Ceramic - Pottery Dictionary

by Susan Mussi

SLAB - Rolled tubes

ca: PLAQUES - Làmines per a tubs

es: PLACAS - Láminas para tubos

Rolled clay – clay tubes. You can make a clay tube by rolling clay round cylinders that can be made of cardboard, wood, metal, etc. You must wrap the cylinder with several layers of wet paper, doing this makes it easy to separate them when the tube is finished.

Working sequence
a) Put the cylinder on top of the clay and lift up one side.
b) Lift up the other edge until the edges overlap.
c) Cut through both at 45º and remove the unwanted bits on both ends. Lute and paint the edges with thick slurry, join them firmly and level out till the joint cannot be seen.

Note: (d – e) The place where the two sides join can be made to protrude or overlap as decoration.


f) Cut out the floor, a circle of clay the same diameter as the outer edge of the clay tube.
g) Attach the floor to the tube.
h) Fill up and level off all the joins so they cannot be seen.

Leave it lying on its side to dry until the clay is strong enough not to bend then pull out the cylinder leaving the paper inside. This must be done at this point, as the clay shrinks while drying and would break if left against the solid cylinder. When dry enough, stand it up and take out the paper.