Oxford Clay

Refiring is firing pottery again after it has already been glaze-fired once. But why on earth would a Potter want to do that?! In this episode we discuss what refiring is, and some reasons why a Potter may want to fire their work again. Potters may re-fire their work for example if their pot has been underfired in the first firing, which can sometimes happen if the kiln switches off accidentally during the firing cycle or if the kiln hasn’t reached a hot enough temperature. Another reason to refire pottery is if you don’t like how the glaze looks after the first glaze firing. In this episode, I tell you about two top tips for re-firing pottery from a potters book by Bernard Leach as well as my two failed attempts at refiring pottery!The book featured in this episode is A Potters Book by Bernard Leach the 1976 edition published by Faber and Faber. -------------------------------*New book: Eco-conscious Pottery Colour is available on the Oxford Clay website here.*A paper copy of Eco-conscious Pottery Colour is available from Amazon here.-------------------------------Resources for Potters:Oxford Clay website resources for PottersPottery eBooksDownload the Free How to Make a Pottery Glaze Workbook (suitable for beginners):Download the Free How to programme an Electric Kiln for bisque and stoneware glaze firings (includes full kiln firing schedule)Pottery Paperback Books available from AmazonVideo mini-courses for PottersOxford Clay blog------------------------------------Get your pottery question answered on the podcast!Submit your pottery question to the Oxford Clay podcast by emailing your question to: [email protected] with the subject line ‘Podcast Question’.

I learned the concept of a ‘Second Brain’ from the book: ‘Building a Second Brain: A Proven Method to Organise Your Digital Life and Unlock Your Creative Potential’ by Tiago Forte.In this episode, I talk about what a second brain is, and why it’s so amazing for anyone with creative ideas (ie everyone!). I explain four reasons why having a second brain is particularly useful for Pottery makers. As well as what my own second brain looks like at Oxford Clay. -------------------------------*New book: Eco-conscious Pottery Colour is available on the Oxford Clay website here.*A paper copy of Eco-conscious Pottery Colour is available from Amazon here.-------------------------------Resources for Potters:Oxford Clay website resources for PottersPottery eBooksDownload the Free How to Make a Pottery Glaze Workbook (suitable for beginners):Download the Free How to programme an Electric Kiln for bisque and stoneware glaze firings (includes full kiln firing schedule)Pottery Paperback Books available from AmazonVideo mini-courses for PottersOxford Clay blog------------------------------------Get your pottery question answered on the podcast!Submit your pottery question to the Oxford Clay podcast by emailing your question to: [email protected] with the subject line ‘Podcast Question’.

Making your own casting slip can save money and be more environmentally friendly.CO2 is saved from transporting powdered ingredients rather than the water present in ready-made casting slips. In addition, Potters can control exactly what ingredients they are using, sourcing ones mined in areas of high regulation.Making casting slip is also really fun, especially when you see the magic of how a deflocculant works to make the clay runny!You can find an eco-conscious casting slip recipe in the book: Eco-Friendly PotteryI learned to make my own casting slip from books, YouTube videos and a lot of trial and error! In this episode, I tell you about the 13 top tips I've learned over this time:*Wear an FFP3 Facemask when working with powders*Use a plastic gardening scoop to measure out powders*Keep powders in a metal bin with a lid, on a wheeled platform for manoeuvrability*Use rainwater*Use paper in slip to add strength to your work*Use a recipe with ball clay to add strength to your work*Weigh out the deflocculant onto the paper you’re adding to your slip (no washing up spoons!)*Use a hand stick blender to blend the water, paper and deflocculant first, before adding to the dry ingredients*Make up small amounts of slip each time (5ltrs) to minimise the risk of over-deflocculation*Use a paddle mixer to mix slip*Use a silicone spatula*Always sieve slip before use (even if washing the sieve afterwards is annoying!)*To make the slip more runny, try adding water first, before adding any more deflocculant!-------------------------------*New book: Eco-conscious Pottery Colour is available on the Oxford Clay website here.*A paper copy of Eco-conscious Pottery Colour is available from Amazon here.-------------------------------Resources for Potters:Oxford Clay website resources for PottersPottery eBooksDownload the Free How to Make a Pottery Glaze Workbook (suitable for beginners):Download the Free How to programme an Electric Kiln for bisque and stoneware glaze firings (includes full kiln firing schedule)Pottery Paperback Books available from AmazonVideo mini-courses for PottersOxford Clay blog------------------------------------Get your pottery question answered on the podcast!Submit your pottery question to the Oxford Clay podcast by emailing your question to: [email protected] with the subject line ‘Podcast Question’.

Having a perfectly flat base or rim on a pot adds a professional feel to handmade pottery.In this episode, I tell you about an amazingly simple and easy technique to create perfectly flat bases or rims on your pottery. After having read about this pottery technique in a book, it is now something I use on every one of my pots!-------------------------------*New book: Eco-conscious Pottery Colour is available on the Oxford Clay website here.*A paper copy of Eco-conscious Pottery Colour is available from Amazon here.-------------------------------Resources for Potters:Oxford Clay website resources for PottersPottery eBooksDownload the Free How to Make a Pottery Glaze Workbook (suitable for beginners):Download the Free How to programme an Electric Kiln for bisque and stoneware glaze firings (includes full kiln firing schedule)Pottery Paperback Books available from AmazonVideo mini-courses for PottersOxford Clay blog------------------------------------Get your pottery question answered on the podcast!Submit your pottery question to the Oxford Clay podcast by emailing your question to: [email protected] with the subject line ‘Podcast Question’.