Ceramics Vocabulary Techniques Processes What is Pottery and

Ceramics Vocabulary – Techniques Processes

What is Pottery and Ceramics? Technically, The term Pottery and Ceramics are the same – they are those things made from Clay which are permanently changed when Fired in a Kiln. Clay - once dried can be dissolved in water and will become moldable clay once again. Once (fired) between 660⁰ and 2300⁰F (Cone 10), the clay is transformed into ceramic and will never dissolve again to become moldable clay. Ceramic is a clay object that has been fired in a kiln.

• Scoring: Marking the clay before slipping when attaching two pieces together • Slip: Is watered down clay used like a glue

Hand Building Techniques – are techniques such as Slab, Coil and Pinch. • Slab – a flat sheet of clay that is even in thickness.

Pinch – pushing and pinching to make a clay object.

Coil – a rope or snake shape made from hand rolling clay

• Clay body – a general term referring to a mixture of clays/minerals used for building clay pieces. Basically a clay body is a - clay recipe. There are hundreds of different clays you can use to build clay pieces. • What kind of Clay body do we use? • B-Mix with Grog - Cone 5.

• Leather Hard – Clay that is almost dry – perfect for carving and trimming. • Greenware is a clay object that has not been fired yet in the kiln. • Bisque – 1 st firing approximately 1860° degrees Fahrenheit – (Cone 05)

Cones • Pyrometric cones are slender pyramids that are used to monitor a kilns’ firing temperature. Cones measure the temperature a kiln fires to – for example cone 5 fires at approx. 2150 degrees Fahrenheit – but is referred to as Cone 5 – not the temperature.

Question #1 WHAT are those objects called that are made from Clay, which are permanently changed when fired in a Kiln. A. Clay B. Ceramic C. Kiln

Question #2 • What is a general term referring to a mixture of clays/minerals used for building clay pieces. A. Cone 5 B. Clay Body C. Leather Hard

Question #3 Clay that is almost dry – perfect for carving and trimming is called… A. Coil B. Ceramic C. Leather Hard

Question #4 A clay object that has not been fired yet is called… A. Bisque B. Glazed C. Greenware

Question #5 st 1 firing What is the name of the at cone 05 / about 1860 degrees Fahrenheit called? A. Burnishing B. Kiln C. Bisque

Question #6 What is the name of the hand building technique, that uses a flat sheet of clay that is even in thickness? A. Slab B. Pinch C. Coil

Question #7 What does the term “Cone” mean when referring to a kiln? A. It is the term used to describe the temperature a Kiln fires to. B. It is the term used to describe the shape of someone's head. C. It is the term that describes the kind of clay we use in our pottery room.

Question #8 What is the hand building technique that is made by pinching and molding the clay into an object with your hands and fingers? A. Slab B. Pinch C. Coil

Question #9 What is slip? A. Clay that is bone dry. B. Clay that is perfect for carving. C. Watered down clay used when attaching two pieces together.

Question #10 What is the name of the hand building technique that is made by rolling the clay into a snake like shape with your hand? A. Slab B. Pinch C. Coil

Bonus Question What kind of clay do we use in our pottery room? Write your answer___________________

PART TWO

Steps and Stages of Clay The process that occurs from the beginning to completion when working with clay: 1. Wedge clay 2. Make clay object 3. Leather hard 4. Bone dry 5. Bisque Fire – Cone 05 (1860 degrees F. ) 6. Glaze 7. Glaze Fire – Cone 5 (2150 degrees F. )

• Pug Mill: A machine that mixes clay – it helps to compress the clay • Wedging: Compressing the clay to remove air bubbles and homogenize the texture

• Cut off wire: Used to cut projects off of the wheel and to cut clay off of a clay block • Loop tool: Used for carving and trimming

• Appendage: An added part, such as a spout, handle or a foot to a piece • Foot: An appendage added on the bottom of a clay piece for aesthetic reasons and to stabilize it

• Vitreous: The process that occurs during firing – where high temperatures turns the clay body into ceramic/Glass.

Firing Atmospheres • Oxidation: A kiln atmosphere in which there is an abundance of oxygen present in the kiln environment during firing. • Reduction: A kiln atmosphere in which there is an increased amount of fuel and a decreased amount of oxygen. Brings out glaze colors not achievable in oxidation

• Number your paper 1 – 10 QUIZ Part 2 • Write your answers (The letter - A, B, or C AND also the vocabulary word) neatly on your paper.

Question #1 What is Scoring? A. Scoring is a Machine that mixes and prepares your clay to use. B. Scoring is a circular plate that fits over the wheel head. C. Marking your clay before adding slip for the purpose of attaching two pieces of clay together.

