STEPS and Stages of the Clay
Slip - Clay that is watered down - smooth and runny. It attaches handles and decorations..
Wedging Used for eliminating lumps and air bubbles, drying the clay. Wedging makes the clay consistent. Two ways to wedge 1. RAM S HEAD Pushing the clay down and out releases trapped air, eliminates lumps, and makes the clay homogeneous. The clay resembles a ram s head after each motion. 2. SPIRAL Using a slight twist of the hands opens up all parts of the clay ball, allowing any air
Stage 1 Raw Clay Fine-grained natural rock or soil material that combines one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Clay can be dry or moist; and there are many different colors (red, purple, black, gray, etc.). Some clay can come pre-mixed, free of air bubbles, and ready to go.
Stage 2 Plastic The stage of clay where most of the work is done, is soft and easily workable.
Leather Hard - When it's half-way dry. You can add handles and decorations are put on, and carving out holes or detail work can take place Make sure all forms you are adding are at this stage as well.
Bone Dry (or Greenware) The most fragile stage; the pot has been exposed to air and all of the water has evaporated out of the clay, and it is left completely dried out. Clay before it is fired
Bisque, no additions can be added to the pot, and it is almost complete. This is also the stage that you add glaze to the pot to prepare it for it's final firing. Clay that has been fired.
Now the glazing process can begin! The glaze, a mixture of ground glass, clays, coloring materials and water, is applied to the bisque pot by dipping, pouring, spraying, brushing, sponging, or some combination of these techniques. NO glaze on the foot-ring. Glazing
Stage 6 (Glazeware) Earthenware Second fire low fire; Can be considered Terra Cotta. The clay shrinks less. Temp. 1623 degrees F 2048 degrees Fahrenheit. Cannot be recycled Stoneware second fire- high fire; More Chip resistant because it is fired at a higher temp. Less porous. 2305 degrees F 2530 degrees Fahrenheit. Cannot be recycled.
Clay Drying When the clay bag is opened, the drying process begins. As clay dries, it loses water, becomes stiffer, and shrinkage begins. Wrapped in soft sheets of plastic (without holes) and should be covered in a damp cloth. The plastic will slow down (but not stop) the drying process. Write your name on the plastic. Do not lift the plastic from the work of other students. Under no conditions should you take plastic from another student's work. This will dry their work too fast, possibly causing cracking, and not allow them to continue working on a piece. Should you be caught doing this, you will be dropped from class immediately!
Creating Your Project - Wedging taking the clay that has been used and rolling the bubbles out of it. -Coil Rolling the clay out into a long cylindrical form by using your hand and the table. You want the coils to be no thicker than a half and inch. - Slab - rolling out the clay to a certain thickness and cutting it in the shape you want it to be (circle for base) - Creating coils - Even strips so the pot can dry evenly. If you have different thicknesses then there is a larger chance of cracking and breaking. - Scoring- roughing up the surface in the section of the clay you are wishing to connect it with. - Slipping- clay that has been watered down to a paste consistency. - Blending- connecting the two coils by overlapping one onto the other after filling the scored area with slip. - Creating curve- place the coil not directly on top of the previous coil. Slip/score either on the top inside/outside edge of previous coil. - Periodically check the pot with template to make sure you are on track!!!! - Drying process wet paper towels keep your clay moist and the bag seals in the moisture.
Works Cited http://www.newton.k12.in.us/art/3d/images/stagescla yprepwedging.pdfhttp:/ /seco.glendale.edu/ceramics/ceramicprocess.html http://www.google.com/search?q=glazing+pottery&cli ent