The three main pieces of equipment for potters are those for processing, shaping, and firing. Whether you have access to any or all of these will affect what type of clay you might use. Clay processors include:
Clay mixersPugmillsPugger-mixers Tools for hand-mixing and wedging
Shaping tools include:
Potter’s wheels Slab rollers Extruders
Firing in a kiln can be done in a few ways:
Do you own a kiln? Can you rent a kiln? Do you have access to kilns through classes?
Low-Fire: Cone 06 to Cone 3 (1,850–2,135 degrees F) Mid-Range: Cone 4 to Cone 7 (2,160–2,290 degrees F) High-Fire: Cone 8 to Cone 10 (2,315–2,380 degrees F)
Mixing clay yourself offers a couple of advantages. The first is economic: moist clay weighs a lot more than dry clay, and this is reflected in shipping costs. The other advantage of mixing your own is that you can use custom clay body recipes and modify them as desired. You can also create test pieces, such as tiles, bells, or bowls, and fire them according to a standard firing schedule. Examine how the clays behave and how they interact with the glazes you use.
