DIY pottery wheel: how to find and work with clay. Children's pottery wheel - what is it?

23.09.2019

Clay products are always relevant. Some people cannot imagine their kitchen without ceramic cookware - they cook in it and decorate their interior with various decorative pots made from this plastic material. And souvenirs - magnets, photo frames, cups, vases, which we always buy when we relax at a resort, most often made of clay. All this suggests that the pottery business is one of the most profitable directions entrepreneurial activity. In this article we will talk about pottery for beginners, so that anyone who is seriously thinking about leaving their main job for hire for the sake of development own business, was able to realize himself in this direction.

Features of the pottery business

The first potters were the ancient Greeks. It was they who began to make unique products from clay - vases and amphorae, which conquered the whole world of that time. We treat them casually, without attaching any special value. But you just have to think about how many things necessary for organizing home life are made of clay - plates, cups, cauldrons, bowls and much more. This means that pottery as a business will never lose its relevance and will bring a stable and high income to those who decide to open a pottery business at home. If you are one of the people who want to start making pottery with your own hands at home, then you need to know the main features of this business activity:

Ceramic products are best sold in large resort towns, where there are always a lot of tourists coming from distant countries. These people are the target audience, since they will probably buy various souvenirs for their relatives and buy something beautiful for themselves as a souvenir of their vacation;
Those who have been engaged in pottery making at home for many years have well understood the peculiarity of this business, which we mentioned in the paragraph above. Therefore, this area of business activity has high level competition. A beginner will have to devote a lot of time to studying the market in the area where he decided to open a pottery business;
Remember that your pottery products must be exclusive in order for people to buy them. You will need to develop your own method for making and decorating ceramic products so that they highlight your personal, unique design style. People really like to buy designer items - after all, it is fashionable and meets the requirements of the time;
Keep in mind that pottery products will be in particular demand in resort town, which reflects the flavor of the local culture. People are more willing to purchase something that emphasizes the traditions and customs of the place they have visited;
The beginning of pottery should be marked by the production of a limited range of products. It should be one thing - either dishes, or souvenirs, or pots, or vases. Over time, when your customer base expands, you can think about simultaneously producing several types of ceramic products;
Before you start pottery making, you must register a private enterprise. If you only engage in manufacturing household goods(dishes, for example), then you need to register your activity under OKVED code 26.21. If your area of interest also includes children’s toys, then you need to choose OKVED 36.50 and a simplified taxation system in order insurance premiums and other expenses were not very large;
Having mastered the above features of the ceramic business, you can become a wealthy person practically from scratch. Of course, start-up capital will be needed in any case, but it will not be so large and will quickly pay off. We will talk about this in more detail in the corresponding section of our article.

Selection and arrangement of premises for a workshop

Where to start pottery making after registering a business? It is important to pay due attention to the room where your workshop will constantly operate. After all, the selected space must meet some mandatory requirements:

It should be two rooms. You will equip one of the rooms as a workshop (this room should be larger in area than the second), and the other as a warehouse for finished ceramic products (a room area of 15 m² will be sufficient);
In terms of area, the room should not be less than 50 m²;
It is advisable to choose an apartment for a workshop on the ground floor;
It is very important that the room has all the necessary communications (we are talking about sewerage, air conditioning, ventilation, electricity and water supply);
It is imperative to carefully consider the choice of equipment for a pottery workshop. This must be done under the guidance of an experienced craftsman who is well versed not only in pottery technology, but also understands the equipment necessary for the work. By the way, many potters can make pottery equipment themselves.

Production technology

Scheme of production of ceramic products

For several decades in a row, the production of ceramic products has been carried out using the same technology, but in different ways. If you make souvenir products (do free-form sculpting), then you only need to select the right raw materials, mix them and sculpt them. It is important to use a pottery wheel, a modeling board or special impressions - this way the shapes of your products will be processed more accurately.

