Kats Wheeler on tue 13 aug 02
Help please. I have been happily putting handles on my mugs and little jugs
and have successfully fired them. They are nice bouncy handles and I thought
everything was fine. Now I am trying to put slightly larger handles on jugs
and its all gone to pot (bad pun!). My handles keep sagging and bending so I
can't get them to dry in a nice sprung shape and if they aren't doing that
they are twisted slightly and I can't get them aligned. What has gone wrong?
I have just smashed a jug having attempted to put a handle on three time and
they all looked like saggy floppy disasters. Any suggestions would be
gratefully received before I put my self in the kiln for firing!!! Thank you.
Susan Morissette on tue 13 aug 02
Kats, Your clay may a little too soft, if so what I do is to invert the mug
after applying the handle. I don't know your style of mug or handle so I'm
not sure this will work for you. Good luck! Susan
claybair on tue 13 aug 02
Sounds like your clay is too wet/soft. A few idea to try.......use stiffer
clay or a blow dryer to firm up your handle, prop it up with foam, turn jug
upside down and let gravity help, pull handle and let it set up before
attaching.
Gayle Bair
Bainbridge Island, WA
http://claybair.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Kats Wheeler
Help please. I have been happily putting handles on my mugs and little jugs
and have successfully fired them. They are nice bouncy handles and I
thought
everything was fine. Now I am trying to put slightly larger handles on jugs
and its all gone to pot (bad pun!). My handles keep sagging and bending so
I
can't get them to dry in a nice sprung shape and if they aren't doing that
they are twisted slightly and I can't get them aligned. What has gone
wrong?
I have just smashed a jug having attempted to put a handle on three time
and
they all looked like saggy floppy disasters. Any suggestions would be
gratefully received before I put my self in the kiln for firing!!! Thank
you.
Hank Murrow on tue 13 aug 02
>Help please. I have been happily putting handles on my mugs and little jugs
>and have successfully fired them. They are nice bouncy handles and I thought
>everything was fine. Now I am trying to put slightly larger handles on jugs
>and its all gone to pot (bad pun!). My handles keep sagging and bending so I
>can't get them to dry in a nice sprung shape and if they aren't doing that
>they are twisted slightly and I can't get them aligned. What has gone wrong?
> I have just smashed a jug having attempted to put a handle on three time and
>they all looked like saggy floppy disasters. Any suggestions would be
>gratefully received before I put my self in the kiln for firing!!! Thank you.
Dear Kats;
Sounds like they are going on a little soft, but try this.......
After you put the handle on, turn the pot over onto a shelf
or ware board to set the handle upside down. If they would be marked
on the rim or spout by such treatment, just lay down a (board size)
mat of soft foam rubber on the shelf and set them on that. After a
period of a half hour or more, they can be turned right side up to
finalize the shape and continue drying. I do a dozen or 16 at a time
this way, and the first ones are ready to adjust about the time I
pull the handle the last one.
Good Luck, Hank in Eugene (101F!)
Shirley Tschannen on tue 13 aug 02
Hi Kats, Just a suggestion; try letting the handles dry somewhat until
they will hold their shape as you apply them to the ware. I had this
same problem with mugs until I pulled them, formed them to the shape I
needed and then lay them down on a bat or board to dry until you can
pick them up and work with them. Don't wait too long....the handles
are now in control of your time.......
David Dahlquist on tue 13 aug 02
What I have done is used a variety of plastic pipe. I have a variety of
different pipe sizes in the studio cut into 2 or 3 foot length. For mug
handles I use the 1 1/2" or 2" dia. pipe, for pitchers or vases I use the 4"
or 6" dia. pipe. Ive even made long curvey handles using both a 6" pipe at
the top and a 1 1/2" at the bottom. I have a cloth covering on the pipe,
otherwise the clay wants to stick to the plastic. So, I pull my handles and
while wet drape them over the pipe and kinda shape them a little with out
distorting them too much. Then I let them set up a bit, I cut off the top
scrap and then attach. I let them set up to just before leather hard. In can
fit a dozen or so handles on each pipe length. I alway pull about three or
four handles more then I really need just in case. Sometimes the pipe wants
to roll away while handles are draped. I put a couple of wades of clay down
as brakes to keep it from rolling. It takes longer, but I think I get a
cleaner look by doing it this way. I have trioed pulling handles off the
pot, but I cant get it to look the way I want. This is something I need to
work on, it is probably taking me too much time for handles.
Dave Dahlquist
Wilsonville, OR.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Kats Wheeler"
To:
Sent: Tuesday, August 13, 2002 4:52 AM
Subject: Help, getting very cross about handles!
> Help please. I have been happily putting handles on my mugs and little
jugs
> and have successfully fired them. They are nice bouncy handles and I
thought
> everything was fine. Now I am trying to put slightly larger handles on
jugs
> and its all gone to pot (bad pun!). My handles keep sagging and bending
so I
> can't get them to dry in a nice sprung shape and if they aren't doing that
> they are twisted slightly and I can't get them aligned. What has gone
wrong?
> I have just smashed a jug having attempted to put a handle on three time
and
> they all looked like saggy floppy disasters. Any suggestions would be
> gratefully received before I put my self in the kiln for firing!!! Thank
you.
