Ivor and Olive Lewis on sun 15 jun 08
Dear Friends,
I am sure many of you have been to demonstrations and workshops and
been impressed. Later, as you recall details of techniques and attempt
to apply them you are puzzled and frustrated when you do not get the
anticipated results.
One such event has happened to me on several occasions and it concerns
the lubricating of clay as it is being thrown. In each case the
demonstrator had centred and opened the clay and raised a cylinder.
They then reach a stage where they were getting drag and their clay
threatened to fold. To avoid a catastrophe each would dip a hand in
the water bowl and dribble a few drops of water down the inner wall of
clay, then resume throwing to produce a perfect form.
If I do this, I find the clay slips and snatches as clay passes by my
inner fingers because the clay is not evenly moistened. This does not
happen if I run a damp sponge down the inside wall. Has anyone else
experienced this and If so, what are you comments
Best regards,
Ivor Lewis.
Redhill,
South Australia.
.
David Berg on sun 15 jun 08
Ivor,
I think your clay is just too dry at the point where you dribble the
drops &
there is simply not enough water to evenly cover the inside with one
dip.
It may take you two (or more) hand dips & dribbling to get enough
water to
evenly coat the inside. It also may help to do the dribbling, then dip
your
hand again and gently draw it down the inside of the pot to try to even
out the coat of water.
I'm sure you already know not to let water pool for too long in the
bottom of
the pot unless you want the bottom to dissolve. Use a sponge on a
stick to
sop it up.
David
David Berg
dberg2@comcast.net
http://bergstoneware.com/
On Jun 15, 2008, at 3:01 AM, Ivor and Olive Lewis wrote:
> ...
> To avoid a catastrophe each would dip a hand in
> the water bowl and dribble a few drops of water down the inner wall of
> clay, then resume throwing to produce a perfect form.
>
> If I do this, I find the clay slips and snatches as clay passes by my
> inner fingers because the clay is not evenly moistened. This does not
> happen if I run a damp sponge down the inside wall. Has anyone else
> experienced this and If so, what are you comments
>
> Best regards,
> Ivor Lewis.
> Redhill,
> South Australia.
KATHI LESUEUR on sun 15 jun 08
On Jun 15, 2008, at 3:01 AM, Ivor and Olive Lewis wrote:
> Dear Friends,
> I am sure many of you have been to demonstrations and workshops and
> been impressed. ........ In each case thedemonstrator had centred
> and opened the clay and raised a cylinder.
> They then reach a stage where they were getting drag and their clay
> threatened to fold. To avoid a catastrophe each would dip a hand in
> the water bowl and dribble a few drops of water down the inner wall of
> clay, then resume throwing to produce a perfect form.
>
> If I do this, I find the clay slips and snatches as clay passes by my
> inner fingers because the clay is not evenly moistened. This does not
> happen if I run a damp sponge down the inside wall. Has anyone else
> experienced this and If so, what are you comments
Yes, I've had this and like you I run a damp sponge down the inside
wall. I don't know how the others manage to just dribble water, but
it may be that they know just how and where to dribble that water.
When I was in college I was lucky to have a professor, named John
Loree, who could verbalize everything he did as he demonstrated
throwing. As a result it was easy to understand exactly what he was
doing and how he was doing it. Later, when I was teaching clay,
those words of his came back to me and as a result I could have my
kids throwing well in no time at all. It's really too bad that most
people who demonstrate lack good verbal skills and rely on people to
just watching them, assuming they will understand what is happening.
All too often we don't.
Kathi
>
>
Lee Love on sun 15 jun 08
On Sun, Jun 15, 2008 at 2:01 AM, Ivor and Olive Lewis
wrote:
> threatened to fold. To avoid a catastrophe each would dip a hand in
> the water bowl and dribble a few drops of water down the inner wall of
> clay, then resume throwing to produce a perfect form.
I don't throw with a splash pan and keep pretty clean. I
never "dribble" liquid onto the clay. I simply wet my hands. If
it is a large piece, I will use a shammie or sponge to hold more
liquid.
