Typical Equipment in a Pottery Studio (Kiln, Wheel, Shelves & More)
Typical equipment in a pottery studio
In this post we’ll take a look at some of the elements you’ll usually find in a ceramics studio.
Kiln
There are many types of kilns (by technology, like electric or gas, by size, top-loader vs front-loader, etc.), and we’ll cover that in a dedicated post.
In the example above, this studio uses two kilns: one for bisque firing and another for high-temperature firings. We mention it here just to explain the photo above.
Even if you don’t need two kilns, having more than one can be very useful in busy periods or when you have lots of orders: while one kiln is cooling down, you can already load the next batch into the other, for example.
Potter’s wheel
The same applies to the wheel:
we’ll write a specific post just about wheels, and here we’ll simply mention it as a key piece of equipment in many studios.
That said, there are plenty of techniques that don’t require throwing at all, so in that case you could perfectly well do without a wheel.
Glazing booth
There are many types of glazing booths on the market. Many potters decide to build their own, as in the example in the photo above.
The advantage is that you can make it exactly the size you need, to make the most of your studio space. The cost savings are also significant: you can build it with wooden boards (as in the example), empty metal barrels, welded metal sheets, and so on.
If you can get hold of an old kitchen extractor fan, you can improvise an extraction system that you’ll really appreciate in the long run.
Shelving
Everyone designs their shelving in the way that best fits their space. You can have wall-mounted shelves, floor-standing racks, etc.
One recommendation we often make is: if you’re going to build your own rack, put it on heavy-duty casters (ideally with brakes), which you can buy from almost any hardware supplier.
With wheels, you can move the shelving around the studio as needed (avoiding drafts, putting it in the sun to help pieces dry faster, moving it where it’s least in the way, etc.).
Cabinet / storage for clay and more
Some potters, like in the photo, prefer to store their clay bodies in a cabinet, although others keep them outside.
Besides the plastic bags, it’s a good idea over time to collect your own containers (for example, used paint buckets), tubs, and so on, which can be reused perfectly in the studio.
Slab roller
A slab roller is not essential at the beginning, or if you know you won’t be using it much. You can work perfectly well with a simple rolling pin (even a kitchen one).
However, it becomes almost indispensable if you want to be efficient with tiles, large plates, pieces with large flat areas, trays, etc.
They’re usually not cheap: mechanically they may look simple, but they tend to be very industrial, solid and heavy. They don’t go out of alignment easily and, if you decide to buy one, it’s normally a “for life” kind of tool.
Plaster wedging table
You can easily build your own DIY version. We’ll do another post on how to make one in the future.
Tools
Over time you’ll accumulate all kinds of tools and utensils. Some improvised, some more professional…
You can experiment with almost any kind of tool borrowed from other fields outside ceramics, just to see what textures and results you get—especially at the beginning.
Once you know clearly what you like and what you need, you can also take a look at the tools used by professional potters.