Video: Hand Making a Clay Slab

There are two ways to create a clay slab and by hand is the old fashioned way. Learn some tips on how this is done from a clay expert in this free video clip.

Video Transcript

So, the first step in making a slab if you're doing it by hand is to throw this clay and stretch it on the table. I'm going to hold it from one end and then I'm going to pull it towards me as I drop it down. And, what this is going to do is allow the clay to flatten out and stretch in one direction. Always hit the end, because that keeps it from squeezing out and not being flat and not being even. It's kind of like pizza dough, only a little bit more stubborn. And, once you've got it a little bit long you're going to want to get it stretched out the other direction. And, the more smoothly you do this motion the more even your slab's going to be. And, once you've got your slab a little bit thicker then what you're eventually going for you can take a really large rolling pin. The bigger the better, it allows for more consistency. And, then just roll it out going from all directions. That helps keep it consistent and also compresses the clay really nicely. And, once you've got your slab rolled out the way you want it you can take a drywall knife with a clean edge which that didn't have and smooth the surface of the clay.

Hand Making a Clay Slab

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