Introduction Working with Clay Pinch Pots Slab Building Coil Building Throwing Glazing Safety in the Pottery Gallery of Student's Work

Things to remember – About Coil Pots Coil-building is a very versatile method of making pots and can be used to construct huge and complex forms as well as simple small ones. Have a clear idea of the size and shape of the finished piece before starting so that the base can be produced accordingly Place the base on a wooden board or batt to prevent it sticking to the table. The base can be rolled out as a slab and cut to shape, coiled, made with a press mould, pinched or thrown. If using the slab method, it is a good idea to use a template such as a bowl or lid to get a good shape. Coils can be extruded, cut flat or rolled out. Make sure you have plenty of room for rolling out long coils. If making batches of coils, wrap them up in polythene to prevent drying out. Coils should be consistent along their entire length. Take care not to roll the coils too hard or you will squash them flat. Coils should be soft enough to apply without so much pressure that they distort the pot wall. When applying the first coil to a base, always use slip and scoring on both the edge of the base and the first coil to join. Smear coils downwards onto the coils below to join. This can be done after each layer is attached, or after many coils are in position. You should not need to use any water whilst coiling. However, if the coils become a little dry dampen you fingers lightly and smooth the coils down. To make a vertical wall, place coils on top of each other. For the wall to widen, place them slightly to the outside and in order for the wall to come inwards, place them slightly inside. Make sure the existing wall is not too soft to support subsequent coils. If making a large pot, it is advisable to use crank or T material. This way you can use larger coils and the piece is built more quickly. The pot will probably have to dry a little in between sessions of coiling to enable it to hold its own weight. Cover the top with polythene but leave the bottom to dry out. Particularly when making a larger pot, it is a good idea to use a stick (maybe with marks on it) as a gauge to keep the top even. You can smooth out irregularities by using a metal kidney or hacksaw blade to scrape the clay. The coiled pot can be beaten into shape with a wooden spoon or paddle when it is finished. You can actually coil the pot upside down thereby finishing with the base. You can add a foot ring by turning the pot upside down and adding a coil to the base. Decoration You can use any of the usual decorating techniques used for other methods of making, but a couple of others are open to you while coiling. Coil different colours of clay and a pattern (random, or, if you work on it, not so random) will develop. Leave some or all of the coil process exposed (ie, don’t smooth it down completely)