Domenick Angelo of Sculptors and Ceramic Work­shop smooths outside of bowl made by coil method.When surface is even it can be textured with a rough-edge stick or saw blade.For very smooth finish go over lightly with elephant-ear sponge.

Many ceramists prefer to remove the surface ridges which are formed by the coils.This can be accomplished by filling the valleys with slip or soft plastic clay and smoothing with the fingers to erase the cur­vature of the coils and fill in the seams between.Rub the model with the back of a spoon if you want a very smooth sur­face.

Cracks are a virtual certainty during the drying period if the coils have been welded improperly.These cracks can be mended, but this is an unnecessary bother if the vase had been constructed carefully origi­nally.Add water around the crack until the clay is once again plastic.Gently cut and lift out the cracked section of the coil.Then fill with a fresh coil, gently working in the new clay to meld with the surface.When the piece has dried it can be sanded smooth.If, however, you desire the coil marks to remain on the finished ware, sand away only the slip marks where the coil ends were welded together.

Spouts, Covers and Handles

Many of the wares you construct by either the slab or coil method will require spouts, cover and handles.For example, there are such things as pitchers, teapots, sugar bowls and cookie jars, to name but a few.

Two types of spouts—the triangular and the tapering tubular spout—serve all pur­poses.After the main body of the piece is formed, mark the place where the spout is to go and cut out a round or triangular hole, depending upon which spout you want to use.Both types of spouts are fash­ioned with coils.

Take regular plastic clay and roll it to thick­ness of % inch.Place clay between two sticks of this thickness for easy way to roll it evenly.

Here is punched-out slab base.Coil base can be used for this type of project, too.Work on plas­ter bat.and cover table with reversed oilcloth.

Using lid from a canning or fruit jar as a cut­ting mold, punch out the base for bowl from the clay.Upon this base you will start first coil.

Next, roll out the coils of clay for constructing the sides of the bowl.Keep the rolls even, and not too large; clay used should be soft, pliable.

Using a clay modeling tool, roughen up the edges of your base and apply a thin layer of slip (liquefied clay) on­to the roughened clay edges.

Work first coil around your base firmly by applying pres­sure with thumb, forefinger.You will feel slip take hold of coil, like layer of cement.

Continue adding coils, one on top of another.Add slip be­tween each layer of coils, to unite them firmly.Do this until reaching desired height.

To make a triangular spout, join the ends of each coil to the model and weld them in place.Each coil is larger than the one be­neath it.Also weld the coils inside and out.When you are done, you should have an inverted, three-sided pyramid, the V-shaped coils forming two walls and the main body of the ware forming the third side.Be sure to score the model and paint it with slip as you weld the coils to it.

If the spout is tubular, and tapered and curved, make circular coils and weld the first to the model around the outer edge of the hole.Score the joint and paint it with slip.Add a second coil to the first, and so on, making each coil a smaller circle to form the taper, and adjusting it to the desired curve.Weld each coil to the pre­ceding one as you work.

Covers may be made in two ways.They can be fashioned separately and fitted like the one you made for the slab-constructed box.Or they can be made as part of the object and cut away.The latter may be the better way when making a round or sym­metrical piece because it insures a more perfect fit.Continue building your ware, say a teapot, with coils until you close the top.Then mark off the cover and cut on the scored line with a sharp knife.Lift off the cover.Add a coil and form it into a collar so that the lid will not slip off the pot.Also join a projection to the bottom side of the collar to keep the lid from dropping off when the pot is tilted.

A handle for the cover can be made in a number of ways—a flat knob, a ball, a hemisphere, or a loop.Glue it to the cover with mending slip.

The larger handles for the sides of the ware itself are made in much the same way.Most used for this purpose, however, are loop handles.Such a handle can be made of a clay coil, round or flattened.Make certain the handle is sturdy enough.Keep it in proportion to the size of the piece.Likewise, the shape of the handle should be suitable to the shape of the object for which it is designed.A heavy beer mug, as an illustration, would look ridiculous with a tiny delicate handle originally in­tended for a demitasse cup.

Join the handle to the main body of the ware by scoring the points of contact and painting with slip.Clean off the excess slip and smooth the juncture with a sponge while the piece is still moist, or a fettling knife and sandpaper after it has dried

How to make a SMALL TILE

Tiles can be used in table top, for a fireplace facing, etc.Here, Gertrude Engel demonstrates method of making one, using regular plastic clay.

Place ball of clay on reversed piece of oilcloth Use a rolling pin to level and spread the clay, and center it between two 3/4-inch high sticks.If roller sticks, powder it lightly with talcum.

Measure out your clay size.For this tile, 6-inch With ruler and kitchen knife, cut out the square, square was wanted, so marks of 7 inches are made.Cut the clay with downward motion at the corners.

Use wire tool to gouge out several panels in the back to prevent kiln warpage; dry on plaster bat.

When it is leather-hard, finish up smoothing it.When it is bone-dry, you can paint and fire it.

Courtesy The Metropolitan Museum of Ait

Sculptors and Ceramic Workshop photo

Ash tray of white clay body overlaid with an interesting glaze pattern and engobes has texture worked into back­ground through use of small wire brush with a 90° angle.

English hand-modeled chess set has white ceramic clay bodies with decorative underglaze colors and transparent overglaze.

Are You Ready To Move Onto The Next Lesson? Click Here...