2nd ceramics quiz

Ceramics Hand-building

Forming plastic clay by hand without the wheel, using pinching, coiling, and/or slab

construction.

Glaze

Coating of powdered ceramic materials, usually prepared and applied in water suspension,

which melts smooth and bonds to clay surface in glaze firing

Grog

Crushed or ground particles of fired clay graded in various sizes of particles. Added to clay

body to help in drying, to add texture, and to reduce shrinkage and warpage

Kiln

A furnace made of refractory clay materials for firing ceramic products.

Leather-hard

Condition of clay in which it has stiffened but is still damp. Point at which pieces are joined, and

most surface modification and trimming are done.

Slabroller

A mechanized or manually operated device for rolling out large uniform slabs of clay.

Slab Construction

A hand building method in which forms are created by joining flat pieces of clay. The pieces are

flattened with a rolling pin or slab roller.

Peephole; Spyhole

Small holes in kiln door or wall, allowing viewing of cones, flames, wares, and/or atmosphere during

firing

Plasticity

The quality of clay that allows it to be manipulated and still maintain its shape with out cracking

or sagging.

Rib

Wide, flat handheld tool used to shape, smooth, and/or scrape clay surfaces; usually wood,rubber, plastic, or metal, either rigid or flexible, with straight, curved, or profiled edge

Shrinkage

Contraction of the clay in either drying or firing.

Terracotta Clay

Low temperature, porous earthenware claybody, fires red-brown due to high iron content,

which also fluxes clay, making it the most durable low-fired clay after firing

Underglaze

Colored slips formulated to have low drying shrinkage, allowing application to bone-dry or bisque-fired

surface before glazing. Commercial underglazes are available in a wide palette of colors primarily for

low-fire, but many will survive high-fire

Warping

Distortion of clay forms caused by uneven stresses within clay due to forming method, uneven

drying, uneven support in firing, or uneven or excessive heat in firing

Wedging

Process of kneading the clay with the hands to remove air bubbles and ensure homogenous mass.