Alistair Gillies on tue 13 aug 02
Hi,
I used to firm up some handles round a rolling pin or similar
conveniently sized piece of wood.
Alistair Gillies
Shropshire, England [raining]
In message , claybair
writes
>Sounds like your clay is too wet/soft. A few idea to try.......use stiffer
>clay or a blow dryer to firm up your handle, prop it up with foam, turn jug
>upside down and let gravity help, pull handle and let it set up before
>attaching.
>
>Gayle Bair
>Bainbridge Island, WA
>http://claybair.com
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Kats Wheeler
>
>
>Help please. I have been happily putting handles on my mugs and little jugs
>and have successfully fired them. They are nice bouncy handles and I
>thought
>everything was fine. Now I am trying to put slightly larger handles on jugs
>and its all gone to pot (bad pun!). My handles keep sagging and bending so
>I
>can't get them to dry in a nice sprung shape and if they aren't doing that
>they are twisted slightly and I can't get them aligned. What has gone
>wrong?
> I have just smashed a jug having attempted to put a handle on three time
>and
>they all looked like saggy floppy disasters. Any suggestions would be
>gratefully received before I put my self in the kiln for firing!!! Thank
>you.
>
>______________________________________________________________________________
>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.
Alistair Gillies
Tommy Humphries on tue 13 aug 02
you can cut a thin strip of poly, about 1/2" wide and twice as long as the
handle...stick the poly to the outer surface of the handle and drape it over
the rim of the pot into the inside, sticking it to the wall...this will give
the handle support as it dries. You can adjust the handle by lifting the
top end of the poly strip and raising or lowering the handle before sticking
it down to the inside of the pot.
Tommy
Marianne Lombardo on tue 13 aug 02
Handles used to be a real pain in the butt for me.
Now I hold the freshly pulled handle in my hand (holding it by the "knob"
and letting it hang down), and grab my hair dryer with my other hand and dry
the handle a little bit.
My hair dryer now lives near my wheel but away from water. I took a step on
on-off pedal off
of my scrollsaw and have the hair dryer plugged into it. So I can use one
hand to pick up the hair dryer and step on the pedal with my foot.
And I cut my hair short enough to skip the blow drying process (smile).
True!
Marianne Lombardo
Omemee, Ontario, Canada
email: mlombardo@nexicom.net
Martin Howard on wed 14 aug 02
If you do put yourself in the kiln for firing, Kats, remember to load the
kiln first with pots with copper glaze so that the next person to open it
will find a wonderful lot of copper red pots:-) Then let us know, via a
medium, just what percentage copper you put in the glaze!
Handles can be infuriating, rather like spouts on teapots.
I did a lot of it on a windy day demonstrating in full public gaze.
The wind was drying one side of the pot, drying the handles at different
rates. Ah!
Not a good idea:-)
But, back in the silence of the pottery, it is a relatively simple process.
I pull the handles and wrap them over the cardboard cores of rolls of
carpet.
Lift them about an hour later, depending on the drying conditions, and wrap
them again. Then attach with magic water and slip to pots, both top and
bottom positions.
I find that by rolling the cardboard cylinders forward, the fat end of the
pulled handle is so flattened on one side at just the right angle for
attaching to the pot so that it springs upwards. Its a style I like. The
only problem is that you then need an edge of table or board to sit the pot
upside down while the handle adjusts and stiffens. (out of the sun and wind
of course!)
Martin Howard
Webbs Cottage Pottery
Woolpits Road, Great Saling
BRAINTREE, Essex CM7 5DZ
01371 850 423
martin@webbscottage.co.uk
http://www.webbscottage.co.uk
Updated 6th July 2002
william schran on wed 14 aug 02
Kats - Regards your "floppy" handles: Depends on whether you're
pulling them on or off the pot. If you're pulling them separate from
the pot, simply lay them on the table until they've stiffened up a
bit. I do this, allowing until the glossiness from the water is gone
before attaching, but they're still moist enough to manipulate to
desired shape. If pulling the handle on the pot, perhaps just turning
the pot upside down until the handle is stiff enough to support its
shape.
Bill
Wood Jeanne on wed 14 aug 02
Hi Kats,
Is the clay you are using for handles really plastic?
I age my handle clay and it makes a huge difference
when pulling large handles, getting handsome curves,
and having them stay put in the shape you want.
Regards,
Jeanne W.
--- Kats Wheeler wrote:
> Help please. I have been happily putting handles on
> my mugs and little jugs
> and have successfully fired them. They are nice
> bouncy handles and I thought
> everything was fine. Now I am trying to put
> slightly larger handles on jugs
> and its all gone to pot (bad pun!). My handles keep
> sagging and bending so I
> can't get them to dry in a nice sprung shape and if
> they aren't doing that
> they are twisted slightly and I can't get them
> aligned. What has gone wrong?
> I have just smashed a jug having attempted to put a
> handle on three time and
> they all looked like saggy floppy disasters. Any
> suggestions would be
> gratefully received before I put my self in the kiln
> for firing!!! Thank you.
>
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