood at a right angle to the tip of the blade. Step 3. Clearly mark pin-hole locations along the line. The marks represent the radii for the circles I want for my various bats. (Note: When a 4x8-foot sheet of plywood is cut into 32 12-inch squares, the saw blade takes up some space [this is called the “kerf”], so 12-inch squares are more like 11¾ inches and 24-inch squares are more like 23¾ inches.) On my jig, I gen­erally make marks at 5%, 7,8,9 and 11% inches to yield 11¾-, 14-, 16-, 9- and 23:%-inch-diameter bats.

You can make bats from a variety of materials and in a variety of sizes by using a jig common to woodworkers.

I made my first bats using a hand­held portable electric saber saw; but was unable to achieve the perfect circles I had planned. When I asked the school woodshop teacher for help, he told me about the circle jig, a common woodworker’s tool used for cutting perfect circles. Since the circle jig works flawlessly and produces good, inexpen­sive bats rapidly; I am convinced that we need to add it to our potter’s ((tool- box.”

Step 4. Mark the center of each pin-hole location with a nail set or center punch so that the drill bit will “find” the hole and line up per­fectly.Step 5. Drill the pin holes with a ¾-inch diameter drill bit (see figure l).The holes are drilled completely through the plywood so you’ll need to have a piece of scrap wood under the square while you drill to prevent damage to your drill press table or your work surface. Tip: Since I have ¾-inch pin holes on my potter’s wheel, using ¾-inch holes throughout means that I don’t have to remember other measure­ments and change the drill bit as I make the bats. Label the holes with an indelible marker for future reference.Step 6. Place the plywood square on the band saw table again so that the front is flush with the front of the table and the left edge is just barely touching the side of the blade. Mark the location of the band saw miter gauge groove on

the front of the board then turn the board upside down and carefully draw a pair of lines across the bot­tom of the board. Attach the screen molding with carpenter’s glue, then clamp it or use brads to tack it down securely. Allow the glue to set for about an hour.Step 7. Attach a ¾X½X 14-inch long piece of wood to the front edge of the plywood with drywall screws to serve as a stop block (see figure 2). Drill ½-inch pilot holes through the stop block to prevent the wood from splitting.Step 8. Make a ¾-inch dowel pin from dowel rod. Cut a 1 ½-inch long piece of the rod and slightly bevel the edges with sandpaper. The jig is now ready to use!

40 Fall 1999

by George Juliano with Elizabeth Hudgins

Using the JigTo demonstrate how to use the

jig, I made a 14-inch diameter bat. Here’s how I did it.

Step 1. Take a 14-inch square of plywood and draw diagonals across from corner to corner. This locates the exact center of the board. Locate and mark the wheel pin holes based on the configuration of your wheel head. Since the pins on my wheel are 10 inches from center to center, I place a rule on the cen­ter and place a mark 5 inches on each side.

Step 2. With a center punch or nailset, mark the location of the 3 holes then drill the holes. For the 2 wheelhead pin holes, drill com­pletely through the board, but only drill the center hole about halfway through (¾ inch).

Step 3. Place a peg into the cen­ter hole on the board, then place the board on the plywood jig through the 7-inch pin hole (for this example) (see figure 3).

Step 4. Place the jig with the board on the front edge of the band saw table, turn the band saw on, then slowly move the work forward until the stop block meets the front edge of the table. After the jig has stopped, slowly turn the board clockwise until you have completed one revolution (see figure 4). Magic! A perfect circle bat takes shape with little effort!

Figure 1

After carefully marking the location of the pin holes, use a drill press or hand-held drill with a %-inch diameter bit to drill the holes.

Figure 2

Once the screen-stock guide strip is secured, attach the stop-block to the front of the board with drywall screws. Drill Vs-inch pilot holes for the screws to prevent splitting.

Pottery Making illustrated

Figure 3

Prepare bat stock by cutting it into the appropriate-sized square, locate and drill the center hole and the 2 wheel-head pin holes, then lower the blank onto the jig.

Figure 4

Place the jig and the blank on the band saw table, then start the band saw. Push the jig forward until the stop-block reaches the front edge of the table, then slowly rotate the blank clockwise to form a circle.

George Juliano is a full-time ceramics teacher at Robinson Secondary School in Fairfax, Virginia. He has had several magazine articles published on pottery making, and he is currently teaching graduate school at Virginia Commonwealth University. Elizabeth Hudgins taught high-school English for 32 years and has just retired in order to continue her work as a traditional iconographer. You can reach George at gjulian@gerols.com and Elizabeth at ehudgins@tidalwave.net or www.tidalwave.net/~ehudgins.

