Ceramics 1 Pretest Notes

CERAMICS 1 PRETEST NOTES

Attention!!! There will be a test over this

information that you must pass with a 75% before you can work with clay.

Complete the questions from the textbook first 1-12

Wedging How to wedge clay

From the teacher: 1. Dry clay goes in a bucket because it

is recyclable. 2. Wet clay goes in a bag. 3. Slip is liquid clay.

Take the terms I will show you and write them down in your own words. Make sense of it using things you already know about. Sketch it out. Do not copy the screen. Funny example (but the wrong answer)-“The math

teacher saw that Larry wasn't paying attention in class. She called on him and said, 'Larry! What are 2 and 4 and 28 and 44?' Larry quickly replied, 'NBC, FOX, ESPN and the Cartoon Network!' “

4. The 6 stages of clay and describe Wet Leatherhard Bone dry Greenware Bisque ware Glaze ware

Wet clay Working with really wet clay

Leatherhard clay Working with leatherhard clay

Bone dry clay: completely dry

Greenware: Unfired pottery or sculpture

Bisqueware: clay that has been fired once in the kiln and is now ceramic

Glaze Ware: ware that has been fired with glaze

5. Wedging: a way of improving the workability of clay by reforming the mixture to make it homogeneous and even in texture while eliminating air bubbles.

Wedging clay

6. Once clay has been fired to over 1115 degrees F, it becomes ceramic.

It can never be clay AGAIN! Discuss #7 on the page.

Tools Bat: two meanings

The plaster is porous, and soaks up the physical water from the clay. I will allow enough water to be drawn out of the clay so that it is once again useable, or plastic, capable of being shaped on the potter’s wheel.

Cutting wire: a wire used for cutting clay

canvas Cover the board or table with canvas so

the clay won’t stick to it.

Slab strips To help you roll out a slab that is an

even thickness

Rib or kidney Used for hand- building or wheel

throwing to smooth and shape clay, made of wood, rubber or metal

Potter’s needle Use it for scoring clay or for cutting off the rim of a

pot on the potter’s wheel. One of the primary uses of the potter's needle is to get an accurate measure of how thick a slab or the floor of a pot is.

It is not a pencil! Clay is not paper! It is also not a shank.

Modeling tools These tools are very useful for creating

smooth edges, or curves on items to be modeled.

Loop tools For carving and removing clay

Fettling knife Mainly used for cutting slabs of clay

Stamps: used to make impressions in clay

Slip trailer or underglaze applicator Slip Trialing demo

You can create these decorations with glaze or well blended slip.

Slab roller How to use a slab roller

Potter’s wheel A potter's wheel is a machine used in

the shaping of round ceramic ware. The wheel may also be used during the process of trimming the excess body from dried ware and for applying incised decoration or rings of color.

Splash guards It keeps the extra water from going

everywhere when you throw.

Wooden paddle: the wooden paddle is an inexpensive wood tool designed to shape clay leaving a smooth texture behind.

Banding wheel: a wheel head mounted on a pedestal base and turned by hand, used in the formation and decoration of pots.

Using a banding wheel to glaze

Pug mill: A pugmill is a fast continuous mixer used for recycling clay.

Wedging table: a table covered with canvas and/or plaster used for wedging clay

5 hand-building methods Pinching Coiling Slab building Drape molding Press molding

Pinching: a hand-building technique that involves squeezing the clay, usually between fingers and thumb.

How to make a small pinch pot bowl

Coiling: attaching rolls of clay together to form pottery Rolling coils

Slab building: hand-building technique that involves shaping clay into a broad, flat, thick piece. Like rolling out and cutting cookie dough.

How to roll out a slab by hand

Drape molding: using a drape mold to hold the clay slab in a certain shape until it stiffens

Press molding: making shapes by pressing the clay slab into or onto molds.

Glazing Techniques

Brushing: applying glaze with a brush-needs 3 coats

Dipping: a method of applying glaze or slip to a piece by immersing it and quickly shaking off the excess liquid. This applies 3 coats.

Pouring: pouring glaze onto or into a pot. This method is great for the inside of a pot. This applies 3 coats.

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Sponging: applying glaze with a sponge.

Slip trailing: applying glaze or slip with a slip trailer to make fine lines or dots

Spraying: Using a spray gun and spray booth to apply glaze. It applies a fine, even coating of glaze.There will be safety instructions for this later.

Firing Bisque firing- Cone 05, temp= 1886° F Glaze firing- Cone 6, temp=2266° F Put wax resist on the foot of the pot. Before bisque firing, the ware must be in

what condition? __________ Glazes can be clear, transparent, semi-

transparent, semi-opaque, or opaque. See next slide for examples

Clear

Transparent

Semi-transparent

Translucent

Semi-opaque

opaque