Hi I’m new to wheel throwing and my teacher told us to use the pin tool to trim off the rim of our bowls then even it out when the clay is still wet before finishing the bowl to dry then actually trim. Every time I do this it ruins my piece, it will essentially warp the edges of the bowl that are left and it’s usually beyond repair. How can I fix this?

I’m new to this (about 3 months in) and have recently started having trouble centring small amounts of clay (less than 2 pounds). It takes me a really long time and the clay gets super soft by the time I start pulling up the walls.

However, I seem to have no trouble centring larger amounts of clay (between 2 and 6 pounds) and it takes me very little time. I’m still learning to use clay efficiently but it’s very noticeable how little clay washes away when I have larger amounts.

I can’t figure what I’m doing wrong. I’ve tried the same technique but the smaller bits of really boss me around.

Any tips for this? Thank you!

Hey Potters!

I'm wanting to 3D print a kiln sitter firing gauge as I received my kiln without one. I know it might sound silly for a $12 part but I like saving money where I can and the 3d model part doesn't take long for me.

Anyways, all I need is an accurate dimension of the gauge if someone would be willing to help me out. I was unsuccessful finding this dimension online surprisingly, and also don't have access to my kiln at the moment. I'll happily post the model online for others in case there's a need

thanks in advance!

https://preview.redd.it/oe8zf5e4cpuc1.png?width=752&format=png&auto=webp&s=f7f59c6afc25807a6ac3f4185396bc4f4e5cb736

For those of you in a community studio, do your studios allow dry sanding of bone dry greenware or bisque ware in the studio?

I recently started in a studio management role at my community studio, and the current instructor is instructing the students to dry sand their green and bisque ware. I'm considering a policy change to not allow that, for safety and cleanliness reasons, but I'm wondering if that is not realistic? I'd love to know about the policies at other studios!

Does anyone know these kinds of ceramic glazes and how to use and burn them?

Do they contain lead and or cadmium? Other heavy metals?

By Mobay

I am going through the old ceramic glaze of my new working place right now, and I think these have stayed here for more than 30 years. So I need some help and tips lol to get them into use once again. Thank you all!

https://preview.redd.it/lycy2e7mdouc1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=43b419b0e0d892f50df745b7f873d385745592f3

https://preview.redd.it/vpbax87mdouc1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=749631a89103d9f96d8f0c7d4d5282eece35f55d

https://preview.redd.it/m2gst87mdouc1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1ec27174497c623336a929b8946fa3adef4c121c

https://preview.redd.it/zc6pd87mdouc1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=04952cd7bb81a8416ccaccc2a58408616e6d189b

https://preview.redd.it/7hwws87mdouc1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=86b5e9d283214e3221025242b72b2d1f5d083c8d

https://preview.redd.it/1krre87mdouc1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=aead57dff2e85401b11220212f7221005e9c8dcc

https://preview.redd.it/boee4i7mdouc1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c83dfa4715f0cd07365536fafaf1ed6477c67672

Hello! Beginner here. I am looking for recommendations on glazes and what/where to buy them (in Canada). I currently go to a studio that has a few glazes but I would like more variety and more fun colours and options to try. I’ve done some searching and am not sure how much to get either. Also interested in underglaze sets. Thanks!

I’ve been having trouble glazing some of my textured pottery, and I’m looking for some advice. The piece pictured is an example of the texture I’ve been struggling with. Unfortunately, I don’t have a picture of the glazing issues, but I’ll do my best to describe.

Other potentially important info: I am a member at a pottery co-op, and was using the studio glazes. Members of the glaze committee are responsible for maintaining the glazes. I am not sure the last time this specific glaze had been checked for consistency and SG.

The situation: I dipped a piece with this texture into a glaze for about 3 seconds, and when I removed it, there were small unglazed areas all over the piece. It appeared as if air had gotten trapped in the narrow bits of texture and the glaze couldn’t get in.

The glaze did feel a bit on the thick side, so I’m assuming it was too thick to penetrate the smaller areas. I tried to use a brush to force glaze into the holes, but it was getting tedious so I just removed the glaze from the piece and moved on.

