Oxford Clay

Attaching a handle is a critical step in making a mug because if the handle cracks off when drying, it's very challenging (some might say impossible!) to re-attach. Join me for this episode, where I attach the handle we made in episode 102 to the mug. I'll talk you through just how to attach a mug handle without the dreaded cracking! All these episodes can be viewed as videos in the ‘How to Make a Raw-Glazed Mug on the Potter’s Wheel’ YouTube playlist here.Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube✨Support the Podcast-------------------------------Resources for Potters:⭐ Pottery eBooks⭐ Pottery Paperback Books available from AmazonFree Pottery Guides:🆓 Download the Free How to Make a Pottery Glaze Workbook (suitable for beginners):🆓 Download the Free How to programme an Electric Kiln for bisque and stoneware glaze firings (includes full kiln firing schedule)------------------------------------Get your pottery question answered on the podcast!Submit your pottery question to the Oxford Clay podcast by emailing your question to: info@oxfordclay.co.uk with the subject line ‘Podcast Question’. 

Turning (also known as trimming) the base of a pot involves turning the pot upside down on the pottery wheel and carving a foot with a turning tool (or tools!). Turning / trimming is a great way to create a beautiful finish to the base of a pot. Join me for this episode where I turn the base of the mug and talk you through exactly how I’m doing it! All these episodes can be viewed as videos in the ‘How to Make a Raw-Glazed Mug on the Potter’s Wheel’ YouTube playlist here.Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube✨Support the Podcast-------------------------------Resources for Potters:⭐ Pottery eBooks⭐ Pottery Paperback Books available from AmazonFree Pottery Guides:🆓 Download the Free How to Make a Pottery Glaze Workbook (suitable for beginners):🆓 Download the Free How to programme an Electric Kiln for bisque and stoneware glaze firings (includes full kiln firing schedule)------------------------------------Get your pottery question answered on the podcast!Submit your pottery question to the Oxford Clay podcast by emailing your question to: info@oxfordclay.co.uk with the subject line ‘Podcast Question’. 

If you’ve ever wondered how to ‘pull’ a handle in pottery, this episode is for you! Welcome to the third episode of the How to Make a Raw-Glazed Mug on the Potter’s Wheel series, where we’ll be talking about how to ‘pull’ handles. I talk through the things I think about when pulling handles, and we’ll pull two handles live on this episode.  ✨ The importance of wedging (also known as kneading) the clay really well before pulling a handle. ✨ How much clay to use for pulling a handle (not too much).  ✨ The importance of using lots (& lots) of water when pulling handles. ✨ The importance of making a few handles, even if you only need one, in case one goes wrong. All these episodes can be viewed as videos in the ‘How to Make a Raw-Glazed Mug on the Potter’s Wheel’ YouTube playlist here. Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube✨Support the Podcast-------------------------------Resources for Potters:⭐ Pottery eBooks⭐ Pottery Paperback Books available from AmazonFree Pottery Guides:🆓 Download the Free How to Make a Pottery Glaze Workbook (suitable for beginners):🆓 Download the Free How to programme an Electric Kiln for bisque and stoneware glaze firings (includes full kiln firing schedule)------------------------------------Get your pottery question answered on the podcast!Submit your pottery question to the Oxford Clay podcast by emailing your question to: info@oxfordclay.co.uk with the subject line ‘Podcast Question’. 

