MARCH 2013

For a great little wire tool take a 'U' bolt with two nuts on either side and a taught wire in between. Put Loctite on threads before screwing nuts in place. U bolts come in different sizes.

It is very annoying to get thick dribbles on a pot during glazing. Efforts to remove them by rubbing with finger often results in removing glaze on body of pot and getting thin patches.

To help with extruding clay, spray kitchen cooking oil into clean barrel before dropping in clay. This makes it easier to extrude and to clean.

To help with extruding clay, spray kitchen cooking oil into clean barrel before dropping in clay. This makes it easier to extrude and to clean.

A polystyrene block with 3 nails in it pointing upwards (see illustration) will give a good stand on which to place your work

When you require intricate, unpressed decoration from metal, wood or plastic stamps…

A pizza cutter may be used in conjunction with a straight edge or ruler to produce clean lines when cutting slabs…

Old Tupperware storage containers make brilliant boxes to keep small clay pieces in when you want to keep them wet.

To prevent underglaze or overglaze coloured decoration from smudging, spray over the decoration with a light coat of…

Pots too dry? To bring overly dry pots back to leatherhard without cracking…

Handbuilding: Keep a large wet sponge on a plate next to you when working…

Hard Clay: If clay has become too hard to use, cut it into pieces, spray with…

Broken bisqueware: Mend using paper clay slip. Wet the broken pieces extremely well…

Raku: For excellent crackle results, fire your pot, take out of the kiln and allow to rest…

Don’t throw trimmings into a plastic container and let them sit for a week or so to dry before reclaiming. Reclaiming works best when the clay is bone dry. Here is a simple technique…

Unwanted wax removal: The usual way to remove any unwanted wax is to re-bisque the pot, but did you know that turps can also be used?

Oxide removal: When bisque ware is decorated with oxides a mistake can mean considerable mess and delay. If you use a wet sponge to clean the pot the oxide may become smeared…

Why Does Pottery Explode?

Many potters have had the disappointing experience at least one time of their pottery exploding in the kiln.  The beauty of pottery is that you can get some …

Handles cracking: Catch the pot at the right time and have handles at same dryness. You can leave…

Slumping or unevenness during throwing: Hold the length of a credit card or an even longer flexible rib against…