Essentially, the process of making pottery includes several main stages:

Purchasing raw materials - you can either buy them or extract them yourself. If you are just thinking about how to start pottery, you can try the second option. To do this, you need to find deposits of clay in your garden plot and test it for suitability for hand modeling. It is necessary to roll a small rope out of clay and roll it into a bagel. If practically no cracks have formed, then this is an excellent raw material for work;
Form the required product from clay using the tools you have;
Dry your ceramic creation and then fire it;
When the product hardens well, it needs to be given an elegant look. To do this, the clay is treated with special solutions, and then painted, decorated and varnished.

If you neglect at least one of the above points, then your work may be done in vain, because incorrectly mixed and then processed raw materials will simply begin to crumble and break, which means that you will not be able to sell it.

Necessary equipment for work

Let's return to what equipment you need to purchase if you decide that the pottery business is exactly what you want to implement:

Potter's wheel;
Scales;
A machine on which modeling clay is mixed;
The oven in which you will fire the finished products;
Molds for sculpting various clay figures;
Decorative materials for decorating your products (paints, glass, brushes, etc.).

Please note that at first you do not need to purchase new professional equipment. At first, you will be able to use used devices. You can actually find them on various free classifieds sites on the Internet. Don’t worry that the technique that other pottery masters have used is no longer suitable or will quickly break down. As a rule, equipment is always sold in excellent condition. If you are not sure that you can handle it on your own, invite an experienced craftsman who will give you good advice when purchasing and, with his expert opinion, determine whether you are being offered high-quality equipment for the workshop or not.

Pottery wheel diagram

How can you make money?

Ceramic products have a fairly large market. Therefore, if you doubt whether pottery making is profitable in modern society, then you can throw away all negative thoughts. Ceramic products are an excellent way, with minimal starting capital. The main thing for you is to decide. Needs must be taken into account wide range people in the area in which you decide to do this business.

If you decide that there is nothing better for you than to open your own pottery and souvenir business, then you can find wholesalers who will purchase goods from you. But organizing this entire process is quite difficult. After all, large supermarkets purchase a batch of souvenirs containing at least 1000 items. Many problems and questions immediately arise that initial stage development of your business will only hinder your ability to focus and learn manufacturing techniques. Of course, if you hire experienced craftsmen in your workshop, you will be able to quickly cope with orders;
Once you gain experience, you will be able to organize paid pottery master classes for children and adults. Today this is a very fashionable trend artistic activity. Who isn’t interested in making something with their own hands and then hanging the product they made themselves in their room? Over time, when you earn high income from pottery, you will have the opportunity to organize large-scale exhibitions and even competitions among your students;
Some companies and firms prefer to use various ceramic souvenirs as advertising. They can be made to order.

In fact, the market for selling ceramic products is very wide. You just need to constantly develop, look for new consumers, offer your services to a wide audience and then great deals will always appear.

Financial investments

Having decided, you need to draw up a business plan for pottery making in order to convince yourself of the correctness of the chosen decision and dispel all doubts about whether it is profitable to engage in pottery making in our time.

The minimum amount of money you need to have before you start making pottery yourself should be 500,000 rubles. This amount will go towards the following costs:

To register an individual entrepreneur you will need about 10,000 rubles;
Rent of premises for setting up a workshop – 40,000 rubles (the same amount will have to be spent monthly);
Purchase necessary equipment– 300,000 rubles;
Firing oven – 100 thousand rubles;
Several pottery wheels – 50,000 rubles;
Libra – 6 thousand rubles;
Modeling molds – 50,000 rubles;
Clay different varieties– 20,000 rubles;
Defects and damage of products (from 15,000);
Employee salaries. You will need at least two craftsmen at first, an advertising manager and a person who will keep financial records (you can assign this responsibility to yourself). All this requires at least 70,000 rubles;
To pay taxes and fees you will need about 70 thousand rubles per year, but this figure may vary significantly, depending on what form of production you choose;
You will have to spend at least 10,000 rubles monthly on advertising your business.

Where can the finished product be sold and at what price?