Welcome to the second episode of the How to Make a Raw-Glazed Mug on the Potter’s Wheel series!In this episode, we’ll actually be making our mug on the Potter’s wheel!I talk you through the different stages of making a pot on the potter’s wheel and the different speeds the wheel needs to go at for each stage. We’ll also cover the importance of using water and anchoring your arms when making pottery on the potter’s wheel. The stages of making a pot on the potter’s wheel:✨ Fixing the clay on the potters wheel (maximum wheel speed).✨ Centreing the clay (maximum wheel speed).✨ Opening the clay out to start to make the pot (medium wheel speed). ✨ Bringing the pot up to make a cylinder, making sure the walls of the pot are an even thickness all the way up (slow wheel speed).✨ Shaping the pot (slow wheel speed).✨ Finishing the rim of the pot to make it nicely shaped and smoothed (very slow wheel speed).✨ Cutting the pot off the potter's wheel (wheel is still).✨ Cleaning the wheel after use to prevent clay dust.All these episodes can be viewed as videos in the ‘How to Make a Raw-Glazed Mug on the Potter’s Wheel’ YouTube playlist here. Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube✨Support the Podcast-------------------------------Resources for Potters:⭐ Pottery eBooks⭐ Pottery Paperback Books available from AmazonFree Pottery Guides:🆓 Download the Free How to Make a Pottery Glaze Workbook (suitable for beginners):🆓 Download the Free How to programme an Electric Kiln for bisque and stoneware glaze firings (includes full kiln firing schedule)------------------------------------Get your pottery question answered on the podcast!Submit your pottery question to the Oxford Clay podcast by emailing your question to: info@oxfordclay.co.uk with the subject line ‘Podcast Question’. 

Welcome to the first episode of the How to Make a Raw-Glazed Mug on the Potter’s Wheel series! In this episode, I’ll talk you through the things I think about to prepare to make a pot on the electric potter’s wheel, such as: ✨The size of pot to make.✨The type of clay to use.✨The importance of wedging (also known as kneading) the clay before making anything on the potter’s wheel.  ✨How much clay to use to make the pot.✨Shaping the clay into a ball before starting to make the pot. ✨Having a bucket of water and a tea towel handy to clean your hands when you need to. All these episodes can be viewed as videos in the ‘How to Make a Raw-Glazed Mug on the Potter’s Wheel’ YouTube playlist here. Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube✨Support the Podcast-------------------------------Resources for Potters:⭐ Pottery eBooks⭐ Pottery Paperback Books available from AmazonFree Pottery Guides:🆓 Download the Free How to Make a Pottery Glaze Workbook (suitable for beginners):🆓 Download the Free How to programme an Electric Kiln for bisque and stoneware glaze firings (includes full kiln firing schedule)------------------------------------Get your pottery question answered on the podcast!Submit your pottery question to the Oxford Clay podcast by emailing your question to: info@oxfordclay.co.uk with the subject line ‘Podcast Question’. 

To celebrate 100 episodes of the Oxford Clay Pottery Podcast, I’ve created a special series on making a raw-glazed mug, hand-thrown on the potter’s wheel!Raw glazing is where a pot is fired in a glaze firing without being bisque-fired first.Join me for 10 episodes in this series covering each part of the raw-glazed mug-making process:✨ 1. How to Prepare to Make a Pot on the Potter's Wheel (Podcast episode 100).✨ 2. How to Make a Mug on the Potter's Wheel (Podcast episode 101).✨ 3. How to Pull a Handle in Pottery (Podcast episode 102).✨ 4. How to Turn or Trim the Base of a Pot (Podcast episode 103).✨ 5. How to Attach a Mug Handle in Pottery (Podcast episode 104).✨ 6. How to Create a Flat Base and Maker's Mark in Pottery (Podcast episode 105).✨ 7. How to Make a Pottery Glaze for Raw Glazing (Podcast episode 106).✨ 8. How to Raw Glaze Pottery (Podcast episode 107).✨ 9. How to Load an Electric Pottery Kiln (Podcast episode 108).✨ 10. How to Fire an Electric Kiln (Podcast episode 109).All these episodes can be viewed as videos in the ‘How to Make a Raw-Glazed Mug on the Potter’s Wheel’ YouTube playlist here.Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube✨Support the Podcast-------------------------------Resources for Potters:⭐ Pottery eBooks⭐ Pottery Paperback Books available from AmazonFree Pottery Guides:🆓 Download the Free How to Make a Pottery Glaze Workbook (suitable for beginners):🆓 Download the Free How to programme an Electric Kiln for bisque and stoneware glaze firings (includes full kiln firing schedule)------------------------------------Get your pottery question answered on the podcast!Submit your pottery question to the Oxford Clay podcast by emailing your question to: info@oxfordclay.co.uk with the subject line ‘Podcast Question’. 

