home Credit Pottery production at home. Tall but dirty business

Pottery production at home. Tall but dirty business

* The calculations use average data for Russia

So, if you are planning to open own production ceramic products, but do not have sufficient funds to organize a full-scale enterprise, you can start with a pottery workshop. Currently, this area is of great interest to entrepreneurs. Experts note an increase in interest in this area. Moreover, consumers are interested not only in themselves pottery self made, but also the process of making them as an original hobby.

Regardless of whether you are going to make do with your savings or plan to attract investors, before you decide organizational issues, be sure to make detailed business plan. Of course, ideally you should be well versed in all the intricacies of this craft. But even if you have no experience in this area, but it is of interest to you, you should not give up your idea. In this case, you will act not as a master, but as an organizer and leader. But in any case you must at least have general idea about the process of making ceramic products.

First of all you will need suitable premises. It may be located far from the city center. The main thing is that it is convenient for you and your employees to get there. Most pottery workshops open either on the outskirts of the city (or even the suburbs), or even in the region. But the latter option is suitable for more large enterprises, who save on the delivery of raw materials by locating their production close to the place of clay extraction.

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There are certain requirements for workshop space. It must consist of at least two rooms. The first with an area of at least 50 square meters. meters allocated for manufacturing facility, and the second with an area of 20 square meters. meters is used for storing raw materials and finished products. The workroom must be equipped with a good ventilation system. It is best if your workshop has another separate, third room where the glazing of products will take place. The glaze contains lead and other harmful substances, so you need to work with it in compliance with safety precautions and using respirators. Ideally, the premises should be your property. But if there is none, then you will have to rent a suitable one for several months. The rental cost will be from 35 thousand rubles (the exact amount depends on the region, location, area and condition of the premises).

When a suitable premises has been found, you can begin searching for equipment. There are a large number of nuances here, so if you are not a specialist in pottery, seek help from one. Otherwise, there is a great risk of purchasing the wrong thing.

Basic equipment includes pottery wheels, equipment for kneading clay, scales for dosing clay mass, molds for products (for example, for making magnets, photo frames and other small things), tools and special kilns for firing finished products. You will also need work tables and chairs for potters, racks, shelves and cabinets for storing products and raw materials. The set of tools for pottery work includes stacks, strings with handles, rolling pins, knives, compasses and calipers, spoons, pottery knives, etc. One pottery wheel will cost from 30 thousand to 50 thousand rubles. A machine for kneading clay costs about 30 thousand rubles. Another 5-7 thousand rubles will be required for the purchase of scales and about 5 thousand rubles for tools.

Some craftsmen make their own muffle furnace with a heating temperature of up to 950 °C from a household electric stove. To do this, a body is made from a steel sheet 0.5-0.9 mm thick to the diameter of the electric stove, and a lid is attached to the top, drilling several holes in it for steam to escape. The muffle bowl is made as follows. First, a mold is made from cardboard, which is impregnated with paraffin or wax. On inner surface The clay mass is applied to the mold in a layer of 1 cm. After drying, the clay cup is separated from the mold, dried again and fired. Its lower part should fit snugly against the electric stove. The finished muffle cup is placed in the housing. The space between the muffle and the body is filled with asbestos chips. To control the firing process, make a peephole with a diameter of 20-25 mm with a curtain. The structure itself is installed on an asbestos base.

However, it’s better not to take risks and buy muffle furnaces. The cost of one stove ranges from 50 thousand to 100 thousand rubles. Even in the case of a small workshop, it is advisable to have at least two or three ovens.

The purchase of the first batch of raw materials, admixtures, glazes, paints, etc. will require about 50 thousand rubles. In a small workshop of about 50 sq. meters, three craftsmen can work simultaneously. Wage each of them starts from 10-15 thousand rubles, depending on the region, employment, qualifications, etc.

