tools for the potter

The very flexible "do your own thing" nature of ceramics is best illustrated when you consider the tools used by pot­ters in forming, decorating, and shaping clay objects. Al­though many tools are specially designed for claywork, many less expensive substitutes are available if you seek them out and adapt them to your needs or make them yourself. The rule of thumb should be to use whatever does the job best for you.

Standard Equipment

After you've had experience in working with a variety of tools, you may find that you favor some and hardly ever use others. The equipment discussed below represents a starter set of implements that you might use from the start to the finish of a piece.

 

Rolling pins or dowels are used to prepare clay slabs of even thickness. You can texture slabs by first wrapping the rolling pin with a coarse weave cloth. Rolling pins make good molds for slab work.

 

Calipers help promote uniformity when throwing, particu­larly in matching lids to pots.

 

Brushes are used for applying decoration. Pointed Japa­nese brushes allow great freedom of design, while flat brushes give an all-over coating of slip or glaze. Wax for dry footing or for wax resist can be applied with either type of brush.

 

Sgraffito tool, with a wooden handle and pointed metal ends, is used for making linear patterns in clay or for cut­ting through slip or glaze for the sgraffito technique.

 

Fettling knife is a special potter's knife, although many potters commonly use ordinary household paring knives for trimming, carving, and slicing clay.

 

Needle or pin tool, a thin needle projecting from one end of a wooden or metal handle, has a myriad of uses, in­cluding trimming, scoring, and decorating.

 

Wire cutter is commonly a length of wire or strong nylon cord attached to wooden dowels. This device is used to cut pieces off the wheel head or bat. You can make a wire cutter with piano wire or nylon cord and two empty spools of thread or two clothespins.

Ribs (also called kidneys) are made of curved hardwood or rubber and are used for shaping pieces on the wheel.

 

Wire, loop, and ribbon tools are made of wood with a loop of thin wire or flat metal at either end. Trimming, carving, and decorating are just a few of their many uses.

 

Scraper is a flat, flexible metal tool used for smoothing clay surfaces, texturing, removing excess clay and slip, and developing true angles.

 

Sponges for ceramics are usually of natural origin and come in a variety of sizes. They can be used to moisten clay for throwing, wetting edges in preparation for joining, smoothing, and removing excess water. A long-handled sponge gives access to the interior of narrow-necked or deep pieces.

 

Modeling tools are among the most useful. Basically, these hardwood tools are used on a shaped but still plastic clay form to move clay across joints and seams, to create texture, to smooth surfaces, and to reach otherwise inac­cessible interior spaces.

 

Other equipment you will find helpful:

 

Bats are used as portable work surfaces. Usually round and approximately ³/, to 1¹/₂ inches thick, they can be made of plaster (which will absorb excess moisture from clay), wood, or plastic-topped composition board. Bats are often set on the wheel head for a throwing surface_. allowing freshly thrown pieces to be removed easily for drying and freeing the wheel for another project.

 

Banding wheels are round turntables (metal, plastic, or a composition material) that allow the potter to see all sides of his piece. These wheels are often used for coil building and for brushing or spraying on slips and glazes.

 

Wedging table or board can be simply a wooden board. However, a table or board topped with cement or plaster and which has a wire for cutting clay makes the best surface.

 

Paddles, flat wooden sticks (often textured), are used to alter the original shape of a clay form or to add texture.

 

Pot lifters, made of metal, are used to remove freshly thrown pots from the wheel.

 

Chuck is usually a bisqued clay cylinder, pinched in at the middle and open at the top and bottom. Chucks are used for trimming narrow-necked pieces which can't be propped directly on the wheel. The pot is set into the chuck which is attached to the wheel head with lumps of clay.

Ruler is useful for measuring slabs and, if made of wood, for paddling.

Miscellaneous Equipment

Much of the equipment a potter might use was not originally intended for ceramics but fulfills particular needs.

 

Plastic bags are perfect for storing clay. Plastic over un­finished pots keeps them in a workable condition by helping to slow down drying and allowing pieces to dry more even­ly. Plastic also serves as a lining for molds.

Large plastic trash cans with lids make excellent storage bins for clay. Plastic buckets can hold water, slip, or glaze; plastic containers and jars can store slip, glazes, and glaze ingredients.

Wooden sticks of varying thicknesses and lengths serve as guides for rolling out or cutting slabs, as drying racks, or as a rack for glaze pouring when set over a container. Wire cake racks or discarded oven or refrigerator shelves can also be used for drying pots or pouring glaze.

 

Sheets of wood, composition board, or masonite make good portable work surfaces. Cover with canvas or oil cloth (shiny side down) to keep clay from sticking to the board as you work. Use other kinds of cloth (either fine or coarsely woven) to cover worktables for rolling out slabs, to cover unfinished work, or to line molds.

 

Atomizers can be used for spraying water onto pots that are drying too fast. Plastic squeeze bottles or a rubber ear syringe are suitable for applying and trailing slip.

 

Kitchen pads (made of non-woven, webbed material) or wire mesh screening smooth rough surfaces. Have glue, either epoxy or silicone adhesive, also on hand for re­pairing broken parts or attaching pieces.

Plaster

Plaster has many uses in the potter's studio: making bats (a pie tin coated with a separator, such as mineral oil or but­ter to release the hardened plaster, makes a good mold for bats, as does a plastic utility bucket which doesn't need a separator), molds, stamps, and as a surface for wedging.

Special casting or pottery plaster available from ceramic suppliers is typed mainly by use and setting time (usually anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes). When mixing up a batch of plaster, follow the manufacturer's or dealer's recom­mendations as to proper plaster-water proportions. As plas­ter remains in a workable state for a limited time, have all your plaster projects in, mind before you begin mixing.

To mix, slowly sprinkle the plaster over water until the plaster is no longer absorbed. Stir the mixture with your hands or a whisk to remove lumps, being careful not to incorporate any air. Use immediately.

Let any leftover plaster harden in its container, then chip the hardened mass into pieces and discard. Never throw unwanted plaster own the sink.