Craftsmanship in clay: Simple slab methods

w Materials of the Earth from which men can make useful things before clay can be used it must be conditioned by a process called wedging which eliminates air pockets and blends the clay thoroughly removing hard lumps such irregularities would cause blemishes to wedge the clay the lump is cut in half and with the cut sides facing outward the upper half is thrown down forcibly to expel the air cutting and throwing together is repeated 15 or 20 times then the clay is needed for further blending the hands push well into the lump and keeping the sides pulled in reshape the ball the final test reveals an even consistency throughout careful wedging is an important part of good craftsmanship from this lump of wedged clay many simple objects such as a candle holder might be made The Potter's imagination suggests a wide variety of possible shapes he should visualize the finished piece before cutting the clay of the many possible shapes he decides on a tapered candle H holder to make the candle holder the top of the lump is first cut off cutting is done with a fettling knife a stiff tapered blade made asally for pottery work the top is smooth before the candle socket is formed to make the hole an ordinary candle is used two notches are made on the end of the candle to keep the clay from sticking to it the socket is made larger than the base of the candle to allow for shrinkage of the clay the sides are accurately spaced with the knife held firmly the sides are cut at the desired angle the piece is now set aside to stiffen until leather hard that is stiff enough to hold its shape but soft enough to be trimmed easily this trimming process is called fettling the process for which the fettling knife was designed if Pottery edges are left sharp they chip easily therefore they must be rounded a final sponging removes the knife marks the finished piece is then allowed to dry slowly most slab methods require a rolled out slab a damp cloth prevents the clay from sticking to the table the thickness of these guide sticks controls the thickness of the slab one of the simplest objects to make from a slab is a tile which requires a thick slab first the clay lump is partially flattened with the edge of the hand rolling is always started from the center of the clay the rolling pin rides on the guide stick making the slab an even thickness the slightly dry wrinkled surface left by the Rolling Pin must be moistened this is an elephant ear sponge its fine texture is preferred by Potter the final finishing is done with a rubber kidney after smoothing the slab is inspected carefully for small air bubbles these must be pricked and the air pressed out to make the slab easier to handle most of the excess Clay is cut off the palm of the hand supports the slab as it's placed on a pallet covered with paper the paper prevents the wet clay from sticking to the pallet the slab is sponged and smoothed again before the final cutting an accurate pattern of stiff cardboard is the cutting guide the tile is turned so that each cut is made with the same arm movement to avoid pulling the last Corner out of shape a downward pressure should be used at the end of the cut the tile is now ready to dry slow drying helps to prevent warping when leather hard the tile like the candle holder will be fettled and sponged a thinner slab is used for pieces requiring several parts such as a low flow container rolling a thin slab is made easier by loosening it from the damp cloth before it's rolled to its final thickness to make the flour container the shape of the bottom is sketched freely on the slab this technique of Designing directly on Clay often improves the harmony of line and proportion the bottom piece is cut from the clay slab with the pricker the edges of the bottom are dampened and scored with a comb because rough surfaces make stronger joints side pieces are cut from a similar slab of clay and are scored like the bottom a mixture of clay and water called slip acts as an adhesive in adjoining the two pieces of clay the scored strip placed in position is worked back and forth gently until the clay takes hold when attached lightly the two pieces Are knitted together with a modeling tool the ends of the wooden modeling tool are shaped like small thumbs for detailed work a second strip is added to complete the piece the beveled and scored ends of the strips are worked gently together the thin ends of the strips are overlapped to increase the thickness slightly at the Joint the inside Corners Are knitted together as were the outside edges these joints have been thinned by vigorous knitting and must be strengthened by the addition of a thin clay rope this rope is pressed into the inner corner and smooth with the larger end of the modeling tool when completely assembled the finger and Tool marks are removed from the piece with the sponge the sides are then smooth with a rubber kidney to ensure precise Contours the finished piece is set aside to stiffen and to leather hard the leather hard piece is ready for fettling this gives it a craftsmanlike finish and the rounded edges necessary in good Pottery when the edges are being fettled the knife is held near the tip of the blade and the clay is scraped with long even Strokes a cutting motion is seldom used the center portion of the bottom is scraped down a little to remove the slight bulge which is usually present in flat bottom pieces the broader surfaces are fettled with a flexible steel scraper a special scraper is used to finish the inside Corners the standard scraper is kidney-shaped the end of this one has been cut off and the corners rounded for inside Petaling after surfacing and scrape smooth the pieces SP remove all traces of the tool marks it is now ready to dry slowly many pieces of your own design can be made by these three simple methods after drying these pieces are finished by glazing and firing in a pottery kill imagination in design and master craftsmanship will produce attractive pieces in which you may take pride and pleasure