4 Coil Pottery Tricks Every Handbuilder Should Know

[@AncientPottery]

This was my top 4 tips for coil pottery making. What would yours be?

[@penniewyatt9391]

Andy Ward's Ancient Pottery I love this video. I would add that if you have access to an extruder it makes fast, even coils, making coil building a dream.

[@penniewyatt9391]

Also, staggering the spot where the coils join from one level to the next.

[@AncientPottery]

@@penniewyatt9391 That's for sure! I'm too poor for an extruder, I have a friend that extrudes all the coils ahead of time and stores them in a bin to keep them moist.

[@AncientPottery]

@@penniewyatt9391 Good advice, thanks.

[@Pipsqwak]

Making sure your base in the puki or on a flat surface is as even and well-compressed as possible so you don't get bottom cracks (too this) or spalls (too thick) from uneven drying. This is my biggest weak spot in trying to make cold pottery. I'm more used to slab-building where I can mechanically control the thickness of all pieces.

[@marciacunningham5877]

Your videos have taken binge watching to a whole new level!!! Michael

[@AncientPottery]

Great to hear, enjoy!

[@bibeksah966]

You just blew the air bubble out man, Thank you very much for the removing the misconception Andy! :)

[@AncientPottery]

You are so welcome. Glad to help.

[@mikeu5380]

Air bubbles do matter when throwing on a wheel, as the air pocket will cause the piece to deform because it increases the wall thickness as a bulge. Cheers!

[@janinacherin2523]

Just made my first hand-built pot using a gourd scraper I made myself and a small round plate in place of a puki! It's not perfect of course but I'm proud of its fairly uniform shape! Thank you for your guidance

[@AncientPottery]

That's great Janina! I hope it gets you a good grade. I am glad to help.

[@sandraleenerts6805]

I have been goofinhg around with pottery since the 1980's, but I have been distracted by the path it takes to getting to be retired. I am now retired and returning to this medium that has always been back there, nagging me. Not nagging, just reminding...My interest has always been how the ancients make their pots. Somehow, this knowledge has been missing in the various classes (from community to university) like some special secret only "real potters" have access to. Thank you for your generous sharing of knowledge. You have answered so many questions I did not know how to ask.

[@AnnaMarie-rn2wp]

@sandraleenerts6805, Wow same here. 1st try at firing this week . I am having the time of my life.

[@MarkusWolfstetter]

keep on posting these amazing vids, we love them

[@AncientPottery]

Thanks, will do!

[@thehappypotter9612]

Thanks! It is the first time I come across specific techniques for pinching

[@AncientPottery]

You are welcome

[@julienicholson3724]

Renewing my information for hand building through your video’s is helping me alot

[@AncientPottery]

Glad to hear it. I am going to be making an updated new version of this video soon.

[@vulcanswork]

LOVE YOU!!!! With your explanations, you gave us the "back to basic" potters all around the World used from Neolithic times. It all boils down to feeling the clay with one's fingers and hands. Without this, there will never be an implement or a tool which will work.

[@AncientPottery]

Thank you so much.

[@kMadoks]

I spend a lot of time connecting thin coils with a wooden tool. Now I know that I can use thick coils and pinch them down! Yay

[@litsaaris8395]

Thank you so much for your generous advice. Great channel. Inspiring and helpful. I’m a 58 yr old art student in uk - beginner in ceramics. Take care

[@AncientPottery]

Thanks.

[@markirish7599]

Hehe nowadays I like 👍 your videos before I even watch them because I know full well its gonna be quality content 👌. Best wishes from Ireland 🇮🇪

[@AncientPottery]

Thank you so much 😀

[@donnajobe6111]

Great info. Thank You! So much

[@tedtower6758]

I enjoy your work. You inspired me to throw a piece on the wheel then add to the leather hard pot with coils for the neck.

