What happens to your pot after you leave

Most people leave their first wheel class with clay under their nails and a slightly wonky cylinder on a board. Three weeks later, that cylinder comes back as something you can drink from. Here is what happens in between.

Days one to five: leather hard

Fresh pots are full of water, so they rest on a shelf under loose plastic. Slow drying matters: if one side dries faster than the other, the pot can warp or crack. After a few days the clay reaches leather hard, firm enough to hold its shape but still soft enough to carve.

This is when we trim. Your pot goes back on the wheel upside down, and a tutor shaves away the extra clay at the base to give it a neat foot ring. If you come back for a trimming session, you can do this part yourself.

Throwing a cylinder in the wheel room

The first firing

Once it is completely dry, your pot goes into the kiln for a bisque firing at around 1000°C. It takes most of a day to heat up and another to cool down. The clay turns pale, hard and slightly porous, ready to soak up glaze.

“

Nobody opens a kiln without holding their breath a little. After twelve years, I still do.

Mara Ellison, Head of ceramics

Glaze and the second firing

You choose a glaze from our test wall, and we dip, pour or brush it on. The second firing goes hotter, up to 1260°C, where the glaze melts into glass and the clay becomes stoneware: dense, strong and safe for food.

• Bisque firing: about 1000°C, a day to cool

• Glaze firing: up to 1260°C, another full day

• Collection: usually three weeks after your class

Mugs taking shape on the wheel

We send a message when your pieces are ready. Bring a bag, and maybe a friend who will pretend to be impressed.