Chris Schafale on wed 26 jan 00
You know how sometimes you struggle with a problem, only to
suddenly find a solution that is so obvious you can't believe you
never thought of it before? Well, it happened to me this morning.
I've been making plates lately, and noticing how much of a struggle
it always is to get the clay flattened out into a smooth disk before
throwing the rims. Now, I taught myself to throw plates, so there
may be some very easy way that I don't know, but in any case,
there I was yesterday, making plates and noticing how it makes
my elbows hurt as I press down on the clay. This morning, I went
at it again, and as I worked on the first one, I kept thinking, there
must be an easier way, some technique, some tool, that would
help. Something long and straight to press down with, a stick, no
it needs to be smooth, maybe round, a broom handle, maybe a
piece of pipe...
Then the lightbulb went on, and I went out into the basement and
fished out a piece of plastic pipe, actually a leg from one of those
plastic utility shelves. Fortuitously, it's exactly the right length to
fit inside the walls of my splash-pan, and it works, as they say, a
treat! Center the lump of clay into a low mound with sloping sides,
hold the pipe at both ends, press down gently, pausing to lubricate
and to make sure the edges of the mound aren't mushrooming out
and folding over to enclose air. Bingo, a perfect disk, of whatever
thickness you require. Any small irregularities on the edges can
be easily trimmed off with a needle tool or wooden knife.
I can't decide whether I'm brilliant to have thought of it, or stupid to
have never thought of it before, but there it is, and I couldn't wait to
share it with all of you. Happy winter!
Chris
in surprisingly snowy North Carolina, where I think they delivered
Minnesota's weather by accident. Got to cross country ski
yesterday for the first time in years -- on the sidewalks and vacant
lots in my neighborhood!
Light One Candle Pottery
Fuquay-Varina, NC
candle@intrex.net
http://www.angelfire.com/nc2/candle (work in progress)
Antoinette Badenhorst on thu 27 jan 00
Chris,what you discovered can be done in more creative
ways. If you use a plastic card,example old credit
cards or something similar,you can cut it to shape
pieces from the outside. You can make bowls and plates
exactly like you want them by shaping wood ,soft metal
or plastic the way you want it. I cut these materials
to shape and sand it down with files,on fine sement
and sometimes right there on my wheel while it is
spinning. To trim even foot rims on a set, I measure
out the size of my foot rim from the middle,cut a card
so that there is one sharp edge standing out.Now it is
easy to measure each piece and mark out where the foot
rim is suppose to be.
Good luck.
Antoinette.
--- Chris Schafale wrote:
> ----------------------------Original
> message----------------------------
> You know how sometimes you struggle with a problem,
> only to
> suddenly find a solution that is so obvious you
> can't believe you
> never thought of it before? Well, it happened to me
> this morning.
> I've been making plates lately, and noticing how
> much of a struggle
> it always is to get the clay flattened out into a
> smooth disk before
> throwing the rims. Now, I taught myself to throw
> plates, so there
> may be some very easy way that I don't know, but in
> any case,
> there I was yesterday, making plates and noticing
> how it makes
> my elbows hurt as I press down on the clay. This
> morning, I went
> at it again, and as I worked on the first one, I
> kept thinking, there
> must be an easier way, some technique, some tool,
> that would
> help. Something long and straight to press down
> with, a stick, no
> it needs to be smooth, maybe round, a broom handle,
> maybe a
> piece of pipe...
>
> Then the lightbulb went on, and I went out into the
> basement and
> fished out a piece of plastic pipe, actually a leg
> from one of those
> plastic utility shelves. Fortuitously, it's exactly
> the right length to
> fit inside the walls of my splash-pan, and it works,
> as they say, a
> treat! Center the lump of clay into a low mound
> with sloping sides,
> hold the pipe at both ends, press down gently,
> pausing to lubricate
> and to make sure the edges of the mound aren't
> mushrooming out
> and folding over to enclose air. Bingo, a perfect
> disk, of whatever
> thickness you require. Any small irregularities on
> the edges can
> be easily trimmed off with a needle tool or wooden
> knife.
>
> I can't decide whether I'm brilliant to have thought
> of it, or stupid to
> have never thought of it before, but there it is,
> and I couldn't wait to
> share it with all of you. Happy winter!
>
> Chris
> in surprisingly snowy North Carolina, where I think
> they delivered
> Minnesota's weather by accident. Got to cross
> country ski
> yesterday for the first time in years -- on the
> sidewalks and vacant
> lots in my neighborhood!
> Light One Candle Pottery
> Fuquay-Varina, NC
> candle@intrex.net
> http://www.angelfire.com/nc2/candle (work in
> progress)
>
=====
Antoinette Badenhorst
PO Box 552
Saltillo,Mississippi
38866
Telephone (601) 869-1651
timakia@yahoo.com
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Veena Raghavan on thu 27 jan 00
Message text written by Ceramic Arts Discussion List
>
Then the lightbulb went on, and I went out into the basement and
fished out a piece of plastic pipe, actually a leg from one of those
plastic utility shelves. Fortuitously, it's exactly the right length to
fit inside the walls of my splash-pan, and it works, as they say, a
treat! Center the lump of clay into a low mound with sloping sides,
hold the pipe at both ends, press down gently, pausing to lubricate
and to make sure the edges of the mound aren't mushrooming out
and folding over to enclose air. Bingo, a perfect disk, of whatever
thickness you require. Any small irregularities on the edges can
be easily trimmed off with a needle tool or wooden knife.
I can't decide whether I'm brilliant to have thought of it, or stupid to
have never thought of it before, but there it is, and I couldn't wait to
share it with all of you. Happy winter!
<
Hi Chris,
Heard that you were having a little snow down there! My daughter
and family in Virginia were more or less snowed in in Virginia, and all the
Federal offices closed in D.C. They spent the afternoon playing with their
little son in the snow. He had a whale of a time. Here in New York, we did
not get the amount you did. But the winter is not over....
Thanks for sharing your discovery. Now to find a pipe! I have seen
a Japanese potter flatten a plate (not from the mound like you did, but
from a lower thick circle of clay) to a plate with a straight rib. This was
at the tool-making workshop I went to here in New York. We made tools, but
unfortunately not that one, was there was limited time. I have always had a
yen to have one of those flat long ribs she used. Now all I need is a pipe.
The search begins....
Waiting for the next light bulb to go off.
Thanks again.
All the best
Veena
Veena Raghavan
75124.2520@compuserve.com
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