How to Use Sodium Silicate to Create Crackled Texture on Pottery Surfaces

In this excerpt from the DVD Pottree: Wedge to Fire, potters Don Ellis and Randy Brodnax demonstrate a couple of variations on the same technique in tandem. The technique involves using sodium silicate and a heat gun to quickly harden the outside surface of a freshly thrown pot. Then the pot can be stretched from the inside, creating a lovely cracked texture on the surface.