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bat

bat

a flat disc made out of plaster, wood, or plastic which is affixed to the wheel head with clay or pins. Bats are used to throw pieces on that would be difficult to lift off the wheel head.

Batch

a mixture of weighted materials such as a batch of glaze or slip or a clay body

bisque

pottery that has been fired once, without glaze, to a temp just before vitrification

bisque fire

first firing, without glaze. Slips can be used in bisque firing.

bone dry

completely air dried

burnishing

the ancient rubbing process of burnishing polishes the outside skin of a clay pot while greatly reducing its porosity. This finishing is done by hand, using a stone or a metal piece which is usually embedded in a wad of wet clay that perfectly fits the burnishers hand.

calipers

A tool used to measure the diameter of round forms, for example calipers are used to get lids to fir just right.

Centering

Technique to move the clay in to a symmetrical rotating axis in the middle of a wheel head so you can throw it.

chuck

A piece used to aid the potter in trimming. A chuck is a form that can hold a pot upside down above the wheel head while the potter trims it. Chucks are thrown and bisque clay cylinders which are open on both sides

clay

Alumina + Silica + water

clay body

A mixture of different types of clay and minerals for a specific ceramic purpose. For example Porcelaine is a translucent white clay body.

coil

A piece of clay rolled like a rope, used in pottery making

compress

pushing the clay down and together, forcing the particles of clay closer.

composite pots

pots that were thrown or hand built in separate pieces and then assembled.

cone

pyrometric- a pyramid composed of clay and glaze, made to melt and blend at specific temps. It is used in a kiln to determine the end of a firing or in some electric kilns it shuts off a kiln setter

crazing

the crackling of a glaze on a fired pot. it is a result of the glaze shrinking more then the clay body in cooling process

crawling

A bare spot (from the shrinking of a glaze) on a finished piece where oil or grease prevents the glaze from adhering to the pottery

Damper

A slab of refractory clay that is used to be closer or partially close to the flue of a kiln

Dry-Foot

to keep the foot or bottom of a pot free from glaze by waxing or removing the glaze

Earthenware

A low fired clay body. Glazed pottery is fired to a temperature of 1,830-2,010 F. Available in red or white also

Englobe

colored clay slips used to decorate green ware or leather hard pieces before bisque firing. Clay and oxide and water

fire

to heat a clay object in a kiln to a specific temperature. Firebrick- An insulation brick used to hold the heat in a kiln and withstand high temps

firing range

the range of temperature at which a clay becomes mature or a glaze melts

Flux

A melting agent causing silica to change into a glaze

foot

the base of a ceramic form.

Frit

A glaze material which is derived from flux and silica which are melted together and reground into a fine powder.

Glaze

A thin coating of glass. An impervious silicate coating, which is developed in clay ware by the fusion under the heat of inorganic materials.

glaze firing

The final firing with glaze

gloss glaze

A shiny reflective gloss

Greenware

unfired pottery ready to be bisque fired

grog

fired clay ground to various mesh sizes

Kiln

A furnace of refractory clay bricks for firing pottery and for fusing glass

Kiln Furniture

Refractory posts and shelves used for stacking pottery and for fusing glass

Kiln Wash

Mixture of Kaolin, Flint and Water. It is painted on one side of the kiln shelves to seperate any glaze drips from the shelves

Leather hard

Stage of clay between plastic and bone dry. Clay is still damp enough to join it to other pieces using slip. For example, this is the stage where handles are applied to mugs

Majolica

A low firing glaze technique. This process involves putting an opaque tin glaze to earthenware and painting it with different colored oxides.

Matt glaze

A dull glaze surface, not very reflective when fired. It needs a slow cooling period or it may turn shiny.

Mold

A plaster shape designed to pour slip cast into and let dry so the shape comes out as an exact replica of the mold.

Maturing point

The temperature at which the clay becomes hard and durable

Opaque glaze

Non-Transparent glaze, it covers the clay or glaze below it.

oxidation

firing with a full supply of oxygen. Electric kilns fire in oxidation. Oxides show bright colors

peephole

A small observation hole in the wall or door of a kiln

pinch

manipulate clay with your fingers in your palm to a hollow shape. Pinch pots are a popular beginners project

plasticity

The quality of clay which allows it to be manipulated into different shapes without cracking or breaking

porcelain

White stoneware, made from clay prepared from feldspar, china clay, flint and whiting

Potters wheel

A device with either a manual (foot powered) or an electric rotating wheel head used to sit at and make pottery forms

pug

to mix

pug mill

A machine for mixing clay and recycling clay.

reduction

Firing with reduced oxygen in the kiln

Rib

A rubber, metal or wooden tool used to facilitate wheel throwing of pottery forms

satin glaze

a glaze with medium refectance, between mat and glass.

slab

pressed or rolled flat section of clay used in hand building

slip

clay mixed with water with a mayo consistency, used in casting and decoration

slurry

a thick slip

soaking

maintaining a low steady heat in the beginning stages of firing to achieve a uniform temp throughout the kiln

stacking

load a kiln to hold the maximum number of pieces

stain

oxide and water used as a colorant for bisque ware

stone ware

all ceramic wear fired between 2100 and 2300 degress

transparent glaze

transmits light clearly

throwing

creating ceramic shapes on a potters wheel

vitrification

the firing of pottery to the point of glossification

wedging

a method of kneeding clay to make in homogeneous by cutting and rolling