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Making TechiquesThis page gives some information about how the pottery is made by Hundred-Aker-Wood Pottery. Within Hundred-Aker-Wood pottery, I am building up a collection of kitchenware with each piece individually thrown, that gradually will be introduced to this website as items for sale throughout the year. The catalogue of stoneware pottery includes casserole dishes, soup tureens, serving dishes, soup bowls, cereal bowls, butter dishes, cheese belles, salad serving bowls, mustard pots, condiment sets, mixing bowl sets, juicers, vinegar/olive oil jug, pestle and mortars, salt pigs, spaghetti jars, sets of mugs on tree, honey pots, jugs of all descriptions and my very own Chinese style bowls and the Dorset Vertical Chicken Roaster, designed by myself, made by myself and sold through Paypal on this website by myself. 
There is a separate pages about the glazes used, with recipes and examples. All pottery produced at Hundred-aker-wood pottery is made from stoneware clays supplied by Bath Potters. The clays I use are a Potclays white stoneware with 30% sand, a professional flecked stoneware produced by Scarva Earthstone, and a Potclays clay with heavy flecking called Lavafleck. Each clay produces its own identity and characteristics. With two firings, the first biscuit firing takes the temparuture to 1000degrees and the glaze firing is taken to 1245 degrees. This high firing ensures all the pottery is oven/dishwasher and microwave proof. 
Due to the making process and high temperature firing, each pot is unique and the glaze colour and the pots’ dimensions may vary slightly This is part of my pottery’s character and only helps to enhance its ‘hand-made’ quality. Glazing is unlike mixing paint for it is possible for two firings with the same glaze to produce quite different results. The atmosphere within the kiln for each firing can make a big difference to the result of each firing. The effect is more pronounced in wood and gas firings but electric firings can also suffer or be enhanced from the variations. 
All my bisuit firings are done in a Cromartie top loading kiln a temperature of 1000 degrees whilst all glaze firings take place in my larger German built Rohde top loading studio kiln. Rohde kilns are highly recommended by myself, especially the customer service of the manufacturers. 
I make my pottery on an old kick wheel bought as a cast off from a Berkshire primary school. It has become a like a second skin to me as it suits me so well, the position of throwing can make a big difference the fluid action that you achieve. 
I will always keep my kickwheel but recently I purchased a magnificent portable electric wheel built in Derby by Discus potters wheels. For someone with limited space I can recommend this wheel highly.
I have recently also purchased 4 Crowley electric wheels for use during my lessons, here they are - brand new alongside my new transaport (not so brand new, but still smart and very useful). There are separate pages about some of my techniques and materials :-
Hand building methods. Follow this link The Glazes used, with recipes and examples. Follow this link |
