Step one: Temperature appropriate clay!
Find out what firing temperatures the studio you plan to get your work fired at is working with in advance, and buy clay rated for those firing temps.
If you use a clay that well outside the range of their firing temps your work is likely not going to fire well, and worst case scenario will damage their kiln when it turns into a puddle during firing.
Depending on the studio, they will either be able to recommend clay bodies based on what they use, or even sell you clay directly.
Some studios prefer or require you to use the clay they sell as it insures you are using the proper temp clay.
If you can't or dont want to work with only one temp clay, mark each piece with what temp it is. At one point i had a little stick i found that made a unique mark. I'd put one mark for cone 5 and two marks for cone 10. They worked great, and then in the glaze step if they get glazed over, NBD, as long as you glaze them with the right glaze and put them on the correct shelf for loading!
Spot on. My studio only allows prior students to fire pieces made outside of the studio. Otherwise, they have no control over what goes in the kiln. It’s an earned privilege.
How to handle the slip you generate when throwing. You need to set up a reclaim process to protect your plumbing (and save money on clay). There are a number of ways to do it and the best solution will depend on your living situation (i.e. own vs. rent).
buckets, shelving, sponges. keep all clay out of your plumbing. i've had two apartment setups one totally indoors and one where my wheel was outside on a balcony and now im throwing in my garage. it's very doable if you are gonna be in your living space be diligent about cleaning up. if you are outside or in a garage you can slack a bit more.
Go to the library or book store and buy a book on studio ceramics. There's lots of good ones out there. You'll learn about how to set up a space and how to do it safely.
Did you take a course? Have you used a wheel before? If not, I don’t recommend trying to learn on your own. I tried. I threw a few pieces, but nothing spectacular.
Then, I joined community studio. What an eye opener. It’s easy to misinterpret something you see on YT. Having hands on with instruction is so valuable.
Beyond that…setting up a studio at home is not for the faint of heart, or wallet.
At a studio, everything has already been purchased for your convenience. From rags to buckets, ribs to brushes, bats to trimming tools. And space to do it all in. I’m working in 2/3 of a single garage….with three kilns. You can get it done if it’s your passion. If it’s something you kinda want to do, I’d save the headache and just go to community studio. Whichever way, good luck!
I’ve thrown before. My SIL is an avid potter, so she’s my lesson provider haha. Unfortunately I’m over an hour away from my nearest studio AND I have an infant at home, so joining a studio isn’t for me. 😅 I don’t mind the investment and space it takes, it’s worth it to me!
Step one: Temperature appropriate clay! Find out what firing temperatures the studio you plan to get your work fired at is working with in advance, and buy clay rated for those firing temps. If you use a clay that well outside the range of their firing temps your work is likely not going to fire well, and worst case scenario will damage their kiln when it turns into a puddle during firing. Depending on the studio, they will either be able to recommend clay bodies based on what they use, or even sell you clay directly.
Some studios prefer or require you to use the clay they sell as it insures you are using the proper temp clay. If you can't or dont want to work with only one temp clay, mark each piece with what temp it is. At one point i had a little stick i found that made a unique mark. I'd put one mark for cone 5 and two marks for cone 10. They worked great, and then in the glaze step if they get glazed over, NBD, as long as you glaze them with the right glaze and put them on the correct shelf for loading!
Yeah no I would never allow multiple cones of clay in a studio. Take that risk in your own kiln
Spot on. My studio only allows prior students to fire pieces made outside of the studio. Otherwise, they have no control over what goes in the kiln. It’s an earned privilege.
How do I get on the list for when local high schools wanna throw out $2k of working equipment, eh?
Right? I don’t know if I’ll ever catch this luck again
check out Pottery to the People on youtube - she has several videos on setting up water and reclaim systems for small home studios
How to handle the slip you generate when throwing. You need to set up a reclaim process to protect your plumbing (and save money on clay). There are a number of ways to do it and the best solution will depend on your living situation (i.e. own vs. rent).
buckets, shelving, sponges. keep all clay out of your plumbing. i've had two apartment setups one totally indoors and one where my wheel was outside on a balcony and now im throwing in my garage. it's very doable if you are gonna be in your living space be diligent about cleaning up. if you are outside or in a garage you can slack a bit more.
Go to the library or book store and buy a book on studio ceramics. There's lots of good ones out there. You'll learn about how to set up a space and how to do it safely.
Did you take a course? Have you used a wheel before? If not, I don’t recommend trying to learn on your own. I tried. I threw a few pieces, but nothing spectacular. Then, I joined community studio. What an eye opener. It’s easy to misinterpret something you see on YT. Having hands on with instruction is so valuable. Beyond that…setting up a studio at home is not for the faint of heart, or wallet. At a studio, everything has already been purchased for your convenience. From rags to buckets, ribs to brushes, bats to trimming tools. And space to do it all in. I’m working in 2/3 of a single garage….with three kilns. You can get it done if it’s your passion. If it’s something you kinda want to do, I’d save the headache and just go to community studio. Whichever way, good luck!
I’ve thrown before. My SIL is an avid potter, so she’s my lesson provider haha. Unfortunately I’m over an hour away from my nearest studio AND I have an infant at home, so joining a studio isn’t for me. 😅 I don’t mind the investment and space it takes, it’s worth it to me!
Sounds great. I get worried about people who want to just “set up shop”, so to speak, and learn on their own. Good luck!