View Larger Image Tips and techniques in our weekly series "Great Ideas for Potters" come from all levels of experience: studio artists, production potters, students, teachers and industry experts.

October 19, 2007

Tip of the Week: Extruding Made Easier

by Ceramic Arts Daily | Read Comments (0)

Each week, we provide you with a selection of helpful hints and ideas drawn from suggestions submitted by Ceramic Arts Daily subscribers and Ceramics Monthly readers. You'll find great ideas for:

Forming processes
Decorating, glazing and firing
Outfitting your studio
Creating and using tools

Tip of the Week, Submitted by Bonnie Staffel
It's sometimes difficult to separate the extruder's plunger from the load of clay—especially near the end of extruding. I fold up a clean athletic sock and place it between the clay and the plunger. Then when I'm finished extruding, I can easily pull the plunger out after the last bit of clay is pushed through the die. I can also remove the die and holder and push the last bit of clay left in the barrel. Another hint to make your extruding easier: Spraying WD-40 on the top surface of the die allows you to more easily remove it from the clay after you're finished extruding. Thanks Bonnie!

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Forming Processes

Trimming a coffeepot or pitcher with a pouring spout that was pulled upward is simple if you first center a ball of clay on the wheel head and cover it with a sheet of plastic. Then center the upside-down pot on the clay support. This gives the spout clearance above the wheel head, while the foot ring is trimmed. To produce warp-free tiles, place a slab on plasterboard (the kind used for walls) and cut tiles from the center, leaving about an inch of scrap clay around the edges. Since the edges are the first to dry, the scrap clay might warp but the tiles (at the center) will not. When drying the tiles, sandwich them between two pieces of plasterboard to pull the moisture evenly from the top and bottom. Several layers of plasterboard and tiles can be stacked on top of one another. Cover the stack with a plastic bag. A free source of plasterboard is a dumpster at a construction site. These scraps can be cut to smaller sizes by scoring the surface with a knife, then aligning the cut with the edge of a table and giving the board a whack. It will break smoothly and evenly. Be sure to give the plasterboard enough time to dry thoroughly between uses.

Decorating, Glazing and Firing

Some people tend to tighten up with slip designs when they apply them directly to their pots. Instead, try experimenting with designs trailed or brushed loosely on newspaper. Pick out the best one (wait for the shine to disappear), then gently press the newspaper-backed slip onto a leather-hard pot. (The pot's surface should be moistened.) Slow down the drying at this stage; the paper can be peeled off later. Remember, the design will be in reverse and inside out. Certain glazes, upon standing for a time, can become difficult to remix. If you live in a cold climate, try letting them freeze solid, then thaw; they become very easy to stir after this process.

Outfitting Your Studio

Wooden drying racks work well for recycling clay. Build four sides of a bottomless box with 1/2-inch-mesh hardware cloth stretched across the open bottom. To allow for air circulation, construct legs so that the bottom is up off the floor. Lay a heavy cloth on top of the screen, place wet clay on that, and when dried to throwing consistency, peel the clay off and wedge it. The cloth is washable and eliminates the need for plaster bats. Make more than one drying box and stack them. To keep clay from clogging the sink drain in a temporary studio, obtain a plastic dishpan almost the size of the sink. Cut a small hole on the side of the pan 2 inches from the bottom and plug the hole with a wine-bottle cork. All day you can wash tools and hands over the pan, then let the water sit overnight to allow the clay to settle. Pull the plug in the morning to let the water out; the clay can then be poured into the reclaiming bucket.

Creating and Using Tools

Dish-drying racks can be used to dry and store the plaster (or wooden) bats used on a potter's wheel. They also help make it easier to carry a fresh supply to the throwing area. When throwing with a metal rib, attach a wine-bottle cork to the unused side by drilling two small holes through the cork and rib. Insert brazing rods through the holes, bend the rods over and around the cork. In addition to giving an excellent hand-hold on what used to be a slick, sharp edge, the cork also makes the rib float in the water bucket.