CLAY STAGES

Plastic

• Wet clay
• Shapeable
• Moldable
• Fresh from your bag
• Mostly water
• Workable
• Can join to other pieces

LEATHER-HARD

• Partially dry
• 15% moisture content
• Still visibly damp
• Can handle without deformation
• Able to scratch, carve, incise
• Stage for making a box
• Best stage to slip and score and attach clay to clay

BONE DRY

• Completely dry
• Depleted of water
• Most fragile stage of clay
• Ready for first firing in kiln
• Cannot slip and score or add clay to it
• Ready to bisque fire

BISQUEWARE

• To fire clay the first time
• No water left in it
• Pink in color
• Makes a pinging sound
• Kiln firing temperature is1945 degrees..cone 04
• Ready for glazing

SLIP

• Liquid clay
• Mixture of water and clay
• Poured into molds to make grandma pottery
• Potter's glue
• Can be colored slip for decoration (engobe)

GLAZEWARE

• Glossy, shiny or matte
• Finished product
• 2nd firing in kiln
• Ready for grading
• Forms a water-tight surface
• Low fire 06
• High fire cone 4-6
• Glaze has been applied

GREENWARE

• Never been fired
• Can be plastic, leather-hard or bonedry
• Ready to fire if it's on the greenware shelf