Tools & Vocab
What tool should you avoid when carving?
(tip: slices the clay instead of removing)
Needle Tool
If the slip is dry, what must you do?
Add water
Why do we dry foot, and by how much (typically)?
So glaze does not touch the kiln shelf when it is molten, turn to glass, then stick. 1/4" from the base
Regarding your body posture, where should your nose be?
Directly over the center of the clay.
What must you do to the dip glazes before glazing your piece?
Mix them.
What tool do we use for scoring?
Serrated Rib
What stage of clay does a piece need to be in before it can be fired in the kiln?
Bone Dry
Why do we use a damp sponge on bisque-fire pieces before we glaze?
To remove dust and oils from the surface so the glaze adheres better.
If you are a righty, where should your hands be when pulling up the walls? What side AND portion of the wheel should your hands be?
Right side, between 3 o'clock and 6 o'clock.
What is the process called when we carve through underglaze to reveal the clay body underneath?
Sgraffito
When throwing, what tool do we use to collect the excess slip on the walls?
Metal Rib
What is grog?
Prefired bits of clay that make the clay more flexible, warp less, and hold more moisture.
What type of glaze does not have silica in it? (Silica makes it glossy)
Underglaze
When coning down, if your clay turns into a mushroom, what does that mean?
There is too much pressure on top compared to either your outside hand or the wheel speed (will except either).
How do you get burrs off your piece?
Brushing with a coarse bristled brush to break them off when they are bone dry.
Why is leather hard the best stage to carve in?
Perfect amount of moisture for a crisp clean mark.
Can you attach a plastic piece of clay to a bone dry piece of clay? Why or why not?
No, there are different levels of moisture and they will not attach.
What happens when Potter's Choice glazes are layered over one another?
A chemical reaction that changes the color/appearance of the glaze.
How do you know if your clay is centered?
It is not longer hula-hooping or wobbling back and forth. The mound of clay looks like it is perfectly spinning on itself.
What is the only way to remove dry footing wax from a bisque-fired piece?
Fire it in the kiln.
What does floating mean?
Taking a pot off the wheel by squeezing water all around the pot, then cutting with a wire tool, sending the water under the pot. The pot will then float off your bat.
If you notice cracks between joints after a piece has been bisque-fired, what does that mean?
Clay was not compressed or married enough.
Tried to attach two different stages of clay.
Which line of MIDFIRE glazes can be mixed together when wet to produce different colors, shades, and tints?
Celadons
Why do we cone up and cone down? (HINT- the answer is not the center the clay)
To add moisture to the clay, and move all the clay particles around so they are spread out equally (homogenized).
When throwing, what can happen if you do not compress the bottom of your pot? (Tip- Compressing is the step before pulling your walls up)
S-cracks or C-cracks can form (because the clay is not ironed out).