Dale Neese on mon 1 sep 08
Another way I've used to center large amounts of clay is to center an amount
you are accustomed to centering 10-12 lbs. Then ball up another 10 lbs. and
put it on top of the centered clay and center it. "Smack" it in place first
with your hands, then center it down to the first amount. You can build up
the centered amount you need with more clay if necessary. Careful not to
trap air.
Dale Tex
"across the alley from the Alamo"
Helotes, Texas USA
www.daleneese.com
Lee Love on mon 1 sep 08
On Mon, Sep 1, 2008 at 9:41 AM, Dale Neese wrote:
> Another way I've used to center large amounts of clay is to center an amount
> you are accustomed to centering 10-12 lbs. Then ball up another 10 lbs. and
> put it on top of the centered clay and center it.
That is how it is traditionally done on the korean kickwheel. (there
is a video of Shinsaku Hamada doing this, somewhere online.)
Human powered wheels create human powered solutions. It is
only with the coming of "horse powered" electric wheels that folks
started thinking about centering "heroic" amounts of clay, all at one
time.
I enjoy my old Shimpo Gold, but I use the body friendly methods I
learned on the kickwheel on it.
--
Lee Love in Minneapolis
http://mashikopots.blogspot.com/
http://claycraft.blogspot.com/
"Let the beauty we love be what we do.
There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground." --Rumi
Tony Ferguson on mon 1 sep 08
I am recalling a funny thing I did to center an enormous amount of clay once while in graduate school. I took my shirt off and laid on the clay. Needless to say the heavy grogged claybody I was using at the time was not kind to my stomach! That only took once to know that it didn't work.
The key to centering any amount of clay is to use the mass of your body. Like in wrestling in high school, the key is not to muscle, but use your mass and balance to move the clay.
It is physics. In pilates talk, use the core of your center and the mass behind it to flow into your arms to center the clay. If you just use your wrists which is easy to do, you will have problems with your wrists.
Focus on your center, relax, and then lean into the clay. Many folks push down from top. In Korea, I was shown a better way--push from the side at a 45 degree angle. You hold your hands as if you were clapping--for me this is my left hand at the 11 o'clock position and my right at the 5 o'clock position with the left hand as the catcher on the outside and the right backed by my mass pushing into center in the front so to speak. The left hand pulls as well while the right hand leans in and they meet eventually with the right hand cupping over the top of the clay.
If you have an enormous amount of clay that you don't want to center in this method, use a paddle of equitable scale to the amount of clay you want to center and smack it into center. Then punch down the center, wet and throw.
Tony Ferguson
Take Care,
Tony Ferguson
...where the sky meets the lake...
http://www.tonyferguson.net
Marek & Pauline Drzazga-Donaldson on mon 1 sep 08
Dear Clayarters,
I have watched and read this thread in its previous conception - the =
dreaded centering tool - and now I feel obliged to put my pennyworth in.
Mel put forward a scenario for centering large amounts of clay which is =
quite a standard way, then Dale pitched in with the centre a small =
amount first, then add another on top etc. This method might well work, =
but by goodness the multiplicity of centerings involved.
There is a very simple bit of Physics at work here - the large amount of =
clay will in actual fact have ALL the energy you require to centre =
itself. The rotating mass of clay is a "massive motor", and all you have =
to do is tap into this energy and deflect it back into itself. Another =
bit of Physics is that the clay actually wants to be in the centre - so =
as to be at rest, or as damn it as close to rest while still rotating.
You can bang the clay (well kneaded and wedged) onto a slightly damp =
wheel head, slap it into near centre with your palms - Mels paddles =
scenario - and away you go. Centering a large piece of clay is easier =
that a small bit. Just had a Lady Potter 7.5 months pregnant centre a =
45lb lump of clay, first time and first off. Drew it up well. So easy =
peasy lemon squeezy.
Happy potting from Marek
www.no9uk.com www.dragonfinials.co.uk www.keramix.com
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