Now let’s take a closer look at how much money you can earn for selling finished products from clay.

If you find regular wholesale buyers who will purchase goods from you in batches of 1000 units, then you can get from 10,000 to 100,000 rubles. Revenue will depend on what products you will sell:

If these are refrigerator magnets, then for a batch you can get 6,000 - 12,000 rubles (if they are made to a designer’s order, then the price doubles);
If these are photo frames, then for the shipment you will receive from 12,000 to 24,000 rubles (the situation here is the same as with magnets);
If these are ceramic pots, then you can get from 75,000 to 200,000 rubles per batch;
If you rent out pottery equipment to other workshops, you can earn from 2,000 rubles per day;
If you teach pottery to children and adults, you can earn from 500 to 1000 rubles in one hour of classes.

Video: How we built a pottery school from scratch

Before you start practicing entrepreneurial activity related to ceramic products, you should definitely study as much information as possible about this type of business. There are many sources of it on the Internet. It can be difficult to read a useful article, but also to look free video pottery for beginners.

We still recommend that, in addition to self-education in matters related to starting a business with ceramic products, you undergo training in pottery making from a qualified specialist. He will explain to you not only the theory of working with clay, but also demonstrate everything in practice. Of course, you will have to spend money on the courses - approximately 15,000 rubles, provided that you attend pottery master classes for two months. Keep in mind that even if you take the beginner pottery lessons well from the master you went to study with, you will still be far from a professional level. In the process of work, with experience, you will achieve the desired result and become a fairly wealthy person who will do what he loves.
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Many people would love to devote themselves to creativity with a material such as clay, but the first thing that stops everyone is the price of a pottery wheel. So, on average, for the specified unit you will have to pay from $500, if we talk about domestically produced models. As for foreign companies, you need to be prepared to pay $1,300 or more for a product. The question arises, what to do in this case, abandon this idea? The answer is simple: you can make a pottery wheel with your own hands.

Naturally, you will need to make an effort. There is no need to expect a high-end model, but for beginners the end result is quite suitable.

First of all, it’s worth understanding what a potter’s wheel is. IN general outline it looks like this: a vertical shaft with a round flat disk on top. According to historians, over the past few thousand years this design has not undergone fundamental changes. The only difference is that now the shaft can be driven by a motor, rather than a foot drive. By the way, there are still masters of clay making who prefer to work with a mechanical wheel, claiming that this way you can fully experience the entire process of creating clay products.

Having found out the principle of operation of the unit, let’s figure out what types of potter’s wheels exist.

Foot

This design is the most simple and has been used for hundreds of years. This device consists of a shaft on which drive and working circles are mounted on both sides. The master must rotate such a unit clockwise with his foot. This pottery wheel is easy to create, so it was especially popular among craftsmen.

Mechanical

A similar unit was seen by the world thanks to Bernard Leach, a potter who created this type of circle. By the way, the design turned out to be so successful that it was immediately sent for industrial production. The operating principle of the circle is based on the operation of a crank mechanism. This turned out to be convenient in the sense that it became possible to regulate the speed of the circle.

Electric

Since the advent of the electric drive, mechanization has, in principle, stepped forward. This also applies to pottery wheels. Thus, the need for physical activity on the part of humans disappeared. In addition, the electric drive allows you to more accurately set the rotation speed. Also, the dimensions of the machine itself have become significantly smaller.

How to make a pottery wheel

Today in any specialty store You can find a wide range of different pottery wheels. However, as we found out earlier, the price tag of this product is quite high, especially for those who want to test themselves in new creativity. That is why many, having learned about the cost of a new professional product, immediately begin to wonder how to make a pottery wheel on their own.