[@AncientPottery]

Thats a great idea. Thanks

[@leyalaatasto9096]

Hello from the Philippines, Andy! I graduated high school last year and made it my goal to fill my academic gap year with beautiful things, and your videos have been a big help with that. I've used your coiling techniques to make more modern things like trinket pots, and I've also followed along with some of your primitive pottery tutorials. They make wonderful gifts for my friends and family! Some of the colleges I'm applying to offer ceramics classes, I can't wait to sign up for them! Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge with us♡

[@AncientPottery]

That's awesome. So glad I could help you out in your gap year and provide some inspiration. Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@maryswann7623]

Great job 👏🏼 Andy thank you. I am new-in southern Colorado. Going out to build a mud kiln today❤

[@katrinar9310]

Oh that's a good idea about the pleat pinch to narrow the pot. Thanks for sharing. BLESSINGS, -Kate

[@AncientPottery]

You are so welcome!

[@katiakatiakat]

Thank you!

[@AncientPottery]

You're welcome!

[@KnowledgeAddicted]

I knew it! I always cheat at school and skip wedging because I hate it, I'm super careless with joining parts, air pockets top to bottom, and nothing ever broke

[@Hootyhoo-jq9vq]

Thank you Andy.

[@AncientPottery]

Very welcome

[@findlydesign]

Thank you so much for making all these videos. I’ve watched so many of them now, and rewatching some too as I just levigated some clay today and plan on testing it with making a puki tomorrow.

[@LaLaArtStudio]

How did that go for you? Curious 😊

[@brodyd2283]

I’m in ga and my clay has a lot of quarts in it can that be what is making my pots pop during the firing and every now and then the preheat

[@AncientPottery]

I don't think so, many of the ancient pottery from my area uses quartz temper. Chances are your pots are not dry enough, dry them long and slow before firing.

[@ceci4878]

This trick are amazing! I can't wait for my next pottery session to try them! thanks so much!

[@AncientPottery]

I am glad to be of help. Thanks for watching.

[@freddiemoretti8456]

Thanks for sharing....will be trying this.

[@rutilopata8294]

Great video! thank you! You where correct, I am potting 30 years and still learning😘💫✨🙏🏻

[@AncientPottery]

Thanks, keep on learning!

[@marleneellenderanderson6888]

Love the process from beginning of making the raw bowl to firing on fire pit.

[@GunnarShaffer]

So easy to follow! Thanks so much Andy! 🙏🏽

[@AncientPottery]

Glad it was helpful!

[@Opernkabarett]

Oh yes! I just googled “flared, wedging and pleading“! My schoolenglish didn't serve me well😉. Now, all makes perfect sense. And, another revelation was, that you didn't try to pinch the coil simultaniously on both, the in- and outside. This was a reason, my little mugs ended all as Saladbowls, that didn' t make it through the firing. So, thank you again!

[@AncientPottery]

I'm glad you found it helpful, sorry I didn't define the hard words better.

[@sarahgall7363]

Love it, no more wedging!!!

[@AncientPottery]

Glad to help. Happy potting

[@jcknives4162]

I may have been missing the weekly Ancient Potters Group but I’m teaching my two granddaughters how to hand build. We are all having fun; plus I am building new forms so I’m learning more. This video helped too. Thanks Andy. I’m looking forward to Wednesday morning video and evening group Zoom.

[@AncientPottery]

Hey Jeff, it sounds like fun, I can't wait to teach my grandson about clay. I hope we can catch up soon on Wednesday Zoom class.

[@debbiecote3993]

This is great! I'm working on a cylinder now that keeps getting wider. Now I know what to do. Thanks! Frank

[@AncientPottery]

Glad to help

[@bjrngumundsen939]

Very well done video. 😃👍

[@AncientPottery]

Thank you! 👍

[@TheJoanitones]

thank you very much! A friend makes miniature pirogues from bald cypress trees, and use that for shaping.

[@AncientPottery]

That sounds cool. Thanks for sharing.

[@MrTIz2Kool4Skool]

nice video

[@AncientPottery]

Thanks

[@CorinneBlandin]

Cool video, thanks for this. Simple and super cool! xxx

[@AncientPottery]

Thanks

[@janetferraroartstudio4234]

What a great informative video! Thank you so much!

[@AncientPottery]

You are so welcome!

[@abbasduman6963]

Very interesting video. Btw wedging the clay makes it also more flexible, which can make the process of forming the clay to a pot easier. I experienced that myself and with the better wedged clay forming it was really easier.

