How to Make a Ceramic Ink Dip Pen on the Potter's Wheel

Here it is, the long awaiting ink dip pen video. This week I show how I make these from beginning to end in a marathon 40 minute video. There's a lot of information here, be the throwing, trimming, glazing or firing so if you have any queries along the way make sure to leave a comment and I'll do my best to reply! Thanks as always for watching and I hope you enjoy watching how I make these ink dip pottery pens.

How the inkwells are made:    • How to Throw, Glaze and Fire a Potter...  

Timecodes:
0:00 - Introduction
1:13 - Centring the clay on the wheel
2:17 - Throwing the ink dip pen
5:34 - Covering them to dry overnight
7:42 - Trimming the ink dip pen
10:53 - Using a specially made chuck to trim the tops of the pens
12:56 - Drilling out the hollow for the ferrule
16:10 - Close up of drilled hole and ferrule check
17:40 - Trimming the top again
19:14 - Packing the bisque to fire to 1000ºc
22:53 - Unpacking the bisque
24:52 - Mixing up a batch of crackle glaze
25:45 - Glazing the ink dip pen
27:31 - Cleaning up a 'red' pen
28:46 - Cleaning up a 'white' pen
29:52 - Slotting the pens onto the firing rig
30:02 - Packing the gas kiln
31:57 - Firing the gas kiln to 1290ºc
34:52 - Unpacking the gas kiln
36:34 - Preparing the ferrules to fit into the pens
38:31 - Finished examples

I throw using a Rohde HMT 500 pottery wheel. I fire my pots using a Rohde TE 200 electric kiln and a Rohde KG-340 Gas kiln.
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