How to Use Slip to Join Clay Pieces (Scoring & Slipping Basics)

Slip for joining pieces.

When the clay starts to firm up, joining parts can be tricky. That’s where slip comes in: it’s basically a mixture of clay and water that acts like a ceramic “glue”.

How do you make it?
Easy: you just need some clay scraps and water. Put the clay in a bowl, add water and mix until you get a smooth paste. That’s your slip.

The trick to using it properly
Before joining the pieces, score the edges you’re going to attach using any pottery tool or other utensil you have at hand. You can also use a comb or a similar tool. Then apply the slip to those scored edges with a brush, making sure to cover both surfaces well. Finally, press the two edges firmly together so they bond properly.

Here are a couple of videos to make it clearer.

In the first one, you can see how the edge is scored with a specific pottery tool so it will stick better when you join it with another piece, and in the second video, you can see how the slip is applied to the scored edge.