Ready ideas for your business

The income of a pottery workshop consists of two components - sales of the pottery products themselves and making them to order, as well as conducting paid master classes, excursions, and renting out work space and equipment. The wholesale cost of a simple clay object made by stamping (for example, a magnet) starts from 60-70 rubles with a cost of 25-30 rubles. At the same time, such magnets are sold at retail at a price of about 170-190 rubles. A visit to a master class teaching the basics of working with a pottery wheel costs from 350 rubles per person. The average number of participants in one master class is five to six people. The cost of renting a pottery workshop including everything necessary equipment starts from 1000 rubles and above. Of course, you can make money by teaching and renting out a workshop only if it is located in a large city, where there is practically no competition in this area and there is interest on the part of people in the pottery craft. You can sell finished products through small wholesale companies (as production volumes increase, you will be able to think about large wholesale), through retail chains, individual shops (florists, toy shops, souvenir and gift shops), outlets and stalls (including souvenir shops in shopping centers cities, at train stations and airports), points in markets, through own store at the workshop, as well as through online stores (but this option is only suitable for selling small souvenir products). The dream of all small producers of souvenirs is to become a supplier to large Russian retail chains. Clay souvenirs are original and in demand, and there is no competition at the federal level. But for cooperation with retail chains the minimum batch of goods must be at least a thousand pieces of one item, which is quite a large volume for a small workshop, even if we're talking about about small things, like stamped magnets. Another difficulty is associated with the specifics of any semi-handicraft production, which include unstable product quality and failure to meet delivery deadlines.

Even if there is almost no competition in this segment in your city, you should not forget about advertising and, most importantly, the high quality of your products. Advertising will help attract the attention of those who want to master the art of clay modeling. A high quality and the original design of your products will be the key to success among potential buyers.

To open a small pottery workshop you will need from 250 thousand rubles. The payback period for this type of business is from one year.

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Where to start a business?

At first glance, it may seem that it is enough to simply open a pottery workshop, purchase raw materials and equipment, and you can start making money. In fact, you need to prepare thoroughly before starting such a business. To achieve success, you need to become a master potter. The manager who runs the business must carefully study the production process and also become familiar with the basics of pottery art.

Legal registration

This type of activity should be registered using the code “Production of decorative and household ceramic products.” If you issue individual entrepreneur, the number of hired workers should not exceed 5 people. In this case, you can choose a simplified taxation system. Thanks to this, you do not have to do accounting and fill out tax returns.

Room

To organize pottery production at home, you will need a small room of 50 square meters. meters. In addition, you need to allocate a separate area for a warehouse, with an area of 15 square meters. meters. This is where you will store your finished products.

It is advisable that the pottery workshop be located on the ground floor of the building. As for communications, the premises must have electricity, sewerage and running water. Also do not forget about air conditioning and ventilation.

Equipment

To make ceramic products, you need to purchase a potter's wheel.

In addition to this, you will need:

Scales;
Machine for kneading clay;
Kiln;
Molds for frames and various figures;
Paints and brushes.

You will have to invest approximately 300 thousand rubles in the production of pottery. It is small start-up capital, which any aspiring entrepreneur can assemble.

Before purchasing equipment, you need to study special literature to become familiar with some important nuances.

There is no need to buy new equipment right away. Sometimes, through advertisements in newspapers and on the Internet, you can find used equipment for a pottery workshop that is in excellent condition.

Staff

If you have an irresistible desire, as well as a certain amount of perseverance, you can do everything. production processes on your own. But it is much more efficient to use hired labor.

You can hire people to work in a pottery workshop:

For mixing clay;
Product molding;
Firing;
Decoration and painting of finished products.

Technology for making clay products

Homemade pottery production is as follows:

A solution of a certain consistency is mixed from clay and water. Different types of clay are used as raw materials;
The mixture is sent to the potter's wheel, where the master makes dishes from it. Various figures are made using special molds on a pottery table;
Firing in a kiln. This is the longest process. The longer the product is fired, the more durable and stronger it is;
Coloring of finished products.

If you are interested in pottery production, you can watch the video on the Internet on specialized resources. Also, see other ideas for making money in the field of manufacturing materials and products, for example.

Income

Pottery almost always finds its buyers. To organize the sale of finished products, you can hand them over to supermarkets or souvenir shops for sale. This is not the most profitable way, so you should try hard to become a regular supplier of a large souvenir chain. In this case, the volume of one batch of products will be at least 1000 pieces.