It's actually not that difficult. So, first of all, it is necessary to make a frame, which is made of materials such as wooden beams or metal profiles. Bearings must be placed in the lower and upper parts of the finished part, which will allow the shaft with the circle attached to it to rotate. As for the circle, it is best to make it from a material that is resistant to moisture. The following materials are suitable for this: plastic, aluminum, bronze, brass or fiberglass. Of course, it would be ideal if the diameter of the circle is from 250 to 300 mm. It is best if this part is made on a lathe. The finished circle is fixed directly to the shaft using a flange or using any other available method.

In general, we can safely say that the design of a pottery wheel is quite simple and anyone who has ever dealt with metalworking tools in their life can make the device.

Additional tools

Regardless of what level you decide to master the craft at - amateur or close to professional, you will need additional tools, without which the work cannot be considered complete. Plus, it will make it much easier creative process. So, you should additionally acquire the following tools:

Stacks– you can take wooden, metal or plastic spatulas of any shape and size.
String(metal), which should have two handles at the ends for convenience. With the specified tool finished work cut from the circle.

For those who are just starting to get acquainted with clay, it is not at all necessary to immediately set as their goal the acquisition of a professional pottery wheel. To learn the basics creative work It will be enough to purchase or make a pottery wheel with your own hands.

Workshop equipment for work

Everyone should understand that any pottery work is a very dirty business and it is possible to do it in your apartment without damaging the interior, only if you allocate a separate room. However, not everyone can afford this. Among other things, the operation of a potter's wheel is not at all silent, which may cause disapproval from neighbors. Therefore, it is ideal to create a workshop in which you can implement any creative ideas outside the city - in the country or in the village.

On warm days, you can freely practice pottery outside, but direct sunlight or precipitation is not very good for the material, tools and the pottery wheel itself, so you should think about setting aside a room for work.

Equipping a workshop for work does not seem to be a difficult task. So, it will be quite enough to find a table for storing tools and things, as well as shelves where unfinished and finished pottery will be placed. Another important point- must be ensured workplace good light.

Foot driven circle

For those who want to make a wheel with a foot drive, it is worth making sure that a strong flywheel is installed on the bottom of the shaft. It can be made from solid boards and it is better if it is shaped like a wheel. A strong metal disk is also great for these purposes. For example, a 30-kilogram barbell plate will do just fine.

Electric drive wheel

For those who still want to make a circle with an electric drive, the engine from a sewing machine will do as a power unit. Its advantage is that it will allow you to adjust the speed of the shaft itself, and this can be done thanks to a special pedal. The engine can be purchased at the appropriate store, but this option will not be cheap. An alternative could be a flea market or flea market.

When working with an electric drive, you don’t have to focus on a special base, replacing it with any table or massive stool. In addition, you need to select a shallow container (it is advisable to choose plastic with a diameter of 40 to 45 cm), which should be firmly fixed to the base so that the circle can rotate inside it without any problems. This manipulation is necessary so that the mixture of clay and water does not scatter on all sides, but is evenly placed in the container.

IN modern world there are a lot of schools early development for children who are dedicated to the comprehensive education of their children. For example, classes in modeling from various materials– puff pastry, plasticine or clay. Such activities contribute to the development of a child’s creative abilities, develop fine motor skills, relax, and in some cases even relieve certain fears.

At a certain stage, children will no longer be interested in simply doing hand modeling, so here it is worth thinking about purchasing or making a pottery wheel yourself.
You can make a pottery wheel for children using the analogy given above. The main thing is to focus on the type of unit.

Clay for potter's wheel

So, almost all the important technical features have already been considered; now it’s worth understanding what clay is for a potter’s wheel. There is now a wide variety of species of this material, which differ from each other in origin and composition.

According to technical parameters, clay for the potter's wheel is divided into slate, refractory and so-called kaolins. In addition, the material has a certain “fat content”. So, the higher this parameter, the more plastic the clay feels to the touch. If we consider thin material, it is less amenable to modeling, and finished products made from it most often crack during the firing stage. In turn, fatty clay has proven itself much better. It should be understood that if you need to make a thin product, it is best to choose the thickest material.

