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vince's handbuilding technicques

updated mon 7 feb 00

 

Alisa and Claus Clausen on wed 2 feb 00

------------------
Dear Vince,
I also really appreciated your list of =22how tos=22. There are many =
handbuilders
in my community studio, and I would like to show some of them some of your
suggestions. The use of the rib to pull the pot in and anvel method are two
that I am keen to try. I have used a rib to smooth the outside, but never =
the
inside. When you coil, do smooth both inside outside surfaces? Is the pot
strong enough, if for example, you smooth the inside, but leave the coils as
a pattern on the outside (or vice versa)?

I have only one terra sig. recipe. I will try to look up some from you if =
they
are in the archvies. Otherwise, would you consider sending one or more over
the list?

Best regards,
Alisa in Denmark

Vince Pitelka on thu 3 feb 00

>I also really appreciated your list of "how tos". There are many handbuilders
>in my community studio, and I would like to show some of them some of your
>suggestions. The use of the rib to pull the pot in and anvel method are two
>that I am keen to try. I have used a rib to smooth the outside, but never the
>inside. When you coil, do smooth both inside outside surfaces? Is the pot
>strong enough, if for example, you smooth the inside, but leave the coils as
>a pattern on the outside (or vice versa)?

When I coil, I smear the coils together, so there is not much coil pattern
visible on the outside. The only way to make a strong coil pot with the
coils visible on the outside is to carefully score and slurry between every
single course of coils, which is a royal pain in the ass. When I initially
coil, the surface inside and out is very rough and irregular. After four to
six courses of coils I stop and smear the coils together inside and out with
a small round rib (stiff rubber or wood) using diagonal strokes. Horizontal
strokes do not blend the coils enough. Vertical coils tend to pull them
apart. Diagonal strokes work great. As mentioned before, I leave the walls
pretty thick, and then once the form has stiffened up a bit I use the
rib-and-hand or paddle-and-anvil technique to resolve the form and thin the
walls.
Anyone going to the Alabama Clay Conference in a month will see me coiling
some large jars, and will also get to see a blackware bonfiring of polished
terra-sig wares.
Best wishes -
- Vince

Vince Pitelka
Home - vpitelka@DeKalb.net
615/597-5376
Work - wpitelka@tntech.edu
615/597-6801 ext. 111, fax 615/597-6803
Appalachian Center for Crafts
Tennessee Technological University
1560 Craft Center Drive, Smithville TN 37166

Evan Dresel on sun 6 feb 00

One of my favorite coiling techniques is to roll out fairly thin coils
-- only a bit thicker than the final wall thickness. Then I smear the
coil down on the inside of the pot only. After about 3 rows, I take two
fingers and smear the outside together in coarse diagonal strokes to
leave a rough finish. I like the interplay of the diagonal surface with
the residual horizontal lines from the coils. Periodically I scrape the
inside smooth with a metal rib. Never had a coil come apart in the fire
yet.

Vince's technique of using fat coils and pulling up is much faster and
great for smooth surface pots to burnish. And he is a master even if he
doesn't think it counts unless he does his colored clay thing on top. I
just like a different surface.

-- Evan in W. Richland WA where mini-storage is the major industry.

Vince Pitelka wrote:
>
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> >I also really appreciated your list of "how tos". There are many handbuilder
> >in my community studio, and I would like to show some of them some of your
> >suggestions. The use of the rib to pull the pot in and anvel method are two
> >that I am keen to try. I have used a rib to smooth the outside, but never th
> >inside. When you coil, do smooth both inside outside surfaces? Is the pot
> >strong enough, if for example, you smooth the inside, but leave the coils as
> >a pattern on the outside (or vice versa)?
>
> When I coil, I smear the coils together, so there is not much coil pattern
> visible on the outside. The only way to make a strong coil pot with the
> coils visible on the outside is to carefully score and slurry between every
> single course of coils, which is a royal pain in the ass. When I initially
> coil, the surface inside and out is very rough and irregular. After four to
> six courses of coils I stop and smear the coils together inside and out with
> a small round rib (stiff rubber or wood) using diagonal strokes. Horizontal
> strokes do not blend the coils enough. Vertical coils tend to pull them
> apart. Diagonal strokes work great. As mentioned before, I leave the walls
> pretty thick, and then once the form has stiffened up a bit I use the
> rib-and-hand or paddle-and-anvil technique to resolve the form and thin the
> walls.
> Anyone going to the Alabama Clay Conference in a month will see me coiling
> some large jars, and will also get to see a blackware bonfiring of polished
> terra-sig wares.
> Best wishes -
> - Vince
>
> Vince Pitelka
> Home - vpitelka@DeKalb.net
> 615/597-5376
> Work - wpitelka@tntech.edu
> 615/597-6801 ext. 111, fax 615/597-6803
> Appalachian Center for Crafts
> Tennessee Technological University
> 1560 Craft Center Drive, Smithville TN 37166