41

42 Fail 1999

While not the first consideration upon entering a pot­tery studio, the choice of what to wear can add to the safety factor when working with clay.

Learning from ones personal experience can be a painful and cost­ly endeavor. However, we usually don’t forget such lessons. One day in the ceramics studio, I saw my friend Pat unloading a kiln. One of the glazes had run off her pots, causing a sharp edge. Pat, who had long blond hair, decided to remove part of the glaze by using a grinding wheel. Suddenly, from the other side of the studio I heard her scream. Her hair got caught in the spinning, grinding wheel and was forcibly removed from her head. As the class gathered around her, she was holding an 18-inch length of hair in her hands.

Safety in the ceramics studio hits home hardest when there is a price to pay for inattention. At one time or another, most of us have heard cau­tionary tales, some of which are sim­ilar—namely burns from a hot kiln shelf, hands cut on fired glaze shards, or hard bricks dropped on one’s feet. All these situations could have been prevented by thinking through each process with the goal of self-protec- tion. Once the risks are understood, taking adequate measures to protect yourself will ensure a safe workplace.

While not the first consideration upon entering a pottery studio, the choice of what to wear can add to the safety factor when working with clay. The commonly held belief that any­thing is good enough to wear is often true, in part because the comfortable clothing approach is based on the low incidence of accidents in the studio caused by a wrong choice of clothing. However, a good safety record can be further improved by considering exactly what activities are involved in the processes of forming, glazing and firing clay, then adjusting the clothing to fit the specific activity. Situation

awareness (knowing where your body parts are in relation to moving objects or activities) also plays a large role in maintaining a safe studio. The idea behind the analysis of activity and appropriate clothing is to arrive at a uniform that will allow maxi­mum safety while maintaining com­fort for all studio operations.Clay Mixing

The choice of correcdy fitting clothing for working around clay ,mixing machines or pug mills will help prevent accidents. Loose or untied clothing has the potential for getting caught in the moving parts of equipment. Cotton clothing, while comfortable, can catch clay dust and should be cleaned every day. Long hair should be pulled back or placed under a hat. Long-sleeve shirts can get caught in the moving blades or gears of pug mills or clay mixers. Dungarees, a T-shirt, socks and sneak­ers for non-slip movement are a good choice for clay-mixing operations. Never wear watches, neckties or jew­elry (including rings) around clay- mixing equipment.Glaze Mixing

Whenever mixing any dry or wet glaze material, always wear the cor­rect type of respirator (see “Respirators for Potters,” PMI, Spring 1999). Also, contact lenses are not recommended, as dry materials can be trapped behind the lens and cause irritation to the eyes. Eyeglasses should be cleaned daily. Clothing should be comfortable and easily cleaned after a day’s use in the studio. Pockets on shirts or decorative ele­ments attract and hold clay and raw material powders. Simple, unencum­bered, easy-to-clean clothing is best

when mixing any ceramic raw mate­rials.

Before using hand-held power drills and mixing attachments, wear protective glasses to prevent any spraying when mixing glazes, and keep hands away from sharp moving blades during mixing and when cleaning the equipment.Clay-forming Operations

Several pieces of equipment, such as potter’s wheels, extruders, slab rollers, jigger/jolley machines and hydraulic presses, all present the possi­bility of catching a potter’s clothing, due to their moving parts. Long hair should be under a cap or tied back and any jewelry should be removed to prevent it from getting caught in clay-forming equipment. Open-toe sandals or bare feet are comfortable on a cool studio floor, but can easily cause a safety hazard as the feet are not protected from moving flywheels and heavy equipment. Sneakers or non-skid shoes offer protection and traction in the potentially slippery studio. Some sneakers or boots have cleats or deeply recessed ridges on the soles. Before leaving the studio, inspect the soles of your shoes to make sure that all moist clay is removed. Frequently, potters walk out of their studios with clay stuck to their shoes, and as the clay dries, it shrinks, causing clumps of dry clay to be deposited in their cars and houses, creating a dust hazard.Kiln Loading & Firing

An important step before loading a kiln is to make sure the kiln shelves are free of fired glaze drips from pre­vious firings.This task can be accom­plished in part with safety glasses for eye protection (see “Eye Protection

Pottery Making illustrated 43

by JefF ZamekDressing for SafetyS t u d i o S a f e t y :

for Potters,” PMI, Summer 1999) and gloves for hand protection. Always wear eye protection or a face shield; a good shield will prevent sharp shards of glaze from hitting the face and neck. It is also a good practice for this particular task to wear a long-sleeve shirt and a hat, as slivers of glaze can fly in any direction.