You might want to write on your pottery as part of the design, to create your maker's mark or to write a dedication to someone who will receive your pot as a gift.However, I’ve always found writing letters and words in pottery really tricky! In this episode, I tell you about 6 ways I’ve tried to write letters and words in pottery with varying success!✔️Etching handwriting into clay at the leather hard stage using a pen or pencil.✔️ Painting lettering with glaze or oxides.✔️ Creating 3D letter sprigs in clay with silicone sugar crafting moulds.✔️ Slip trailing lettering, bisque firing and glazing with a transparent glaze.✔️ Pressing lettering into leather-hard clay using metal letter stamps.✔️ Getting a bespoke lettering stamp made from 3D printed plastic.Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube✨Support the Podcast-------------------------------Resources for Potters:⭐ Pottery eBooks⭐ Pottery Paperback Books available from AmazonFree Pottery Guides:🆓 Download the Free How to Make a Pottery Glaze Workbook (suitable for beginners):🆓 Download the Free How to programme an Electric Kiln for bisque and stoneware glaze firings (includes full kiln firing schedule)------------------------------------Get your pottery question answered on the podcast!Submit your pottery question to the Oxford Clay podcast by emailing your question to: info@oxfordclay.co.uk with the subject line ‘Podcast Question’. 

Rutile is a form of Titanium ore with Iron deposits and is used in pottery to create brown, orange and yellow colours in pottery glazes. Rutile is also used to create beautiful speckled effects in glazes.However,  there are some issues with the global Rutile mining industry, such as high energy consumption and the displacement of people from land, in order to mine Rutile.If you didn’t want to use Rutile in your pottery, there are alternatives to using Rutile in glazes!  Plant ashes (particularly ash from fallen leaves), for example, often create rutile-looking pottery glazes. Here are 4 of my favourite eco-conscious Rutile-like pottery glaze recipes. All the recipes in this episode are from the book: eBook Eco-conscious Pottery Colour — Oxford Clay Handmade Ceramics✨Recipe 6 from ‘Eco-Conscious Pottery Colour’40 parts - Cornish Stone40 parts - Indian bean tree leaf ash (from naturally fallen leaves in the Autumn)20 parts - Quartz rock✨Recipe 63 from ‘Eco-Conscious Pottery Colour’40 parts - Cornish Stone40 parts - Rhubarb leaf ash (naturally died back in the Autumn)20 parts - Quartz rock✨Recipe 64 from ‘Eco-Conscious Pottery Colour’40 parts - Cornish Stone40 parts - Rose bush leaf ash (from naturally fallen leaves in the Autumn)20 parts - Quartz rock+1% - Hymod Ball Clay+1% - Red Clay+0.2% -  Verdigris✨Recipe 78 from ‘Eco-Conscious Pottery Colour’40 parts - Cornish Stone40 parts - Fig tree leaf ash (from naturally fallen leaves in the Autumn)20 parts - Quartz rock+ 3% -  VerdigrisThe journal articles referred to in this episode are:Farjana, S. H. et al. (2018) Towards sustainable TiO2 production: An investigation of environmental impacts of ilmenite and rutile processing routes in Australia. Journal of cleaner production, 2018-09, Vol.196, p.1016-1025.Sigismond A. Wilson (2019) Mining-induced displacement and resettlement: The case of rutile mining communities in Sierra Leone. Journal of sustainable mining, 2019-05, Vol.18 (2), p.67-76.Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube✨Support the Podcast-------------------------------Resources for Potters:⭐ Pottery eBooks⭐ Pottery Paperback Books available from AmazonFree Pottery Guides:🆓 Download the Free How to Make a Pottery Glaze Workbook (suitable for beginners):🆓 Download the Free How to programme an Electric Kiln for bisque and stoneware glaze firings (includes full kiln firing schedule)------------------------------------Get your pottery question answered on the podcast!Submit your pottery question to the Oxford Clay podcast by emailing your question to: info@oxfordclay.co.uk with the subject line ‘Podcast Question’. 

