Learning the Basics of Using a Pottery Wheel


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For those who are looking to pursue the creation of pottery for the first time, getting your hands on pottery wheels for beginners is the best way to start. Though pottery can also be formed via injection molding, casting, and hand shaping, which is the oldest method for making pottery, throwing the clay on potters wheels is a great way to get comfortable with the basics.

Before shaping the clay, you may want to add ingredients such as grog or sand in order to give the fired material a specific look or texture.

When you throw clay in order to shape it properly, you put it on what is essentially a rotating turntable called the wheel head. This turntable can then be powered with an electric motor that can change speeds, a foot pedal, or simply with the use of a stick. The term throwing in pottery lingo comes from the word thrawan, which means to turn or twist in Old English.

In addition to finding pottery wheels for sale, it should be mentioned that obtaining a pottery kiln to effectively fire the clay is absolutely essential. Only after you have fired the material can it be considered pottery.


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