Lili Krakowski on sun 29 jul 07
I am glad Gay is enjoying the little dippers. As they have no official name
I call them the "Browning Tool", as its purpose is to extend the grasp
of the hand. A while ago Mel very kindly posted on either his web page, or a
ClayArt one a drawing I made of this tool. It may still be there.
By the way, Gail, I must have misspoken-those dippers, as far as I know, do
not come from China, but were used in British china factories. There is a
photo of one in use in Harry Fraser' s "Glazes for the Craft Potter."
Ok. When I stretch my hand, palm down, I can grasps a large saucer between
thumb and middle finger, my reach is 8". Using the Browning Tool I can
grasp big plates-the limit NOW being the WEIGHT of the plate.
Now then.
You need a wire coathanger, a wire cutting pliers, a regular pliers (or
two),a small metal file, safety glasses, work gloves.
With glasses and workgloves on, snip off the hook of the wire hanger, about
an inch below the twisted part. I have only small clippers, so I make two
snips. You can throw the hook out.
Cut the bottom of the hanger-the part that is horizontal-about an inch from
one of the bends. You now have a piece of wire shaped like a shepherd's
crook. Later you will make a tighter bend of the existing one...but, for now,
take the other end of this piece of wire and wrap it into a loop. I wrap
around a one inch dowel, a broomstick, a wooden cane or something like that
to shape the a nice round loop. Twist the wire of the loop tightly. This
end now is the ring through which you will stick your thumb.
Twist the other end, the one with the bend, so that it is perpendicular to
the loop. When your thumb is in the loop the bend of the gripper is
downward. You have a J with a loop at the top. It looks a bit like a hay
hook. Narrow the "hook" of your gripper, and shorten it to about 5/8 of an
inch. File the cut ends smooth, removing burrs.
Take the other piece of wire, and bend it evenly in two around the dowel.
Twist the two parts together to form a ring. This roughly forms a V with
the loop as its bottom. Bend the free ends of the wire into J shapes,
facing downward, perpendicular to the loop. The two legs would be about 2.5
inches apart. Bend the hooks tightly and shorten them to about 5/8 of an
inch. File all the wire ends smooth. This gripper goes on your middle
finger.
The legs of the grippers are 2.5 to 3 inches long. I did not specify above
as the length can be adjusted after the loops are made.
When you put these grippers on, your hand is palm down, and the hooks of the
grippers face down. You will see that you can hook the grippers onto the
rim of a plate, and hold it, and swish it through a basin of glaze in one
big swish.
When your have sacrificed a proper wire hanger to this cause, you will no
doubt make your next set out of one of those miserable ones whose horizontal
part has been replaced by a cheap piece of cardboard that sags and drops
your best slacks on the floor.
You can coat the Browning Tool with polyurethane if you wish...because they
will rust.
Lili Krakowski
Be of good courage
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