I keep the bottom inside dry. Getting the bottom wetter
than the rest of the clay is a contributor to cracking during drying,
especially throwing off the hump.
I prefer slip over water.
--
Lee Love in Minneapolis
http://mashikopots.blogspot.com/
http://claycraft.blogspot.com/
"We are such stuff as dreams are made on, and our little life is
rounded with a sleep." --PROSPERO Tempest Shakespeare
Steve Mills on sun 15 jun 08
Dear Ivor,
Like Lee I throw with slip rather than water, as I find a little of that does go a long way. I dip my fingers in the slip and then run them lightly down the inside to coat the cylinder before coming back up with a lift. Same on the outside.
I find I use relatively little of it during throwing, and consequently there is no need to "mop out" the inside at the finish which I like.
There are others who throw drier than I do, but my approach suits me and I get the results I want, so I'm happy.
Steve
Bath
UK
--- On Sun, 6/15/08, Ivor and Olive Lewis wrote:
From: Ivor and Olive Lewis
Subject: Improving throwing technique.
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Date: Sunday, June 15, 2008, 7:01 AM
Dear Friends,
I am sure many of you have been to demonstrations and workshops and
been impressed.
Lois Aronow on sun 15 jun 08
Sorry to break it to you folks, but there is only one sure way to improve
your throwing technique:
Practice. A lot.
...Lo
clay: it's not a competition sport
**********
Lois Aronow Porcelain
Brooklyn, NY
www.loisaronow.com
William & Susan Schran User on sun 15 jun 08
On 6/15/08 3:01 AM, "Ivor and Olive Lewis" wrote:
> One such event has happened to me on several occasions and it concerns
> the lubricating of clay as it is being thrown. In each case the
> demonstrator had centred and opened the clay and raised a cylinder.
> They then reach a stage where they were getting drag and their clay
> threatened to fold. To avoid a catastrophe each would dip a hand in
> the water bowl and dribble a few drops of water down the inner wall of
> clay, then resume throwing to produce a perfect form.
I teach my students that to avoid issues with twisting/torque/folding of the
clay wall, they must have even moisture along the wall where they will be
applying pressure. They can have the wall wet or dry, but not wet & dry
areas.
>
> If I do this, I find the clay slips and snatches as clay passes by my
> inner fingers because the clay is not evenly moistened. This does not
> happen if I run a damp sponge down the inside wall. Has anyone else
> experienced this and If so, what are you comments.
During the early stages of pulling up the wall, I have fingers positioned
inside, at the top and dribble water on my fingers, not the clay. This way I
can direct where I want the water.
Later stages of throwing, especially when I start closing in the form, I
smear the really wet, smooth clay, that came off during the centering
process (I save this on the edge of the water bucket), onto the interior
wall as the lubricant. This way I'm not adding excess water and don't have
to deal with a sponge stick to remove water from the bottom of the pot.
I also use this smooth, wet clay to lubricate as I constrict necks in the
create small openings.
Bill
--
William "Bill" Schran
wschran@cox.net
wschran@nvcc.edu
http://www.creativecreekartisans.com
Ivor and Olive Lewis on mon 16 jun 08
Dear David Berg, KATHI LESUEUR, Lee Love, Steve Mills , Lois Aronow
, William Schran and Mike in Taku,
Thank you all for your contributions.
I was pleased to learn that other folk had successfully coped with
this problem and that it is not unusual.
Kathi makes a wonderful point about the necessity for instructors to
fully describe what they are about. The situation I described is not
visible to an audience so commentary at such stages is vital if those
watching are to benefit from the experience. This suggests that if you
are in an audience you should be vigilant for such occasions and be
willing to ask questions that would bring enlightening answers.
Throwing with slip rather than plain water is advantageous. There is
no doubt that slip is far better as a lubricant than water. And though
well documented in the archives, it is useful to be reminded that
keeping the inner base free from standing water mitigates against base
cracking during drying or firing.
Best regards to all of you,
Ivor Lewis.
Redhill,
South Australia.
