DIY red clay cup. How to make dishes from clay

CERAMICS

Clay is one of the most common natural materials, mastered by man in ancient times. The high plasticity of the material made it possible to make from it many items necessary for everyday life - mainly dishes, jewelry and all kinds of religious figurines.

The most early products They were fragile, afraid of moisture, and only dry foods could be stored in clay vessels. But, raking out the ashes of a dying fire, a person more than once noticed that the clay soil in the place where the fire burned became hard as stone. These observations, apparently, gave people the idea of firing clay products for strength.
Things made from baked clay are usually called ceramics.

Ceramics became widespread in Egypt, Assyria, Babylon and Greece. Many museums around the world are decorated with famous Greek amphora vases, painted with traditional ornaments and scenes from ancient Greek mythology. It was also famous for its highly artistic ceramics. Ancient Rus'. Terracotta and glazed tiles, dishes, and toys came out of the workshops of Russian ceramicists. The famous, modern ceramic crafts of our country - Gzhel, Skopino, Balkhar, Oyat and many others - continue the traditions of the old masters. At international exhibitions, their products were repeatedly awarded with medals and diplomas.

Modern ceramic production is complex Technical equipment, uses more advanced technology and new materials. But you can create ceramic products in a school club, using quite accessible materials and equipment, using relatively simple technology.
The basis of any ceramic product is clay. Based on color, it is divided into two main types: red-burning, which becomes red after firing, and white-burning, which becomes white after firing. To determine what kind of clay you are dealing with, you need to do a test: burn a small piece of clay. Even some black clays turn white after firing.

Wash the prepared clay and remove various impurities from it. To do this, place the clay in a bucket or basin, add water and stir thoroughly until a homogeneous mass is obtained. After a few hours, the stones and sand will settle to the bottom, and all sorts of light impurities will float to the surface. Place the clay in a wide bowl, let it dry, then knead thoroughly. The clay, ready for work, should resemble dough and easily come off the hand. Clays containing a significant amount of sand are called lean. Skinny clays are suitable for making larger things with generalized shapes. Small products with fine detailing are sculpted from greasy clay that does not contain sand.

To give the clay some additional qualities, all kinds of impurities are introduced into it. Ceramics will become lighter and stronger if you add a little sawdust to it. Instead of sawdust, folk craftsmen of Tajikistan add cattail or poplar fluff to the clay. Adding iron oxide or fireclay to clay significantly speeds up firing. Fireclay is made from crushed shards or red brick. The crushed brick is sifted, ceramic dust is removed, achieving crumbs not exceeding the size of a millet seed. Fireclay in clay should be no more than one fifth total mass, otherwise the quality of the ceramics will deteriorate.

For sculpting, you need to prepare special sculptural tools - stacks. Stacks are cut from hardwood such as boxwood, pear, apple, beech or birch. For moisture resistance, the stacks are wiped with flax or any other vegetable oil. For the first case, it is best to make three stacks. The working part of one of them is made of steel wire, strengthened as shown in the figure. This stack is convenient for cutting off excess clay.

But the main tools for sculpting have always been the fingers. Fingerprints bring handicraft into a ceramic product and give a special softness to the shapes. Therefore, do not get carried away with working with stacks and remember that their main purpose is to work out small parts and removal of excess clay.
First, try making a simple vessel. In ancient times, the simplest vessels were simply scraped out of a whole piece of clay or sculpted by hand. IN Central Asia in some villages the manual method of sculpting vessels is still preserved. To make a vessel by hand, first sculpt its bottom into a round plate. Then roll out small pieces of clay into flagella of equal thickness. Starting from the bottom, build up the flagella turn by turn, making the diameter of each turn larger or smaller, depending on the required configuration of the vessel. When growing flagella, simultaneously rub the gaps between them and smooth the surface of the vessel.

To make vessels of more complex shapes, a potter's wheel is used.
The history of pottery knows two main types of pottery wheels - hand and foot. Both work due to rotational inertia.

The most ancient circle is manual. The first mention of it dates back to the end of the fourth millennium BC. new era. Its working disk is much more massive than that of the foot disk, since it simultaneously serves as a flywheel. The potter spun the circle with his left hand, and in order to maintain uniform rotation during work, he constantly twisted it. Right hand the master shaped the vessel, placing pre-prepared clay strands in a spiral. On such a wheel it is difficult to sculpt vessels of complex shapes alone, therefore in ancient Egypt and Greece, when forming complex vessels, the master instructed his apprentice to rotate the potter's wheel. The sequence of modeling a vessel from flagella.

