Ceramics 101 And Tools Review

Appendage

An added part, ie. Spout, handle.

Body

The inner or essential part of the ware.

Coil Method

Making pottery in which ropes of clay are wound to form spirals or rings to be stacked or joined.

Dermatitis

Inflammation of the skin due to exposure to an irritant. Like an allergy, there is no cure. Only solution is to stop using clay.

Firing

Applying heat to ware.

Foot

The base of any ceramic item.

Glaze

A glass-like coating applied to clay which is fired to produce a hard, shiny or matt finish.

Greenware

Ware that has not been fired.

Grog

Hard fired clay that is crushed or ground and added back into clay for strength, stability, and to decrease shrinkage. Needed in clay for hand-building.

Kiln Wash

A solution that is used to cover shelves and the inside of the kiln to prevent the sticking of the ware to the surface supporting it.

Kiln

A furnace or oven used for firing.

Matt

A dull surface with no gloss.

Opaque

Not transparent or translucent.

Pinch Method

Making pottery by pressing, pulling, rolling, and pinching a ball of clay.

Plasticity

The characteristic of clay that allows it to be stretched.

Score

To carve crosshatch lines into clay to aid in joining pieces together.

Silicosis

A lung disease. Acquired through prolonged inhalation of silica dust (clay, glaze) An irreversible condition with no cure.

Slab Method

Making pottery by rolling flat sheets of clay, cutting and joining.

Slip

Clay to which enough water has been added to make a creamy liquid. Used as glue, decoration and slip casting.

Stilts

A three-pronged support for glazed ware in the kiln.

Transparent

A clear glaze that shows underglazes or clay color through.

Wedging

Kneading clay to remove air bubbles and to develop a uniform texture.

Wheel

Used for throwing clay into a cylinder form.

What is the order of the clay process?

1. Wedge
2. Design Project/Make Project
3. Drying Process: Leather hard, bone
dry, green ware.
4. Bisque Fire-1st Fire
5. Glaze
6. Glaze fire

What are the parts of a pot?

1) Mouth

2) Lip

3) Neck

4) Shoulder

5) Handle

6) Body

7) Foot

True or False: Clay is the Earth’s most abundant resource.

True

True or False: Clay at the leather hard stage must dry quickly in order to keep the right shape and texture

False, it must dry slowly in order to avoid cracking

Potter

A general term for an individual craftsman working in clay.

Production potter

These folks make large numbers of functional pots as their main employment.

Studio potters

Often those who create one-off pieces but may also do production pottery.

Ceramic artists

Those who create clay artwork.

Clay artist

Same as a ceramic artist, but may not fire their pieces (i.e. they are working as a designer for commercial pottery).

Ceramist

Anyone who works with ceramic materials either industrially or as an individual.

Ceramic engineer

Those who work (often in the industry) with the chemistry and physics of ceramic materials.

Porcelain

White firing, smooth, highest firing temperature

Stoneware

Dense and hard, white tan gray colors, impervious to water, second highest firing temperature

Earthenware

Abundant, red orange color, low firing, terracotta

Ruler

Used to measure piece height & dimensions.

Serrated Rib

Used for scoring the clay before adding slip.

Smooth Rib

Used for smoothing.

Rubber Rib

Used on the potter’s wheel to smooth.

Wooden Rib

Used on the potter’s wheel to smooth a 90-degree angle.

Sponge

Used for smoothing and adding moisture.

Large Loop Tool

Used for carving and trimming.

Wire Loop Tool

Used for carving and trimming.

Sgraffito Loop Tool

Used for carving intricate details.

Pear Loop Tool

Used for carving and trimming.

Modeling Tools

Used for modeling and shaping clay.

Wooden Knife

Used for cutting sharp end smoothing the rounded end.

Needle (Pin) Tool

Used for cutting and piercing clay. NEVER CARVING.

Bat

Thin slab of wood, plaster, or plastic used to   support pottery forms during throwing. 

Glaze

A mixture of powdered materials that   often includes a pre-melted glass made into a slip   and applied to a ceramic body by spraying or   dipping and capable of fusing to glassy coating   when dried and fired.

Slip

A liquefied suspension of clay   particles in water… slip is usually the consistency of   heavy cream. 

Wire Tool

Used for cutting the clay off the block and batt.

Slab Roller

Clay slab rollers are essentially industrial-sized rolling pins - however, the benefits of using a slab roller over are a rolling pin are numerous.

Kiln

A kiln is a thermally insulated chamber, a type of oven, that produces temperatures sufficient to complete some process, such as hardening, drying, or chemical changes. Kilns have been used for millennia to turn objects made from clay into pottery, tiles and bricks.

Foot Pedal

Sets the wheel speed.

Power Button

Provided power to turn the wheel head.

Wheel Table

Holds throwing tools.

Wheel Pan

Collects excess water and slop from throwing process.

Wheel Head

Active part of the wheel that spins the clay.