[@AncientPottery]

A little kneading can loosen up a stiff clay to be sure. You will see me often giving the clay a swift knead in my videos. But the wedging ritual that is often taught in studios and practiced like some kind of religion by studio potters is a worthless exercise for hand building.

[@cactifleurs4u290]

Great tutorial Andy, enjoyed watching. Makes me want to get back into it again. Thank you 🙂

[@AncientPottery]

Thanks. You should get back into it again!

Man, you are amazing! Loved this and other videos, thank you so much! And you are the first potter i heard saying wedging is a waste of time hehehe

[@AncientPottery]

Glad I could help! People seem to want to take exception to this but I have yet to get an explanation as to where these giant air bubbles are coming from. Does it come from the store with air bubbles? It shouldn't.

[@chompers11]

I'm gonna do my first coil pot today andy! Thinking a little vase.. Desperately googling andy ward coil pottery trying to soak up as much as I can first lol

[@AncientPottery]

Sounds good, don't be afraid to fail a few times before you get it right.

[@chompers11]

@@AncientPottery no doubt. Try, fail, try again, fail better!

[@carolynnehew4867]

Very helpful tips, thanks.

[@AncientPottery]

Glad it was helpful!

[@jessicaelkins8527]

Thank you for this video!! Didn't realize you were local, will look out for your workshops if you still do them!

[@AncientPottery]

I will be announcing new workshops soon. They will be on my website at ancientpottery.how

[@cazaestadosunidosth8162]

Gracias este es muy bien

[@lisalovelylpa]

I am just a beginner … I pinch … squish .. roll .. beat the heck out of it , until it looks the way I want it to look !! I gonna try some pinching today. Thanks for the video … I gonna check out your tee shirts.

[@AncientPottery]

Hey whatever works for you. There is more than one way to skin that cat. Thanks for watching.

[@janellelucido4444]

Awesome video thanks!!!

[@AncientPottery]

Glad you liked it!

[@MichaelRpdx]

Keep it. It is a fine video.

[@indoorsandout3022]

I like to have a shallow dish of water on the work bench for dampening my fingers and the metal scraper I use. It helps with less plastic clays.

[@AncientPottery]

Good tip, thanks.

[@Raphael3032]

You make it seem so easy. My pots are distorted and wobbly, sometimes it start making small crackles that I have to fix all the time and it never gets to the form I want, I end up just following what the clay makes lol

[@AncientPottery]

Keep practicing and you will get there. Sometimes it is fun to let the clay decide what it wants to be.

[@nimascolari1508]

Clear concise, useful and to the point. Brilliant.

[@AncientPottery]

Thank you

[@bigbranch1]

Thanks for another great post...Lately I have been bonding on the inside of the pot....which produces the thin crease on the outside of the pot....smoothing the inside with my curved gourd scraper is easy....the outside now takes a lot less time to smooth....does this make sense???

[@AncientPottery]

Yes, that method seems backward to me but that is actually the way that some Tewas make pottery. I read an article about it in a recent issue of Pottery Southwest. potterysouthwest.unm.edu/PDFs/PSW-33-4.pdf

[@bigbranch1]

@@AncientPottery Wow what an article...around and around we go....Thank you.

[@thugpug4392]

4:30 is when pinches start. This is for me mainly but anyone else could use this timestamp.

[@AncientPottery]

Thanks for that. I will add some chapters to make this easier

[@mikeu5380]

Hi Andy. I always learn a great deal from your videos, and I thank you for your generosity in making them available to us. But... I need to offer 2 different points of view, if I may. 1. It's "an old wives tale,"(not wise tale); and 2. Air bubbles do matter when throwing on a wheel, as the air pocket will cause the piece to deform because it increases the wall thickness as a bulge. Cheers!

[@sallysmith7761]

What clay are you using and where can we purchase the best clay for making coiled pottery? Thank you!

[@masonwelty8058]

I wonder if wedging is more important for more vitreous (less porous) clay bodies like porcelains?

[@AncientPottery]

I would be interested in learning the answer, but since I only hand build I don't know.

[@randolphtorres4172]

THANKSGIVING

[@donricardoceramics]

Great tips! I feel like I am taking crazy pills when people talk all the time about air bubbles. Finally some logic. Thank you.