The foot potter's wheel appeared much later and quickly replaced the hand wheel. Now the master has both hands free for shaping vessels. The increased power of the machine makes it possible to produce large and complex vessels, moreover, from a whole piece of clay.
The foot circle consists of a wooden frame, a vertical metal axis and two wooden disks. At the top of the axis there is a small disk on which the craftsman shapes the product, and at the bottom there is a flywheel in the form of a large wooden circle. The lower end of the axle rests against the thrust bearing. The potter rotates the flywheel right foot, periodically pushing it, not allowing the uniform rotational movement to fade away.

Many potters now work on an electric potter's wheel. You can make such a circle on your own, using an old table or carpentry workbench instead of a bed. The structure of the circle is shown in the figure. Electric motors can be very different, but it is better to take a motor from a sewing machine - it is equipped with a pedal to regulate the rotation speed. Such motors are sold in sewing machine spare parts stores and cost about eight rubles together with the pedal.
The diameter of the working circle is 25-30 cm. Make the circle from bronze, aluminum or plastic. You can make a circle from multi-layer plywood, boards or particle board, but then you will have to soak it several times with hot drying oil to make it moisture-resistant.

1—manual, 2—foot and 3—electric pottery wheels.

Calculate the ratio of the diameters of the electric motor pulley and the circle pulley so that the circle rotates at a speed of 300-350 rpm. Please note that rotation must occur counterclockwise.
To learn how to work on a pottery wheel, you need to be patient. Only after good training will you be able to make the simplest vessels of relatively small sizes.
Before starting to work on the wheel, prepare a jar of water to spray the clay and wet your hands. You will also need a sponge to remove excess water from the bottom of the vessel, calipers and wire with wooden handles attached to the ends. All these devices are shown in the figure.

The clay must be placed on the circle strictly in the center - potters call this operation centering. Having molded a piece of clay with your hands into a shape close to a ball, with a gentle but sharp movement, throw it as accurately as possible into the middle of the circle. The piece of clay should stick well to the circle. To make centering easier, you can draw concentric circles on the circle.
Having secured the clay mass, turn on the motor and, after wetting your hands with water, finally center the clay ball so that when the circle rotates, it appears motionless. Then the clay must be thoroughly kneaded on a rotating circle. To do this, either stretch it into a high cone, or again give it its original spherical shape. Repeat this operation several times. Air bubbles will be removed from the crushed clay, and it will become dense and homogeneous.

The intermediate form in the manufacture of most vessels is the cylinder, so first of all learn how to sculpt it. In the middle of the clay mass, gently press with your thumbs and make a cylindrical depression. Gradually expand it, bringing the diameter to the required size. Use the remaining fingers to form the outer wall of the cylinder. Then pull out the cylinder. Large cylinders are pulled out with two hands, one of which is inside the cylinder, the other on the outside of the side surface.

Move your hands, between which the cylinder wall should be located, from the bottom upward, achieving a thin wall by gradually bringing your hands closer together. Hands with palms facing the surfaces of the cylinder. Repeat this technique until you reach the desired height of the cylinder. If you are making a small cylinder, you can work with one hand, gradually bringing it closer together thumb, sliding on the inner surface, with other fingers sliding on the outer surface. To ensure that your hands glide well and do not tear the clay, moisten them with water.

From the finished cylinder, form the vessel you have in mind. First sculpt the base. Then, gently pressing your fingers on the inside of the cylinder walls, gradually expand it. The hand inside the cylinder and the hand on the outer surface should move synchronously. As a result, you will receive the body of a jug. In the same way, only now pressing from the outside, form the shoulder and neck. Finish making the jug by modeling the whisk. Remove water that accumulates in the vessel with a sponge, which is lowered to the bottom on a wire hook.

When making several identical vessels and when copying, use different templates made of wood or plastic.
Cut the finished vessel from the stopped circle using wire with handles.
Now the product needs to be decorated. There are many ways to finish ceramics. One of the ancient methods - polishing - is very simple. The surface of the dried product is rubbed with any smooth object, compacting upper layer clay until shiny. After firing, the shine becomes stronger. Polished dishes can be safely used in the household, as they are quite moisture resistant.
In Rus', polished dishes were additionally subjected to blackening for decorative purposes.

