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Bagwall - The inner wall of the kiln - it protects the pots being fired from the flames.

Ball clay - A sedimentary clay that will withstand high firing temperatures. Plastic in quality.

Baluster - The name given to a shape of a vase or other vessel that is slender above and bulging below.

Bamboo knife - A piece of bamboo sharpened to a chisel edge. Used in throwing.

Bat - A flat disk that sits on the wheel. Used for heavy pieces that would be difficult to separate from the wheel.

Bisque (or biscuit) - Pots that have been given a preliminary firing to render them hard enough for further work such as decoration and glazing. The higher the temperature of the bisque firing, the harder will be pot, resulting in reduced reaction between glaze and body in the final firing.

Blunge - Mix water with clay.

Blunger - Machine for mixing water with clay. The clay is fed into a hopper and goes through a system of angled rotating blades to mix it with the water.

Body - The substance from which a pot is made. A mixture of one or more clays, grog, feldspars, etc., to give a material suitable for shaping and firing.

Bone ash - Animal bones that have been baked and ground to a powder, used in the production of bone china

Bone china - A china made white and translucent by the addition of calcined animal bone to the body.

Borax - Sodium borate, a mineral salt found in alkaline deposits. A form of borax purified by calcination is used as a flux in glazes.

Bottle kiln - A large kiln, wide at the bottom and narrow at the top like a bottle.

Burnish -To smooth the surface of a pot by rubbing with a hard object to give a finish with a polished effect.