Post #1981439

The first step is to make the top. I use porcelain and various oxides and stains mixed right into the clay body but any kind of decoration should work. I use porcelain because I love it and also because it has 0% porosity when fired to cone 10. This is important because more porous clays collect dirt from your hands and it's impossible to wash off. When the porcelain gets grubby you can clean it. I'm not showing the process of making a top because you can do it any way you want to. The only requirement is that you have to scoop out a hole for the pipe to go into later. I make it about an inch across because I'm too lazy to think about shrinkage. This way I know the pipe will fit. Make it a comfortable size and shape for your hand. The pictures show a top I made recently along with the hole.