Hand-building pottery: pinch pots, coils, slabs and how to join clay with score and slip

TUREFF• •0

Hand-building is the oldest way of making pottery and needs nothing more than clay, your hands and a few simple tools. It is also the best way to learn how clay behaves. This guide covers the three core techniques and the joining method that holds everything together.

Tools that help

You can start with very little:

a wooden or plastic rolling pin and two strips of wood the same thickness, as guides for even slabs
a needle tool or a blunt knife for cutting
a fork or serrated tool for scoring
a sponge and a small bowl of water
plastic bags or sheets to slow drying

Pinch pots

A pinch pot starts as a ball of clay small enough to hold in one hand.

Push your thumb into the centre, stopping well short of the bottom.
Pinch the wall gently between thumb and fingers, turning the ball a little after each pinch.
Work from the bottom upwards in a spiral, thinning the walls evenly.
Smooth the rim with a damp finger or sponge.

Aim for even thickness rather than very thin walls. Two pinch pots joined rim to rim make a hollow form you can turn into a rattle, a bird or a closed vessel; poke a small hole in any closed form so trapped air can escape in the kiln.

Coil building

Coils let you build larger and taller pieces.

Roll clay into ropes of even thickness on a slightly damp surface, using your palms and fingers spread wide.
Start with a flat base cut from a slab.
Lay the first coil around the edge, joining it to the base.
Build up coil by coil, blending each one into the one below on the inside and outside.

Placing coils slightly outside or inside the one below makes the form widen or narrow. If the walls start to sag, let them firm up for a while before adding more.

Slab construction

Slabs are flat sheets of clay, good for boxes, plates, cylinders and anything with straight sides.

Roll the clay out between your guide strips so it is even all over.
Turn and flip the slab while rolling to keep it from sticking and to compress it.
Cut the shapes you need, using a paper template if you like.
For a box, let the slabs stiffen to leather-hard so they stand without bending, then join.

Soft slabs can also be draped over or into moulds, such as a bowl, to make curved forms.

Score and slip: joining clay properly

Joins are where hand-built pieces most often crack. Two surfaces pressed together will look joined but often pull apart as they dry. The answer is to score and slip:

Make sure both pieces are at a similar dampness. Joining very wet clay to leather-hard clay causes cracks.
Score both surfaces with crosshatched scratches.
Brush on slip, which is clay mixed with water to a thick, creamy consistency, made from the same clay you are using.
Press the pieces together firmly and wiggle slightly to lock the scoring.
Blend the seam with a tool or finger, and add a thin coil along inside corners for strength.

Drying slowly

Uneven drying causes cracks and warping. Thin parts such as rims, handles and edges dry faster than the body. Cover pieces loosely with plastic so they dry slowly and evenly, and keep them away from direct heat or sunlight. Very thick sections are also risky in the kiln, so hollow them out where you can.

Common beginner problems

Cracks at joins: not enough scoring and slip, or pieces at different dampness.
Walls collapsing: clay too wet, or building too fast; let it firm up.
Uneven walls: check thickness by feel as you go.
Cracks in the base: compress the base by pressing or rubbing it with a smooth tool.

What is the first thing you hand-built? Share your pieces and questions in the comments.