Monday, March 26, 2012

Glazing Pottery

Making pottery involves many steps.  Once we counted; the clay is usually handled about twenty to thirty times depending on piece before it goes home with its owner.





Ken has finished forming or throwing pottery, and is preparing to fire the kiln.  Right now he is glazing and decorating pottery and stacking the pottery in the kiln.









 He pours, dips and makes it look easy!








 

After he glazes a trailer load of pots, he moves them to the kiln shed and places them on hay wagons.








 I help sort and form sets.  I roll small balls of clay called wads.  Ken places each pot on four or more balls of clay on the shelf.  This allows the flame to wrap the pot and if the glaze gets juicy from interacting with wood ash, the wads may prevent the pot from sticking to the kiln shelf.
 
Ken is out in the kiln shed placing pots in shelves.  He will resume glazing and moving more pottery into the shed once he has room.

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