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Whenever anyone decides to work on pottery or ceramics, they usually don't have a lot of money to invest or don't want to spend a lot of money.
Some of us are pretty good at make shifting tools, tables, chairs and shelves.
Sometimes this works and sometimes it makes it harder or almost impossible to work.
There is nothing worse than being uncomfortable or not having the right tools to do a job right.
A lot of times it will even cause one to decide not to do pottery or ceramics.
Below are five very important tips that I wish I would have had, or known, when I started out in ceramics.

STOOL

BANDING WHEEL

TEST TILES

NOTES

WITNESS CONES

I can't tell you how important it is to use witness cones, even if you have an electronic controller, in regular language that means a computer controlled kiln .
If your glazes are not real picky about temperature, you can probably get away with not using witness cones in every firing.
But, if a glaze comes out weird and you have no witness cone in the kiln, it is almost impossible to know for sure whether it was fired to hot or too cool.
There has been so many times where I am glad I have used a witness cone.
In the past I just put self-supporting cones inside the kiln so I could tell after the fact, what happened.
Did the kiln get to the right temperature?
Was this shelf a little cool or too hot?
But now I am actually placing the cones so I can see them through the peep hole with my kiln glasses.
It is surprising how often my controller stops either a little cool or a little hot, depending on the firing program I use and how the kiln is loaded.
By watching it, I can stop the kiln early or let it run longer, as needed.
It really is worth it to do this at least at few times with your kiln.
Then you can decide if it is worth it for you to continue.

These few hints will hopefully help you while working with ceramics and pottery.
Whenever working with clay, any precautions that you can take will save you time and will produce the exact outcome you want for that piece.

GOOD LUCK AND HAVE FUN!!!!!

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Have you ever come up with a good idea while working with your handmade pottery or ceramics and thought that you would like to share it with others? You have? Well, why not send it to us and we will add it to the tips page for all to see.

Handmade pottery can be a very gratifying hobby that produces fun and satisfying results. For many people it's an enjoyable release that is created by working an inanimate mound of clay into a beautiful work of art that you made through your artistic abilities.

The best way of starting out is to take a few lessons. You will probably waste quite a bit in materials when you first get started. Figuring out how to truly make handmade pottery correctly and shape into what you want it to be can be quite an ordeal. The different tools that a normal shop will have can be fun to try. You will soon see which ones you like to use the most and then when you are ready you will know which ones to buy.

When you get all set up, just enjoy the hobby and have fun at it. Some people get pretty serious and start selling their creations at craft fairs and small stores, but others just like to create items for themselves, relatives, and friends. Whichever kind of handmade pottery you desire to endeavor, enjoy the hobby and have fun doing it.