The clay that Chris uses is prepared at the pottery, with ball clay from Devon, China clay and China clay grog from Cornwall and fireclay from Staffordshire.

All the ingredients are soaked in water in a concrete lined pit. After a few days the clay body is thoroughly mixed in a large horizontal pug mill and then stored in bags for several months in order to acheive maximum plasticity.

Before use the individual bags of clay are further mixed by spiral kneading. The clay is then weighed and made into balls ready for throwing or being made into slabs or coils.

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