Achille on thu 31 may 01
I would like advice on how to stop my clay from sliding off the
wheelhead/bat while I'm centering it. I use a kickwheel and have tried dry
clay, wet clay, metal wheelhead and particleboard bat. Nothing seems to
keep the clay on. Appreciate any help.
vince pitelka on fri 1 jun 01
This problem is far more likely to occur on plastic bats, because there is
no porosity for the clay to grab onto. In my experience it is far less
likely to happen on masonite or particle board bats. The very best bats are
Medex waterproof MDF particle board. They are permanent, and the clay grabs
beautifully.
It does not really matter whether or not you throw the clay down onto the
wheelhead. Make sure there is no water on the wheel head. Use a rubber rib
to squeegee the wheelhead, or better yet wipe it throroughly with an old
towell.
Make sure the bottom of the clay lump is slightly rounded with no recesses
to trap air. Make sure that absolutely no water or slurry gets on the lump
where it is going to be contacting the wheelhead. Set the lump on the
wheelhead and slap-center it with the palms and edges of your hands. If it
is a kick wheel turn the wheel slowly with your foot as you do this. If it
is a power wheel, rotate the wheelhead with your hands each time you slap
downwards. By doing this you can get the clay very close to on-center,
making it far easier to center in a normal fashion. As you are
slap-centering, seal down the edges of the lump so that no water can get
underneath the lump of clay. Once the clay is well sealed down, apply your
water and proceed with normal centering.
Good luck -
- Vince
Vince Pitelka
Appalachian Center for Crafts
Tennessee Technological University
1560 Craft Center Drive, Smithville TN 37166
Home - vpitelka@dtccom.net
615/597-5376
Work - wpitelka@tntech.edu
615/597-6801 ext. 111, fax 615/597-6803
http://www.craftcenter.tntech.edu/
Dannon Rhudy on fri 1 jun 01
At 08:46 PM 05/31/2001 -0400, you wrote:
>I would like advice on how to stop my clay from sliding off the
>wheelhead/bat while I'm centering it. I use a kickwheel and have tried dry
>clay, wet clay, metal wheelhead and particleboard bat. Nothing seems to
>keep the clay on. Appreciate any help........
Use more downward force when centering. That should take care
of it.
regards
Dannon Rhudy
Christena Schafale on fri 1 jun 01
Hallelujah, a real clay question after all the recent nonsense!
What works for me is to make the first centering motion a downward
one. Start by smacking a dry ball of clay on a dry bat or wheelhead (i.e.,
don't get slip or water all over the ball of clay before putting it
down.) Then moisten your hands and the clay. Start the wheel and place
your hands in sort of a tent shape, sides of the thumbs together, over the
top of the ball of clay. Press down and inward as you slide your hands
from the top to the bottom of the lump, ending at the wheelhead/bat. In
doing this, you should be moving a little clay down so the bottom of the
clay lump seals to the wheelhead. Once this is done, you should be able to
do all the centering you want without having the clay slide off, unless
there was water or slip trapped under the clay. An aside: if you spoil a
pot and cut it off, there's no need to scrape off the little pad of clay
underneath before starting another ball of clay. Just don't get it wet and
the moist clay of your new ball will stick to it nicely.
Hope this helps.
Chris
At 08:46 PM 5/31/01 -0400, you wrote:
>I would like advice on how to stop my clay from sliding off the
>wheelhead/bat while I'm centering it. I use a kickwheel and have tried dry
>clay, wet clay, metal wheelhead and particleboard bat. Nothing seems to
>keep the clay on. Appreciate any help.
>
>______________________________________________________________________________
>Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
>You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
>settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
>Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
>melpots@pclink.com.
Consultation and Referral Specialist
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Marianne Lombardo on fri 1 jun 01
Achille
Your clay slides because it isn't making firm contact with the bat over a
large enough clay surface, and water gets underneath it.
Try slapping/patting your wedged clay into a ball-shape, and then throw it
down onto the wheelhead (or bat). The wheelhead or bat must be dry. From a
standing position, throw it down hard from a height of about two feet. The
clay should be slammed down hard enough to flatten out somewhat.
It will take a few trys to get it reasonably into the middle area of the
wheelhead. This is the method I was taught, and it works well for me.
Marianne Lombardo
Omemee, Ontario, Canada
email: mlombardo@nexicom.net
> I would like advice on how to stop my clay from sliding off the
> wheelhead/bat while I'm centering it. I use a kickwheel and have tried
dry
> clay, wet clay, metal wheelhead and particleboard bat. Nothing seems to
> keep the clay on. Appreciate any help.
>
Matt MacIntire on fri 1 jun 01
Achille wrote:
>> I would like advice on how to stop my clay from sliding off the
>> wheelhead/bat while I'm centering it.
Perhaps the wheelhead is wet when you slam the clay down onto it...? The
wheelhead should be pretty dry, or the clay will slide around. Another
possibility is that water is getting underneath the clay as you start to
center.
After you get the clay on the wheelhead, pat the clay into a cone shape and
then seal the bottom edge against the wheel. When you begin centering,
start out with force that is primarily directed down towards the wheelhead,
then begging to center. All of these things help the clay adhere to the
wheelhead. As you get more confident, you will become more casual about all
aspects of throwing. While you are learning it can be helpful to
concentrate on removing potential problems before they occur.
hang in there...