[@AncientPottery]

You're so welcome!

[@johnheishman6434]

Can Wild clay be thrown on a potter's wheel

[@AncientPottery]

Absolutely, people do it all the time.

[@echowest7399]

Hi Andy, Besides pinches would like you to go over the feel of the clay when adding the coils. Leather hard is too hard but there must be away that you could go over to let us know the right moisture of pot, when to add coil to the body of the clay up pot. Know this comes from experience but if you could go over this subject. I’ve been making a few coil pots and figures and have been learning as I go has to the drying process of the clay. Then I put the clay back to reform it to learn the drying process. Know it makes a dif😜

[@AncientPottery]

You are right, there is a specific level of wetness that is optimal and it is different from that needed for wheel throwing pottery. The problem is that this is hard to teach through video because it doesn't come through well using words or video alone, you really need to put your hands in the clay. I will give this subject some thought but right now I am just not sure how to teach this through video.

[@peterribolli8300]

Thanks Andy, If all I take away from this video is "don't worry about air bubbles" then this has been a monumental learning curve. Cheers from Australia:) (Great tips re pinching methods)

[@AncientPottery]

Great, I'm glad I could help you.

[@kylemccourt663]

I find that air bubbles are nothing to worry about as long as you fire the ware slow enough to not expel that captured air too fast. If you are ramping up the speed of your firing, you can absolutely blow something up. I teach high school pottery and I frequently see students that disregard air bubbles, and even slow firing sometimes still blows up their work. Also it looks like Andy might be in the southwest US where it is very dry, so his bone dry ware could be significantly dryer than mine might be here in the northeast where we frequently have 75% plus humidity, making it tough to thoroughly dry out the clay before bisque firing. You should see the amount of steam that comes off the kiln before ramping it up over here on soggy Long Island. I find that if I "mirror test" the kiln for condensation before fully ramping up, I rarely have anything break.

[@petraanyz2367]

@@kylemccourt663it is not air bubble that blows your piece! Its against the physics laws. It is captured humidity IN THE CLAY. Hot air doesnt expand, its just hot air. Moisture aka water expands as it gets hot and turns into steam, that cause so much pressure when it tries to escape from the clay and that blows your pottery. Feel free to spread it to your students please 😊

[@meaganwillits5365]

This was so helpful! Thank you!!

[@AncientPottery]

You are welcome.

[@rachaelanderson3569]

Awesome, thanks so much. I’ve been struggling getting my coil pots to narrow. I can easily make it go wider or vertical, but am glad I found your compression pinch tips. Going to give it a go this weekend 😊 By the way, I’m planning to do an exposed coil case, do you have any tips? Will I need to have my coils a certain thickness?

[@AncientPottery]

You're welcome. I am glad I could be of help. I would make a sample coil first, set it aside and then roll all coils to match, that way your coils are consistent all the way through. Like the way Roger did it in this video kzbin.info/www/bejne/bJvHfIePrKp5e7s

[@rachaelanderson3569]

Thanks Andy 😊

[@rosebud5543]

Hello Andy, I just came across your channel. I am a new beginner in working with clay I still have a lot to learn. New Subbie 🥀

[@AncientPottery]

Thanks for subscribing. I hope you like it.

[@nursnlern]

Good tips. Thanks.

[@AncientPottery]

Glad it was helpful!

[@caitlinbaird154]

Hi Andy. Can you fire harvested clay in an electrical kiln and at what temperature, for how long? Does it run the risk of destroying my kiln?

[@AncientPottery]

Yes but run some experiments so you know how high you can take the clay. Make something small and fire it on a tile or a plate or something in case it melts it doesn’t ruin your kiln. Then try a low temp, then try hotter, then hotter until it starts to melt. That way you will know how hot you can safely fire it to.

[@caitlinbaird154]

@@AncientPottery Thank you, Andy. I love your videos!

[@stephaniebm]

I learned at my pottery school that you really don’t need to knead or wedge your clay if you’re making coil pottery, just like you said! I just take it straight out of the bag and shape the coils, and it ends up fine. However, for other techniques, like when using a rolling pin, it is needed, accordingly the teacher. Is it?