Clay also differs in color, varying depending on how much metal oxide it contains. For example, if the material contains up to 1% impurities, any product made from it will be white. If this indicator is exceeded, it will turn red during the firing stage, even if the clay was white before.

For beginners in pottery, it is best to opt for prepared material, which should be purchased in specialized stores. And only when the level of professionalism reaches a certain point will it be possible to find suitable clay in other places without any problems.

Working on a potter's wheel

Working on a potter's wheel has some features that we will consider further. Regardless of what kind of clay you take - store-bought or not, it must be “beaten” before work. This is quite easy to do. To begin with, you need to roll the material into a “sausage” and divide it in half. In this case, the clay must be separated by twisting. Next, the material is thrown onto the surface, folded, rolled out and torn again.

Such manipulations should be done 20 times, but you can’t do without it, because in this way all the air unnecessary for work is removed from the clay and it becomes more homogeneous. For comparison, you can try to start working with unbroken material. As a result, you will see that air bubbles will interfere with the manipulation of clay and this will best case scenario. At worst, only last stages, when fired, the product will burst.

The next stage of preparing the material is mixing in a spiral. To do this, take a piece of clay, place it on the work surface and then press on it with your palms so as to push it away from you and try to turn it towards you. If such actions are accompanied by popping actions (air bubbles will come out of the clay), then you are doing everything correctly. This kneading should be done up to 35-40 repetitions. After this stage, the material is completely ready for use.

Next, the required amount is cut from a piece of material, which is placed in the center of the circle and slightly pressed down. It is necessary to ensure that it is clearly in the middle (otherwise the material will simply fly away), and only after making sure of this can you start the pottery wheel.
When working with clay, it is also important what position your hands are in. So, the elbows must be pressed to the body, the hands must be bent, and the wrists must be as close as possible to the piece of material. And remember - no stress, because you are doing creative work!

Pottery classes are extremely beneficial for children. In addition, they simply like to create candlesticks, cups, and bowls with their own hands. It is best to practice on a regular wheel in a pottery workshop, but if you want to start small, then buy a children's pottery wheel. The pottery wheel toy is sometimes equipped with a foot drive and a motor, which makes it as similar as possible to “real” equipment. The kit also includes a layer of clay, a stack and other accessories and materials that may be needed in the work. The procedure for operating the equipment is described in the instructions for it. Thanks to this, every little master or craftswoman will be able to express themselves in pottery.

GALEY

One of the most famous manufacturers of toys in this category is GALEY. Galey pottery wheel has high quality, is strong, reliable and durable. This toy helps develop thinking and spatial imagination, imagination, accuracy and creativity. The set includes a machine with a foot pedal, 2 bags of clay, paints (6 colors), brushes and spatulas (2 each), palette, holder, cord and instructions. The set will appeal to kids aged 5 years and older. Country of origin: Hong Kong.

Alex

The Alex children's pottery wheel is equipped with an adapter and a control pedal, allowing you to create clay products and decorate them at your discretion. The set includes a circle (powered by mains), adapter, clay, paints, brushes, pallet, cord, mosaic tiles, glue, decorations. Country of origin: USA.

Dreamer

Under the “Fantaser” brand we produce a wide range of products for children's creativity. You can choose the Fantasyer pottery wheel for cups, vases, candlesticks and other products. The same “Potter” set with a pottery wheel comes fully equipped - all you have to do is study the instructions and create. Consumables can be purchased as needed.

An ordinary pottery wheel or a toy?

