Richard mahaffey on fri 19 sep 97
Hello Fellow Clayarters,
Please forgive me if someone already said this: Around here Puget Sound
Area, we have used the ribs from broken umbrellas (a abundant
resource around here)that have been
sharpened at an angle on the end, to put small holes for the strainer in
the wall of a Tea Pot. The "U" shaped cross section works very well for
that purpose, while still allowing any clay in the tool to be removed
with a needle.
--------------------------------\- \ ----------------------------------\/
/ !
cut and sharpened here
Ken Stevens at the Univ. of Puget Sound was the one who showed us this
tool.
To cut the hole you push the tool in while twisting it between the thumb
and the fore and middle fingers
I hope this is clear
Rick Mahaffey
Tacoma Community College
Tacoma, Washington, 98466 USA
Richard Mahaffey on sat 11 dec 04
Kathi,
I think that strainers and tea balls are a pain to deal with. When I
make Tea pots, which is a rare occurrence , I always make a strainer.
Of course this prevents reading the Tea Leaves after
finishing the tea.
I use the handle of the LT -5 Loop tool to indent an area slightly
smaller than the spout (where it will attach to the body), this makes
the clay thinner, and also makes some of the holes self clearing (of
tea leaves) when the tea pot is tilted back to rest on the foot.
The story I was told was that Hamada Shoji told the students at USC
that one needed to put 64 holes in the strainer. I do not know if
that was the number he used or if it was easier to say that
than to translate that one needed to be sure that the spout would be
the restriction on the flow and not the strainer. (A Hamada Tea Pot
made at the USC workshop had 3 holes!)
Any way, I like tea pots with the strainer inside, and not having to
deal with some other thing. I feel it shows attention to detail and
care for one potential use (loose tea) of the pot.
Of course YMMV and Your Tea Pot Preference May Vary.
Happy Holidays to all,
Rick in Washington State
Hank Murrow on sun 12 dec 04
On Dec 11, 2004, at 11:46 PM, Richard Mahaffey wrote:
> Kathi,
>
> I think that strainers and tea balls are a pain to deal with. When I
> make Tea pots, which is a rare occurrence , I always make a strainer.
snip........
> The story I was told was that Hamada Shoji told the students at USC
> that one needed to put 64 holes in the strainer. I do not know if
> that was the number he used or if it was easier to say that
> than to translate that one needed to be sure that the spout would be
> the restriction on the flow and not the strainer. (A Hamada Tea Pot
> made at the USC workshop had 3 holes!)
Well, I may be the one who told that story because I was there at that
workshop in '63(if I remember the date). Actually he was very
well-spoken in English, and he said there needed to be 'more than
sixty' holes in a proper strainer. The demonstration he offered was to
cut the strainer out of the pot, taking the disc of clay in hand, and
pinching it into a half sphere, thinning it in the process. Then he
used an umbrella spoke to make the sixty holes, replacing the strainer
in the wall so it ballooned into the pot body. The spout was then
added, and he explained that the thinness of the strainer wall would
prevent glaze buildup. The three hole pot was one my friend Jane Heald
brought to show him that he gave her after the '52 workshop for firing
their pots for them at the Chouinard workshop in LA. It had a spout
made in the palm of his hand, and wrapped around his finger............
really direct!
> Any way, I like tea pots with the strainer inside, and not having to
> deal with some other thing. I feel it 'shows attention to detail and
> care for one potential use (loose tea) of the pot. Of course YMMV and
> Your Tea Pot Preference May Vary.
I just finished an order of them....... not sixty holers, but plenty
anyway, and they all pour nicely. I may bring one to serve the Mayor
from in Balto.
Cheers, Hank in Eugene
www.murrow.biz/hank
Lee Love on mon 13 dec 04
Hank Murrow wrote:
> On Dec 11, 2004, at 11:46 PM, Richard Mahaffey wrote:
>
>> Kathi,
>>
>> I think that strainers and tea balls are a pain to deal with. When I
>> make Tea pots, which is a rare occurrence , I always make a strainer.
>
> snip........
>
>> The story I was told was that Hamada Shoji told the students at USC
>> that one needed to put 64 holes in the strainer.
