How to Make a Clay Gavel
Gavels are traditionally presented to those who have achieved a leadership status within an organization, in government or courts of law. A ceramic artist wanting to honor someone with a gavel made of clay has several options as far as methods, materials and finish. This is not a project for a beginner, and the end product should be considered nonfunctional, but the possibilities for creating a truly one-of-a-kind gift make this project both challenging and worthwhile.
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Things You'll Need
- Cone 6 or higher stoneware clay
- Potter's wheel
- Bats
- Wooden potter's tools, trimming tools, rasp
- Ribs
- Wire
- Wooden paddle
- Plastic bags or sheeting
- Kiln
- Glazes or colorants
- Wooden dowel
- Paint or stain
- Brush or rag
Instructions
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Gavel Head
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1
Use a cone 6 or higher stoneware clay. Wedge a fist-sized ball of clay and center it on a bat on the potter's wheel.
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2
Open the clay, pressing your fingers all the way through the clay to the bat, while the wheel spins. Leave just a 1/4-inch floor area at the sides. Raise a cylinder no wider than 3 inches in diameter. Trim the lip. The cylinder should be about 6 inches tall; trim it if it's too tall. The height of the cylinder will be the length of the gavel head.
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3
Form a gavel shape by indenting the clay gently with a wooden tool or a rib about one inch from both the top and bottom. Measure the top with calipers. Wire the gavel head loose and remove the bat from the wheel.
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4
Place a new bat on the wheel. Use a ball of clay 1/4 the size of the original ball. Center it on the bat. Open a small, flat saucer shape with a 1/4-inch rim. Using the calipers, make sure the flat surface of the saucer matches the measurement of the gavel head. Wire the saucer loose. Remove the bat and set it aside. Repeat.
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5
Trim all three pieces when they are leather hard: Remove the 1/4-inch floor from the gavel head and flip the saucer shapes over, rounding the bottoms with the rasp or trimming tools.
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6
Score the top and the bottom of the gavel. Use the slip (liquid clay) from the potter's wheel tray to coat the edges. Score inside the saucer shapes and coat with slip. Place the gavel inside one saucer and top it with the remaining saucer. Tap firmly with a wooden paddle. Smooth with your finger any slip that may escape.
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7
Turn the gavel on its side and measure to find its center. Make a hole in the dead center of the gavel side with a metal trimming tool. Make the hole slightly larger than the circumference of the dowel to allow for shrinkage during firing.
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8
Dry the piece thoroughly, and bisque fire it.
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9
Glaze or decorate the gavel with underglazes. Use a tenmoku glaze to simulate wood or take creative license with other glaze colors and/or underglazes. Personalize the gavel with a name or date. Do not glaze the bottom of the gavel head. Instead, stain it with underglazes.
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10
Place the gavel on the kiln shelf with the unglazed edge down. Support it with prepared, dried clay wads as necessary to prevent rolling. Fire to the correct cone for the clay.
Assembly
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11
Paint or stain the dowel handle to coordinate with the gavel top and let it dry.
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12
Insert the dowel into the hole in the gavel head and glue it with a clear-drying multipurpose glue. Let it dry before handling.
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13
Present the gavel as is or mount it on a plaque.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Manage moisture carefully while drying. Cover all three pieces together with plastic.
Don't attempt to glaze the entire gavel head because it will stick to the kiln shelf.
Don't use wood glue because it will not bond wood to ceramic.
Display the ceramic gavel but do not use it because it may crack.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Zedcor Wholly Owned/PhotoObjects.net/Getty Images Stockbyte/Stockbyte/Getty Images