You can buy a children's pottery wheel inexpensively without any problems - the question is how good it is and whether it can become a full-fledged replacement for regular activities. Yes, toys are beautiful, easy to use and make an invaluable contribution to a child’s development, but they remain toys and have limited functionality. If you want to try, buy one for your child for a holiday so that he can practice and understand whether he likes sculpting or not. If you like it, you can always sign it up for a training course

Perhaps the craft of pottery originated, if not together with the development of fire by people, then immediately after. It is not without reason that in many myths and legends of the peoples of the world the image of the Creator is inextricably linked with the act of creation from clay. Thus, in Christianity, the first man, Adam, was created from clay. In Hinduism, one of the forms of Brahma is a potter. The ancient Egyptian god of fertility, Khnum, also created man using a potter's wheel. Myths African tribe The Dogon represented the supreme deity Amma as a potter who created all things from clay. Many nations had their own castes of potters, who, in addition to craft functions, could perform the duties of priests and clergy. For example, the Hanibe caste in Ancient Japan, whose members made sacred clay sculptures - haniwa. The work of a potter has always been presented as something divine, except that the master, unlike God, could not give a soul to his creations.

Types of pottery wheels

Naturally, the central place in the work of potters is occupied by pottery wheels, around which the entire pottery craft revolves, as if around the center of the Universe. With their help, shapeless pieces of pliable clay are in capable hands turn into elegant vessels of the most diverse, sometimes bizarre, shapes.

A potter's wheel is a smooth disk that has a cantilever mount on a rotating axis and is driven by muscular force or an electric or, less commonly, mechanical motor. In ancient times they were hand-operated, then foot-operated and, finally, electric. It should be noted that foot and electric pottery wheels are more convenient to use. This is explained by the fact that both hands of the master remain free. Despite the fact that the electric wheel is more modern and progressive, the pottery wheel with a foot drive is not losing ground, since, according to some craftsmen, only on such a wheel can one smoothly and widely regulate the speed of rotation of the workpiece and better feel the material.

Additional tools

If you seriously or even just at an amateur level have decided to master the craft of pottery, then in addition to the already well-known wheel, you will need some other tools that greatly facilitate the work and allow you to perform various manipulations with the material. The main tools of both the sculptor and the potter are stacks - wooden, metal or plastic spatulas of various shapes and sizes. You also can’t do without metal string with two comfortable handles at the ends, with the help of which the finished product is cut from the circle after molding.

Workshop equipment

To be clear, working on a pottery wheel is a rather dirty activity, and in a city apartment you most likely will not find a place for yourself, unless you allocate an entire room for a workshop. But not everyone can afford this. In addition, potter's wheels are not silent when working, and this may cause dissatisfaction with neighbors. But in the private sector of the city, in the countryside or in the village, there are plenty of places to realize your plans for mastering the pottery craft. In warm weather, you can do this right under open air, but a canopy over your head is still desirable to protect from the scorching sun or rain. Setting up the workshop itself does not present any significant difficulties. It is enough to put a table for tools and other auxiliary things, one or more shelves for finished products, and provide lighting for the workspace.

If you are just starting your journey in the field of working with clay, then you do not need to set out to purchase a professional pottery wheel. To master the basics and get a feel for the material, amateur learning is enough. Moreover, its design is completely simple and easy to repeat for those who know how to use metalwork tools.

How to make a pottery wheel

Now there is no shortage of special stores, where both beginning and established potters are offered the entire range of goods for their craft: pottery wheels, all kinds of “grades” of clay, auxiliary tools and even kilns where finished products are fired. But the price tag in such stores is usually very high. And if you want to save money, you can make a pottery wheel with your own hands.

To do this, you need to make a frame from a wooden beam or a metal profile. Bearings are installed in its lower and upper parts, in which the shaft with a circle fixed on it will rotate. It is advisable to make the circle itself from a material that is impervious to moisture: plastic, fiberglass, aluminum, brass or bronze with a thickness of at least 10 mm. It is best if a circle with a diameter of 250-300 mm is turned on a machine by a lathe. The circle is attached to the shaft using a flange or any other convenient method.

Foot driven circle

If the circle is supposed to be made with a foot drive, then a massive flywheel must be installed on the lower part of the shaft, which can be knocked down from thick boards and given the shape of a wheel, or you can use any suitable massive metal disk, for example, a 30-kilogram pancake from a barbell.