Question #2 What is Wedging? A. Watered down clay. B. Compressing the clay to remove air bubbles and even the moisture content. C. An appendage added on the bottom of a clay piece.

Question #3 What is Oxidation? A. The cracks that form in a glaze after a piece has been fired. B. A kiln atmosphere in which there is a lack of oxygen in the kiln environment C. A kiln atmosphere in which there is an abundance of oxygen in the kiln environment

Question #4 What is Vitreous? A. The process that occurs during firing – where high temperatures turn the clay body into ceramic/glass. B. A tool used for carving. C. Wax that can be added on to bisque ware.

Question #5 What is a Cut off wire used for? A. Tool used for carving. B. A tool used for smoothing out rough spots. C. A tool used to cut projects off a bat – that were thrown on the potters wheel.

Question # 6 What is a loop tool used for? Write your answer____________________

Question #7 What is a Foot? A. An appendage that fits inside of a shoe and helps you walk. B. An appendage added on the bottom of a clay piece for aesthetic reasons and to stabilize it. C. An added part, such as a spout or handle.

Question #8 What is a Pug Mill used for? Write your answer__________________________

Question #9 What is an Appendage? A. Tool used for piercing ad cutting the clay. B. The term used when one is working on the potter’s wheel. C. An added part, such as a spout, handle or a foot.

Question #10 List the 3 missing steps in the process that occurs from the beginning to completion when working with clay: 1. Wedging the clay 2. Make the clay object 3. ___________ 4. Bone Dry 5. ___________ 6. Glaze 7. ___________

PART 3 • Plasticity: Clay that has enough moisture to be molded - • Kiln: A machine or furnace that fires clay bodies and turns them into ceramic pieces.

• Needle tool: Used for piercing and cutting clay • Grog: Fired clay that is finely ground added to a clay body to make it more stable.

• Dermatitis: It is a skin condition that can sometimes occur when working with clay – it is a rash where the skin itches and turns red. • Silicosis: An often fatal lung disease caused by prolonged breathing of dust containing silica (clay and glaze)

• Glaze: A coating of minerals used to decorate & color a bisque fired piece – it makes it functional and beautiful! • Throwing: A term used when one is working on the potter’s wheel.

• Wax Resist: Wax that can be added on to bisque ware to resist glaze

• Bat: The circular plate that fits over the wheel head – it is what allows you to throw clay on to create a piece on the wheel. • Underglaze – is colored slip that is painted on pottery in the leather hard stage.

QUIZ PART 3 • Number your paper 1 – 11 • Write your answers (The letter A, B, or C AND also the vocabulary word) neatly on your paper.

QUESTION #1 What is a Kiln? A. Tool used for carving and trimming. B. A special shelf used to store greenware projects. C. A machine or furnace that fires clay bodies and turns them into ceramic pieces.

Question #2 Clay has Plasticity when it is… A. Bone dry B. Moldable C. Bisque fired

Question #3 This tool is used for cutting and piercing clay. A. Cut off wire B. Loop tool C. Needle tool

Question #4 What is the difference between Glaze and Underglaze? Please write your answer____________________________________________________

Question #5 What is a Bat? A. Wax that can be added onto bisque ware to resist glaze. B. The circular plate that fits over the wheel head – it is what you create wheel thrown projects on when working on the wheel. C. A small pyramid of clay that melts when certain temperatures are reached in the kiln.

Question # 6 What is Dermatitis? A. Watered down clay B. A fatal lung disease caused by breathing silica dust C. It is a rash where the skin itches and turns red.

Question # 7 What is Silicosis? A. It is a rash where the skin itches and turns red. B. The process that occurs during the firing process that turns clay into ceramic. C. A fatal lung disease caused by breathing silica dust

Question #8 What does the term “Throwing” mean? Please write your answer____________

Question #9 What is Grog? A. General term to indicate a specific mixture of clay. B. Fired clay that is finely ground added to clay. C. Clay that has not been fired yet.

Question #10 Wax resist is used for what purpose? A. It is painted on to color a clay project. B. It is painted on bisque ware to resist glaze. C. It is colored slip applied to a clay object in the greenware stage.

Bonus #11 List the 4 missing steps in the process that occurs from the beginning to completion when working with clay: 1. Wedging the clay 2. Make the clay object 3. ___________ 4. ___________ 5. ___________ 6. Glaze 7. ___________

Answer to Question #11 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Wedge clay Make clay object Leather hard Bone dry Bisque Fire – Cone 05 (1860 degrees F. ) Glaze Fire – Cone 5 (2150 degrees F. )