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terracotta flower pots

updated mon 9 nov 98

 

Tony Hermsen on tue 3 nov 98

Since reading Toni's post, I just wanted to take this thread a little =
farther.
As I mentioned in my earlier reply, most terracotta planters are under =
fired,
the reason being that they are usually considered or treated as biscuit ware
(they are so easy to once fire along with your regular biscuit, right?). =
This
does not make for the strongest and most durable ware - so fire them as high=
as
your clay body will allow and you will have very durable flower pots. This =
is
especially important in areas where the climate is cold and frosty (I guess =
that
leaves out Africa - at last report I think it still qualifies as a frost =
free
zone). It is also a good idea to make your flower pots in the standard =
flower
pot shape (narrow at the bottom and wider at the top). Should your pot and =
soil
get frozen the water in the soil will expand. With a standard flower pot =
shape,
the soil will simply expand upward thereby preventing the pot from cracking =
due
to frost. Undercut shapes, on the other hand, will crack if the soil in them
expands upon freezing. Most terracotta clay bodies for garden ware should
contain a filler, this is usually a clay grog (usually the same body). =
Although
this gives the body good working strength and drying properties, especially =
for
larger pieces, it is not the ideal filler to use for garden pots. You are =
better
off using sand as a filler rather than grog. The reason being simply that =
the
grog remain porous just like the rest of the body and thereby takes on =
moisture.
If sand is used, it will not take on additional moisture, thereby making the
body act a little more vitrified and consequentially stronger than a body
containing grog.
Any way, out of time for today, hope that helps any flower pot makers out =
there.
Next post I will include a simple terracotta body recipe and a clear glaze =
that
fits it.

Dee Clay on thu 5 nov 98

I am in need of an answer to a students question regarding store bought terra-
cotta flower pots. He doesn't want to take the time to learn to throw. Just
wants to glaze pots and have me fire (electric) . I recommended he paint them
with oil or acrylic but he wants to fire them. Any advice as to what cone? I
don't think I want to do it in the school's kiln.
TIA Diane in Miami

Patsy Catsos on fri 6 nov 98


In a message dated 11/05/98 3:10:25 PM, you wrote:

<terra-
cotta flower pots. He doesn't want to take the time to learn to throw. Just
wants to glaze pots and have me fire (electric) . I recommended he paint them
with oil or acrylic but he wants to fire them. Any advice as to what cone? I
don't think I want to do it in the school's kiln.
TIA Diane in Miami
>>

I've had students decorate them with underglaze and then fired with or without
a transparent glaze to cone 05. I've never had any trouble with this
procedure.

Patsy Catsos
Cape Elizabeth, Maine

Cheryl Fisher on sat 7 nov 98

I have fired these at home - low-fire 05-06. Wary of it but okay.
Problem might be that some of the pots have a sealer on it that will
resist glaze. Messed around with some pots and platters (for holding
water from plants) using majolica glaze. Glaze would not stick to
platters. Also have messed around with donated bisqued red tiles.
Strange thing happened to one. We fired it and needed to refire it
again. The second time it got a huge bubble in it (golf ball size).
Didn't explode but it was weird so I'd be very careful. Couldn't figure
out why it did it the second time and not the first.

Cheryl
cafish@gte.net
Sarasota, FL

John & Anne Worner on sat 7 nov 98

Hi Dee,

I have a friend who has done majollica on flower pots. She glaze fires to
^06. She seems to have had good success with it.

Anne Worner
Spring, TX

Dee Clay wrote:

> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> I am in need of an answer to a students question regarding store bought terra-
> cotta flower pots. He doesn't want to take the time to learn to throw. Just
> wants to glaze pots and have me fire (electric) . I recommended he paint them
> with oil or acrylic but he wants to fire them. Any advice as to what cone? I
> don't think I want to do it in the school's kiln.
> TIA Diane in Miami

WP Menard on sun 8 nov 98

Diane--

I recently took a low-fire class in order to learn how to handle
low-fire underglazes and glazes with an eye toward testing for high
fire, and to see how the other half lives...sorry. ;-}

One of the techniques our instructor (a china painter) showed us was
simple glazing and underglazing decorations on terra cotta flower pots.
I had a whole bunch of pots around as I often use them for trimming
chucks, so I glazed a few and had a great time. No pressure, no hassle,
no fuss. If the glaze job comes out bad (it seldom does), toss the pot
and start again.

First, make sure your student purchases Italian-made terra cotta pots.
They cost a few pennies more, but they hold up better (especially in the
kiln) and last longer than those made in Mexico.

Second, the decorations look best with contrast--if some or a lot of the
pot is left unglazed. Just dip or pour or paint as you normally would
any low-fire medium. The various band shapes around most pots lend
themselves to continous, repetitive border decorations.

Third, we used plain old commercial low-fire glazes and underglazes
(Mayco in this case) and fired them to cone 06-05. Our instructor has
always fired these pots with the other low-fire products and has had no
problems.

Glazed pots, especially if used for (watered) plants, will probably
stand up better than painted ones. And while they may not be a source of
exquisite art, pots are nice, cheap, plain-background canvases for glaze
and brush decorating practice. (If the student refuses to learn the
wheel, he may at least finish the class with some painting expertise.)

I left my class with all kinds of ideas for decorating high fire
ceramics with slip, stain, brushwork, etc., and I may take it again,
just for fun.

As far as convincing your student he should learn to throw, he may
understand that on his own, albeit a little late, when he begins to
compare his own completed flower pots with other students' more original
and creative pieces.

Or maybe this kid really leans toward the 2-dimensional arts like
painting.

Or maybe you should get the real teaching advice from the many great
Clayarters who are experienced teachers themselves. While I admire them,
I am not one of them, so I will sign off here.

Hope this helps a little.

Wendy
After all my cone 10 snobbery, really an eclectic in the world of clay.