It is worth noting that pottery production as a business brings good profits. To increase income, you can open training courses at the workshop. Many modern people who are tired of the everyday hustle and bustle and are happy to engage in creativity. Refresher courses can also be organized. In this case, you will have to purchase additional equipment for pottery production and consumables.

In addition, you can make custom pottery. Large companies often order large quantities of souvenirs with their logo or symbols. Pottery business will be successful if you choose the right one pricing policy. For permanent wholesale buyers it is necessary to provide special system discounts

Purchase of raw materials

It is important to know that clay for pottery production can be different varieties– white, red, and also with lime or sand impurities.

Before you start purchasing equipment, decide what kind of clay you will work with. The choice of equipment and its cost largely depend on this.

Experienced potters mostly use red clay. The most important thing is that it contains a little lime. Experts advise finding one specific place where you can constantly take raw materials. It is desirable that the clay be oily and contain no more than 1% metal oxide. You can find out about deposits of such material from local geologists or local historians.

Features of pottery art

Before you start sculpting, you need to prepare the mixture. Traditional technology pottery production involves squeezing air bubbles out of clay. That is, the mixture must be thoroughly mixed. To do this, the workpiece must be rolled several times on a wooden board. Using a wire, it is cut into pieces and thrown with force on the table. After this, the workpiece must be twisted in a spiral several times. This is a very important process, on which the number of defects largely depends.

Many aspiring entrepreneurs are interested in how to learn pottery? The most important thing is to be patient, as this art requires a lot of polishing. If something doesn't work out for you, don't be upset. Think about those potters who worked several thousand years ago. They did not have special equipment or literature from which to draw the necessary knowledge, but despite this, they created real masterpieces.

Let's sum it up

Nowadays, finding courses in pottery art is not difficult. Therefore, if you have the desire, you can master this profession without any problems.

Experts recommend not turning your apartment into a workshop. Use your cottage, garage, or rent a room for this. Otherwise, you will pollute all the rooms, burn the wiring, clog the sewer and, as a result, quarrel with all your neighbors.

Pottery art initially developed as a craft that served for the manufacture of containers for meals or vessels in which bulk and liquid materials were stored. Today, it involves processing by molding on a specially designed pottery wheel, after which glaze is applied to the dried product, followed by the obligatory process. In this way, objects are made that are used in any field: household items, construction, decorations, jewelry, souvenirs. These products are called pottery ceramics, they can be found in every corner of our planet.

There are three main classes of production in pottery technology:

production of building bricks;
making clay or stone utensils;
production of more refined earthenware or porcelain objects.

Based on production technology, all classes of pottery art are similar to each other, however, there are a number of nuances that affect the final result. The main difference is the types of clay that form the basis of the product.

Story

As stated earlier, the art of pottery originated from a craft that served solely to make vessels for storing materials and food. Over time, it developed, became enriched, and today appears before us no longer in the same form as our distant ancestors saw it. Thanks to technological discoveries, new crafts began to appear, they led to the appearance of such items as fire bricks, stoneware, tiles, tiles, drainage pipes, architectural decorations and other numerous products.

Due to the fact that society began to decorate and decorate familiar clay products, pottery moved from the category of craft to the category of art. Making clay pots was popular in ancient times, ever since humanity became acquainted with the material common on the planet - clay and its properties.

The Old Testament contains several references to the profession of a potter and his products. The oldest clay vessels, even in prehistoric times, were finished by human hands and, accordingly, were irregular in shape. A little later, round and oval products are found, apparently made using a potter's wheel. History has not preserved information about the exact appearance of this circle, but mentions of it have been going on since antiquity.

It is known that the first porcelain products appeared in Asia two thousand years ago. This indicates that the pottery industry in China developed much more rapidly than throughout the world.

Each nation had its own traditions associated with this craft, which turned into art. So in African countries at the beginning of the twentieth century, pots were made by hand, the clay was dried in the sun, and the product was fired using a bundle of straw and fire.

As for Europe, here until the eighth century pottery was in complete decline. Only the Spanish Moors gave it an impetus; around the same time, products that were covered with glaze appeared.

Pottery made its heyday around the thirteenth century. The most striking splash occurred in Italy, where majolica was invented - a type of ceramics made from baked clay. Florence gave the world such a master of pottery as Luca della Robbia; his sculptures and other works are considered the pride of the nation in our time.

