Bats: flat disks made of wood, plaster, or plastic which attached to wheel head of a potters wheel so a pot can be easily removed.
Bisqueware: once fired clay, transformed into a new hard, yet porous, ceramic material, ready for glazing.
Bone Dry: dry, chalky, and brittle clay, ready for bisque fire
Clay: earthy mixtures created by eroded rock, pliable earth that hardens when fired. link
Clay Body: Clays and other minerals mixed to form a desirable clay mixture.
Coiling: creating a form by layering coils of clay. Coils of wet clay are attached by pinching and pressing.
Cones: long thin pyramid shape sticks that melt at specific temperatures, used to monitor kiln performance. link
Craft: a trade or art requiring special skill.
Craftsmanship: display of technical skill and knowledge of one’s craft; careful consideration of detail and technique when working with your clay.
Earthenware: a clay body that generally contains impurities such as organics and iron oxide. Generally vitrifies at a low temperature.
Electric kiln: Kiln that is powered by electrically heated elements, ideal for oxidation firings.
Extruder: a device used to squeeze clay through a particular shape, can create long shapes eith solid or hollow.
Firing Temperature:
Low Fire: Clay and glazes that melt (or mature) at a relatively low temperature. Typically fired from cone 06 (1845 F) to cone 04 (1940 F).
Mid-Range Fire: Typically refers to CONE 6 clay and glaze that melt at a higher temperature than low fire glazes. (cone 6 = 2245 F)
High Fire: Clay and glazes that melt at a high temperature. Typically Cone 9 (2345 F) or cone 10 (2381 F)
Foot: bottom or lowest point of a pot; acts as a pedestal for a pot creating a sense of form floating in space; sometimes in the form of a trimmed ring.
Gas Kiln: Kiln heated by a combination of gas and air; can be fired in oxidation or reduction.
Glaze: a liquid suspension of ceramic materials that is applied to bisqueware; forms a glassy surface when fired to its melting point. Three main components: Silica, Flux, and a 'Stabilizer' or 'Sticker'. link
Greenware: unfired clay, has 3 basic stages of dryness.
Grog: Fired and crushed clay added to a clay body to reduce shrinkage and add strength.
Handbuilding: methods used to assemble or create a piece primarily by hand.
Kiln: a chamber designed to bring clay and related materials to a high temperature; heat is generated from electricity, gas, or organic
materials such as wood.
Kiln Wash: a watery mix of clay, silica, and alumina used to coat kiln shelves, protects shelves from glaze runs.
Leatherhard: clay with most of the moisture gone, can no longer be formed, can be carved or have appendages attached – consistency of firm cheese.
Lip: area surrounding the opening of a vessel.
Oxidation Firing: a kiln firing that is fired with enough oxygen for metallic oxides in clay and glazes to form a chemical combination with oxygen. Can alter the color of clay and glazes; electric kilns fire in an oxidized atmosphere.
Peephole (or Spyhole): small openning through a kiln that allows for monitoring kiln performing, viewing cones
Pinching: process creating a form from a single lump of clay through pinching and pressing.
Plasticity: flexibility; clays ability to be easily formed into a shape and retain that shape.
Porcelain: A completely white clay body which can become translucent under proper firing conditions.
Reduction Firing: a kiln firing in which the metallic oxides in clay and glazes are deprived of oxygen thus forming a different chemical combination. This alters the color of clays and glazes.
Slip (#1): (joining slip) crude mixture of watery clay used to join 2 pieces clay.
Slip#2: (decorative slip) liquid clay, usually colored, used to decorate, sometimes called “underglaze”
Slip and Score: Process of thoroughly scratching a series of crosshatched lines and applying slip in order to join 2 pieces of clay. Typically used on 2 pieces of leatherhard clay.
Shrinkage: clay shrinks as it is drying and as it is fired ( . . . sometimes up to 12% in a high fire.
Soft Slab: process of creating a form from wet slabs of clay.
Throwing: making forms with the use of the potters wheel.
Vitrification: maturation; occurs when kiln temperature is high enough to fuse clay particles together creating a nonporous material.
Wax Resist: liquid wax that is applied to the surface of a pot, used to keep glaze from sticking to the pot, can be used decoratively to achieve a layered glaze effect.
Wedging: process of pounding and kneading clay to 1) remove air bubbles 2) increase density 3) equalize moisture