[@somedudeonyoutube1605]

I have a habit of working clay very wet, any reason you keep your clay that dry when building coils?

[@AncientPottery]

In teaching pottery workshops I often meet people who use clay much wetter than I do. Here is what I have found. People who do lots of wheel thrown pottery usually work much wetter. People who hand build with wetter clay often have trouble with clay slumping because wetter clay is not as strong. These people sometimes need to wait for the pot they are working on to dry and firm up a bit before adding another coil and continuing to build. So by working a little dryer, the clay is stronger and you can keep building without waiting for the walls to dry and firm up.

[@peterwood8421]

I agree that wedging and the elimination of air "bubbles" is not that critical in coil building. It is, however, absolutely essential to thoroughly wedge clay when throwing pots on the wheel.

[@AncientPottery]

I'll take your word for that, I have no experience with the wheel.

[@peterwood8421]

@@AncientPottery I'm near Boston MA, have dug and fired some local clays, mostly in electric kilns. A few times I have had people bring me clays they dug. Clays differ in plasticity due to particle size, non-clay inclusions, etc, and when rolled out as a coil, a coarse, granular clay will crack if bent into too tight a curve. Have you found local clays that are fine-grained (like ball clay), and mix them with coarser ones, or do you screen out most of the larger particles to enhance plasticity, recognizing that very plastic clays usually shrink too much? Do you have a video about how you prepare and evaluate clays?

[@Pipsqwak]

Yes, when wheel-throwing you need to get that clay as smooth and homogenous as possible and all the platelets aligned so that the clay flows smoothly on your fingers and the wheel. Spiral wedging can get clay as smooth as butter and absolutely uniform throughout. And it's not hard to do, but it is a waste of time for hand building. Handbuilding requires more texture and tooth in the clay, not smooth butter.

[@peterwood8421]

@@Pipsqwak I'm not in total agreement with you on the notion that it's a waste of time. Wedging does more than aligning platelets and eliminating air pockets: it homogenizes clay that has unevenly-distributed water content, which is often the case where a block of clay has sat un-bagged long enough for some surface moisture to evaporate. That can happen even in tightly-bagged clay after a few months. Also, where lumps of unevenly-moist re-bagged clay have been mashed together, definitely I would wedge. Finally, when rolling a large slab, why would you not want homogeneous clay as insurance against uneven shrinkage and possible cracking?

[@Pipsqwak]

@@peterwood8421 For what it's worth, I wedge my wild clay for hand building with slabs, but you can probably get away with not wedging if you are kneading the clay as Andy says, and building with coils that are thoroughly pinched. Absolutely your moisture content should be even throughout, as cracks and warping will happen if clay dries unevenly, but I doubt whether ancient Native Americans wedged clay like modern wheel-throwing potters do, and their pottery was durable, useful, and beautiful.

[@clairebeane3455]

Yay!!! I no longer need to wedge!!! 👏 👏 🎉🎊🥳

[@AncientPottery]

The truth will set you free.

[@jasongannon7676]

Thanks, air bubbles ,no worries. Very helpful

[@AncientPottery]

Glad to help

[@TheJoanitones]

do you have an old corn mill you want to sell?

[@AncientPottery]

No, I wore mine out kzbin.info/www/bejne/bXiuqn5mmNutmLs

[@highdesertsukari]

Maria Martinez videos!

[@AncientPottery]

She is a legend.

[@highdesertsukari]

@@AncientPottery as are you.

[@popsfarm916]

I would have to call my pottery procrastination station pottery. I have started so many times and it always back in the ground. I think this will be the year.

[@AncientPottery]

You can do it Pops!

[@somebody4578]

I have problem with the coiled pieces. When I fire them in the pit fire - commercial and dig out clay - they crack and break apart from the connection points but no cracking in the electric kiln. I used the same paper clay slip for both firing method... I tested in a few pit firing the coiled pieces, pinched and pressed in to the mold. Only the coiled ones cracks and breaks every single time... 😢

[@AncientPottery]

Odd, maybe try adding more temper to your clay. But its hard to say without seeing the problem.

[@somebody4578]

@@AncientPottery Thank you so much 🙏 I will test with different tempers and ratios.

