Fhelme@aol.com on thu 26 sep 96
I would like to know what anyone thinks about putting little holes in the
wall before attaching the spout - or - cutting a big hole. For years I have
been using a tea pot I bought at a craft fair (potter will not be named) but
it always drips. (my purchase at the craft fair was funny. the potter
allowed that his pots might drip, so he and I poured water into a bunch of
his pots and tried pouring on the ground outside his booth. We selected the
best one.) I finally got fed up with his pot and bought a great commercial
pot from my tea supplier (Upton Tea Imports). the commercial pot pours great
and it just has a big smooth opening to the spout without holes in the wall.
This is no problem for me since the pot comes with a big removable tea
strainer.
I was just at the fantastic conference at Arrowmont where several big name
potters all demonstrated making tea pots with many holes in the wall where
the spout is attached. I'm sure that these pots will not drip. I wonder if
any of list people make pots with a big opening to the spout. I suspect that
many people use strainers thus making little holes unnecessary.
frank helme (tea drinker in upstate NY)
Brad Collis on fri 27 sep 96
re teapots
I've made many teapots over recent years and always bore small holes in the
wall -- about half a dozen -- before applying the spout. I think dripping is
more a consequence of spout design than the size of the holes. I have
eliminated dripping by carving a furrow on the underside of the spout's
opening, which has the effect of thinning the rim and elevating the tip
slightly while pouring. Too thick a rim at the opening and also a spout that
hasn't had the top cut away will always drip. The tirck is to have the
liquid freely leaving the spout, and not just running around the lip and
down the outside of the pot. Sounds obvious, but it took me a few drip-prone
teapots (and jugs) before I got it right.
cheers
Brad Collis
Melbourne Australia
brad@parkhouse.com.au
June Perry on fri 27 sep 96
Dear Frank:
I don't believe it is the size of the holes as the spout itself. I too am a
tea drinker but I don't care if a spout drips any more than I care if my wine
bottle drips!
Making a sharp edge on the spout is believed by some to help eliminate this
problem but that makes the spout more vulnerable to chipping. Other use
tricks like putting a little pin hole in the spout which is supposed to make
the large drip fall back. I believe it is put in before the liquid hits the
edge of the spout. If someone else on the list uses this technique I am sure
that they will share it with you.
I use the many small holes method so people, if they choose, don't have to
use a tea ball unless they are using very fine ly ground tea. I use a
variety of things from the commercial hole cutters to my favorite, an African
porcupine quill that I can purchase through a local source.
Another teapot making hint that I learned long ago is to make sure the spout
is situated close to the base of the pot. This facilitates the strongest tea
getting served first so when you finally get to the end of the pot you don't
have to ingest some bitter, awful tasting tannic ridden concoction.
Regards,
June
Nils Lou on fri 27 sep 96
Big holes or little holes have nothing to do with whether or not the
spout will pour well with no dripping. It is only a matter of preference.
As for a dripless spout it is well to consider the way liquids move. If
the end of the spout flares the liquid will likely not pour well because
of friction and capillary attraction. Awell designed spout will be
smaller at the end than where it is attached to the pot and will have a
decided curve at the end so when the pot is lifted at the end of the pour
it will cut off the flow suddenly rather than slowly. A bend of 90
degrees usually works so the last drop has to go up hill which prevents
it from flowing down the spout. Of course, you can also rub the side of
your nose collecting skin grease and wipe on the underside of the spout.
This stops dripping. On the spout, not the nose.
One note: little holes usually don't stop the tea leaves unless they are
quite small; and if they are small enough to do that they seal up when
you glaze. I guess I vote for one big hole don't wash your face too
often. Nils Lou
On Thu, 26 Sep 1996 Fhelme@aol.com wrote:
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> I would like to know what anyone thinks about putting little holes in the
> wall before attaching the spout - or - cutting a big hole. For years I have
> been using a tea pot I bought at a craft fair (potter will not be named) but
> it always drips. (my purchase at the craft fair was funny. the potter
> allowed that his pots might drip, so he and I poured water into a bunch of
> his pots and tried pouring on the ground outside his booth. We selected the
> best one.) I finally got fed up with his pot and bought a great commercial
> pot from my tea supplier (Upton Tea Imports). the commercial pot pours great
> and it just has a big smooth opening to the spout without holes in the wall.
> This is no problem for me since the pot comes with a big removable tea
> strainer.
