| Pottery can be shaped by a range | | | | specific to flatware such as plates |
| techniques, including: | | | | whilst a similar technique, jolleying, |
| Handwork can be considered both the most | | | | refers to the production of holloware |
| primitive and the most individualized | | | | like cups. These techniques have been in |
| techniques, where pieces are constructed | | | | use since at least the 18th century |
| from hand-rolled coils, slabs, ropes, | | | | Partial automation of the jiggering and |
| and balls of clay body, often joined | | | | jolleying processes have long been used |
| with a slurry of clay body, known as | | | | to increased production rates and |
| slip. No two pieces of handwork will be | | | | de-skill the operation |
| exactly the same, so it is not suitable | | | | Roller-head Machine A machine for the |
| for making precisely matched sets of | | | | shaping of pottery flatware on a |
| items such as dinnerware. Doing handwork | | | | rotating mould, as in a jigger, but with |
| enables the potters to use their | | | | a rotary shaping tool instead of a fixed |
| imagination to create one-of-a-kind | | | | profile. The rotary tool is in the form |
| works of art. These methods are often | | | | of a shallow cone of the same diameter |
| referred to as "handbuilding". | | | | as the ware and shaped to produce the |
| Classic potter's wheel in Erfurt, | | | | back of the article being made. The ware |
| Germany.The potter's wheel. A ball of | | | | is completely shaped, by relatively |
| clay body is placed in the center of a | | | | unskilled labour, in one operation at a |
| turntable, called the wheel head, which | | | | rate depending on the size of the ware |
| is turned either using foot power (a | | | | of about 12 pieces per minute. The |
| kick wheel or treadle wheel) or a | | | | machine, developed from earlier attempts |
| variable speed electric motor. | | | | to improve on the use of a fixed tool, |
| Oftentimes, a bat (a disk of plastic, | | | | was patented by T. G. Green & Co. and H. |
| wood, or plaster) is affixed to the | | | | J. Smith (Brit. Pat., 621 712, 14/4/49) |
| wheel head, and the ball of clay body is | | | | with subsequent improvements by J. A. |
| attached to the bat rather than the | | | | Johnson (Brit. Pat., 765 097, 2/1/57; |
| wheel head so that the finished piece | | | | 895 988, 9/5/62). It is now widely used |
| can be removed easily without distorting | | | | across the world |
| the piece. The wheel is made to revolve | | | | Ram Pressing A process for the plastic |
| rapidly while the body is pressed, | | | | shaping of tableware and sanitaryware by |
| squeezed, and pulled gently into shape. | | | | pressing a bat of the prepared body |
| The process of pressuring the body into | | | | between two porous plates or mould |
| a rotational symmetry, so that it does | | | | units; after the pressing operation, air |
| not move from side to side as the wheel | | | | is blown through the porous mould parts |
| head rotates is referred to as | | | | to release the shaped ware. Although the |
| "centering" the body — a most | | | | process was patented in 1952 by Ram |
| important skill to master before the | | | | Incorporated, US Pats, 2 584 109 & 10, |
| next steps, "throwing" (forming and | | | | the term is often used for similar type |
| raising the walls of the piece) and | | | | shaping processes |
| "trimming" or "turning" (removing excess | | | | Granulate pressing This involves the |
| clay to refine the shape or create a | | | | shaping of ware by compressing semi-dry |
| bottom or foot can be taken. | | | | and granulated body in a die, one side |
| Potter's wheels can be used for mass | | | | of which is a solid surface and the |
| production, although often it is | | | | other a flexible membrane through which |
| employed to make individual pieces. | | | | fluid pressure, of up to 100 MN.m-2, is |
| Wheel work takes a lot of technical | | | | transferred. The granulate is produced |
| ability, but a skilled potter can | | | | by spray drying to give a fine and free |
| produce many virtually identical plates, | | | | flowing material with a low moisture |
| vases, or bowls in a day. Because of its | | | | content of around 5-6%. Also known as |
| nature, wheel work can only be used to | | | | dust pressing the technique is widely |
| initially create items with radial | | | | used in manufacture of wall and floor |
| symmetry on a vertical axis. These | | | | tiles, and increasingly of plates |
| pieces can then be altered by | | | | Turning is similar to that used for the |
| impressing, bulging, carving, fluting, | | | | shaping of metal and wood articles. A |
| faceting, incising, and other methods to | | | | blank of clay body, with low water |
| make them more visually interesting. | | | | content in a condition known as |
| Often, thrown pieces are further | | | | leatherhard, is mounted on a lathe |
| modified by having handles, lids, feet, | | | | whilst a cutting tool follows a profile |
| spouts, and other functional aspects | | | | to removes excess material and hence |
| added using the techniques of | | | | leave a shaped article |
| handworking. Pottery that is thrown on | | | | Slipcasting is a technique often used |
| the wheel is often finished in a process | | | | for mass-production, and ideally suits |
| known as trimming. | | | | shapes that can not be made by other |
| Jiggering & jolleying These can be seen | | | | methods. Liquid clay body slip is poured |
| to be an extension of using a Potters | | | | into plaster moulds, the permeability of |
| wheel, and in comparison allow increased | | | | the mould drawing water from the slip to |
| speed and improved repeatability. | | | | leave a layer the clay body of the |
| Jiggering is the technique where a | | | | internal shape of the mould. This method |
| shaped tool is slowly brought down onto | | | | is almost universally used for |
| plastic clay body that has been placed | | | | sanitaryware, toilets and wash basins, |
| on top of a rotating plaster mould. The | | | | as well being widely used for smaller |
| jigger tool shapes one face whilst the | | | | pieces such as figurines which have many |
| mould the other. Jiggering is the term | | | | intricate details. |