DIY Network

SPONSOR LINKS

Web Extras

From "Throwing Clay"
episode DTHC-102

Here are a few tips on making sturdy bake ware--and some fascinating info on the wood-firing technique.

Durability

It’s essential to make baking ware sturdy. Here are some more of Bill Van Gilder's tips on throwing durable baking ware.

Choose clays that have a minimum of 2.5 percent aggregate (sand, grog) or more. The aggregate disperses heat evenly throughout the ware during use.
Be aware that your baking dish will be lifted hot from the oven using a pair of oven mitts, so side handles must be of ample size to grasp. A textured handle helps, too.
Using a shiny glaze on baking ware keeps food from sticking to the dish and makes cleaning easy.
A sturdy rim on baking ware is essential. The rim is often used as a leverage point when a spoon is used to serve food from your dish. So a strong, bold rim is a structurally good idea.
The rim can be flattened with a rib when thrown. Support beneath the rim with your fingertips as you flatten and compress the top of the rim with the rib (figure A)
A round shaped lip also works well. As you pull up the wall of the baking dish, leave extra clay at the rim. Roll that clay outward, surrounding it with the fingertips. Further compress and smooth the rounded rim with a sponge, a small piece of chamois or a strip of thin plastic cellophane (figure B)
It's important that your baking ware have a uniform wall and base thickness. When a piece will be used in the oven, an even cross-section ensures that heat is evenly distributed throughout the piece, which prevents cracking (figure C).

Figure A

Figure B

Figure C

Wood-Firing

For more than 5,000 years, potters have been wood-firing their ware. Here are some of Bill's tips on this ancient technique.

Wood-firing is an intricate and complex method of firing pottery. The wood fuel and live flame give the pots a unique surface texture and color.
When making pots for a wood-firing, avoid using clays that contain a high percentage of iron oxide. High-iron clays can make wood-fired wares brittle and overly glossy. White, gray or light-toned clays are much better suited to wood-firing.

Figure D
A thin liquid coating of clay, called "slip," can be applied to the pottery before firing. The slip will be of a different type and color than the clay from which the pottery is made. This slip coating acts as a canvas, absorbing and beautifully recording the flame's path as it moves across and around pots in the kiln (figure D).