Before you sit down
Wedge a few balls of clay, each roughly one to two pounds (about 0.5 to 1 kg). Smaller balls are easier to center. Fill a bucket with water, and have a sponge, a needle tool, a wooden rib and a cutting wire within reach. Sit close to the wheel with your elbows braced on your thighs or knees, since a steady body makes for steady hands.
Check how your wheel's pedal and direction switch work before you start. Most beginners in the United States throw with the wheel turning counterclockwise and work on the right side of the clay as you face it, but teachers vary.
Centering
Centering means getting the clay to spin perfectly evenly around the middle of the wheel. It is the step most beginners struggle with, and every later step depends on it.
- Slap the ball firmly onto the center of a dry wheel head and pat it into a rounded cone.
- Run the wheel fast. Wet the clay, but don't flood it.
- Brace your arms, press in with the side of one hand and down with the other, and hold still. Let the clay move, not your hands.
- Cone the clay up into a tower and back down a few times to even it out, if your teacher uses this method.
- When the clay feels smooth and still under your hands, release pressure slowly.
Opening
With the wheel still fairly fast, push your thumbs or fingers down into the center to make a well. Stop with about a quarter to half an inch (6 to 12 mm) of clay left for the floor. Check with a needle tool if you are unsure. Then pull the opening outward to set the width of the floor, and press the floor down to compress it. A floor that isn't compressed is prone to S-shaped cracks.
Pulling the walls
Slow the wheel to medium. With one hand inside and one outside, squeeze the base of the wall gently and lift your hands upward at a steady pace. Each pull thins the wall and makes it taller. Most pots need three or four pulls. Sponge out water that collects in the bottom between pulls.
If the rim goes wobbly, trim off the uneven part with a needle tool while the wheel turns slowly. Compress the rim with a sponge or chamois after each pull to help prevent cracks.
Shaping and cutting off
Shape the pot once the walls are as tall as you want them, working from the inside to push out and with a rib on the outside to refine the curve. Collaring, squeezing the wall inward with both hands, narrows a neck. Clean up the base with a wooden tool, then pull a wire under the pot while the wheel turns very slowly. Lift it with dry hands or leave it on a bat.
Trimming
When the pot reaches leather hard, it is firm enough to turn upside down without distorting. Center it upside down on the wheel, hold it in place with small lumps of clay, and use a loop tool to carve away extra clay and form a foot ring. Trimming makes the pot lighter and gives it a finished base. See the drying guide for how to tell when a pot is ready.
Common beginner problems
| Problem | Likely cause | Try |
|---|---|---|
| Pot wobbles or walls are uneven | Clay not fully centered | Spend longer centering, with braced arms |
| Walls collapse | Too much water, too thin, or wheel too fast | Sponge out water, slow down, leave walls thicker |
| Crack in the floor | Floor not compressed, water left in the bottom | Compress the floor, sponge it dry |
| Pot tears off the top | Pulling too fast or with uneven pressure | Lift slowly at a steady speed |
| Bottom too heavy | Clay left at the base of the wall | Start each pull right at the bottom |
Wheel work can be hard on wrists, shoulders and lower back. Take breaks, sit at a comfortable height and stop if something hurts.