SEMESTER 1 CERAMICS VOCAB

Needle

Fine awl for cutting clay

Rib

A wooden or metal for smoothing or assisting in the throwing of pot on a wheel

Sponge stick

A natural or polyester sponge pass into the end of a dowel or stick, and used for absorbing surplus water from pots during throwing

Spatula tool

a tool with a flattened curved or rounded end this tools used for designing and trimming excess fat off of a spinning form on the potters wheel

trimming tool

a short firm cutting edge, which can be held at a right angle to the rotating pot also called T tools

Dry foot

The bottom of the pot that has been cleaned of all glaze

Matte

The non-glossy surface quality of a completely fired glaze

Stamping

an embossed or intaglio impression can be used to build a pattern on clay

Boss

A spherical hump traditionally formed by pressing from the inside of a pot, but today more frequently applied to the outside

Sprig

A base relief or medallion made in a small press mode and stuck with slip onto a pottery surface

Damp box

A cabinet in which unfinished clay objects are stored to slow their drying

Bench wheel

A small portable turntable used for rotating pottery in any state in order to work on or decorate. The pottery also referred to as abandoning because I used to apply bands with color or texture.

Slab roller

Large piece of equipment that allows the artist to flatten out clay evenly through

Pug mill

A machine with paddle gear for grinding and mixing plastic clay

Clay

A compound of decompose an altered felt spastic rock, consisting of aluminum along with non-plastics, such as quartz, and organic matter

porcelain clay

pale body of primary clay with distinctive ring when struck

Stoneware clay

secondary players that are not as fine grand as other clay bodies

absorption

The capacity of a material to soak up liquid

shrinkage

Contraction of the clay glaze in either drying or firing

Grog

Fired clay that has been crushed into granules, which may be added to clay body to increase strength, control drying, and reduce shrinkage

blowout

the explosion of clay count caused by the sudden escape of steam, resulting from rapid heating of the clay or the presence of impurities

blistering

Air bubbles appearing in a glaze after a fast firing

Wedging

The process of kneading plastic clay with the fingers and heel of the hands in a spiral motion, which forces out trapped air pockets and develops a uniform texture or mixture of the clay body.

Pinch Technique

A hand-building method of construction where a ball of clay in the plastic state is repeadtedly pinched and turned between the thumb and four fingers to create a small pot or bowl.

Coil Technique

A hand-building method of construction, which utilizes rolls of clay or coil rope in the plastic state to build up walls that are then joined together either internally or externally.

Slab Technique

A hand-building method of construction using clay in the leather-hard state that utilizes flat pieces of clay that must be joined together.  The technique is similar to creating a structure with wooden boards.

Throwing technique

A hand-forming method of constuction where a ball of clay is hollowed out on a revolving wheel head.  The change over from built forms to wheel pots seems to correspond with a change from women to men potters.

Score

To scratch the surface of something to make it rough.  When done properly two pieces may be joined together to make one.

Hand building

The forming of ceramics without a wheel, (pinch, coil, slab).