CERAMIC TERMS
1. Armature: A framework around which clay can be modeled.
2. Bench wheel: A portable turntable for rotating clay objects while being formed, decorated or otherwise worked.
3. Bisque: Clay that has been fired once, unglazed.
4. Bisque fire: The first firing of a clay piece.
5. Blowout: The explosion of clay in a kiln caused by sudden escape of steam that results from rapid heat, the presence of impurities, moisture, and/or air bubbles.
6. Bone-dry: The condition of unfired clay that has no absorbed moisture other than natural humidity.
7. Carving: Decorating by cutting into the clay surface.
8. Coil: Rope-like roll of clay used in hand building.
9. Dipping: Coating ceramic objects by immersing them in slip or glaze.
10. Fettling knife: clay knife tool.
11. Foot: The base of a ceramic piece.
12. Glaze: A glass-like coating, bonded to a ceramic surface by heat.
13. Glaze-fire: A cycle during which glaze materials are heated sufficiently to melt, forming a glassy surface coating when cooled.
14. Greenware: Unfired clay objects.
15. High fire glaze: Glaze that fires at a higher temperature.
16. High relief: A strongly raised or deeply carved pattern.
17. Kiln: A furnace or oven for firing ceramic projects.
18. Kneading: Working clay on a surface with the palms of the hands to remove air bubbles and to create a uniform consistency.
19. Leather-hard: The condition of raw clay when most of the moisture has evaporated, but is still soft enough to be carved or joined to other pieces.
20. Low fire glaze: Glaze that fires at the same temperature as a bisque fire (lower temp).
21. Matt finish: The non-glossy surface quality of a completely fired glaze.
22. Maturity: The firing point at which glaze ingredients have reached complete fusion or when clay has reached maximum non-porosity and hardness.
23. Pinch-forming: A method of forming objects by pinching the clay wall with the fingers.
24. Pin tool: A needle-like tool used to trim uneven tops of wheel thrown clay objects, or used for carving.
25. Pot lifters: Metal tools used to lift a wet piece of pottery off the wheel.
26. Ribbon tool: a tool used when trimming clay forms on the wheel.
27. Rim: The top of a clay form.
28. Score: Scratching or roughening up of a clay surface before attaching another piece of clay.
29. Slab: A flat piece of clay.
30. Slip: A mixture of clay and water used when attaching two pieces of clay together.
31. Stamping: A method of decoration by pushing objects into soft clay.
32. Template: A pattern placed against a clay form used as a guide in shaping.
33. Throwing: To use the potter’s wheel to make forms from clay.
34. Trimming: The method of carving away excess clay while the leather-hard form is rotating on the potter’s wheel.
35. Undercut: The inward slant of a foot on a ceramics piece.
36. Ware board: A board used for storing pottery projects.
37. Wax-resist: Melted wax used to prevent glaze from adhering to a clay surface.
38. Wedge: Removing air bubbles from clay by kneading.
1. Armature: A framework around which clay can be modeled.
2. Bench wheel: A portable turntable for rotating clay objects while being formed, decorated or otherwise worked.
3. Bisque: Clay that has been fired once, unglazed.
4. Bisque fire: The first firing of a clay piece.
5. Blowout: The explosion of clay in a kiln caused by sudden escape of steam that results from rapid heat, the presence of impurities, moisture, and/or air bubbles.
6. Bone-dry: The condition of unfired clay that has no absorbed moisture other than natural humidity.
7. Carving: Decorating by cutting into the clay surface.
8. Coil: Rope-like roll of clay used in hand building.
9. Dipping: Coating ceramic objects by immersing them in slip or glaze.
10. Fettling knife: clay knife tool.
11. Foot: The base of a ceramic piece.
12. Glaze: A glass-like coating, bonded to a ceramic surface by heat.
13. Glaze-fire: A cycle during which glaze materials are heated sufficiently to melt, forming a glassy surface coating when cooled.
14. Greenware: Unfired clay objects.
15. High fire glaze: Glaze that fires at a higher temperature.
16. High relief: A strongly raised or deeply carved pattern.
17. Kiln: A furnace or oven for firing ceramic projects.
18. Kneading: Working clay on a surface with the palms of the hands to remove air bubbles and to create a uniform consistency.
19. Leather-hard: The condition of raw clay when most of the moisture has evaporated, but is still soft enough to be carved or joined to other pieces.
20. Low fire glaze: Glaze that fires at the same temperature as a bisque fire (lower temp).
21. Matt finish: The non-glossy surface quality of a completely fired glaze.
22. Maturity: The firing point at which glaze ingredients have reached complete fusion or when clay has reached maximum non-porosity and hardness.
23. Pinch-forming: A method of forming objects by pinching the clay wall with the fingers.
24. Pin tool: A needle-like tool used to trim uneven tops of wheel thrown clay objects, or used for carving.
25. Pot lifters: Metal tools used to lift a wet piece of pottery off the wheel.
26. Ribbon tool: a tool used when trimming clay forms on the wheel.
27. Rim: The top of a clay form.
28. Score: Scratching or roughening up of a clay surface before attaching another piece of clay.
29. Slab: A flat piece of clay.
30. Slip: A mixture of clay and water used when attaching two pieces of clay together.
31. Stamping: A method of decoration by pushing objects into soft clay.
32. Template: A pattern placed against a clay form used as a guide in shaping.
33. Throwing: To use the potter’s wheel to make forms from clay.
34. Trimming: The method of carving away excess clay while the leather-hard form is rotating on the potter’s wheel.
35. Undercut: The inward slant of a foot on a ceramics piece.
36. Ware board: A board used for storing pottery projects.
37. Wax-resist: Melted wax used to prevent glaze from adhering to a clay surface.
38. Wedge: Removing air bubbles from clay by kneading.