Ah, the slab: a flat sheet of clay, usually rolled to a uniform thickness, plain and boring. But this unexciting slab holds so much potential! From here spring vases and planters, ornaments and tiles of myriad shapes, sizes and designs. Limitless possibilities flow from the humble slab, and creating one is quite simple.
Rolling Pin
♦ Rolling Pin Only
Using a rolling pin to roll out a slab of clay is easy and requires only one inexpensive tool: a rolling pin. If you do not need your clay to be an exact thickness, and you do not mind that the thickness of the slab may vary a across the slab, then roll out a ball of well-wedged clay as you would cookie dough.
Using a rolling pin to roll out a slab of clay is easy and requires only one inexpensive tool: a rolling pin. If you do not need your clay to be an exact thickness, and you do not mind that the thickness of the slab may vary a across the slab, then roll out a ball of well-wedged clay as you would cookie dough.
♦ Rolling Pin with Dowels
Ensuring a certain thickness to your slab is also possible using a rolling pin. Set your clay between two square dowels. Square dowels come in a variety of thicknesses, and the thickness of your dowels should match the thickness of your desired slab. Place your clay between the two dowels and roll it out until the pin hits the dowels. The dowels will stop the rolling pin from rolling the slab too thin.
Ensuring a certain thickness to your slab is also possible using a rolling pin. Set your clay between two square dowels. Square dowels come in a variety of thicknesses, and the thickness of your dowels should match the thickness of your desired slab. Place your clay between the two dowels and roll it out until the pin hits the dowels. The dowels will stop the rolling pin from rolling the slab too thin.
Rolling a slab “free-hand” with a rolling pin.
Rolling a slab with a rolling pin and two square dowels to assure consistent thickness.
♦ Rolling Pin with Dough Bands
There are also commercial thick rubber bands that come in different widths and are used for rolling biscuit and cookie dough (pictured: Evendough Bands, by Regency). The concept is similar to the dowels. The bands are placed on either end of the rolling pin, and only allow the clay to be rolled to a certain thickness before the bands hit the table and the slab cannot be rolled thinner.
There are also commercial thick rubber bands that come in different widths and are used for rolling biscuit and cookie dough (pictured: Evendough Bands, by Regency). The concept is similar to the dowels. The bands are placed on either end of the rolling pin, and only allow the clay to be rolled to a certain thickness before the bands hit the table and the slab cannot be rolled thinner.
Rolling pin with various sizes of dough bands.
Rolling a slab with dough bands.
Slab Roller
Using a slab roller is also very easy, though much more expensive than rolling a slab with a rolling pin (a slab roller runs anywhere from $300 to $2000, depending on the size). The advantage here is that you can roll large slabs with ease, and the rolling goes a bit faster than with the rolling pin (especially for larger slabs). If I have a few small slabs to roll, I may just break out the rolling pin and go from there. However, for larger slabs, especially when I know I am going to be rolling more than one slab, I usually use my slab roller. I sandwich a flattened ball of well-wedged clay between canvas (protection for the rollers), and crank the slab roller to move the clay through the rollers. And, voilà! A perfect slab!
Mini Might Slab Roller.
The concept of the slab roller is fairly straightforward – the clay is forced between two rollers positioned at a certain distance apart. The rollers turn as the slab roller is cranked, and the clay moves between them. There are two types of slab rollers. Some rollers are constructed so that the top roller is lifted and lowered to change the space between the two rollers and thus the thickness of the clay. In other slab rollers (like the Mini Might Slab Roller by Bailey that I used) the rollers are a fixed distance apart and cannot be changed. The thickness of the slab is controlled by different thicknesses of boards upon which the clay is placed as it moves through the roller. Both types are effective.
Rolling Tips
Rolling pin with dough bands attached. ♦ Wedge your clay well! Wedging ensures that the moisture content is consistent throughout the clay, all clay ingredients have a homogeneous distribution (in the case that you have added something like a colorant to the clay), and that there are no air bubbles within the clay. Clay that does not have consistent moisture content (i.e. some of the clay in your slab is drier and some is moister) will dry at different rates and can cause warping and cracking problems. Clay that has air bubbles within it can cause explosions or blowouts in your piece when it is fired.
♦ Rolling pins are great for rolling small slabs. However, rolling a larger, even thickness slab with a rolling pin gets a bit tricky as the length of the rolling pin becomes the limiting factor. For larger slabs, using a slab roller is the way to go!
♦ Rotate and flip the clay a few times as it is being rolled. Conventional wisdom states that as the clay dries, if the slab has been rolled only in on direction, the piece is more prone to warping since the clay particles have all been aligned and the clay stretched in one direction.
♦ When rolling a slab using a rolling pin, I usually roll the wedged clay on a piece of drywall. The drywall absorbs some of the moisture from the clay, and makes it easy to transport the slab without distorting its shape.
♦ Place a piece of newsprint between the clay and your work surface. This ensures that the clay will not stick to your work surface, and can be easily moved or flipped over.
♦ Flip you slab between two stiff boards so that the clay does not distort.
♦ When using a slab roller, the canvas that protects the rollers from the clay also leaves an impression of the canvas texture on the clay surface, front and back. If the texture is undesired, it can be smoothed out using and wooden, plastic or rubber rib. Texturless mats also can be purchased and used instead of the canvas with the slab roller, eliminating the extra step of smoothing out the clay surface after rolling.
♦ Rolling pins are great for rolling small slabs. However, rolling a larger, even thickness slab with a rolling pin gets a bit tricky as the length of the rolling pin becomes the limiting factor. For larger slabs, using a slab roller is the way to go!
♦ Rotate and flip the clay a few times as it is being rolled. Conventional wisdom states that as the clay dries, if the slab has been rolled only in on direction, the piece is more prone to warping since the clay particles have all been aligned and the clay stretched in one direction.
♦ When rolling a slab using a rolling pin, I usually roll the wedged clay on a piece of drywall. The drywall absorbs some of the moisture from the clay, and makes it easy to transport the slab without distorting its shape.
♦ Place a piece of newsprint between the clay and your work surface. This ensures that the clay will not stick to your work surface, and can be easily moved or flipped over.
♦ Flip you slab between two stiff boards so that the clay does not distort.
♦ When using a slab roller, the canvas that protects the rollers from the clay also leaves an impression of the canvas texture on the clay surface, front and back. If the texture is undesired, it can be smoothed out using and wooden, plastic or rubber rib. Texturless mats also can be purchased and used instead of the canvas with the slab roller, eliminating the extra step of smoothing out the clay surface after rolling.
1/4″ slab created using a slab roller. The surface has been smoothed with a rubber rib.