Electric drive wheel

If you plan to make an electric circle, then a sewing machine motor is a good choice as a drive. Its advantage is that on this engine you can independently regulate the shaft speed. This is done using a special pedal. Such an engine along with a pedal can be purchased at a specialized store (it will not be cheap) or at a flea market/flea market (it will be much cheaper than buying a new one).

If you use an electric drive, you can move away from making a special frame and use any old table or even a massive stool. In addition, you will need a shallow (up to 10 cm) and wide plastic container with a diameter of 40-45 cm. It is fixed to the frame so that the circle rotates freely inside it. This is necessary so that drops of water with clay do not fly in all directions, but remain inside the container. As a last resort, you can make a fence from dry planks and then soak it several times with drying oil to give the wood water-repellent properties.

Now you know how to make a pottery wheel with your own hands. And if you really want to, it’s quite possible to do it yourself.

Pottery wheel for children

Many advanced schools for early child development practice modeling classes from plasticine, salt dough, polymer or ordinary clay, etc. These classes develop children's creativity, imagination, imaginative thinking, feeling of beauty. In addition, during modeling, children develop fine motor skills, they relax and get rid of all kinds of phobias. After hand modeling, a children's pottery wheel will be the next stage in the child's mastering of working with plastic materials. Such activities are usually very popular with the younger generation.

You can also make a pottery wheel for children yourself or buy a ready-made one; fortunately, manufacturers offer a lot of options to suit every taste and budget.

A little about clay

There are a lot various types clays that differ in origin, impurity content, and composition. According to the technical classification, they are divided into shale, refractory, and kaolin. Clays also have their own so-called fat content. The “fattier” the clay, the more plastic it is, and the “leaner” it is, the more crumbly it is. Skinny clays mold less well, and products made from them crack during firing. Fatty clays behave much better in this case. Moreover, the thinner the product must be made, the fatter it should be. Clays also differ in their color, which depends on the content of metal oxides in them. When the clay contains no more than 1% impurities, the product made from it will be white, and if it is more, then after firing it will turn red, regardless of the original color of the clay.

It is much easier for a beginning potter to start working with prepared clay, which is easy to buy. When your hands “get enough” of the right clay, then it won’t be too difficult to find clay in other places that is also suitable for the job.

Working on a potter's wheel

Any clay, even ready-made store-bought clay, must be “beaten” before use. You need to roll a “sausage” out of clay and tear it in half by twisting it. Then forcefully throw it onto a board or table, fold it again, roll it out and tear it apart. Such manipulations need to be repeated at least 20 times. You can also not tear the clay, but cut it with a wire string with handles. This is necessary in order to remove air from the clay and make it homogeneous. Otherwise, the remaining air bubbles will interfere with work, and if the cavity remains in the wall of the finished product, then during firing it will burst in this place due to thermal expansion of the air inside the cavity.

The next step in clay preparation is spiral kneading. A piece of clay is placed on the table, and pressing on it, you push it away from you with your palms and at the same time try to turn the clay towards you (this is how housewives knead stiff dough by hand). At correct actions You will hear air bubbles coming out of the clay with a characteristic flapping sound. After 30-40 repetitions, the clay can be considered ready for use.

Now you need to cut the piece required quantity, place in the center of the circle and press down a little. If the clay is not in the very center, then it needs to be corrected and then run the circle. If the clay is placed unevenly relative to the center, it may fly off the wheel. The position of the hands when working with a circle: elbows pressed to the body, bend the hands, bring the wrists together and hold it like that on a piece of clay. Hands should not be tense, their movements should be smooth and soft.

The other day I received a letter, I thought it was very interesting, as an invaluable experience for beginners in pottery. And, with the consent of the author, I publish it.

If you have any questions or suggestions - write, your practical experience is very useful for beginners!