Being inspired in pottery can happen anywhere, at any time! In this episode, I talk about 5 surprising sources of inspiration for making pottery that I’ve experienced as a Potter: 💡 - Archaeology books - depicting the shapes and surface decoration of ancient pottery.💡 - Books for collectors of pottery -  (or glass!) about a specific pottery industry. 💡 - Food packaging - which often has beautifully designed and functional shapes. 💡 - Cookware - such as casserole dishes, saucepans and enamel pie dishes. 💡 - Charity shops - often have beautiful pieces of pottery from many different eras that can be picked up cheaply for inspiration. Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube———————————————-✨Support the PodcastResources for Potters:⭐ Pottery eBooks⭐ Pottery Paperback Books available from AmazonFree Pottery Guides:🆓 Download the Free How to Make a Pottery Glaze Workbook (suitable for beginners):🆓 Download the Free How to programme an Electric Kiln for bisque and stoneware glaze firings (includes full kiln firing schedule)------------------------------------Get your pottery question answered on the podcast!Submit your pottery question to the Oxford Clay podcast by emailing your question to: info@oxfordclay.co.uk with the subject line ‘Podcast Question’. 

Making neat holes in pottery can be really tricky! In this episode, I talk about the importance of making holes in your pottery at the leather hard stage and tell you about my favourite way of making neat holes in pottery - with a drill bit! You can watch the video version of this episode on YouTube.✨Support the Podcast-------------------------------Resources for Potters:⭐ Pottery eBooks⭐ Pottery Paperback Books available from AmazonFree Pottery Guides:🆓 Download the Free How to Make a Pottery Glaze Workbook (suitable for beginners):🆓 Download the Free How to programme an Electric Kiln for bisque and stoneware glaze firings (includes full kiln firing schedule)------------------------------------Get your pottery question answered on the podcast!Submit your pottery question to the Oxford Clay podcast by emailing your question to: info@oxfordclay.co.uk with the subject line ‘Podcast Question’. 

Imperfections are a natural part of pottery, and many of these only manifest after a pot has been either bisque or glaze fired. But you don’t need to throw a pot away just because of a minor imperfection!In this episode, I talk about four very common imperfections in fired pottery and simple ways to fix them: ✔️Hairline cracks appearing in pieces of pottery after the bisque firing, in pieces of pottery that have been joined together✔️A rough surface after a pot has been glaze-fired, created by a too-thin layer of ash glaze, e.g on the rim of a mug. ✔️A rough surface on the base of a pot caused by tiny pieces of kiln shelf sticking to it after the glaze firing. ✔️Bubbles in a glaze that become sharp once a pot has cooled after being glaze-fired. You can watch the video version of this episode on YouTube.✨Support the Podcast-------------------------------Resources for Potters:⭐ Pottery eBooks⭐ Pottery Paperback Books available from AmazonFree Pottery Guides:🆓 Download the Free How to Make a Pottery Glaze Workbook (suitable for beginners):🆓 Download the Free How to programme an Electric Kiln for bisque and stoneware glaze firings (includes full kiln firing schedule)------------------------------------Get your pottery question answered on the podcast!Submit your pottery question to the Oxford Clay podcast by emailing your question to: info@oxfordclay.co.uk with the subject line ‘Podcast Question’. 

