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throwing question-tall vases

updated thu 6 jun 02

 

Jeff Tsai on wed 5 jun 02


David...
I'll start with an apologia: My throwing skills are quite limited and I
don't
throw 16 inch bottles, so my suggestion here might be way off.

you wrote:
"when making a "gourd" shaped vase with a long, thin neck,(say 14-16" total
height)and a bulbous bottom, I find that I have problems keeping the neck
straight when collaring. "

I don't exactly know what you mean by straight, but if you mean that the top
lip becomes uneven, someone once told me that applying subtle pressure to
the
top of the wall as you collar inward helps prevent this from happening. Of
course, when he showed me, he wasn't making large bottles, so he started
collaring in near the top and was easily able to lay his thumb over the lip.
I think you probably already know this as it's something I see taught in
most
pottery classes, but who knows. So again, sorry if that doesn't help, but I
noticed very few replies to your post as I went through my clayart emails.
Too be honest, I was wondering what others might suggest also.

-jeff