Welcome to The Potter’s Round Table, in this episode we discuss Firing the Soda Kiln at Washington Street Studios. Phil Berneburg passed away on July 21st, 2021. This is the last recording session we held for the Potters’ Round Table. In this episode Phil discusses one of his greatest passions, firing a newly constructed kiln. Unfortunately, some of the video has audio issues, and normally we would have recorded the episode again. Remember Phil fondly and please, enjoy the show. The Potters’ Round Table is brought to you by Washington Street Studios, a community pottery studio, gallery, and po ..read more

Welcome to Pottery Shorts, brought to you by The Potter’s Round Table, the topic for this episode is Why Does Plaster Set? Plaster can be a potter’s friend and a potter’s worst enemy. In this episode Phil explains why plaster sets. Understanding how plaster works helps to understand how to work with plaster! Enjoy the show. The Potters’ Round Table is brought to you by Washington Street Studios, a community pottery studio, gallery, and pottery school located in Harpers Ferry / Bolivar, WV. We exist to provide ceramic artists an affordable, fully equipped studio space for aspiring, emerging and ..read more

Welcome to Pottery Shorts, brought to you by The Potter’s Round Table, the topic for this episode is What is a PSD? The short answer is particle size distribution. In this episode Phil explores particle size distributions and why they are a useful tool for potters who mix their own clay or glazes. Enjoy the show. The Potters’ Round Table is brought to you by Washington Street Studios, a community pottery studio, gallery, and pottery school located in Harpers Ferry / Bolivar, WV. We exist to provide ceramic artists an affordable, fully equipped studio space for aspiring, emerging and establishe ..read more

Welcome to Pottery Shorts, brought to you by The Potter’s Round Table, the topic for this episode is Three Tips for Using a Triple Beam Balance. For many the triple beam balance has given way to the digital scale. And if you prefer to use the old school approach, or you just want to understand how a triple beam balance works, Phil explains the process along with tips to make it easier. Enjoy the show. The Potters’ Round Table is brought to you by Washington Street Studios, a community pottery studio, gallery, and pottery school located in Harpers Ferry / Bolivar, WV. We exist to provide cerami ..read more

Welcome to Pottery Shorts, brought to you by The Potter’s Round Table, the topic for this episode is Preparation for Glazing. We often hear the tip to damp sponge a bisque piece before you glaze the pot. In this pottery short Phil walks through and demonstrates the preparation for glazing. Enjoy the show. The Potters’ Round Table is brought to you by Washington Street Studios, a community pottery studio, gallery, and pottery school located in Harpers Ferry / Bolivar, WV. We exist to provide ceramic artists an affordable, fully equipped studio space for aspiring, emerging and established artist ..read more

Welcome to Pottery Shorts, brought to you by The Potter’s Round Table, the topic for this episode is Buying a Used Kiln. Buying a used kiln can be a daunting experience. In this episode Phil discusses what to look for other than structure and curb appeal. This episode could save you several hundred dollars in expenses above the cost of the kiln. Enjoy the show. The Potters’ Round Table is brought to you by Washington Street Studios, a community pottery studio, gallery, and pottery school located in Harpers Ferry / Bolivar, WV. We exist to provide ceramic artists an affordable, fully equipped s ..read more

Welcome to The Potter’s Round Table, in this episode we discuss Functional Teapot Design. There are many characteristics to think about when designing a teapot for functional use. When thinking about the body, lid, spout, and handle of a teapot they can all impact the way it pours, how it is used and how it can be cleaned. Phil discusses many Functional Teapot Design aspects, pitfalls, and solutions. Enjoy the show. The Potters’ Round Table is brought to you by Washington Street Studios, a community pottery studio, gallery, and pottery school located in Harpers Ferry / Bolivar, WV. We exist to ..read more

Welcome to Pottery Shorts, brought to you by The Potter’s Round Table, the topic for this episode is Annoying Glaze Materials. If you mix your own glazes, or if you plan to, you will find some ingredients that are annoying to work with. In this episode Phil discusses several annoying ingredients and how you can work around the annoyance! Enjoy the show. The Potters’ Round Table is brought to you by Washington Street Studios, a community pottery studio, gallery, and pottery school located in Harpers Ferry / Bolivar, WV. We exist to provide ceramic artists an affordable, fully equipped studio sp ..read more

Welcome to Pottery Shorts, brought to you by The Potter’s Round Table, the topic for this episode is Controlled Drying. How many times have you gone through the wedging and throwing or hand-building process, only to have a crack form during the drying process? Drying clay can create a lot of stress on rims or large flat areas and can ruin your pottery. In this episode Phil explains the drying process and provides tips for controlled drying that will help lessen the stresses within your ceramics. Enjoy the show. The Potters’ Round Table is brought to you by Washington Street Studios, a communit ..read more

Welcome to The Potter’s Round Table, in this episode we discuss Firing Schedules. Firing schedules, also known as firing programs and firing curves, are plans for controlling a kiln firing which specify the heating rates and the intermediate temperatures to follow to the final temperature. There are several different general types of schedules for different purposes, although the details can vary a lot depending upon the type of clay, the size of the work, the type of glaze, and the type of kiln, etc. In this discussion, we’ll describe the general types and some guidelines for bisque and glaze ..read more