Using the technologies of the sculptor Robbia, Tuscan factories took another step forward - earthenware products. They were first fired with fire, then they were covered with white glaze, on which drawings were made, after which the product was subjected to a second firing, stronger than the first. Not only architectural decorations, but also flowerpots and figurines began to be made from majolica.

After the decline of pottery in Italy, France took over the baton. It was here that the clay kiln was invented.

In the Middle Ages, pottery was created and used only by the poor; the upper classes used tin, silver, and gold. Pottery art was also widely used in church decoration. Here it was used to create jugs. Churches of Novgorod, as well as temples of the Romanov times, are decorated with similar products.

At the end of the eighteenth century, entire factories began to appear around the world that were engaged in pottery making.

Ceramic products

The main difference between the types of ceramics is the composition of the mass, as well as the type of glaze from which they are made. There are two types of pottery: dense and porous.

Dense are those products that, when fired due to high temperature merge into a homogeneous solid mass. When broken, this product resembles glass. It is translucent and does not absorb liquid, and when it hits the steel it produces sparks. An example of dense pottery is porcelain.

Porous ones, on the contrary, break easily and allow liquid to pass through. Among such products is faience.

There may be products that do not belong to either type, but are something transitional between these two types.

Dense

Hard porcelain. The mass is fused, translucent, fine-grained, elastic, homogeneous, hard, it will not yield to the action of a knife. This porcelain contains kaolin, chalk, quartz and feldspar. It is fired twice: first weakly for glazing, then strong after glazing.
Soft porcelain. It is also called French. Its content is an almost transparent lead glaze. Here, double firing is also necessary, only very strong at first, and weaker at the end.
Unglazed porcelain, or bisque. It has the usual porcelain mass.
Pariyan. It is close in mass to soft porcelain, has a yellowish tint, and is difficult to melt.
Carrara. White, translucent. Its mass is a cross between stone products and pariyan.
Stone products. They are characterized by a dense, fine-grained mass. There are ordinary and delicate products, mostly white.

Porous

Delicate faience. It is a mixture of refractory clay and silica. It is covered with a transparent glaze. The mass is opaque, ringing.
Ordinary faience, or majolica. This is a red-yellow mass, which, after firing, is covered with an opaque tin glaze.
Products made from ordinary and fire-resistant clay. This includes bricks, tiles, drainage pipes, etc.
Burnt stone mass, or, as it is also called, terracotta. Its composition is purified clay and ground fragments of finished products. It is used to decorate vases and other products.
Ordinary pottery. The mass is made from clay, clay marl, and also from opaque lead glaze.

Materials for pottery

To make brick, porcelain, earthenware, you need to do next job: make a clay mass, shape it, dry it, fire it and cover it with glaze. The main material for making products is clay. Potters prefer to use pottery clay, which has the necessary viscosity and its temperature resistance is ideal for creating products. Despite the fact that the clay itself has high level plasticity, it is necessary to add auxiliary materials due to the fact that during firing it undergoes rapid and uneven compression, which turns the product into an awkward thing. To make the simplest product, you also need sand, ash, sawdust, for production best quality you need fireclay - a powder that is obtained from crushed products.

To produce conventional pottery, previously mined clay must be left in air or water for one to two years. After that, it is kneaded in wooden boxes; this is done in factories and factories by special machines. This action is necessary in order to clear the clay of stones or debris. After the clay is taken out of the boxes, it is placed in piles, which are cut into thin slices with a knife. They are again placed in the boxes and kneaded again, clearing them of impurities that could remain on it. Higher grades of products, especially colorless ones, require components that must be perfectly cleaned. The basic rule of a good-quality clay mass is its uniformity. For the purpose of high-quality cleaning, the clay is divided into small pieces, which are watered and, after a day of “soaking,” thrown into kneading machines. The teeth of this machine, when rotating rapidly, cut the clay, and a stream of water passing through this chamber carries very small pieces into a special pool, while large ones remain at the bottom. The pool is designed for the next level of cleaning, where coarse particles are deposited, after which another jet carries them into the second pool. In it, the clay is completely eliminated. This technology uses only warm water because it better separates clay pieces, and the cleaning process is noticeably accelerated due to the optimal temperature.