1 - wire with handles, 2 - templates, 3 - sponge, 4 - crown compasses, 5 - elements of a clay vessel.

To do this, at the end of firing, some kind of smoking fuel, such as var, was thrown into the furnace. Absorbing smoke, the vessels turned black, retaining their shine. There is another way of blackening in court. Heated ceramics are thrown into sawdust or chopped straw. As it cools, it turns black.

A method of decorating liquid clays called engobes is widely used in ceramics. If the item to be decorated is made of red-burning clay, then engobes are prepared from white-burning clay. The clay is diluted to the consistency of sour cream and applied to the product with a brush or rubber bulb. By adding metal oxides to clay, you can get multi-colored engobes. Cobalt sulfate gives Blue colour, manganese peroxide - brown, chromium oxide - green, nickel oxide - yellow, iron oxide - red, mixture of chromium, manganese and cobalt oxides - black.

Ceramics can be painted directly with metal oxides without adding liquid clay. Controlling different shades of color in ceramics is a complex task, and only numerous trials can solve it. Make a unique palette out of ceramic tiles. Apply strokes of different engobes to it, write down in what proportions and what oxides you added, then fire it in the kiln. You can make several of these tiles. They will be necessary reference material when selecting the right colors.

The sgraffito technique gives a bright decorative effect. Slightly dry clay product completely or partially covered with a layer of engobe. After the engobe thickens but does not lose its plasticity, scrape it out with a stack desired drawing, exposing the lower, darker layer of clay.
Archaeologists still find in settlements ancient man individual shards and even entire vessels, decorated with so-called textile ornaments - imprints of coarse fabrics and nets.

You can try to make a stamped ornament using wooden stamps, having previously cut it on wood various elements pattern.
It is convenient to fire clay in a muffle furnace, which is sold in classrooms and is available in almost every school. Products that have been previously dried for five to six days at room temperature are loaded into the oven. In the oven under the influence high temperature the clay loses the water associated with it and becomes moisture-resistant and durable. The clay is fired for about three hours. Clay fired but not covered with glaze is called terracotta. At the end of firing, the kiln is turned off and the products cool directly in the kiln.

Glazed ceramics are called majolica. Glaze, or glaze, covers a ceramic product with a thin glassy layer, making colors and engobes bright and rich, completely protecting them from moisture. Famous folk way preparing the glaze. Heat a bottle glass on a fire and throw it into cold water. The glass becomes covered with tiny cracks and crumbles easily. The glass is ground into powder in a mortar, diluted with water and paste is added. The products are watered with this composition and allowed to dry, after which they are again loaded into the oven, where they are kept for about three hours.

In some cases, the glaze on ceramic products can be imitated. All kinds of decorations, small decorative sculptures and wall plates can be coated with various varnishes instead of labor-intensive glazes. Outwardly, they are almost no different from glaze, but they greatly simplify the work without reducing the artistic merits of the ceramics. This is confirmed by Abashevo toys, tastefully painted with oil enamel, and the famous Bulgarian black-lacquer vessels.

IN Lately Everywhere there is a tendency to return to ancient traditions, materials, customs, styles, and recipes. Apparently, a person gets tired of regular innovations, which, on the one hand, make his life easier, on the other, make it more artificial and move more and more away from the origins of our ancestors.

As one of the oldest materials, it has been used by man for centuries to make a wide variety of things and objects. Starting from utilitarian to decorative, created for beauty. Ceramic products are dishes, souvenirs, jewelry, interior items, sculpture, tiles... This list can be continued for a long time.

When we see ceramic products, we are enveloped in warmth and comfort. And indeed, the clay, or earthenware, or porcelain from which they are made carry certain positive charges that have a beneficial effect on us. These include tactile sensations (a piece of ceramic tableware is always pleasant to pick up), the smell of baked clay, and aesthetic appearance. Ceramic dishes filled with food whet your appetite, ceramic souvenirs, figurines, sculptures will fit into almost any interior, and ceramic roof tiles are the most durable and beautiful!

