Handbuilding Pottery Pattern Assembly Instructions

Once your pattern file is printed, set aside the pages that contain complete templates. They can be covered with packing tape and then cut out for immediate use.

Select the pages that contain the template that you need to assemble. Lay them out so that you get a rough idea of how they fit together. There is a corresponding PNG file that will help you with the page selections. The red grid on the PNG image depicts individual printed pages and shows you where to overlap.

The first thing that I do is cut away all the excess paper around my template. This is a rough cut, I'm not following the black outer line when I do this. I just want to work with as little paper as possible. When cutting, do not cut any of the grid lines away. These lines are part of the pattern.

Once I have the excess paper cut away, I look for pieces that have grid lines that end somewhere besides the edge of a page. I cut away the excess paper so that when I assemble, my grid lines line up without extra white space. Do not cut away any gridlines as they are part of the pattern.

Finally, I am ready to assemble my pattern. I arrange the template pieces so that they are in the correct order. Then I align my grid lines and overlap the pieces until things line up. On larger templates, I work from center outward. Once a piece is lined up, I lay down a piece of tape to keep it where it needs to be.

Now that I have my template assembled, I cover both front and back with clear packing tape. This makes the template last longer as the packing tape will not absorb the moisture in the clay slab. Then I cut out my template.

In less than ten minutes, I have a laminated template.

The pattern that I used for this demonstration is a mug template available on this site.