Today, I'm starting a new project. building a wood-fired pottery kiln.
When done right, this can produce beautiful pots in a sustainable way. The problem is, I've never built a wood kiln. I have a lot to learn. Come along with me while I learn and experiment with kiln building, wood-firing pottery, pouring concrete, welding, and more.
I made this coffee mug from Better Call Saul by hand. From choosing the right clay, throwing the exact shape on the potter's wheel, trimming, pulling a handle, and developing a matching glaze from scratch, this was a long and fun process.
Mica is a beautiful and useful silicate mineral that has been used for decorative and functional purposes all around the world for millenia. One use is to add it to clay to reduce thermal expansion, thereby making the pottery resistant to cracking with rapid temperature changes. This pottery can be safely used in the oven ir even of=ver direct flame.
Bats often wobble or even go flying off the wheelhead if they aren't secure. Here is my method for making sure the bat stays on the wheelhead while I throw. Flatten a thin layer of clay on the wheel, add a spiral groove, and stick the bat onto it. The bat suctions to the clay and won't go anywhere. You don't need a lot of clay.
Some glazes put copper or other heavy metals into your acidic drinks. Here's a simple test to begin learning about how safe and durable your new glaze recipe really is.
This isn't something to totally freak out about. But if you make pottery, it's your responsibility to make stable glazes.
If you make pottery for use in the kitchen or on the table, you have to make it easy to clean.
A simple test to begin learning about how safe and durable your new glaze recipe really is.
Check out other shorts for more tests to run. A simple test to begin learning about how safe and durable your new glaze recipe really is. Many more pottery videos on my channel.
These are four problems I often see my pottery students struggle with when learning to pull cylinders on the wheel. I hope these tips help you diagnose what's going wrong, and gives you an idea of how to fix it. If you would like to see a longer, more in-depth video, let me know in the comments.
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