April 11, 2021

How to make a Pottery bowl?

HOW TO THROW HOOKAH HEAD - Step-by-step ILLUSTRATION (also called shisha or nargile)

1. Use about 1 3/4 lb. of clay for the dimensions you see here and throw the shape you prefer. This illustration is a hookah bowl 4-1/2" wide and 4" height wet (without the base neck). Leave a hole on the bottom as if it was a planting pot. Harden the bowl a bit prior to the next step using a torch or a dryer.

Throw a cylinder

Create the desired shape

Use a calipers to verify size

To harden the bowl, torch a bit

2. Use about 1/2 lb. of clay to make the hookah bowl's top with about 1/4" thickness. It help if you have two wheels so that the bowl can remain on one wheel while throwing the base on a different wheel. Trim with a pin-tool to size and place on top. Make a hole with a pin-tool to allow air to escape as you create the proper hookah burning chamber's cavity.

Throw a flat form and trim to size

Remove top

Place on top of pot

Make a hole for air to escape

3. Connect two pieces by compressing and adjusting to required dimensions and depth. You may want to use a torch to harden the bowl before applying compression pressure to the top. Make sure the middle hole remains open through the process.

Connect bowl ant top

Verify size with calipers

Push top to the desired depth

Finalize shape and smooth

4. Dry slowly partially covered. When clay is leather-hard, use a MKM decorating disk to mark where you wish the holes to be and drill / punch the holes. Then, flip bowl upside down for trimming.

Mark holes location

Use 1/4" clay hole puncher

Make the holes

Flip bowl / head upside down

5. Trim bowl and spray a bit to keep the bottom wet to properly attach to the hookah's base neck. If making more than one hookah head, it is easier to throw the base neck off-the-hump. The inside dimensions of the base is very important for proper fitting and it is 1-1/8" after firing. Take shrinkage into account. In our case, our clay shrinks total of 11%. The base neck height in this example is 1-1/2" tall.

Trim bottom to shape

Throw base neck off-the-hump

Measure for right fit (30mm wet clay)

Attach to hookah bowl

6. Make a coil to place between the bowl and the neck and smooth while the wheel is turning.

Use a coil for better attachment