Edinbane Pottery make up their own clay body, blending very plastic clays from Dorset, china clay from Cornwall and potash feldspar. Other materials may be added to change texture, colour or working properties. Most of the work is 'thrown' , i.e made on the potter's wheel, often textured to complement the decoration. As pieces dry, they are coated with different coloured slips (coloured clays) and glazes, which when fired give rich and variegated surface and colouring.
They are fired in one of three kilns; a 60 cubic foot wood-fired kiln, a 20 cubic foot gas fired salt-glazed one or a small gas kiln’. The firing temperature reaches about 1300oC.
WOOD FIRING:
A demanding but
rewarding process: for some 18 hours, thin slabs of wood are thrown into the
kiln's two fire boxes, slowly at first, and then faster as the heat builds up. 
The ash and flames are drawn through the pots, and as the firing progresses there is a build up of fine ash dust on the pots which melts with the clay to give a warm, toasty colour. This varies greatly with the vagaries of the currents of flame within the kiln from a gentle blush to a rich glaze coating.
SALT GLAZING: By using common salt in the kiln at high temperature, it vapourises and
fuses with the surface of the clay to form a glaze. Depending on the type of
clay, or surface decoration, the salt glaze will vary in colour and texture from
glassy to quite matt.
At Edinbane, salt is put into the kiln using small shovels from about 1240oC. This salt boils furiously and the vapour is drawn through the pots stacked in the kiln, allowing the sodium to get to the clay surface. After a couple of hours, and 12lbs of salt, the kiln is fired up to 1300oC to 'mature' the effects, and fingers are crossed for a couple of days until the kiln is cool enough to have a look!
The process never fails to be exciting, even after nearly 30 years!