Proportions components are determined for each type of product separately. Mixing of products also occurs in different ways: dry, with knives or with jets of water. When this homogeneous mass is obtained, a large number of unwanted bubbles still remain in it. This problem can be eliminated either with special equipment or with the help of feet, with which the clay is simply trampled until the required consistency is obtained.

Burning

IN in the narrow sense Ceramics are the same clay, but fired. Accordingly, when they say “ceramics,” they mean products made from inorganic materials (often clay), as well as their mixtures with various additives, which are produced under the influence of high temperatures and subsequent cooling.

The firing process initiates irreversible changes, after which the material turns into ceramics. Under the influence of high temperature, small particles fuse in those places where they come into contact.

When producing porcelain, technologies undergo significant changes. This is due to differences in materials, required temperatures and different properties of the components. Each source material has its own proportions, as well as a certain temperature regime:

The technology of roasting products is carried out various methods. Nevertheless, the kiln firing process is a centuries-old, unchanging tradition. Depending on the temperature and duration of the process, products of varying quality are obtained. Therefore, the maximum temperature in furnaces in production does not change until the production of an entire batch of products is completed.

Moreover, appearance finished product depends on the composition of the atmosphere in the kiln. One or another degree of air oxidation can be caused. With special help given parameters You can even make pottery clay change color from brown to green.

Applying glaze

Some pottery works are not glazed at all. These include bricks, tiles, terracotta, pots. The so-called glazing is carried out in order to protect clay products from excess moisture. The same result was achieved in ancient times by milk firing - a method of giving products a beautiful appearance and water resistance.

Not the most expensive clay products are glazed in their raw form simultaneously with firing. This is called antsing. The essence of this action is that during firing, salt is thrown into the oven, which turns into vapor and settles on the product. In the place where it lands, a fusible compound called murava is formed.

Another coating method is to sprinkle the product with glaze, crushed into a fine powder. Often these are crude products: pots, unfired pipes, etc. Before applying the coating, the product is coated with flour paste and fired.

The essence of the third method is that the product is doused with glaze, which has the consistency of cream. This method is used to coat solid products that practically do not absorb liquid. For example, some types of porcelain and earthenware.

And the last way is that porcelain and earthenware products placed in a container with glaze. This method Designed for products that are lightly fired and initially absorb liquid. The glaze is ground into a fine powder and mixed with water. A product is placed in this liquid, which resembles milk in consistency, to absorb this mixture. It is possible to make a drawing on this glaze.

Art therapy

In the modern rhythm, everyone finds their own way to relax. One of the most beautiful and unusual methods is to take up pottery. There are two ways to try yourself in this art. The first is to buy a pottery wheel and necessary materials to practice on your own. A pottery workshop in your own home is not only stylish and fashionable, but also incredibly exciting for you, your family and friends. In this case, you can feel like a free artist, try various shapes, based on video tutorials.

The second way is a pottery school. In a class of beginners like yourself, you will have the opportunity to try on the role of a creator of beauty, an artist and a sculpture.

Psychologists say that pottery is great way cope with stress, become more balanced and attentive. Art therapy, according to experts, is one of the best methods of combating depression and other nervous disorders. Spending time at the pottery wheel helps to organize thoughts, distract from minor everyday troubles and find a way out of a difficult life situation. “Complete dedication to your work will not solve your problems, but it will definitely help you find ways to solve them,” doctors say unanimously.

DIY products

Every home contains clay, ceramic or porcelain products. In conditions mass production It’s hard to surprise someone with factory-made dishes or a flower vase.

Pottery making is an incredibly fun and exciting activity for the whole family. You can have fun, learn a new job, develop skills and dexterity.

After attending your first pottery master class, you will be able to make your own pot. Attentive teachers usually treat beginners with patience, guiding them and helping them in everything. Pottery art helps to cope with minor stress and distracts from the everyday hustle and bustle. And the products that you make yourself will be a reason to be proud of your next victory over yourself. In addition, after you work in a circle and make your own pot, you will have the opportunity to paint it with your own hands. Here you can show all your imagination. This product will be a wonderful gift for a loved one.