When you see something beautiful, sometimes you want to try it yourself. In this case, with ceramics, this is real and possible for everyone.

The simplest and most accessible material in ceramics is, of course, clay. It is sold for creativity in small briquettes. To create something bigger, you can look for a studio or school where masters work in this field and will teach you anything in this field.

The amount and consistency of clay depends on what you want to create. There are several types of clay "production":

	1. Modeling. Using your hands and auxiliary materials (wooden or plastic stacks), you create some kind of object. It can be either a small whistle or a large sculpture.
	2. . It is the process of creating vessels, plates, vases and any other objects by rotating on a pottery lathe. Starting from something the size of a thimble and Not ending with a tall floor vase. It's a little more complex look ceramics than just sculpting, so it’s easier to take a pottery course first to learn the basics of this beautiful way of creating with clay.
	3. Cool down. You have a plaster mold (which is also made by hand), for example, a flower, into which you “press” the prepared clay, and as it dries, you simply easily pull it out, and the object of the desired shape is ready.
	4. Casting. This method is more used in the production of earthenware and porcelain products, but it is also suitable for clay. Once again, prepared, purified liquid clay (slip) is poured into a gypsum mold (of a slightly different design), after a while the remaining clay that is not drawn into the gypsum is drained, and after a few hours the finished product is taken out, which can only be dried.

Each of these methods has many specific nuances that you need to know to achieve minimally positive results. However, here we will present the simplest and accessible option for making a real ceramic product.

What you need to create a ceramic product:

1. Clay . Soft, flexible, not sticky to your hands and not very dry. Clay is softened with water. If the lump is too dry and difficult to plasticize, you just need to add some water and knead well again. Place the raw clay on a dry surface (preferably plaster) and let it dry a little.

2. Fantasy . It could be some kind of small sculpture (turtle, man, abstraction), cup or vase. We give the required form and, if necessary, texture, you can use any auxiliary objects (spoons, toothbrushes, chopsticks, pencils).

3. Time . It is enough to simply leave a small product for several hours (sometimes all night) in a warm place, but avoid drafts and too hot radiators. It is better to first cover large items with a dry cotton cloth, and then, after a day, open them completely. This will allow the product to dry more evenly, and therefore avoid cracks. Cracks may form during very rapid drying.

4. Burning . We carefully take the completely dry product and carry it to the firing site. There are special kilns for firing in ceramic workshops. You will not be able to burn the product yourself at home in a stove up to 300 C. Since the temperature of the first firing is from 900 to 1300 C.

5. Decoration . The easiest way is to cover the resulting fired product. acrylic paints. They are bright and do not wash off with water. There are also special glassy glazes for ceramics, which are applied after the first firing and require another firing. They are much more aesthetically pleasing, make the product more durable and will never wear off.

Polymer clay was invented relatively recently. Masters have known about this material for no more than half a century. Today, sculpting with it is a very popular hobby for amateurs and a professional activity for experienced designers.

Buying polymer clay a couple of years ago was very problematic. Residents of various Russian cities ordered it from the capital or from other countries. Now almost all art salons or craft stores offer such plastic, where it lies next to knitting yarn, dyes and floss that are familiar to us. You can make many interesting crafts from this amazing material. These are not only souvenirs, but also a huge number of other things that will decorate our lives. You can also decorate a mug with polymer clay, a master class for which is described in this article.

Principle of operation

Today polymer clay is one of the most common materials used for needlework. Craftsmen are attracted by its elasticity and non-toxicity. In addition, the crafts made from such material look simply fantastic.

You have decided to decorate the mugs. Then you should learn how to work with this material. Half the success of your event will depend on the right choice polymer. It is worth keeping in mind that ordinary self-hardening clay can be used to decorate mugs and other dishes. However, this material hardens in air after a certain time, which is not enough for beginners to give the product the required shape.

What is the best thing to buy in order to decorate a mug with polymer clay? The material can be of any variety. The main thing is to study the instructions and learn the rules of handling it.