Does anyone have any tips on better ways to dip glaze pieces with texture like this? Should I have deflocculated the glaze to make it a bit thinner - assuming SG is ok? Is there a better technique for getting the glaze in the crevices?

Or, any recommendations for commercial brushing glazes that would work well with this texture? I have a bunch of amaco glazes, but brushing takes so much longer than dipping, and I wanted to get the pieces in the kiln! But, if I keep having issues with dipping, brushing may end up quicker than having to wait for the piece to dry after rinsing the failed dip glazes off.

Thanks in advance for any advice/tips/tricks!

PS: Texture was made with one of the small rollers from ClayShare. I have a bunch of her rollers (mini and 7”) and I love them all! A bit spendy, but super high quality. Definitely worth the cost!

I’ve been given some lead glazes years ago from a friend, they are very old but are beautiful glazes!! I have used some of them for decorative pieces (I wouldn’t use them for food for obvious reasons) But I’m still on the fence about using them for even decorative items, would love to hear your opinions on this, as we stopped using lead for health reasons.

Should I get rid of them??

If so, how?

If I should keep them any advice to keep myself safe while using them (obviously gloves and mask)

If I carry on using then will there be cross contamination over other pieces?

Thanks for any advice

Hello everyone!

I have watched all the seasons of The Great Pottery Throw-Down and I would really like to enroll in a pottery class, but since they are pretty pricey I wanted to check first. I have MS and I get tired very easily from physical exertion. I couldn't walk for more than about half an hour for example. Would I be able to do pottery, or is it too physically demanding?

Thank you in advance!

Looking for some advice on how to put underglaze into a pen (paint marker) so I can write on my pots (or any other way to write on pots in thinnish lines). The underglaze out the tub is too thick and I don't want to water it down as I want dark black lines.

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Thanks

I took and loved a wheel class years ago, and am thinking of diving back in. I’d like to do some reading first (the class I took was great for getting our hands into the clay, but pretty low on information on how/why things actually work). Could you share your go-to titles on wheel, hand building, glazing, primitive firing, different clay types, details on different types of kilns…? I’m looking for reference info for understanding the chemistry and physics, not “here are 16 projects” type books. Appreciate any suggestions!

I have a 10ish year old model B in great condition that I’m looking to sell. Bought it second hand a few years ago but just haven’t used it enough due to space in the house.

What’s a fair price to sell on Facebook Marketplace? I’m in the Washington, DC area.

Has anyone here used the Amaco Plate Setters to fire plates? I am having a hard time finding any discussion of them, videos about them, etc. I'd appreciate anyone sharing their experience. Most especially, I'm curious about plates warping with these vs. being fired sitting flat on shelves.

This is what I'm talking about: https://www.dickblick.com/products/amaco-plate-setter/

Thanks.

I'm usually firing a mostly full kiln for my glaze firings but often I'll want to do some testing or only have a select number of glazed pieces I want to fire. Because a full electric kiln fires differently then a half full one I usually put posts or old pieces I don't care about in the kiln to help with the heat distribution. Does anyone else have the same issue? What are your go-to items to fill up a kiln?

Hello! I have a small studio and just discovered this subreddit. Here's a little textured vase!

I’m less than a year in, but recently started working with my first bag of porcelain. I’ve previously used b-mix and 510 stoneware. I always hear people say that they’re scared of/intimidated by porcelain, and that it is so tricky to work with.

I’ve only thrown about 7 things with it so far, but I’m really loving throwing with it. It doesn’t feel harder to work with than the other clays I’ve used (so far). Is there something I’m missing? Are there additional steps I need to take to ensure that things go smoothly after taking the pot off the wheel?

I’ve been reading a bit about how it can be prone to cracking and warping, and would love any tips for preventing this. Otherwise, is there something else I’m missing that I should be doing differently with porcelain?

Thank you for the advice!

Edit for clarity: I have only thrown and trimmed, nothing has gone through the kiln yet! However, I feel a bit anxious that I'm missing some crucial information given that it has seemed like smooth sailing so far, but that people are also so intimidated by porcelain. Thanks!