Another safety factor is the weight of kiln shelves and posts. Feet should be shielded by wearing heavy shoes or boots, since foot protection can prevent injury from dropped shelves or hardbrick posts during the loading and unloading of the kiln.

Clothing should allow for unen­cumbered access to the interior of the kiln for loading and unloading pots, posts and shelves. When unloading a kiln, the use of heat-resistant gloves should be considered primarily to protect the hands and arms from the possibility of sharp, fired glaze edges on pots and shelves. Potters have noticed their blood on the kiln shelf caused by a fired glaze surface that was so razor sharp, they didn’t realize they had been cut. Unloading the kiln when it has cooled down is always safer for the potter and the pots. If the pots are too hot to touch with the bare hands, wait awhile—a painful btirn on the hand or a dropped kiln shelf is not worth the inconvenience of waiting.Studio Cleaning Procedures

Studio house cleaning is not as exciting as making pots or ceramic sculpture, but it contributes to a healthy and safe work environment. The choice of clothes should be based on shirts, pants, socks, shoes, etc., that can easily be cleaned daily. Shoes can be cleaned with a damp sponge after working in the studio. Avoid synthetic clothing and blends of cotton, nylon or rayon, which can melt when exposed to the high-heat conditions found close to firing kilns.

The process of mixing clay, weigh­ing out dry raw materials and form­ing pots often results in powdered raw materials and moist clay deposit­ing itself on clothing, hair, shoes and eyeglasses. The idea behind frequent clothing changes is to reduce the pos­sibility of depositing ceramic material outside the studio into eating and liv­ing areas. An effective safety plan is to shower and have a change of clothing

ready after a day’s work in the studio. Any cleanup should be accompanied by the proper respirator to prevent inhalation of airborne ceramic mate­rials.Other Studio Equipment

The pottery shop can be equipped with high-speed grinding wheels, drills or heavy objects, such as storage shelves filled with pots, wedging tables, bats and raw material bags. Again, as stated, it’s a good idea to remove any loose clothing or jewelry

44

Depending on the operation—mixing, fir­ing, cleaning, forming, etc.—calls for the proper clothes and gear. Hat (protects hair from dust and moving parts), goggles/safety glasses (protect eyes from harmful kiln radiation, sharp particles and dust), gloves (protect hands from heat), short-sleeve shirt (keeps clothing away from moving parts and clay), long pants (protect legs), and non-skid shoes (protect feet from falling objects and slipping).

Fall 1999

that can be caught in a pottery-relat­ed activity.

Thinking through each step in the process of making pots, with the goal of protecting yourself, is a wise safety plan. Each activity—wheel throwing, slab building, clay mixing, kiln stack­ing and firing—can be broken down into segments and examined for its potential hazard.Have a Clothing Plan

Just as you would plan for the pur­chase of a potters wheel or kiln, the suitable choices of clothing will be a critical part in any ceramics studio operation. The idea behind making good pots or sculpture is not to have the materials, tools, equipment or clothes get in the way of the creative process. Its hard enough making clay objects without imposing preventa­ble barriers to the work cycle. We have all wedged a ball of clay or thrown a pot on the wheel while try­ing to keep a shirt sleeve from falling into the moist clay. Its a slight annoy­ance, but the same situation around a clay-mixing machine or a pug mill can turn into an accident resulting in a major injury. Note each time your clothing gets in the way of making pots or when it might create an unsafe situation in the studio. Then take steps to change or adjust the sit­uation when it occurs; do not put this off until the next day. The technique of identifying problems and making corrections will improve the overall quality of life in the studio and make it a safer place to work.

AcknowledgmentsJeff Goss, a professional potter located in

Stowe, Vermont, provided practical advice on clothes for the ceramics studio. JefF has been making pots for more than 35 years and his information was greatly appreciated.

Chuck Plosky, Professor of Ceramics, Jersey City State College, Jersey City, New Jersey, was very helpful in suggesting practical stu­dio cleanup techniques.

Bob Woo, Pelham, Massachusetts, profes­sional potter with more than 30 years expe­rience, gave valuable safety information for this article.

Pat Parsons, Worcester, Massachusetts, pot­ter, contributed the idea for the article.

