DIY Network

Covered Casserole Dish: Glazing Creating a ceramic casserole dish and lid, Part 4 of 4 From "Throwing Clay" episode DTHC-210

Figure A

Master potter Bill Van Gilder has almost finished work on a covered casserole dish. So far, he's thrown two bowls, a base and a lid. Once they were leather hard, he used a cookie-cutter and a cheese-cutter to slice away part of the wide rim on the base and form two sturdy handles. The extruded a handle blank and attached a strap handle across the lid. When the pieces were bone dry, he loaded them into the kiln for the bisque firing. Now he's ready to glaze the casserole dish.

1. Visually, because of the curves and lines, this bowl is fairly complicated. Bill will keep the glazing fairly simple, adding only a few wax lines between the two layers of glaze (figure A).

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2. The dish will be completely dipped in a teal glaze and selectively overdipped in a soft green glaze. Where the colors overlap, a soft milky color will surface (figure B).

3. On a banding wheel and cylinder, Bill waxes the rim of the lid and the rim of the dish. He also waxes the base of the dish (figure C).

4. Holding either side of the handles, he dips the dish in the glaze for a count of three. He touches up the places where his fingers held the dish and lets it dry. Next, he dips the lid.

Figure B

Figure C

5. After fettling and cleaning up the pieces, Bill applies wax lines along the rim and around the lid handles; these lines will provide highlights on the finished dish (figure D).

6. Bill dips the base in the green glaze first, keeping it very level and dipping the base slightly past center. Keeping it level keeps an air pocket in the dish; the air pocket prevents glaze from entering the interior of the dish.

7. Next, Bill inverts the lid and dips the top in the glaze to the rim line.

8. When the pieces are dry, he cleans the rim of the dish and sets the lid in the dish. Firing them together will keep them round and true (figure E).

Figure D

Figure E

Figure F

9. The pots are loaded in the kiln for the high-temperature firing. The kiln will fire for 10 to 12 hours, reaching a temperature of 2200 degrees. After cooling for 24 hours, the kiln can be unloaded and the dish is ready for use in the kitchen.

10. Casserole dishes should always be at room temperature before being placed in an oven. Taking them from a cold refrigerator straight to an oven will shorten the life of the dish (figure F).

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