How to make a big pinch pot. Huge bowl in clay! ( Part 1)

Tutorial on how to make a Pinch pot in stoneware clay. Step by step instructions and easy talk. A slow satisfying video on clayworking. The whole process from clay to a big pinch pot.
In this video I show you how to pinch, shape and cut the clay.
My name is Mika and I live and work in Finland on the west coast. Ceramics is my hobby and passion.
Music in this video: Rest Easy , vans in Japan
If you like my tutorials and step by step instructional videos, please subscribe!
Happy that you found my video!

[@joannepihakis680]

The absolute BEST large pinch pot video!!! I love doing pinch pots but had difficulty getting large ones done 🤦🏻‍♀️ Thank you for all these helpful tips!

[@clayeasy]

Ooh Thank you Joanne! I will make an even bigger pinch pot later on and post it on my channel. Good luck pinching, I’m sure your pots get larger and larger! Cheers from a sunny but cold Finland ☀️☀️☀️

[@s.missizhippiew.1117]

Very nice 👍 thnx for the lesson and I love your accent too! I’m going to try making this large pot! 🌸

[@clayeasy]

Aah Thank you! Glad you like my accent :) It’s probably a mix of school English ( close to British) and American TV shows, films etc. Cheers from a sunny beautiful Finland!

[@teenageenaballerina8350]

Wow! I always thought you could only make small pinch pots and then switch to coils to make a larger pot. Now I can’t wait to try this method. Thanks! (And greetings from the high desert of New Mexico, USA!

[@clayeasy]

Thank you so much for your kind words! Yes, you can actually make even greater pinch pots than this. A turntable is good to have in that case. Cheers from a rainy Finland! /Mika

[@antonea808]

Wow! Thank youbfor sharing! I began learning wheel throwing last year but now I'm curious about hand building. Its exciting to see all the unique things hand building can achieve.

[@clayeasy]

Thank you Antonea! Yes, the sky is the limit! Hand building is soo fun and relaxing. many times when I make something, I start with a pinching pot and after that I figure out what it will be. Cheers from a cold snowy Finland! Mika

[@alphonsechanekayebone7871]

Beautiful pot..

[@clayeasy]

Thank you Alphonse! Cheers from a cold rainy Finland!

[@ludouglas1]

this was the first youtube video I found of you and it is what made me go and look to see if you had made more. Handbuilding and wheel work are my pleasures in clay. I hope you don't mind but in English, the act of kneading the clay is necessary of course but the word, kneading, is pronounced - need-ing. It is a silent K. just like in the word - know for example: -- I know that you love clay. KNow is pronounced as 'no', silent k. :-) We call the pinching pot a pinch pot and I'm afraid I would like to be better at it especially with shapes I really want to achieve so I'm off to watch your tutorial now in the hope I might get more tips. Thank you so much for being here. You are most kind and generous. L

[@clayeasy]

Hey there! And thank you! I don’t mind you correcting me, I’m happy that you do! I nowadays use wedge instead of knedding, I wasn’t sure about the pronounsiation and if it is the right word. I would be glad if you tell me more, if you find something else that gives the whole plot a wrong meaning or if I use wrong expressions etc. Thanks also for the Pinch pot, I know I’ve used Pinching pot in many, many videos. I have to remember that! If you learn more than you forget, you grow wiser! Thank you Linda! Hope to see more of you! Cheers! Mika in Finland

[@sandrasaunt6441]

Hi, ive only just found you, i am in awe of your pinch pot/Bowl, your skill is incredible, i am going to my Pottery Class today so if my piece isn't ready for the Oxides yet I'm going to have a go at using your technique on my next project. 🙂

[@clayeasy]

Great to hear from you, Sandra! The pinching technique is so useful in many ways, I love it! Good luckwith your Pottery class today! Cheers from a cold, snowy Finland 🇫🇮 !

[@sandrasaunt6441]

@@clayeasy Thank you, i will look forward to watching your Videos🙂👍

[@loveandlight4875]

You should have put the camera on a piece so we can see what you’re doing when you’re pinching inside the ball. Instead of your face.

[@clayeasy]

Yeah, Sorry about that! Sometimes the right angle is hard to find. Thank you for your comment, I’ll try not to do the same misstake again. Cheers! Mika

[@julieannsmithart]

Love your work! And thank you for your video. Just a few questions. What would you consider the best thickness of the walls for a pinch pot of that size? Plus, I am wanting to create a vessel that starts from a fairly narrow base and flairs out creating a wide rim. Should I create it over a period of time to let the clay set up as I go to stop the sides slumping? Or would I be better off creating a smaller pinch pot as the base and then building up with coils? ( I think I may have answered my own question ☺)

[@clayeasy]

Thank you for your kind words! .. and yes, I think you answered your own question! I think the best way for your project might be to build by pinching a base, and building with coils from there. It’s easier to have control of the shape and the drying aswell. You can add coils little by little, use a hair drier if you want to speed up the drying etc. I usually cover the rim with a piece of plastic so that it is easy to add new coils, even if the rest of the pot starts drying. Remember to slip and score! It would be lovely to see your work! Cheers from Finland!

[@julieannsmithart]

@@clayeasy I made a start today with the pinch base and then started adding coils. The bottom started slumping a little, so I’ve sat it in a bowl to support the base while it sets up, covered it in plastic and will play again tomorrow. Thank you again for your help and I will get back to you with a pic if it works!

[@bkirstie]

cool but wish you showed finished

[@clayeasy]

Yes I know, Kristie.. I haven’t glazed it , still thinking about the options.. Sorry for that.. Cheers /Mika

[@sunset-eesunset-ee5233]

i like ypur acsent i nead learn english with asem acsen where are you from ?

[@clayeasy]

Ooh thank you so much! I’m from Finland but I speak Swedish most of the time. The Swedish accent we use here on the westcoast of Finland is different from the Swedish they speak in Sweden. My English is a broken English, probably mixed with both UK English and American English. Where do you come from,Sunset-ee? Lovely that you found my video! ❤️

[@friedfish69]

FYI. "Knead" pronounced the same as "need".

[@clayeasy]

@@friedfish69 thank you! I’ll try to remember that. There are probably more words and sayings that I use in wrong places and prounounce wrong. Wedge is maybe a better word than knead when talking about clay? Cheers from Finland!