getting started, the what's and how's

G'Day Go, It all depends where you live!!! Yours in clay Elaine.

Hi GO; Also depends on how much you already know. Do you need to take classes? Will you need an electrician to come and upgrade your electrical supply fo your kiln? If you are starting from 0 you can probably get by with about $5,000 to start. Maybe you will find some used equiptment and that would be cheaper. Good luck.

Sandi

You don't say much about how much you know about pottery and throwing and firing, or if you are even sure you enjoy it.

I would definitely suggest that you go slow on getting equipment. If you take your time, you can probably find very good used equipment at a pottery supplier (refurbished) or even on e-bay. Also, if you have vocational schools near you, or even high schools, check firstly if they can fire your stuff for you. Kilns are a big investment. Also check if it is possible for you to take courses there - or even just to borrow the pottery workshop outside the normal hours of use in order to make your own stuff and not have to transport it back and forth.

I will be making several videos on YouTube about starting out with pottery (I am no expert, I just know what I have experienced myself and read mainly on this group and in books) - with very basic equipment - normal household stuff. This won't be for throwing, of course, but there are many other ways to make something you want to out of clay.

The video isn't edited yet, but you can check if it is there (will be called Potery 101) within a week or so.

yes - also, vocational schools and high schools often replace their equipment and you might be able to get something a bit cheaper that way. Tell us more about where you are at pottery-wise and geographically, and I am sure you will get some more helpful hints.

Marianne

Where are you?

Thanks Marianne,

I have done pottery at school and really enjoyed it. I love working with clay and the finished products. No doubt it has been sometime, however I keep gravitating back to the idea of doing it on the side as a hobby and little earner..

You give some good ideas--thanks. I no doubt will need to go to classes to learn more and get a feel for it, however am interested in seeing if there are any home made equipment ideas out there too. No doubt the great pottery of the past wasn't made with the latest and greatest of our age ;-)

I do look forward to your videos and have made the page a favourite for me to visit from time to time. Many thanks for you answers and comments.

I am based in Brisbane Australia.

GO

Bubbles_ wrote:

Hi again Go I am in the Caboolture area, I was teaching pottery and sculpture here for many years known as Beachmere Pottery, also BPQ Kilns now semi retired, maybe we can help, if you contact me or I can contact you. Yours in clay Elaine

You are about at where I was when I wanted to set up my own little workshop, then. All I had to start with was some tools and the wheel that I bought cheap from my teacher.

I see you have gotten a response under here from Elaine. Hope that works out well!

Do be careful not to invest too much in the beginning. If you don't watch out, this can become a pretttty expensive hobby!

I have had 3 different teachers in the past 5 years. The one I have now is so diverse in her knowledge, she's more like 5 teachers in one! Hehe! I never do stop learning, and the time spent with others who also love pottery is definitely quality time. I also get inspiration from what they are making. Plus that I can ask my teacher about things I am wondering about, from oven temperatures to repairing stuff that has gone wrong, etc.

I think I will show either coil building or pinching in my next "pottery

101". You are so right about it being totally possible to make nice things without a lot of tools!

That's great! You just gave me the push I needed to get editing that first

101-video! Hehe!

Well, then! G'day! :-D

Keep smiling

Marianne

That pretty much makes my information useless (cheapest place I found for kiln, wheel, etc.). I do agree that think looking for used equipment, starting small, building what you can on your own, etc. is a good idea. If there is a potter near by whose work you like, you can apprentice yourself out to them. I have never known a potter that is not creative in making something out of nothing.

Remember that pottery has been done for 10s of thousands of years (long before electricity and fancy big wood burning kilns). Starting with the most primative methods can teach you alot about your material and the craft. Try doing pit firirng for example. All those old credit cards make great ribs and cleanup tools. Old guitar string or any wire tied to coat buttons, large washers, sticks, etc. makes for a wonderful cutting string (in fact with twisting 2 or more wires together you can make the pattern of the cut that you like). Learn to look at kitchen or garage odds and ends with clay in mind. Go to garage sales and keep an eye out for things that make patterns, can cut, or just have a shape you like. Start out doing slab and coil work.

You really don't need a 5K studio to do pottery. I spent about half that for a new kiln and wheel. I bought new because I knew exactly what I wanted, and a variety of other reasons (mostly a treat to myself after spending many years moving from place to place and wanting to no longer be dependent on local studio space).

I don't know if you have L&L kilns there (I suspect not). I bought a short and wide kiln. I know my work well enough to know that I'm not going to be throwing a piece taller than a foot and a half (if I did it would be fired on it's side) but that I do like really wide pieces (garden platters) so I wanted to be sure the kiln was wide enough. My kiln interior measures

28"WX18"H. It has almost as much cubic space as the typical tall kiln and I can fire more than one plate at a time on a shelf.

(I got this kiln for much less - look around before you buy).I learned to throw on a Shimpo and have never come across a wheel I like better. When they came out with the Whisper (it really is silent), I knew this was what I wanted. Basically what I'm trying to get at is that only you can know yourself well enough to know what is going to fit your needs. If you don't have a feel for that yet, hold off on buying what can be really expensive equipment. At the same time don't be timid (unless it suits you), pottery is a craft that feeds the soul for life.

Good luck! Let us hear from you please.

Donna

Hi Donna, you reminded me of what I started with 32 years ago. I had my classes learning pottery in Sydney, then moved to Queensland, my first wheel was a stand at kick wheel, the kiln was a raku kiln built out of house bricks and these two items I used for 7 years, I learned a lot about the way of clay and firing with wood in that time. I must say I still love it all.

In clay again Elaine

I don't suppose you remember how that kiln was built? I fire electric now but cannot hear the word raku without drooling (it is associated with plum wine, good food, good company and good times). You actually fired using wood and house bricks. I didn't know that could be done... If you remember anything, please share!

Donna

Hi Donna, yes I do remember and I still have a Raku kiln and the plans, do you want to get in touch with me and I will give you a copy, also I had fun getting this kiln to S/W temp one day I used a piece of steel pipe and a blower to do it I found it was so exciting with the flames leaping out of the chimney, but the bricks started to self glaze and the pipe started to melt, but what a great day that was. Elaine still in clay.

LOL, I can see the pipe melting...

Yes, I would love to see the plans. My guess is that this email won't work for to you (mine won't).

I'm at snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com

Thanks a lot. Looking forward to seeing the plans. Donna

Hi again, I should have said I can be contacted through my web page,

Elaine.

ok, you're in austrailia. now everyone knows wheels that spin counter clockwise "up here" spin clockwise "down there". so keep that in mind...

see ya

steve

Ela> Hi again,

Thanks Elaine.

At this stage I am planning ahead in my life and really want to get into pottery as one of my goals and loves. At this stage, the plan involves finding out as much as I can from people in the game to see what is involved, the costs, pitfalls etc, before I can give a commitment of time to it.

I will most definitely make your website a favourite in my browser, and will be in touch when I get the time I need to pursue this.

Many thanks.

Kurt

GO = Garage Office - it's where I am sitt> Hi again Go