Crafts / Craftsmen / craftswomen (craftspeople, I suppose)

That'll make a sweet glitter ball, good work.

Please, it's a Mirror ball. No glitter in that workshop.. ;)
Many pictures of work from the last few years on the website I've worked there on and off for a few years. All sorts of fun stuff happens there. I really should spend more days in there than I do at the moment.

Making some bowls and thought I'll take pics of process. The bowls are in their rawest state - freshly thrown. There has to be a fair amount of extra clay at the bottom so that the sides don't flop as they are drying. When they've dried a bit I'll turn the foot, i.e. have the bowl upside down on the wheel and cut away the excess clay with a tool, in the process forming a nice foot (ring of clay).

3 Attachments

Beautiful! Got a pic of the final thing?

The pics are from yesterday - the bowls should be fired by next weekend. I'll take more photos in between. Today I'll turn them.

Hm, frosty - never good when you're trying to dry pots. Had to take them in for a while.

2 Attachments

I'm going to a pottery class tonight. Can't wait!!! I made this using the coil method

1 Attachment

That looks very tidy - nicely done! Which class are you going to out of interest?

Its a beginners class based in Spalding Lincolnshire

Do you get to throw on the wheel as well? It's great fun

Not yet. I'm itching to have a go. In fact I want a wheel for christmas. But they are out of my price range at the moment.

Depends on what you're after - there are bargains to be had on eBay every now and then.

Just an electric wheel nothing fancy. I'm considering getting a treadmill off freecycle and upcycling it into a pottery wheel.

Like this? http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-Pottery-Wheel-Using-Treadmill-motor/

Great idea

That's the one

Current Projects

When I find a disused treadmill I shall get on it.

record player , belt driven obvs :}

I've now turned the bowls, let them dry out completely, done the first firing and glazed them. They're now waiting to be glaze fired tomorrow.

Here are some with the foot turned, decorated with iron oxide, and then glazed. At this stage the clay looks very red, but I'll fire to stoneware temperature to 1280ºC and it will come out a very dark grey. The glaze I've used is matt white, but I know that it absorbs quite well into the clay body, and will almost be transparent.

3 Attachments

Firing has finished. It always takes about 18 hours for the kiln to cool down - it's very well insulated.
Edit: Not too happy about the outcome - it looks like the kiln didn't quite get up to temperature. I might have to fire them again.

1 Attachment

these look amazing. getting into pottering is high on my to do list

noone mentioned a bike powered pottery wheel above, with a big flywheel you could achieve a steady smooth speed for some pot throwing
plus you get a few miles cycling in per day

if only there were some craftspersons who could make such a thing

Thanks! Do it - it's great