>
> well-spoken in English, and he said there needed to be 'more than
> sixty' holes in a proper strainer.
What they used at my teacher's workshop, (I now use a tiny
hand drill) is a "U" shape metal strut from an umbrella. Steel ones
work better than aluminum. It is sharpened to a "U" shape on one end,
that looks very similar to a "U" shaped woodcrarving chisel. The
other end of the strut in put into a wooden handle. These are then
twisted into the clay like a drill and this makes very nice, small
holes. Yes, many tiny holes are preferred.
What you can get cheaply (at the 100yen store) are stainless
steel strainer baskets of various sizes that fit right into the teapot
and a lip holds it in place. If the galley is deep enough (I have been
making mine deeper) then the lid can sit right on top of the strainer lip.
These make it easy to "clean" the teapot of green tea
leaves. Even though these strainers are often used, the tiny strainer
holes are expected to be found in the tea pot. If I don't put strainer
holds in a lidded pot, it is either a coffee pot or chocolate pot.
--
Lee in Mashiko, Japan http://mashiko.org
http://www.livejournal.com/users/togeika/ WEB LOG
http://public.fotki.com/togeika/ Photos!
wjskw@BELLSOUTH.NET on mon 13 dec 04
Would someone please correct me if I'm wrong?
I'm assuming here (I know, I know) that the strainers that all y'all
are speaking of regarding teapots are those strainers built as an
integral part of the pot body wall, separating the spout from the
body?
Not a separate strainer placed into the teapot, (cylindrical with a
rounded bottom) that rests on the rim, and sticks down into the hot
water, into which loose tea is put and later entirely removed after
steeping; such as one finds on some "French press" style pots?
Can someone clarify that for me? English is sometimes an ambiguous
language, at best. We use the same word for too many different
things.
TIA,
Wayne Seidl
Daniel Semler on mon 13 dec 04
Hi Lee,
> If I don't put strainer
> holds in a lidded pot, it is either a coffee pot or chocolate pot.
What exactly is a chocolate pot ? I assume for hot melted chocolate ...
Thanx
D
Jeanette Harris on mon 13 dec 04
>
> What you can get cheaply (at the 100yen store) are stainless
>steel strainer baskets of various sizes that fit right into the teapot
>and a lip holds it in place. If the galley is deep enough (I have been
>making mine deeper) then the lid can sit right on top of the strainer lip.
>
> These make it easy to "clean" the teapot of green tea
>leaves. Even though these strainers are often used, the tiny strainer
>holes are expected to be found in the tea pot. If I don't put strainer
>holds in a lidded pot, it is either a coffee pot or chocolate pot.
Well, say there, Lee, you might just have a mini export business
here. I'm intrigued at the thought of a tiny strainer basket and
would love to see one.
(And there still is a 100 yen store? One of my favorite places to go
when I lived there!)
Cheers,
--
Jeanette Harris
in Poulsbo WA
Elizabeth Priddy on mon 13 dec 04
If you have a military base town near you, their is usually a good asian market in town.
I find those little strainers there. Also very large (tennis ball size) tea balls.
Jeanette Harris wrote:
>
> What you can get cheaply (at the 100yen store) are stainless
>steel strainer baskets of various sizes that fit right into the teapot
>and a lip holds it in place. If the galley is deep enough (I have been
>making mine deeper) then the lid can sit right on top of the strainer lip.
>
> These make it easy to "clean" the teapot of green tea
>leaves. Even though these strainers are often used, the tiny strainer
>holes are expected to be found in the tea pot. If I don't put strainer
>holds in a lidded pot, it is either a coffee pot or chocolate pot.
Well, say there, Lee, you might just have a mini export business
here. I'm intrigued at the thought of a tiny strainer basket and
would love to see one.
(And there still is a 100 yen store? One of my favorite places to go
when I lived there!)
Cheers,
--
Jeanette Harris
in Poulsbo WA
______________________________________________________________________________
Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at melpots@pclink.com.
Elizabeth Priddy
252-504-2622
1273 Hwy 101
Beaufort, NC 28516
http://www.elizabethpriddy.com
---------------------------------
Do you Yahoo!?
Jazz up your holiday email with celebrity designs. Learn more.
| |
|
