Learn about the basic tools and equipment for pottery making.
If you love to become a potter, having your basic tools and equipment for pottery is essential, as they are also essential for other fields.
The basic tools and equipment for pottery I provided below are not expensive. Most of these tools can be replaceable with our house items.
A potter without pottery tools can’t do anything apart from making a simple plate pot cylinder with their hand.
When it comes to serious work, pottery tools, and equipment are essential.
Now let’s get into the real deal of today.
Also, read how to learn pottery at home and how to make pottery without a pottery wheel.
Basic Tools And Equipment For Pottery
Starting a pottery hobby at home can be expensive, but some tools listed here are low-budget for you as a beginner.
Most pottery tools are replaceable with our house items. For example, you can use a regular needle instead of a professional awl. So if you can’t find a specific material, look around for something similar.
Working with clay requires a lot of time, dedication, and patience. We often forget that we will work with clay, so cleanliness and hygiene are not essential.
If you want to make a piece, below is the list of equipment and tools needed for pottery for you to start your pottery journey.
1. The Clay Or Mud
There are different types of clay on the market: earthenware, stoneware, and low-temperature porcelain. It depends a lot on what we want to create. Learn the best clay for a pottery wheel.
Resistant materials frequently get baked to avoid damage or melting when wet. However, not everyone has access to a ceramic kiln.
As a general rule, the firing mud is split into that which is of low temperature (950ºC to 1100ºC) and that which is of high temperature (1200ºC to 1280ºC).
Each one has a unique texture and color scheme. Air-drying clays are also available for manufacturing handmade ceramics. They are more delicate, yet they do not require baking.
So if you cannot access a kiln, we recommend air dry clay.
2. The Pottery Wheel
Indeed, we will start with the basics. The wheel is One of the most important tools for a potter’s excellent work; The excellent work depends on how effective the laws between the Porter are to his wheel.
A wheel is a machine that connects a large plate, located at the feet of the potter, with a smaller one, at the height of the hands, through an axis.
By operating the pedal (if it is electric) or pushing the wheel or steering wheel with your feet (if it is manual), the plate where the clay is deposited will rotate to be able to mold it.
If you want more information, we have an article on pottery wheels.
I recommend you check out our article about what a potter wheel is and learn to make a pottery wheel easy for you to learn.
3. Apron And Towel
To be a pottery professional, you must lose your fear of getting dirty.
Dressing in comfortable clothing and protecting yourself with a long apron is essential in any workshop, whether a professional or an apprentice.
In addition, using towels or cleaning rags is ideal, especially for washing hands and purifying them of impurities that could damage our work during turning.
In this case, cotton towels are the best bet as they absorb water well, are affordable, and come in various sizes.
We recommend that you always carry two towels, one for your hands and a larger one for your legs or knees.
4. Pottery Cutting Wires
There are various materials and sizes so you can invest more or less depending on your clay volume.
Typically this is a nylon cord or thread with a wooden handle at each end.
One of the cheapest and most used options is the fishing line which uses a wooden clamp.
If you disassemble the clamp, you can use each part as a handle and tie the ends of the fishing line there. With it, you can cut the clay blocks or divide/separate pieces on the pottery wheel.
A steel string with handles at the ends provides a secure grip and facilitates work, protecting the potter’s hands from damage.
Cutting wires is an essential tool in pottery. It is used for cutting clay layers and removing products from the potter’s wheels.
Although the basic set of pottery tools seems simple and small, each element can be adapted to a particular operation.
Over time, your set will increase. There are not many tools. There are loved ones and irreplaceable ones.
5. Sponges
In addition to cleaning, sponges are an ideal tool for managing the amount of water.
Whether natural or synthetic, you can distribute the water and absorb the excess with a medium sponge.
For the clay to be fresh and moldable, it must be moist.
It is where the sponge comes into play, whose function is to moisten the piece during processing to prevent it from drying out and spoiling.
They are very useful in the first phase of turning when we place the block of clay on the pottery wheel and begin to lift it. At that time, having the right amount of water was crucial.
If it is too dry, the clay will not rotate and break; if it is too liquid, it will melt like ice cream.
A sponge is a versatile tool incredibly useful when working on a potter’s wheel, from wetting the clay during centring to soaking up excess water at the bottom of the product while working on a circle.
Sometimes, they are used in stretching and levelling the walls of the product, facilitating the moulding and shaping of the clay.
A sponge attached to a pencil or wooden stick can help remove or distribute water in the product’s hard-to-reach areas.
6. Pottery Scrapers
During turning, the main “tool” is the hands. You can obtain one or another shape depending on how you place your fingers and the pressure you exert.
You can use a scraper to help you, especially in large pieces (vases, pots).
Pottery Scrapers is a flat piece of wood, plastic, silicone, or stainless steel, about the size of a soap bar. With your hand and its profile, you can give a specific shape to the piece you are turning.
Depending on the profile’s shape, you can sink or lift a specific shape in the clay, easily reproducing it in other pieces.
