PITFALLS, cont.

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At almost any stage of the creation of a work, the piece can meet an untimely demise. Here's a brief look at various danger points and the unintended possibilities.

 

The Clay

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Most potters buy commercially manufactured clay, which may include a number of ingredients in various proportions. Very occasionally, the clay will have the wrong mix of ingredients or the ingredients will be of poor quality. I’ve had pieces of pots blow off in the kiln because the clay was of poor quality.​

 

If not fired to the manufacturers specs for that particular clay, the pot will not be fully vitrified and will be weak and more apt to break. Worse than that, if the clay if fired to a much higher temperature than the manufacturer intends, it can become brittle, or even worse, melt down in the kiln, fusing itself to the kiln shelves and to the other pieces in the kiln.

 

Drying

For a pot to retain its intended shape, it must dry evenly. If the piece dries unevenly it will warp. So, potters usually cover the piece while it's drying on the shelf loosely with plastic to allow some air to get in and dry it evenly. Lots of things can make it dry unevenly. For example, if it is exposed to sunlight for a long time on only one side, or if it is only partially covered by the plastic, or if air currents hit different parts of the pot unevenly, it can warp. If it is bumped while still wet, it can be deformed. If the potter throws the piece unevenly (that is, if the walls aren't of a uniform thickness), then the pot can warp as it dries.