Compressing A Slab Ceramics

Before attaching the bottom piece of clay to the form in the mold van hoey stamps the bottom of the slab with her chop potter s mark and places the slab into the mold face down this way impressing the stamp won t distort the final form.

Compressing a slab ceramics.

To compress the clay slightly you can use a rolling pin or your hand. I have been making slab platters for years by slab rolling a large piece of clay draping it over my bisqued hump mold which i made years ago. Compressing the slabs together she repeats her refining and smoothing process 8. Start by rolling a basic slab 12 14 inches in diameter and 3 8 inch thick.

Use a template or a bat to cut a circle out of the slab. Then i use a large window squeegee to compress starting from the far side of the foot area and pressing it into the clay while i draw it toward me. When the foot is finished trim the excess slab to about inch away from the rim of the bisque mold 13 and compress this clay into a nice rounded edge above where the clay meets the bat. Then cast your mold to form the shape of anything from cake tins to plates.

Before you use the slab roller make sure that the clay slab is no more than three or four times thicker than the desired result. Preparing and compressing the slab. To do so evenly roll out your clay to the thickness you desire using rolling clay slab sticks 3 8 inch is a good starting point. Then take a straight needle tool and holding it flat against the bat surface press inward until the needle tool can be felt dragging on the bisque mold.