Hey all!
An episode of me convincing myself to not buy things.
I think I mentioned in my first post that I've been doing pottery lately. I got started by taking a tester session at my local pottery studio, and then did 3 short weekly courses over the past few months. Now, after finishing up on the third course, I have joined the studio as a member, starting in August. There's been a bit of time in between finishing the course and until August, so I find myself dreaming as usual about being able to do pottery at home...
I know I'm a beginner and will be for a while, and I know I shouldn't commit large amounts of money to buying expensive equipment... Anyway, it doesn't stop me planning and dreaming; I don't have to enact any of these plans!
What I already own
Books
- DK Complete Pottery Techniques
- The Complete Home Potter by Josie Warshaw
- I borrowed it from the library a couple times before deciding I'd like a 2nd hand copy, because there's a lot of good information about the 'science'; what clay's made of, glaze recipes, etc. plus some interesting clay projects
- Simon Leach's Pottery Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide to Throwing Beautiful, Functional Pots
- I got given this one for free by my sister who did pottery a few years ago!
Tools
- 1 x hake brush
- 1 x do all trim tool
- This is definitely way more fancy than I need, given that I'm a beginner, but I bought this as a treat for myself! Plus, I found that the trimming tools at my local pottery studio were often not super sharp
- 1 x natural sponge
- I know I can buy synthetic sponges for much cheaper but I'd love it if I could keep plastic waste down to a minimum. I may end up getting a big synthetic one for cleaning if there isn't a good non plastic alternative, though
Let me note here that along with the few bits above, all I really would need to start making clay at home is the first list below; no big equipment is actually needed if I just start with hand building and pit firing!
What I'd love to get for pottery at home
I know this sounds very acquisitive; I guess it is. But maybe I'll think of it as similar to adding an item to my cart and leaving it there until I forget about it and don't end up buying it 🤓
The Other Smaller Stuff
- Clay! Yes, I need the basic stuff to get going 😆
- Get a low cost earthenware variety, groggy, if I'm going to fire without a kiln...
- Modelling tools
- For hand building/sculpture
- Cutting wire
- Some bits of untreated wood/porous surface to work on
- If I'm lucky this could be salvaged for free from somewhere
- 1-2 buckets
- For reclaim, waste water, etc.
- Can probably also be found for free
- Bonus: A banding wheel
The Big (Less Necessary) Equipment
I'm gonna caveat all of this to say that I don't need either of these things! I don't need a wheel because I could do handbuilding, and I don't need a kiln because I could try and fire stuff outdoors a la Andy Ward.
- A 2nd hand and/or cheap, wheel (£100-150)
- No point getting something really expensive right off the bat, when I am not even confident centring my clay, and my commitment to the hobby as a whole could taper off at any moment
- A 2nd hand kiln or small new kiln that doesn't require new wiring
- This is probably the least likely thing to buy; the thing that I should avoid buying for as long as possible, again because my track record with hobbies is often 'pick up hobby for the summer, and then never touch it again'.
- I might have space for it, but for now I should really just wait 'til August, and make use of the pottery studio's firing space
Anyway; there you have it... I'm going to try resist a while longer. I'm sure I can make it until August (only a few days now woohoo) and then I can get to the studio and make things there without having to buy anything!
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