Working with clay and clay-like materials

Slab building
Slab building is another way of constructing three-dimensional forms with clay. Sheets of clay are rolled out like pastry between two “rolling guides” - flat pieces of wood, the same thickness. (NB. roll clay out on a piece of cloth, otherwise it will stick to the board or tabletop.) Shapes are then cut out and and joined together using slip. Both edges to be joined should scored before applying the slip, then brought together and pressed carefully. Paper templates are useful for preparing different shapes in slab work.
If pupils are making a curved or circular form with the slab, they should be able to use it as soon as it has been rolled out, though they might need some sort of “former” such as a rolling pin (see project 3) to give support. If they are making something with flat sides such as a square pot, they will have to allow the clay to become “leather hard” before using. This can be achieved either by leaving the clay exposed for a few hours, or if this isn’t possible, by leaving it on a board loosely wrapped in polythene for a longer period. How long this takes depends on the clay used, temperature of the room etc. You may want to do a couple of tests yourself before working with a group.