Brands of polymer clay

Today, art salons and handicraft stores offer their customers many varieties of material. Which one should you buy to decorate your mug with polymer clay? Let's take a closer look at the brands of this material:

A domestic manufacturer offers St. Petersburg plastic called “Tsvetik”. This is the cheapest option, but it is somewhat difficult to work with. Tsvetik brand products are quite hard and easily soiled. However, a person who has patience and skill can make beautiful things out of them.
In order to decorate a mug with polymer clay, you can buy material from the German manufacturer Cernit. For some, it may seem, on the contrary, too soft in work. However, many craftsmen are attracted by the quality and color range of this plastic.
The most popular brand in our country is “Fimo”. It is produced by the German company Eberhard Fabe. There are several varieties of this polymer. So, “Fimo Classic” is harder. The Fimo Soft brand is soft and easy to knead. Both types of material are available in a wide range color scheme. The manufacturer offers polymer clay with glitter, transparent, and also glowing in ultraviolet light. All these types are perfect for those who decide to decorate a mug with polymer clay.
Some craftsmen use material brought from America. This is polymer clay of two brands - “Kato” and “Scalpi”. It is not offered in Russian stores, but those who were able to purchase it need to be prepared for a fairly strong smell of the material, similar to the smell of Soviet gouache. In terms of its other qualities, this polymer is similar to other brands.
A whole line of polymer is offered by Poliform Products. But this material is usually chosen by sculptors.

In addition to solid plastic, all of the above companies produce liquid plastic, which is a gel. This is a viscous transparent material that hardens after heat treatment. Decorating mugs and spoons with polymer clay can also be done using gel, the possibilities of which are also endless.

Before you buy this amazing material, you should choose the product that will be decorated. Based on its color, you will need to decide on the tone of the plastic. Let there be two or three of them to begin with. Among them there should be a block white, which can be used to dilute more saturated colors.

Varnish

If you are decorating a mug with polymer clay, how can you make the finished item more attractive? To do this, it should be varnished. This will give the mug gloss and greater expressiveness of the colors. In addition, varnish is necessary to enhance the strength of the item. In addition, it fixes the tinting paint on it.

What types of varnishes are there for plastic clay? The manufacturer offers matte, semi-matte and glossy coating materials. Such varnishes are sold in construction stores. What can you do to make a mug with polymer clay decor look most attractive? Experienced craftsmen advise purchasing acrylic water-soluble varnishes with a polyurethane base. This material is practically odorless, dries quickly and is easily washed off the brush. Within a day, a mug with polymer clay decor, coated with a similar varnish, will become resistant to mechanical damage and moisture.

Those who are doing this kind of work for the first time should remember that before applying varnish, the surface should be washed with dishwashing detergent or degreased with alcohol, and the coating process itself is best done with a synthetic brush.

Working surface

How to prepare for sculpting with polymer clay? To work with this material you will need the smoothest possible surface. It could be glass or ceramic tile, as well as a simple sheet of white paper. The main condition for such a surface is the absence of pores into which plastic can eat.

Knives

A block of polymer clay should be cut into pieces required size. To do this, a craftsman decorating a mug with polymer clay (see photo below) will need knives.

They should be sharp enough. This will prevent the product from deforming during cutting. To decorate the mug, a regular or blade can be used.

Rolling pins and stacks

These tools do not have to be purchased at art stores. Stacks when working with plastic can be knitting needles or toothpicks.

In order to roll out plastic, many amateurs take glass bottle. Other material at hand is also suitable for these purposes, which could be, for example, a bottle of hairspray or deodorant.

Gloves

After heat treatment of polymer clay, fingerprints of the master may remain on it. To ensure that the product is neat and does not waste unnecessary time polishing it, you must wear latex gloves. You can buy them at any pharmacy. Sometimes they are not very convenient when sculpting, but they greatly increase the quality of the work done.

Gloves should be selected according to hand size. After all, the tighter the latex adheres to the fingers, the more convenient it is for the craftsman to decorate the mug.

Other

What other materials will be needed to complete the planned work? In general, in order to make a thing from thermoplastic, you can use:

special shapes (cutters), with the help of which figures can be easily cut out;
a special syringe (extruder) equipped with various nozzles;
pasta machine;
texture sheets;
powders, etc.

However, all this can be bought after you understand that sculpting products from polymer clay is your calling.

What a beginner needs

As a rule, girls decorate mugs with polymer clay. A master class on carrying out such work begins with an explanation of what beginners in this business should prepare:

the mug itself;
nail polish remover or glass cleaner;
polymer baked clay;
wooden skewer or toothpick;
clean wet cloth;
epoxy-engesive glue;
stationery knife;
varnish for plastic clay.