I encountered this problem as soon as I sat down at the pottery wheel and almost lost interest in pottery. I had everything to blame: from the clay (wrong color, size and consistency) to the pottery wheel (the faceplate did not spin properly). In the end, it turned out that the reason for everything was my crooked hands and ignorance of the basics of proper clay centering. After long and diligent practical training, I came up with the following main points that must be taken into account and not neglected in any way when centering clay:

1. The clay should not be hard and not very soft. If it is hard, it will be difficult to attach the clay to the faceplate (it does not adhere well to it when dry) and center it, and if it is very soft (sticks to your hands in islands) then the clay will fall off the faceplate and not keep its shape. Clay that is as soft as possible (but not sticky to your hands) is the basis for successful work on the potter's wheel!

2. The clay must be very, very carefully beaten and kneaded before centering, especially if it is not vacuum sealed. I did it very simply: I took a lump of clay the size of my palm and hit it hard on the floor (after placing a piece of slightly damp cloth on the floor). You can beat the clay on a regular board, whichever is more convenient and handy for you. Then I cut the lump of clay in half with a string with handles and looked to see if there were any holes there, i.e. air bubbles. If they were not there and the clay was homogeneous, then the clay was well pressed. Otherwise, the process must be repeated.

3. Only after carefully beating the clay can it be stuck to the faceplate and begin the actual alignment. And here the most interesting thing begins, something that is difficult to describe in words, and it is better to see it in person once. But I can say unequivocally what you need to pay attention to, namely:

4. Planting at a pottery wheel (floor, PROFI-MAX wheel). It is very important to choose the right fit.
- The height of the chair or stool on which you will sit should be approximately the same height as the plane of the faceplate or slightly higher than it.
- Your elbows should be pressed tightly to your body and rest on your hips (knees)! If your elbows do not have support, then your hands will wobble behind the clay and you will never center even a tiny lump of clay! Remember, this is very important. This is the main disease of beginners. They try to hold a lump of clay on the faceplate with their hands using muscle strength, and this is the wrong approach. The right thing to do is to choose a good position and fulcrum, and then you will need very little strength.

5. Don't forget to wet your hands with water, otherwise a piece of clay will stick to them and may fall off the faceplate.. Your hands should glide across the clay. But you shouldn’t wet your hands and clay too much with water - then the clay will quickly soften, and it will be impossible to sculpt a product from it, it will not retain its shape.

6. It is very important to make every action automatic.. You can't take on complex things until you have mastered simple ones. For example, it would be unwise to start drawing out the walls of a vessel if you have not yet learned how to quickly and efficiently center the clay and shape the bottom. And this one, at first glance, simple operation sometimes it takes a couple of months. Yes, yes, I spent two months mastering alignment, practicing almost every day for 2..3 hours.

I neglected this rule for a long time, I really wanted to get results faster. But in the end, each time I had to return to the basics, i.e. to center the clay and start all over again. Now I understand that everything needs to be done step by step, not to rush, and only then will there be an excellent result! I wish the same for you all.

7. If you have the money to be trained by a master, I highly recommend it. I took a few lessons myself and am very glad about it. BUT it is important to remember one thing: it is not the master who should twist the product with YOUR hands, but you yourself do it with YOUR OWN hands under his guidance, and his close attention. Otherwise, it will turn out that it was not you who made the product yourself, but the master, but with your own hands, using them as a stack! Don’t forget about this and don’t be surprised why everything worked out for you with the master, but not without him.

I advise you to do the following (as I did): the master shows you an exercise, you repeat this exercise several times under his supervision, taking into account all the comments. Then you go home and practice this operation until it becomes automatic on your lap (if you have one, of course). Then you meet with the master again, show him your progress and move on to the next exercises, and so on until you have mastered all the basics of pottery craft. This is an ideal training option, because you will save your money by not sitting for hours with a master, and you will develop independent skills. But for this you definitely need to have your own pottery wheel, if, of course, you want to achieve high results and plan to acquire mastery in this difficult but tempting craft.

Now I’m starting to pull the walls, learning to form the narrow necks of the vessels. I’ll write to you additionally about what will come of this!

how to beat clay

how to center clay

how to make a cylinder

All the best,
Olga."