We learned some terms:
- States of clay drying and being fired:
- Greenware - wet clay
- Slip / Mud - clay is goopy an really wet
- Blocking - process in working with clay on a plaster surface to work out the moisture in the clay, and shaping the clay into a block
- Plastic - clay is malleable and easy to work with. This is the best state to work with the clay
- Leather hard - Feels like leather. In this state it is easy to carve into the clay without it fraying or splintering
- Bone dry - This is when the clay is ready to be put into the kiln to be fired
- Bisqueware - fired clay generally in a kiln
- Kiln - an electric or gas appliance that is used to "fire" clay
- Fire - an antiquated term used to describe the cooking or baking of clay.
- Pyrometric cone - used to measure the internal temperature of the kiln
- △ - The triangle signifies "cone"
- We use two different types of cones:
- △04 - Used for a bisque fire - 1945 ℉
- △05 - Used for a glazeware fire - 1888 ℉
- Ceramicware / Glazeware
- A piece of pottery that has been glazed or slipped and then fired in the kiln
- Tools
- Fettling knife
- Toggle wire
- Boxwood tool
- Popsicle stick
- Loop tool
- Canvas board
- Pin tool
- Other Terms
- Wedging - "kneading" the clay to eliminate air bubbles
- Blocking - the process of wedging wet clay on a plaster bat in order to dry it into a usable plastic blocks