Preparatory stage

So, you have decided to decorate your mug with polymer clay. How to do this kind of work with your own hands? First, you should take some boring mug, which should become bright and original.

It should be laid on the surface in such a way as to make working as convenient as possible. For this, you can use, for example, a baby blanket.

Beginning of work

If your idea is to decorate a mug with polymer clay, how to do this work? First, cut a piece of plastic to the required size. Next, you should knead it thoroughly. Only in this case the clay will become soft and plastic. To improve the working properties of the material, you can use special remedy. It's called a plasticizer. Experienced needlewomen advise purchasing Moldmaker brand products. A few peas of this product are enough to soften a whole pack of clay. Alternative materials may include Vaseline or creams. The warming procedure is also suitable for softening.

It happens that clay, especially fresh clay, sticks very strongly to your hands. In such cases, experienced craftsmen mix it with a harder brand or leave it on a sheet of paper for several hours. However, it is worth keeping in mind that all the above-described manipulations will not help the material into which paint has already been applied.

It is very important that there are no air bubbles left in the clay. This will damage your product in the future. When heated, the air will expand, which will warp the plastic.

After this, you should take a cotton swab and, moisten it in nail polish remover or glass cleaner, wipe the surface of the mug. After that we make an applique on it.

Baking

A mug with an applique made of polymer clay should not be afraid of water, fade or lose its original appearance over time. To preserve all these qualities, the product must pass heat treatment. What device is suitable for this? To bake polymer clay, use a gas or electric oven, as well as an electric mini-oven. Microwaves are not suitable for this purpose. The hardening process of polymer clay occurs only when exposed to high temperature. The principle of heating food in a microwave is to create waves. However, exceptions to the rules are possible here too. Some models of modern microwave ovens are equipped with a function that allows you to set the required baking temperature. If such a possibility exists, then clay can be placed in this household appliance.

What else should you consider when decorating a mug with polymer clay? MK (master class) involves accurately monitoring the temperature indicated on the clay packaging. Exceeding it will cause the material to begin to burn and release toxic substances. As a rule, this temperature ranges from 110 to 130 degrees. That is why it will be very convenient for the master if the oven he uses has a built-in thermometer. The clay does not bake for long. The hardening time for the application applied to the mug is ten minutes.

End of the process

After heat treatment, the mug should be removed from the oven. You need to carefully separate the baked applique from it. Next we need epoxy glue. It is made independently, adhering to all the requirements of the instructions. A thin layer of glue should be applied to reverse side completed application, as well as on the mug, which we wipe again with nail polish remover or glass cleaner. After this, the applique is pressed tightly against the mug and subsequently adheres to it very well.

At the next stage of work you will need a matte or glossy varnish. They cover the finished application. The varnish will protect the surface of the product from damage.

How does the application behave in operation? A cup made in this way can be safely washed. But you shouldn't put it in dishwasher or apply abrasive agents to the decor.

Pottery is a combination of beauty and practicality. This inventory is the oldest and was the only one for a long time. At first, people used unfired objects, and then ceramics was invented - clay fired by fire. Clay dishes are suitable for preparing any dishes; for some housewives it is simply an irreplaceable thing. It is believed that the material used to make it stretches bad energy due to the combination of water, earth, air and sun. And the best part is that you can make items yourself with a little dexterity and patience.

Features and benefits of earthenware

Dishes absorb heat well, but slowly. At the same time, it also cools slowly, which allows you to keep food hot for a long time.
Clay dishes are resistant to dyes and other substances, so you can cook any food in them.
The dishes are stain-resistant and easy to care for.
Microwave safe.

How to use pottery correctly

Clay dishes should not be placed in a hot oven or exposed to sudden temperature changes. You must first place the dishes in the appliance and then turn it on so that heating occurs slowly.

Can't bet ceramic dishes on open fire, especially teapots and coffee pots. They need to be rinsed before use. hot water and only then start preparing the drink.

For cleaning, use only soft materials and dishwashing detergents. Do not rub ceramics with hard brushes or graters - this will damage the top layer of glaze.