>
> I was just at the fantastic conference at Arrowmont where several big name
> potters all demonstrated making tea pots with many holes in the wall where
> the spout is attached. I'm sure that these pots will not drip. I wonder if
> any of list people make pots with a big opening to the spout. I suspect that
> many people use strainers thus making little holes unnecessary.
>
> frank helme (tea drinker in upstate NY)
>
Kirk Morrison on fri 27 sep 96
On 27 Sep 96 at 8:44, June Perry wrote:
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>
> I use the many small holes method so people, if they choose, don't have to
> use a tea ball unless they are using very fine ly ground tea. I use a
> variety of things from the commercial hole cutters to my favorite, an African
> porcupine quill that I can purchase through a local source.
> Another teapot making hint that I learned long ago is to make sure the spout
> is situated close to the base of the pot. This facilitates the strongest tea
> getting served first so when you finally get to the end of the pot you don't
> have to ingest some bitter, awful tasting tannic ridden concoction.
>
>
I am just getting back into pottery, and I am glad to have found
this net. Her advice is perfect, the best designed pots from the
1700's on have used the spout on the bottom design for the very reason
she said. I have always been told that the sign of a well made teapot
is the spout connected within a quater of an inch of the bottom and to
be as tall as the pot. I hope this helps. I have a very nice pot from
the late Victorian period made like this and it still brews wonderful
tea and the little holes work with most green teas by the way but brick
teas go into the cup.
Kirk
Layna Portugal on sat 28 sep 96
I just participated in the two week workshop at Anderson Ranch entitled
"Teapots with the Masters." Teachers were Pete Pinnell (he uses ClayArt,
ppinnell@unlinfo.unl.edu, and Ah Leon (September article in Ceramics
Monthly), from Taiwan. Either one of them could answer everything you ever
wanted to know about teapots and more. Ah Leon gave a lot of attention to
what he called the "x spot", a point on the spout that was different for
every pot. If the last drop would run back down (either inside or outside)
past that spot, the pot would drip. He and Pete could always just look at a
pot and determine if it would drip. This x spot was also related to the cut
at the end of the spot, the "peak" of the spout (the sharp end (lip) that
"cuts" off the water. The spout should always become progressively
smaller...from the throat to the end. It was the construction of the spout
that made the difference. It didn't matter if it was made with little
"strainer" holes, or one large one in the body.
Incidentally, this workshop was a phenomenal experience, taught by two of
the finest potters and human beings you could hope to meet.
--
lunar@enteract.com
http://www.enteract.com/~lunar
Leonard Smith on sun 29 sep 96
I could never contemplate not putting straining holes under the teapot
spout, I guess its my traditional training. I do find it simple to do using
a tapered hole cutter and I enjoy making pattern's out of the holes that
will never be seen.
I myself usually put a herbal tea bag into my own pot only using leaf tea
on very special occasions, even then I still prefer the strainer to be in
the pot.
I or my customers may just want to use leaf tea and the stainer will ensure
that most of the leaves stay in the pot, just enouigh making it though for
the ceremonial tea leave reading after a fine cup of tea.
Best wishes
Leo
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Leonard Smith ARCADIA STUDIOS Email: smithl@ozemail.com.au
10 Marrakesh Place
Arcadia, 2159, NSW, Australia. Phone + 61 2 9653 2507
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
http://www.ozemail.com.au/~smithl/
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dave Harms on tue 1 oct 96
I'm not sure what you mean by "if the last drop would run back down".
Is this then about the size of the drop that's left?
Layna Portugal wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>wanted to know about teapots and more. Ah Leon gave a lot of attention to
>what he called the "x spot", a point on the spout that was different for
>every pot. If the last drop would run back down (either inside or outside)
>past that spot, the pot would drip.
Eleanora Eden on wed 2 oct 96
Well I remember now that I have seen a solution to the too small aperture
problem and that is by increasing the area available for the holes by
making it into kind of a bulbous thing that protrudes into the teapot
body. I have seen this on commercial Chinese style teapots those white
porcelain ones. I couldn't imagine bothering to add this extra piece
but it could be achieved by just pressing that area inward to get the
bulbous shape before doing the holes. Hmmm...think I'll try it.
Eleanora
Eleanora Eden 802 869-2003
Paradise Hill
Bellows Falls, VT 05101 eden@maple.sover.net
| |
|
