Making an oval pot - a potter tale retold

[pjkatich]

I received a special request asking if I would consider sharing the following photo tutorial with the good folks here at ausbonsai.

So, in the spirit of goodwill and international detente I present the following information on how to make an oval pot for your viewing pleasure.

Constructive input is welcome and please feel free to ask questions if you have any.

This project was started on February 26th and is currently in progress.

The object of this project was to document the making of a 14 inch (35.5 cm) oval pot. However, the number one rule of ceramics is that if you want one great pot you need to make at least three. This process has a great many variables and partial or total failure is never that far away. Consequently, this tutorial will document the progress of three different pots.

So, lets get this show on the road.

Day one - installment #1
The first thing to consider is the clay body. For this project I have selected a commercially available clay body made of 50% porcelain and 50% buff gray stoneware. It comes in 25 pound (10 kg) bags as shown in this photo:

IMG_001a.jpg

I glaze all my pots and this particular clay body was selected because of the way it shows blue and green glazes.

Next, you will need a good scale to weigh out the clay as shown in the following photo.

IMG_002a.jpg

I always weigh out my clay. This is important for a number of reasons, consistency being the major factor for using a scale. I have determined through trial and error that to make a 14 inch (35.5 cm) pot I will need three lumps of clay. One weighing 5 pounds (2.3 kg) for the slab (bottom of the pot), one weighing 4 pounds (1.8 kg) for the rim of the pot, and one weighing 1.5 pounds (.7 kg) for the feet of the pot. This is shown in the following photo.

IMG_003a.jpg

The clay is weighed out for the remaining two pots then it's on to the wedging table.

On the wedging table, the clay is processed using a wedging motion. This is done to homogenize the lump of clay and to aid in the removal of any trapped air. The following photo shows the 4 pound lumps of clay after the wedging process.

IMG_004a.jpg

The remaining lumps of clay are processed in the same manner then it's on to next step.

The following photo shows some of the tools of the trade:

IMG_005a.jpg

We have an electric potters wheel, a stool, a bat, a bucket of water, some throwing sponges, and a variety of throwing tools.

Time to take a short break.

Are there any questions?

Stay tuned - More to come.

Cheers,
Paul

[kitoi]

I've seen this somewhere before

Paul,
Don't remember if I asked this previously...How long have you been making pots?

Do you always wedge your clay?

[mudlarkpottery]

Time to get back to work, mate.
Penny.

[Bretts]

Thanks for taking the time to do this Paul.
I get my wheel today

[pjkatich]

I've seen this somewhere before

Paul,
Don't remember if I asked this previously...How long have you been making pots?

Do you always wedge your clay?

ketoi,

I hope you enjoy it the second time around.

I've been working at it for around 4 1/2 years now.

And yes, I always wedge my clay.

Thanks for joining in on this edition.

Regards,
Paul

[pjkatich]

Time to get back to work, mate.
Penny.

Patience Penny, you know as well as I do, it takes time and patience to make a good pot.

I look forward to your input.

Thanks for taking the time to do this Paul.
I get my wheel today

Soltan,

It is my pleasure.

Hope you enjoy the ride.

Cheers,
Paul

[pjkatich]

Break times over.

The next step involves the electric potters wheel.

The following photo shows one of the 4 pound lumps of clay placed on top of the bat.

IMG_006a.jpg

Next, I will center the clay on the bat as shown in the next photo.

IMG_007a.jpg

Then, I will drop a hole in the center and pull the clay out to the end of the bat and form it into a ring as shown in the next photo.

IMG_008a.jpg

Once this is accomplished I will pull the ring up into a shallow, bottomless cylinder as shown in the next photo.

IMG_009a.jpg

Here is a side view of what is now the rim ring of the first pot.

IMG_010a.jpg

Stay tuned - more to come.

Paul

[kitoi]

ketoi,

I hope you enjoy it the second time around.

I've been working at it for around 4 1/2 years now.

And yes, I always wedge my clay.

Thanks for joining in on this edition.

Regards,
Paul

It's like a movie, you always miss something the 1st time through.

[ketutg]

thanks for doing this Paul.
It seems we have quite a few potters on this forum and all this talk has sparked my interest in bonsai pottery.
I may even look into doing a pottery course myself

[Pat K]

Well, this is good....I can forget about viewing rights at BN now!!

Please carry on Paul,....don't mind me in the back bleachers; you'll get your report card at the end!

Pat

[Asus101]

Pat how bout you show us how to do good slab pots??

[Pat K]

Ben, I don't make slab pots....I like to think that I'm a professional!!!

Perhaps when Paul has finished his oval pot it might be time.......

Pat

[mudlarkpottery]

Paul, you know what it's like - always keen to see how another potter tackles a job.
Penny.

[Asus101]

Ben, I don't make slab pots....I like to think that I'm a professional!!!

Perhaps when Paul has finished his oval pot it might be time.......

Pat

Pro's dont have time to go fishing...

[Pat K]

Pro's dont have time to go fishing...

Pro's DO have time to go fishing because they know the short cuts...