Mike on mon 16 jun 08
Hello Ivor,
Yes, this is a problem. Dribbling water doesn't work for me either,
especially for throwing off the hump, pretty soon you'll have a soft
sticky mess. And the problem is only exacerbated with open clays. I've
never liked the sponge, don't know why. I use a small brush in place of
it. Head of the brush is 15 - 20 mm wide, natural soft bristles, like a
hakeme brush. Cut the handle down to about 10 - 15cm. Leave one in your
throwing bowl. A notch in the end keeps it from floating all over the
place. With a brush you can control how much water goes on (just flick
it a few times to get rid of excess before applying to the work), and
you can reach a lot of hard to reach places. Wets what you need with a
minimum of water, evenly.
Got this idea from coil and paddle work, which falls to pieces if you
get the water where you shouldn't, because the clay is so open and thin.
Used it just for finishing rims and galleries, but really liked it and
now use it for throwing as well.
Hope this helps,
Mike
Mike
in Taku, Japan
www.karatsupots.com
karatsupots.etsy.com
karatsupots.blogspot.com
blogs.yahoo.co.jp/karatsupots
Ivor and Olive Lewis ????????:
> Dear Friends,
> I am sure many of you have been to demonstrations and workshops and
> been impressed. Later, as you recall details of techniques and attempt
> to apply them you are puzzled and frustrated when you do not get the
> anticipated results.
>
> One such event has happened to me on several occasions and it concerns
> the lubricating of clay as it is being thrown. In each case the
> demonstrator had centred and opened the clay and raised a cylinder.
> They then reach a stage where they were getting drag and their clay
> threatened to fold. To avoid a catastrophe each would dip a hand in
> the water bowl and dribble a few drops of water down the inner wall of
> clay, then resume throwing to produce a perfect form.
>
> If I do this, I find the clay slips and snatches as clay passes by my
> inner fingers because the clay is not evenly moistened. This does not
> happen if I run a damp sponge down the inside wall. Has anyone else
> experienced this and If so, what are you comments
>
> Best regards,
> Ivor Lewis.
> Redhill,
> South Australia.
>
>
> .
>
>
Duff bogen on mon 16 jun 08
Ivor et al
"dribble a few drops of water"
Horrors! I prefer duck water. Straight water seems to penetrate too fast. In some clays- whiteware- I've seen pots split open even off the wheel.
:inner wall of clay"
This smells funny- If most drag results from controlling centrifugal force going out wouldn't you need lubrication on the outside. Once raised one could almost work dry on the inside.
DRB
Seattle
--- On Sun, 6/15/08, Ivor and Olive Lewis <iandol@WESTNET.COM.AU> wrote:
From: Ivor and Olive Lewis <iandol@WESTNET.COM.AU>
Subject: Improving throwing technique.
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Date: Sunday, June 15, 2008, 12:01 AM
Dear Friends,
I am sure many of you have been to demonstrations and workshops and
been impressed. Later, as you recall details of techniques and attempt
to apply them you are puzzled and frustrated when you do not get the
anticipated results.
One such event has happened to me on several occasions and it concerns
the lubricating of clay as it is being thrown. In each case the
demonstrator had centred and opened the clay and raised a cylinder.
They then reach a stage where they were getting drag and their clay
threatened to fold. To avoid a catastrophe each would dip a hand in
the water bowl and dribble a few drops of water down the inner wall of
clay, then resume throwing to produce a perfect form.
If I do this, I find the clay slips and snatches as clay passes by my
inner fingers because the clay is not evenly moistened. This does not
happen if I run a damp sponge down the inside wall. Has anyone else
experienced this and If so, what are you comments
Best regards,
Ivor Lewis.
Redhill,
South Australia.
.
j isaac on mon 30 jun 08
Ivor,
=A0I am relatively new, yet=A0 like Steve I use slip. It might be diff for =
diff people, but for me I notice I only slip the bottom outside of my pot, =
and occasionally the upper inside. I use my sponge and just dip it in the s=
lip to apply as I do not want any on the upper portion of my cylinder. With=
this technique I have noticed it seems much easier when I use my wooden ri=
b (outside) to check wall consistency.
The Pretend Potter
Jodi
--- On Sun, 6/15/08, Ivor and Olive Lewis wrote:
.
| |
|
