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

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Resources for Potters:

⭐ Pottery eBooks

⭐ Pottery Paperback Books available from Amazon

Free 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)

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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

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Resources for Potters:

⭐ Pottery eBooks

⭐ Pottery Paperback Books available from Amazon

Free 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)

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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 Amazon

Free 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)

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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

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Resources for Potters:

⭐ Pottery eBooks

⭐ Pottery Paperback Books available from Amazon

Free 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)

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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

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✨Support the Podcast

Resources for Potters:

⭐ Pottery eBooks

⭐ Pottery Paperback Books available from Amazon

Free 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)

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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 Amazon

Free 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 Amazon

Free 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’.