Useful Accessories For Ceramic Work

When you're building up your ceramics workshophave made or acquired your own molds, you will
you're going to need a litany of tools including aneed an assortment of heavy rubber bands to
wedging wire, wedging board and soft hairhold together multi-pieced molds while casting
brushes for decorating your work. Though thesegreenware. Cutting cross-sections out of old,
tools are important, there are other tools that willdiscarded innertubes should supply you with more
help you create wonderful ceramics includingthan enough.
plaster bats and banding wheels.Your studio should also have crocks or large glass
A plaster bat is much more desirable workjars for holding moist clay and slip. The one-gallon
surface for beginners than an oilcloth. It not onlyjars used for packing pickles can be utilized for
provides a sturdier support, but it also keepsthis purpose.
objects moist while you are working on them.A sieve is also among the much-used workshop
Unglazed biscuit tiles, 4x4 and 6x6 inches, areimplements. The obvious use of the sieve is to
adequate for most projects. They may bestrain partially hardened lumps and impurities from
purchased from a ceramics supply house for aslip before pouring it into a mold.
few cents apiece.Closely resembling the strainer is the scratch-box,
The plaster bat is a porous platform on which youwhich is used for a much different purpose: to
can work. By sprinkling it with water as you work,level the irregular edges of pottery. A scratch-box
you can keep the piece on which you're workingcan be quickly made by nailing together four
in a moist, plastic state for a long period of time.18-inch boards to form a box. Across the top,
By the same token, a bat can be used for thetack down a sheet of grit cloth. By holding a piece
reverse purpose - to dry a piece of clay, which isof greenware perpendicular to the cloth abrasive,
too moist for immediate work. The porousand carefully rubbing it across the surface, you
surface will extract excess moisture from thecan even up the bottoms and tops of pottery.
clay.If you want to get the most out of your tools,
A whirler or banding wheel is also a soundyou should take good care of them. Keep them
investment for the ceramist who has advancedclean. Don't leave them soaking in water but wipe
far enough to furnish his own studio. Primarily suchthem with a damp cloth and then dry them
a wheel is used for decorating pottery. The topthoroughly. Metal tools should periodically be wiped
turns freely and so makes it possible for you towith an oil-soaked cloth to prevent rusting. Plaster
rotate your work constantly. By holding asurfaces such as bats and wedging boards should
paintbrush against the surface as it spins, you canbe kept dry and clean. When you are through
paint straight and even bands of color on suchwith them, you should wipe them dry with a
things as vases and mugs. A whirler can alsodamp sponge to remove clay particles.
double as a small potter's wheel for formingAll tools deserve good treatment and any
pottery pieces and small ceramic figures.ceramist worthy of the name has as much
After you have reached the stage where yourespect for his tools as for the clay.