Parties, birthdays and corporate events spent in such an unusual activity are popular. This good opportunity communicate, find out closer friend friend and see the creative potential of your friends. In addition, such a holiday will certainly be remembered for its unusualness and originality, and products made independently at the pottery wheel will be an excellent gift in memory of a wonderful day. And someone, perhaps, will discover their talent and take this business seriously in order to open their own museum of pottery art in the future. Children will especially enjoy this activity. If they are good at sculpting from plasticine, then you should try sending them to a pottery school. This will help develop hand motor skills, have a beneficial effect on the baby’s mood, and will also open up the child’s creative potential. An interesting and exciting hobby develops attention, imagination and thinking.

Hobby or business?

IN modern world pottery products are very popular. They belong to the category of products that are always in demand and relevant. Each house has dishes, vases, pots, various figurines and souvenirs. It has been developing into art for many centuries and is popular and in demand. Therefore, the passion for pottery is increasingly developing into real business. Having your own pottery workshop is a very profitable business, because the main raw material is clay - a free material that literally lies just under our feet. Beautiful, original, designer products can be brought to the manufacturer good income. A pottery master is a profession for the soul. You can diversify the world, get a unique hobby that will bring you profit and also reveal your creative potential.

Pottery art is popular all over the world. Despite the fact that it is several decades old, it will never go out of fashion.

Starting to create clay masterpieces at home, do not rush to purchase a pottery wheel. After all, there are a large number of different techniques that, at first, will allow you to better “feel” the material, learn about its properties and “behavior” during and after work.

Historically, most of these techniques predate shaping on the potter's wheel: hand sculpting appeared long before the invention of the famous potter's tool. The main tool of a true master of sculpting is his hands, and clay is only a material that obediently reflects the imagination of the creator.

You can sculpt from pieces of clay, assembling a whole from individual parts. This method is called constructive. It is suitable for making various small decorative elements: toys, saucers, mugs. A striking example such modeling is the famous Dymkovo toy. When sculpting from individual parts, the work begins with the formation of a large part, and then additional elements are literally glued to it, but so that the seams of the joints are not visible.

The second popular sculpting method– plastic – from a whole piece: all parts are formed from one piece of clay. That is, a lump of clay must first be rolled into a ball, and then additional elements must be pulled out of it with gentle movements.

The third method is combined. As the name suggests, it combines several types of modeling: structural and plastic. For example, a bowl is molded from a whole piece, and handles are attached to it.

For the manufacture of various types vessels by hand sculpting (without using a potter's wheel) different techniques are used. Below are a few of the most common ones.

Spiral technology from bundles: Initially, strands are made from clay, which are wound onto an imaginary figure, forming a real product, circle by circle. Even in ancient times, this technique was valued for the fact that it made it possible to create very large vessels: those that could not be made on a potter's wheel.

Molding from stripes somewhat reminiscent of the spiral technique. However, it is much more difficult for beginning potters: first you need to roll out the layer, then cut it into strips. The first strip is laid on the base with a notch, the next one is attached to it, and another notch is made at the junction (inside). Then a thin flagellum is placed on this notch from the inside, and the seam is covered. All subsequent stripes are added in a similar way - they gradually “grow” into the figure conceived by the author.

It should be remembered that the blank will simply “not lag behind” the product, so it must be wrapped in a plastic bag or covered with paper. And within a day (until the figure dries completely) remove it from the resulting clay product.

One of the most mysterious pottery methods Modeling of vessels on rope is recognized: archaeologists have many times found vessels with rope ornaments inside. The question arose: for what purpose did ancient craftsmen decorate vessels from the inside? The answer was hidden precisely in the method of making samples, and not in decorative techniques: a certain blank was wrapped with rope; a vessel was sculpted from the resulting blank; then the rope was unwound, which made it easy to remove the vessel from the workpiece.

Talking about decorating pottery, it is worth mentioning special techniques: molded patterns, relief modeling, rope print, painting.

Beginners should know and the fact that solid objects (colored glass, beads, etc.) cannot be used as decoration for clay products until the sample is completely ready: when drying and firing, the clay contracts and literally squeezes out all the “foreign bodies,” which often leads to deformation and damage products.