What is a slab mug?
Slab building allows you to make pottery, including mugs and pitchers, with clean lines. Working with slabs by hand also is generally easier to master than using a potter’s wheel. But this tutorial for a slab-built mug is still for those who have some experience with pottery.
Can a slab be made into a mug?
If your slab is thick, you can even carve away on the inside. If it’s on the thinner side, be mindful of how deep you carve and be careful not to carve all the way through! Now you’re ready to attach a handle. Use a dry paintbrush to clean up any excess slip and compress the edges of the handle on to the cup.
What is the slab method in pottery?
The slab building technique involves rolling out clay to an even thickness – usually 1 cm – then cutting shapes, folding, bending, manipulating and joining together to form a finished object.
What clay does Sarah Pike use?
Teapots are hand-built with textured slabs of red clay, dried slowly and fired twice.
What can you Handbuild with clay?
The most common handbuilding techniques are pinch pottery, coil building, and slab building. To make a pinch pot, one inserts a thumb into a ball of clay and continually pinches the the clay between the thumb and fingers while rotating to thin out and raise the height of the vessel.
Can you make a mug out of air dry clay?
Air dry clay is not food safe. Students can still create mugs, bowls, and plates with air dry clay, but they must be for decorative purposes only. While this can be disappointing to students, use it as a way to encourage creative and playful design.
Can you make a mug without a pottery wheel?
It is entirely possible to make lovely pottery without a wheel. Two simple hand-building techniques are coil pots and pinch pots. Molds are great too, these include hump molds, slump molds, and press molds. Slab building is also a simple versatile option.
How thick should slab pottery be?
You want your slab to be no less than a 1⁄4 inch (6.4 mm) thick so that it is sturdy enough to use without breaking. If your rolling pin is too thin, you may end up with ridges in the middle of the clay. It should be wide enough to fit across the entire slab of clay.
How do you make a slab for a mug?
Roll out a clay slab to the same thickness as your mug floor, and use a ruler or carpenter’s square to measure a rectangle in the slab. The rectangle’s length should be slightly longer than the circumference of the mug floor (you can trim the wall for a precise fit when you attach it if necessary), and its width should equal the desired mug height.
What kind of pottery can you make with a slab?
Beth Peterson is a potter, artist, and writer with more than 30 years of experience crafting clay and ceramics. Slab building allows you to make pottery, including mugs and pitchers, with clean lines.
How do you make a handle for a mug?
For a strap handle, roll out a clay slab that is the same thickness as the mug floor and wall. Measure and cut out a slab that is the desired length and width of your handle, taking into account that it will slightly shrink when dried and fired. Score and slip the handle and the mug at the points where they will be attached.
What should I glaze a ceramic mug with?
After your mug is completely bone dry, it is time to convert it from clay to ceramic with bisque firing. Once bisqued, glaze the mug with food-safe glaze. The interior glaze should be glossy, and the glaze along the rim should be thick enough to create a smooth texture.