Jeff Zamek works as a ceramics consultant in Southampton, Massachusetts, and is the author of What Every Potter Should Know (Krause Publications). Contact Jeff by e-mail at FIX- POTS@aol.comPottery Making illustrated 45

SculptureThough many people think of clay as something

that is formed on a turning wheel, the first clay objects made were sculptural, and the potters wheel was a relatively late invention in the history of ceramics. Clay, as a medium for sculpture, has gone in and out of fashion in various civilizations through the centuries, at times favored for its expressive capabilities, at other times scorned for its lack of durability relative to stone or metal. Almost

anybody who plays with clay will, at some time or another, be irresistibly drawn by the malleability of the material to create sculptural forms. When this play becomes serious enough that problems arise, whether aesthetic or technical, there are a number of books out there to help the artist past the impasse. Following is a selection of titles that are sure to answer some questions and help guide the creative process in new directions.

Ian Gregory—Sculptural CeramicsOverlook Press, 1999

Not just a how-to manual, this book begins with a “Brief History of Sculptural Ceramics,” continues with a discussion of clays and glazes, and ends with several pro­files of modern sculptors working in clay. In between are informative descriptions of forming, decorating and firing processes, profusely illustrated in both color and black- and-white. A section on body casting may be of particular interest, and the discussion of decorative techniques contains many inspiring suggestions. A few clay recipes are appended, along with some “health notes” warning of toxic and dangerous materials and practices.

Leon Nigrosh—Sculpting ClayWorcester, MA: Davis Publications, Inc., 1992

Nigrosh specializes in keeping the text short and sweet with lots of illustra­tions (mostly black-and-white photos of both processes and finished works). Sometimes the text is oversimplified and useful information is omitted; howev­er, his explanations of basic construction and decorating techniques are clear and complete. More advanced techniques, such as using multiple-piece molds, are touched on enough to satisfy casual curiosity, but a more serious interest will likely require referring to another book. Though light on technical detail, the book is easy to browse for ideas and thus is a useful guide to exploration for a beginner. Nigrosh includes some interesting examples and suggestions for using wheel throwing to create sculptural works, as well as the more standard hand­building techniques. The final chapter offers suggestions on securing commis­sions, a subject not often covered elsewhere.46 Fall 1999

Judith Peck—Sculpture as Experiencelola, Wl: Krause Publications, 1989

Peck has distilled a semester-long sculpture course into this book, presenting exercises in “seeing” as well as specific projects designed to familiarize students with various materials, including clay. The author is a sculptor, rather than a ceramist, and writes about clay as a medium appropriate only for some types of sculptural expression. The ceramics sculptor can benefit particularly from suggestions for nonfired finishes for clay sculpture. Also valuable may be the final chapter, which deals with mounting sculptural works, a subject often ignored in “clay-only” books. A potentially useful appendix lists suppliers for sculptural materials and services, including foundries (in case you’d like to have your daywork cast in bronze) and professional mounters.

Daisy Grubbs—Modeling a Likeness in ClayNew York: Watson-Guptill, 1982

This informative book focuses on creating portraits in clay. Grubbs covers photographing and measuring the subject with calipers, working from photos and from life, and “capturing the subject’s personality” She also offers hints about modeling individual features, dealing with hair, and other technical and aesthetic concerns. In addition to the long and well-captioned photo-essay covering the basic process, which makes up the bulk of the book, she also includes six brief step-by-step demonstrations of portraits of various “types,” including a child, a woman with glasses, an adolescent girl with long hair, etc. This book is intended for sculp­tors who don’t plan to cast their busts in bronze, and contains instructions on hollowing the head and removing the armature, firing the finished sculpture, and adding a patina.

Bruno Lucchesi and Margit Malmstrom—Modeling the Head in Clay: Creative Techniques for the Sculptor; and Modeling the Figure in Clay: A Sculptor’s Guide to AnatomyNew York: Watson-Guotill. 1996 (both titles)

These two books each cover a different aspect of the sculptors art; stands alone, but follows the same format. Both books begin with a portfolio of Lucchesi s work and the same brief descrip­tion of the materials and tools. In both books, Malmstrom follows, with minimal text and many photos, Lucchesi s process as he completes a clay sculpture. Lucchesi is a master sculptor of ide­alized human figures (rather than portraits), and the books are fascinating, particularly the sec­ond one. It can hardly be necessary to always model the skeleton, then the musculature, then add skin and hair, but such an exercise would certainly be instructive for any serious figure sculptor. The interesting aspect of the first book is the way in which the sculptor progressively refines the head, coming back to each feature numerous times throughout the process. Lucchesi s figures are apparently meant to be cast in bronze, so the processes of hollowing out a sculpture and firing it are not photographed, though they are described.

47Pottery Making illustrated

48 Fall 1999