Tommy Humphries on mon 29 oct 01
I was making some 2 and 3 gallon pickle jars Sunday at work. 14 and 18
pounds respectively...balls of clay cut directly from the pugs, no wedging
or work of any kind. Same way as always... never have any S cracks, or ring
cracks... only the very occasional crack straight across, and that from not
getting them turned over in time.
I believe the secret is a well compressed bottom, very well sponged out(no
standing slip), and turning the pot over at the earliest possible moment.
Had a fellow watching me for an hour or so, 3rd year pottery student at some
University somewheres...don't remember the name right now. Took a lot of
pictures, couldn't believe that you could throw clay that hadn't been
wedged, and then coned 3 or 4 times once it was on the wheel. Told him "
hell if you do all that to the clay, it will be overworked before you
start!" I don't think he was convinced even after watching it done...over,
and over again.
I think that the way you treat the pot after it is made is the secret in
avoiding cracks, not in the way you treat the clay before. After all,
everything you do to that clay will be undone when you start throwing water
and centering, and opening the ball. The only part of the clay that will
remain unchanged is that minute amount at the bottom that is stuck to the
wheel head as the ball is thrown down.
Tommy Humphries
Photos here http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=939179&a=6869600
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