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Creating pots from slabs is a wonderful alternative making process. It has been
used by many potters to construct containers and plates and decorative items.
Rectangular, square, octagonal or oval shapes are easily made. Freed from the
roundness of thrown pots, a whole range of possibilities open up. You need
little in the way of expensive equipment, just a cutting wire and guide or a
rolling pin as a starting point.
Over the last twenty five years, we have used many techniques with slabs to
create both a range of functional tableware and our individual work.
The tableware range included square, octagonal & oval platters and these were
generally formed using a press mould or a drape mould. The master shapes were
formed from plaster or wood ( stacked particle board, waxed to aid releasing).
The drape moulds allowed us to attach a foot immediately while the press moulds
usually had an extruded rim and handles attached.
Platters that are not as rigid in form as when using the drape or press mould can be formed by laying a pre-cut slab of clay over a large sponge and then pressing a shape down into the sponge. This technique is very useful when the slab is to be decorated before pressing. It allows techniques like screen printing, mono printing, underglaze colouring or slip decorating to be done while the slab is a flat surface. The clay needs to be firm enough to hold the fluid shape when pressed.
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Revised: 20 Jun 2008