[@karentiek8778]

❤tkss

[@mspiziri]

what's the best clay for hand-building? what were you using? more visuals would have been nice.

[@AncientPottery]

I dig my own clay that I use for hand building. So I can't recommend any commercial clays.

[@kamododragon256]

My clay looks really different. Is there a reason for that?

[@AncientPottery]

All clay is different, don't judge a book by its cover.

[@nizigiyimanabaruani4590]

I like this work but I don't know how I can start, and I'm always see people using a wheel but I don't know how to make that wheel.

[@laurieschermer573]

no need to score to add coils?

[@AncientPottery]

Scoring is only required if the clay has dried significantly between coils or if you are adding something like a handle.

[@michaelmackgoo7997]

yes you shouldn’t focus on wedging and you can definitely get away without doing it with coiling but like it only takes a few minutes and I’d much rather do that then have to deal with the air pockets later and it’s just good practice if you’re also throwing

[@AncientPottery]

Thanks. Help me understand air pockets please, I never buy clay but I never have problems with air pockets. Does commercial clay commonly come with lots of air pockets?

[@Briaaanz]

No tips, but I did fire my first piece of pottery earlier tonight! I harvested the clay from local riverbank and made a small misshapen bowl. I fired it in my fireplace and am kinda surprised that it actually turned out. Thanks for your videos, you provide good inspiration.

[@AncientPottery]

That’s great. Make sure your pottery is fired hot enough, sometimes firing in a fireplace can be tricky to get the correct temperature.

[@dorileslie2062]

For some reason I am getting audio that does not match up with the video.... so confusing!

[@AncientPottery]

Strange

[@pepsidanai1667]

I need to do this pottery thing for a class but I keep on messing it up :/

[@AncientPottery]

Practice makes perfect, keep trying.

[@pepsidanai1667]

@@AncientPottery I accidentally forgot to not let it dry..and it all broke :/

[@nubbee77]

i always think, there are a lot of air bubbles in the ceramics made by children, how they come out of the kiln well? wedging obsession is killing my working motivation most of the times. thank you!

[@AncientPottery]

Yes, good luck with your pots

[@robsmith6961]

THANKS ANDY,I HOPE I CAN MAKE THEM WORK AS WELL AS YO U SOME DAY . I AM STILL TRYING TO GET THE WALLS EVEN AND STOP THE STRESS CRAKING IN THE DRYING STAGE OR CRYING STAGE AS ONE POTTER PUT IT. THANKS. P.S. STILL CAN'T GET THE PAYPAL PAYMENT TO WORK ON YOUR SIGHT SO THAT I CAN BUY YOUR BOOK AND GORDS .? ROB

[@johnfitzgerald4628]

love the content - but the looking off camera is a bit disconcerting :)

[@AncientPottery]

Being on camera is not easy, it takes time to become comfortable talking to a camera, have you tried it?

[@katynolan61092]

Are you joking? Air bubbles cause significant weakness in the integrity of the walls and make it far more like to crack. I've had it happen to me. Every potter I know has had it happen to them.

[@AncientPottery]

Every potter you know? Did you conduct a poll or something? I have been making pottery for over 30 years and I have never had an air bubble so large that it threatened the structural integrity of the pot. I have to wonder where these large air bubbles are coming from, are they in the clay when you purchase it? Are they being added by a pug mill that is not working correctly? Are we talking about coiling or throwing? Because this video was specifically about coiling and I can't even imagine how I could roll out a coil containing such a large air bubble without noticing it right away.

[@darthbogus108]

Air bubbles are ok, you made a mistake in cooling your work.

[@darthbogus108]

BTW you have bubble ceramic art, or paper reduction ceramic so don't blame the bubbles and empty holes! :p

[@markthomsalot]

I brought this up earlier On a different video But its a technique used by blacksmith's & Asians making 1,000,000 string noodles Double ing over the coil Each time 2 4 8 16 32 64 128 and so on should make it stronger

[@AncientPottery]

maybe so, but it sure sounds labor intensive.

[@terryallen6688]

I think, sometimes. these "pinches" are intuitive, and actually not counter intuitive.

[@55camille]

It would be a comedy , but millions still believe it. Convince a fool against their will and they’ll be of the same opinion still.