Clay preparation

There are several types of clay found in nature, differing in composition. Now you can find deposits of any clay mixture suitable for making both earthenware and stove bricks. Don't try to find valuable clay in large deposits. As a rule, such rocks have already been found and the largest factories for the production of ceramic products have been built next to them. But ordinary clay, suitable for modeling dishes, can be found everywhere. Very often, a layer of clay is found on personal plots during excavation work.

To determine whether the clay is suitable for making dishes, you need to take a small lump of slightly moistened clay, roll it into a rope between your palms and bend it in half. If cracks do not form at the bend site or a large number of, then such material is quite suitable for further work.

Place the prepared amount of clay in a deep container and fill it with water. It should completely cover the material. At the same time, do not be afraid to prepare too much clay - to make dishes you will take a small amount of rock, and the rest will sit in water, which will greatly simplify the sculpting process the next time.

Clay elutriation

Elutriation allows you to make the clay more plastic, fatty and clean. More often, elutriation is carried out with clay containing a large amount of sand, due to which it becomes less plastic.

Prepare a deep bowl, place the clay in it and fill it with water in a ratio of 1:3. The water should completely cover the rock. Leave the material to soak overnight.
In the morning, stir the clay until smooth. Leave the solution to sit for several days. We determine readiness by the water - when it becomes lighter, you can begin further work.
Drain the water with a rubber hose.
Scoop out the clay to the bottom layer. Don't touch it - stones and sand remain there.
Pour the clay into a wooden box and place it in the sun to evaporate excess moisture.
After most of the water has evaporated, start mixing the clay.
The clay should dry until it acquires the consistency of dough and stops sticking to your hands. The rock can be left in the same container, covered with polyethylene and stored until sculpting work is carried out.

Before modeling, it is necessary to remove the air; to do this, knead the dough and beat it with your hands. If difficulties arise due to the material being too hard, you can add a little water.

You can knead the clay with your feet, which greatly simplifies the process.

Making dishes

There are two ways to make clay dishes: from strands and flat pieces. It is better to make dishes using the first method. To do this, roll out a piece of clay with a rolling pin like dough and give the resulting piece any shape. Please note that this method produces shallow bowls and flat plates.

To make a pot or vase, you will need to resort to more complex technology:

As described above, make a bottom for future dishes. It should not be too thin - about 2 cm thick.
Cut a piece of clay into pieces and roll them into ropes.
Place the end of the tourniquet on the bottom and press firmly so that it is secured to the bottom.
Lay the strands on top of each other in a spiral manner, pressing each new layer.
If the clay hardens, wet the strands a small amount water.

You can make a pot or vase with a smooth change in diameter. To do this, when applying layers, make a slight deviation to the side, which will allow you to create original dishes. If necessary, attach handles, but you should not hold the product by them until completion of production.

Drying dishes

When drying, rushing is unacceptable. If you rush, cracks and wrinkles may form on the dishes. Also, hasty drying leads to defects during firing. Therefore, follow all the deadlines indicated below so that the result pleases you.

During the first days, the dishes are dried upside down in a room where there are no strong drafts. Pre-drying should continue for at least two days, after which the dishes are transferred to a heated oven and dried until the moisture has completely evaporated. If the product is started to be fired in its raw form, it will burst under strong heat.

Firing dishes in a kiln

There are special laboratory muffle furnaces for various purposes. You can install such equipment at home; it will be useful for making ceramic and other products.

Pottery is fired at a temperature of +950 0. Do not immediately turn on the oven at full power and allow temperature fluctuations. Heating should be carried out smoothly, gradually reaching maximum temperature. In about an hour, increase the temperature by 100 degrees. Do not open the window during firing - this will lead to the entry of cold air and cracking of the dishes. It will take you about 8 hours to fire, after which you should also begin to gradually reduce the temperature. You can remove the product from the oven only at a mark of at least 40 degrees.

After firing, cover the piece with glaze and fire again.

Firing dishes on a fire

If you do not have the opportunity to buy a special oven, you can fire it in a fire. To do this, cover the dishes with firewood and set them on fire. The minimum time for firing is 8 hours. The longer you keep the cookware in the fire, the stronger it will be.

Pottery is a timeless classic that is in demand even in modern world developed technologies. Ceramic products are not only highly durable and practical, but also beautiful. And thanks to the possibility of self-production, you can avoid material costs and create luxurious dishes with your own hands.