Ceramic School and Studio


Surface Texture Tools Use and Tricks - Potter's Wheel

The Tools - Surface Texture
The information below will illustrate (pictures and video clips) how to quickly create beautiful and unique texture on your pots. As always, if you have any questions, shoot an e-mail to us (studio@lakesidepottery.com). Have fun!

Gear on an 1/2" pluming pipe

Pie crust cutter

Buffing wheel cleaner

Steven Tool

Fluting tool: Claytools.com

Torch-bernzomatic-TS4000

Slip - no grog and sieved

Spring flat metal-we sell it!

Mudtool red ribs

Rope segment

Chatter Pot on the Wheel - Tall and Flat Forms
A chatter texture can be created with any springy metal. The chatter design is determined by, the speed of the wheel, the pressure of the metal on the clay, the softness or hardness of the clay, and the distance between the end of the metal plate and where it is held. Once the metal starts to chatter, hold that position until the chatter sound gets really loud. When done, move the metal away from the clay very quickly and then turn the wheel off to prevent smearing of the texture. See video link 1 (tall forms chatter)and video link 2 (flat forms chatter).

Spring flat metal

Spring flat metal 2


Chatter Texture

Chatter texture close up

Chatter Tall Form Video 1

Low frequency chatter

Higher frequency chatter

Higher frequency chatter

Low frequency chatter

Rough texture

Dry pot to desired level

Flat form texture

Flat form texture - glazed

Flat form texture - glazed

Chatter Flat Form Video 2

Using Gears or Roulette Tall and Flat Forms
Roulette is a technique used to texture the pot while it is turning. You apply the gear (see a few options below) to the clay while the pot is turning which turns the gear. Typically, the texture is created when the pot's walls are vertical and a bit thicker. When done with the texture, the pots shape can be changes to create a nonlinear potters. See video link

Gear Texture top view

Gear Texture side view

Light pressure gear texture

Flat form gear texture

Gear - flat form Video 1

Gear - Tall form Video 2

Use of Slip for Surface Texture
Using slip can be really rewarding if used properly. The slip should not have any grog in it, if made from different clay, test for compatibility with your clay (e.g., cracking) and it thickness should similar to yogurt where the shape can stay and hold the design achieved. It can be applied and formed by hand or with tools such as Mudtool red rib or a brush. Make sure the pot is hardens a bit (wait a few hours or dry with a heater / torch. If clay is too wet, the moister from the slip will weaken the pot and it will collapse. If the pot is too dry, the slip will not bond to the pot properly and will crack or peel off. The fun part about it is that if you do not like the design, you can try several times until you achieve the liked results. Eventually, the moisture from the slip will absorb in the clay and it be less applicable. Remember that whatever texture you achieve, it will shrink about 50% when the slip and the pot dry. In addition to having our students make beautiful pots using slip, children love to play with it and can easily achieve aesthetically pleasing results while having a lot of fun with the slimy texture of the slip.

Apply slip by hand

Slip design with Mudtool

Torch a bit to freeze design

Kid love it

and can do it for hours

Mix really well

Apply slip with brush

Mud tool to create design

Slip design when glazed

Kids - street fair

Dry pot to desired results

A different pattern

A different pattern

Pattern close up

Pattern when glazed

Designed with rib

Designed with rib

Designed with rib

Designed with rib

Designed with brush

Using tape to apply slip

Slip on large platter

Slip on mug glaze affect

Use of Other Surface Texture Tools

Curving can be alot of fun and there are some sample below. A) With a small piece of rope, one can creat vraity of textures pusing the rope against the clay as while moving it around. B) Fluting: This stainless steel fluting tool makes it easy to carve pots with beautiful designs and exacting control. The unique design includes panels on the side of the cutting loop that act as “runners” (like on a sled) to maintain a consistent depth as you cut. This makes for a fluid stroke. Each tool has two fluting designs: rounded and pointed.

A. Rope segment

B.Fluting tool: Claytools.com

B. Using Fluting for test tiles

B. Fluting ample poe

A. Rope texture results

B. Fluting tool sample pot

B. Fluting ample pot

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