DIY Network

Glazing Bill Van Gilder trims the jar and adds an earthtone glaze. From "Throwing Clay" episode DTHC-203

Figure A

Master potter Bill Van Gilder is making a corked jar (figure A). He started with a basic cylinder, leaving the base and rim thick. After flaring the rim, he measured the opening with the wide end of the cork lid. Next he used the profile rib on the base of the jar to create a rolled foot. He smoothed and shaped the outside walls with the straight edge of the trimming tool before adding decorative texture to the top half of the cylinder with his fingertips When finished he cut the jar free from the bat and set it aside to dry leather hard.

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1. To trim the sharp edge on the base of the jar, Bill places a smooth board on the wheel, tilts the jar cylinder and rolls it in a circle on the board. Lastly he gently pushes in the center of the base; the jar will need to sit flat, supported by its outside edges (figure B).

2. He sets the jar aside until it is bone dry, then loads it into the electric kiln for the bisque firing. The kiln will fire at 1,750 degrees for 10 to 12 hours; then it must cool for approximately 24 hours before it can be unloaded (figure C).

Figure B

Figure C

3. When it comes to picking colors for the jar, Bill considered the earthtone colors of the cork. Because he wants colors that complement the cork, he chooses glaze in shades of nutmeg and variegated green; where the shades cross over, they create a soft transitional color (figure D).

4. He places the jar upside down on a banding wheel and, working with a soft foam brush, applies wax-resist emulsion to the bottom of the jar. It takes the emulsion approximately two minutes to dry, at which time the jar will be ready for glazing (figure E).

Figure D

Figure E

5. Bill always glazes above or below the center point of the cylinder wall; it makes for a much more interesting pot visually. Here he ladles glaze in the jar, rotates the jar to make sure the glaze is evenly coating the interior surface before pouring out the excess (figure F).

6. He dips the outside of the jar in the glaze. He takes his time, giving the glaze time to dry at the rim before he turns the jar over (if he turns it over too fast, the glaze will drip on the foot).

7. When the glaze is dry, he dips the bottom of the cylinder in the nutmeg color, overlapping the glaze colors approximately 1/2".

8. Finallly, Bill removes any wax glaze from the waxed base before loading the kiln for the high-temperature firing. He makes sure no glazed surfaces are touching. The kiln will fire at a temperature of 2,200 degrees for 10 to 12 hours; if any of the glazed surfaces touch during firing, they will fuse together. After cooling for 24 hours, the jar is ready to be removed (figure G).

Figure F

Figure G

RESOURCES :

Kilns
L & L Kilns
Website: www.hotkilns.com

Clay
Highwater Clays
Website: www.highwaterclays.com

Extruders
American Art Clay Co. Inc. (AMACO)
Website: www.amaco.com