Matt
craig clark on fri 1 jun 01
It sounds like your ball of clay is not properly affixed to the
wheelhead to begin with. The clay is held onto the wheel by a vacume that
results from the impact of the clay at a particular point. As the clay
spreads outward from the initial contact point it is pushing out the air in
the space that it is spreading through resulting in a partial vacume. Try
throwing the clay down onto the wheel with more force than you are currently
using.
A couple more things to try is to improve your aim when you initially
throw the clay onto the wheel (get it as close to the center as possible),
pat the clay into a cone shape as it slowly spins, put downward pressure on
the clay before you apply any real horizontal force, and don't use as much
pressure.
-----Original Message-----
From: Achille
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Date: Thursday, May 31, 2001 11:57 PM
Subject: Sliding clay on wheel
>I would like advice on how to stop my clay from sliding off the
>wheelhead/bat while I'm centering it. I use a kickwheel and have tried dry
>clay, wet clay, metal wheelhead and particleboard bat. Nothing seems to
>keep the clay on. Appreciate any help.
>
>___________________________________________________________________________
___
>Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
>You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
>settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
>Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
melpots@pclink.com.
>
Matt MacIntire on fri 1 jun 01
oops... in my previous post I should have written:
"...before beginning to center." (not "before begging to center")
Sometimes when I was learning, I might have felt like I should beg. But
Achille won't need to.
(spell checkers are a mixed blessing, aren't they?)
Matt
Morris, Marlene F. on fri 1 jun 01
I love the replies to this good question, but I couldn't help but get a grin
from part of Matt's suggestion:
>"then begging to center."
Yep, when I'm having a bad day, that's just what I'm doing, begging to get
the dang thing centered.
Take care,
Marlene
Tommy Humphries on fri 1 jun 01
There could be several reasons for this to happen...
Is your clay too hard? If it don't spread a bit when you smack it down it
won't stick...no matter what
Is you wheelhead too wet? Your wheel head should be just as dry as a damp
sponge can get it. Water is a great lubricant, except in tiny amounts when
it becomes adhesive
Are you letting water under the clay as you center? If you do not smooth
the clay to the wheelhead soon after beginning to center then the point of
contact can let water migrate under the clay...this is aggravated by hard
clay.
Smack the clay down while the wheel is moving... The torquing of the clay on
the wheelhead will stick it tightly down.
Practice your aim... You shouldn't have more than 1/2" of wobble off center
when you begin...greater amounts of wobble will lead to painful wrists or
broken thumbs if one gets jabbed into the ball of clay while it is
rotating. If you throw the clay offcenter cut it off and try again!
There are probably more solutions out there, these are just the ones off the
top of my head.
Tommy Humphries
----- Original Message -----
From: "Achille"
To:
Sent: Thursday, May 31, 2001 7:46 PM
Subject: Sliding clay on wheel
> I would like advice on how to stop my clay from sliding off the
> wheelhead/bat while I'm centering it. I use a kickwheel and have tried
dry
> clay, wet clay, metal wheelhead and particleboard bat. Nothing seems to
> keep the clay on. Appreciate any help.
>
>
____________________________________________________________________________
__
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
melpots@pclink.com.
>
Veena Raghavan on fri 1 jun 01
Message text written by Ceramic Arts Discussion List
>when you initially throw the clay onto the wheel (get it as close to the=
center as possible),<
A small addition to Craig's advice. If you put one hand on the wheel, nea=
r
the center, held as if you are going to center, sideways, palm innward,
when you throw the ball of clay down, you may be able to get it closer to=
the center. I know this helped me, when I began and has helped people I
have taught. Hope this helps, and sorry, Craig, for horning in on your
post.
Good luck.
Veena
Veena Raghavan
75124.2520@compuserve.com
Evan DuVerlie and/or Molly Cantor on sat 2 jun 01
Also, it depends what kind of bat you are using. don't let any water
get on your metal wheelhead before you put the clay on, but when using a
masonite bat, always put a little water on the bat first.
MC
Bruce Girrell on sat 2 jun 01
> I would like advice on how to stop my clay from sliding off the
> wheelhead/bat while I'm centering it. I use a kickwheel and have
> tried dry clay, wet clay, metal wheelhead and particleboard bat.
I really only seem to have a problem like this on plaster bats, since the
plaster, when dry, will suck water away from the clay and it no longer
stacks. Though I've never worked on a metal wheelhead, it would seem to me
that the opposite effect could occur there - if a water layer is allowed to
form between the clay and the wheelhead things could get quite slippery.
To combat the problem of the clay releasing from the plaster bats, I
sometimes find it necessary to apply more pressure from the top while
centering. This, of course, means that I must increase my pressure from the
side as well to avoid making clay pancakes.
Some people throw their clay onto the wheel before centering to get it to
stick well. My aim isn't good enough for that method. One way or another,
you need to increase the adhesion between your turning surface and your
clay.
Bruce "I'm stuck on you" Girrell
CINDI ANDERSON on sat 2 jun 01
The funny thing about this is I kept seeing people ask this question and I had
never had the experience. Then of course, after reading it, it started happening
to me! Am I the only person who notices they bad things don't happen to them until
they read them in ClayArt?
If the clay slips on me, I pick it up and wipe off the bottom of the clay and the
bat (plastic or masonite.) It doesn't have to be super dry, just one brush with
the towel seems to do the trick. Then I push down hard before I start throwing
water on and centering.
Cindi
Achille wrote:
> I would like advice on how to stop my clay from sliding off the
> wheelhead/bat while I'm centering it. I use a kickwheel and have tried dry
> clay, wet clay, metal wheelhead and particleboard bat. Nothing seems to
> keep the clay on. Appreciate any help.
>
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