I’ve got very interested recently in making pottery glazes from things that would normally be thrown away. In this episode, I tell you about a stoneware pottery glaze that I’ve made from grape stalks collected over six months from bunches of grapes bought at the supermarket!You can watch the video version of this episode on YouTube.✨Support the Podcast-------------------------------Resources for Potters:⭐ Pottery eBooks⭐ Pottery Paperback Books available from AmazonFree Pottery Guides:🆓 Download the Free How to Make a Pottery Glaze Workbook (suitable for beginners):🆓 Download the Free How to programme an Electric Kiln for bisque and stoneware glaze firings (includes full kiln firing schedule)------------------------------------Get your pottery question answered on the podcast!Submit your pottery question to the Oxford Clay podcast by emailing your question to: info@oxfordclay.co.uk with the subject line ‘Podcast Question’.

Some potters create coloured pottery by mixing oxides and stains into the clay itself before firing. A technique that uses this is called agate, where different coloured clays are combined in layers and mixed, to create a design. Recently, I’ve been wondering whether this would work with the home-made pigment verdigris created from recycled copper. In this episode, I talk about some experiments I’ve done adding verdigris to clay at a ratio of 3% and 5% dry powdered verdigris to wet clay. You can watch the video version of this episode on YouTube.✨Support the Podcast-------------------------------Resources for Potters:⭐ Pottery eBooks⭐ Pottery Paperback Books available from AmazonFree Pottery Guides:🆓 Download the Free How to Make a Pottery Glaze Workbook (suitable for beginners):🆓 Download the Free How to programme an Electric Kiln for bisque and stoneware glaze firings (includes full kiln firing schedule)------------------------------------Get your pottery question answered on the podcast!Submit your pottery question to the Oxford Clay podcast by emailing your question to: info@oxfordclay.co.uk with the subject line ‘Podcast Question’. 

In this mini episode of the podcast I tell you about a beautiful greeny-brown coloured stoneware pottery glaze I’ve made with ash recycled from incense sticks. Rather than throwing the incense ash away after burning, it can be collected and recycled into a pottery glaze coloured only by the natural trace metals in the ash! The stoneware pottery glaze recipe used in this episode is: 40 parts - Sieved Incense Ash (sieved with a 100 mesh size sieve) 40 parts - Cornish Stone 20 parts - Quartz You can watch the video version of this episode on YouTube.✨Support the Podcast-------------------------------Resources for Potters:⭐ Pottery eBooks⭐ Pottery Paperback Books available from AmazonFree Pottery Guides:🆓 Download the Free How to Make a Pottery Glaze Workbook (suitable for beginners):🆓 Download the Free How to programme an Electric Kiln for bisque and stoneware glaze firings (includes full kiln firing schedule)------------------------------------Get your pottery question answered on the podcast!Submit your pottery question to the Oxford Clay podcast by emailing your question to: info@oxfordclay.co.uk with the subject line ‘Podcast Question’. 

In a pottery class you might have a defined project to work on, but you can still experiment lots! In this episode, I talk about three ways to simply and easily experiment with surface decoration in a pottery class by;✨ - Pressing an object into the surface of the clay✨ - Making a bespoke tool to create a specific mark in your pottery, for example, fish scales! ✨ - Leaving areas of your pottery un-glazed to create interesting colours and surfaces. The workshop that inspired this episode was run by Ruth Harris at Catkin Tree Studio. You can view workshops here: https://www.catkintreestudio.co.uk/events/workshops/ You can watch the video version of this episode on YouTube.✨Support the Podcast: https://www.oxfordclay.co.uk/support-------------------------------Resources for Potters:⭐ Pottery eBooks⭐ Pottery Paperback Books available from AmazonFree Pottery Guides:🆓 Download the Free How to Make a Pottery Glaze Workbook (suitable for beginners):🆓 Download the Free How to programme an Electric Kiln for bisque and stoneware glaze firings (includes full kiln firing schedule)------------------------------------Get your pottery question answered on the podcast!Submit your pottery question to the Oxford Clay podcast by emailing your question to: info@oxfordclay.co.uk with the subject line ‘Podcast Question’.