The Most Unsatisfying, Satisfying Process in Pottery

The fit of this lid is a bit embarrassing. Thankfully, provided you’ve left some bare clay around where the lid and body connect you can actually fix it. The paste applied is like greasy sandpaper, it wears away the warped stoneware and gradually, with enough elbow grease, the two parts will slot together nicely. I know I often write about making the lids “intentionally” large so that they can be ground to fit perfectly but this is a bit of joke.   I’m often asked why I don’t do this entire process on the wheel and I think this video demonstrates that quite well. The initial grinding is quite a careful task as you need to take it slowly and steadily as if twisted too harshly and abruptly the thin sections can lock tight and even crack. Thus, it’s worn down slowly, rocking it from side to side and easing the lid into place gradually, as opposed to just showing one against the other, which is really all you can do on the wheel. It’s a fantastic tool but in this instance, it lacks finesse.   I know what my mistake was with this batch of jars, the lip of the body and the locating flange of the lid were thrown and trimmed too thinly, resulting in warpage from occurring during the cone ten reduction firing. I’ve made a note already in my worksheets and the pot information therein telling me to use an extra 100 grams of clay when I next make a batch.   #oddlysatisfying #asmr #pottery #ceramics #handmade