Clay Process - 4

MORE ABOUT CLAY - Cont.

Each kind of clay is designed to be fired at a specific temperature. When it reaches that temperature in the kiln it will be "fully vitrified." If you fire a clay past its designed temperature, it weakens, and can even melt, which is why it's always vital to know what a clay's designed firing temperature is, before firing it.

You can fire a clay to a temperature lower than its designed final temperature, and sculptors will often do this to lessen the stresses on the clay. However, for functional pottery, firing to the clay’s designed temperature will maximize it’s strength and usefulness. Note also that if you are glazing the piece, the glaze will very probably not give you the color and look you want if it is not fired to its designed temperature.

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THE THROWING PROCESS

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THROWING

Throwing is the process of creating a pot by using a potter's wheel. Some potters build everything by hand without using a wheel. The wheel permits the potter to create a completely symmetrical form, and to do so much more quickly and evenly than with forms built by hand. Handbuilding creates a different look and permits the creation of shapes that can't be made by throwing.

There are various types of potter's wheels, but fundamentally they are all mechanisms that spin a horizontal disk at speeds controlled by the potter. Most are now powered by electric motors, but some potters continue to use foot-powered models. The disk is called the wheelhead and is generally made of metal.