But rather than sculpting and smoothing clay like ribs, scrapers are used to remove it. Scrapers weigh less than ribs as well.
Consider purchasing a scraper with serrated edges when looking. With its edges, you can do more than scrape clay away. Additionally, you want one with durable, sharp edges that are safe to touch.
If you want to learn how I made a cylinder, soap dish, picture frame, and plates out of clay, click on each topic that interests you below.
7. pottery punches
They are the most frequent use tools and also the most varied. It is a piece of metal with a sharp end connected to a handle. Like gouges for wood carving, these basic tools help us execute shapes with great precision and detail.
It is the equivalent of a sculptor’s spatula to give us an idea. Therefore, it is logical that there is a wide range of shapes and sizes.
It should be noted that many of these tools are sold as a kit, that is, in packages with various shapes.
Today there are very cheap options so you can have a complete assortment of wires and punches for very little money.
The most essential forms are that of ajuga and that of an embosser. In any case, make sure they are not repeated and have a comfortable size to work with.
As you carry out your ceramic projects, you will see which forms you use the most and which you should invest in quality.
8. Pottery Wood Shapers
Whether you use a pottery wheel or mould by hand, these tools are elementary. They are small wooden strips, very thin, with one end that has been given a specific shape.
They are the size of a pencil, and like wires and punches, there is a wide variety at an affordable price.
These basic tools are used for multiple tasks, some as important as precisely joining multiple ceramic layers or creating a decorative groove.
Also, being made of wood, they are more elastic than steel or plastic, something to consider when working with a material as malleable as clay.
9. Pottery Knives
They can be made of wood or plastic and are necessary to smoothly finish off some elements, such as handles or spikes, that decorate your clay piece.
A fettling knife resembles a standard knife, except its flexible blade tapers to a point. It’s a fantastic multipurpose tool for potters.
You can trim, carve, apply the sgraffito scratching method, erase mold imprints, and sculpt clay models. The handles are typically made of wood, while the blades are typically made of steel.
When looking for the ideal fettling knife, look for implements with truly flexible blades that don’t easily rust or dull; the better the blade, the more enjoyable the experience will be.
Additionally, it would help if you had a comfortable handle to grip for a long time while working.
10. The Awl (Needle)
The awl (needle) is a tool with a metal tip and a handle holder. It is used for trimming and cutting parts, notches, notches, holes, markings, trimming edges, and measuring the depth of a product.
applying simple drawings on raw materials, and also after applying a layer of engobe (sgraffito technique – obtaining a pattern by scratching the top, painted layer)
The simplest tools might occasionally offer the best value for your money. Slender steel tools with needle-like heads and occasionally handles are known as potters needles.
It may do various tasks when working with clay, including sculpting and adding complex details, splitting products on the wheel, and delicately removing clay.
Be sure to prioritize quality and security when searching for your potter’s needle. Look for strong, long-lasting materials that won’t rust or dull.
Additionally, you want tools that can be used in various ways. To sum up, a tool that increases value by shortening your workday is a priceless asset.
Pottery loops are required to turn, rotate completed products, and cut the edge. You can use them to provide a raw ceramic product’s surface relief and texture. Our set has a large single-sided loop with a short handle and a double-ended loop.
11. Spatulas
Similar to the previous ones, spatulas for potters are similar to those for painters. It has a wooden handle and a flexible flat metal end to shape, add or remove clay. Depending on its shape, you can also use it as a flat scraper, although you must use it carefully: if you press too hard, it can act like a knife and cut the piece.
12. The Kilns Or Oven
According to the definition of ceramics, it is the art of making objects in clay or other ceramic material through heat. The tool that will finish off our work with heat is the Kilns.
Kilns have many types: large, medium, small, gas, electric, and wood. Currently, there is everything on the market and at affordable prices.
We have another article on ceramic kilns that sheds more light on the subject.
Thanks to the action of heat, the clay vitrifies. That is, its particles fuse. As a result, we found that the hardness and plasticity of fired clay differ from when it is fresh.
12. Brushes
Like sponges, brushes are very useful for retaining small amounts of water. With tact and patience, we can blur small impurities or joints, make touch-ups or paint our piece with the desired color.
Therefore, we advise you to have 3 or 4 brushes -at least- and of different sizes. By assigning each brush to a specific task, you’ll improve your technique and avoid cleaning it every time you switch from clay to paint.
In any case, it is important that as you improve your technique, you allocate more resources to the tools you use.
We know that it is very annoying to have to change a tool that you mastered perfectly. Although all these tools are basic for any ceramist, in some, you will have to invest more if you want to achieve a professional finish according to your style.
On our garden craft home blog, you will find more tips on pottery and crafts. We are a marketing agency specializing in artisan companies, where we help to create and communicate your brand and offer you personalized advice.
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Conclusion
Having a comprehensive list of the tools and equipment used in pottery and ceramics, you must know your budget before buying anything.
If you prefer using your house item to make ceramics, you can buy other tools once the money comes.
I recommend you read how to start making pottery at home without spending money.
Also read: is pottery wheel hard to learn?
