John Kudlacek on sat 1 may 04
Clay water is obviously a matter of personal preference and working
style. Personally I prefer clean water as I am able to feel the clay
without the intrusion of a slimy film. The late Sheldon Carey used no
water but a synthetic gel when using his upside down wheel.
Perhaps those who feel that their throwing gets better as the water
becomes dirtier is a matter of their getting "warmed up".
Whatever floats your sponge.
John Kudlacek
Topeka, KS.
John Baymore on sun 2 may 04
I usually only change my throwing water if I am changing
from a dark clay to a lighter clay (I use, from lightest to darkest:
co-shigaraki hosome, mashiko nami and mashiko aka (red.)
I have been throwing with slurry for almost 30 years. It just makes sens=
e.
My throwing slurry is about the consistency of yogurt or sour cream.
What is the purpose of the water? To make the piece slippery. What
happens to clay when it gets wet? It gets softer. Why keep adding water=
onto the clay when you want it to be able to support itself in a vertical=
direction? =
Slurry has a high "slippery" factor for the minimum amount of water added=
to the clay.
best,
.....................john
PS: The water isn't "dirty"..... it has been made into throwing slurry a=
nd
it is just as it should be .
John Baymore
River Bend Pottery
22 Riverbend Way
Wilton, NH 03086-5812 USA
JBaymore@compuserve.com
http://www.JohnBaymore.com
603-654-2752 (studio)
800-900-1110 (studio)
"Earth, Water, and Fire Noborigama Woodfiring Workshop: August 20-29,
2004"
Lee Love on sun 2 may 04
I usually only change my throwing water if I am changing
from a dark clay to a lighter clay (I use, from lightest to darkest:
co-shigaraki hosome, mashiko nami and mashiko aka (red.) Going to try
the big stoned Shigaraki next kiln load. But sometimes, I don't even
change then. I have three buckets of slip on the floor for each of
these clays. If I switch clays in the morning, when the throwing water
is settled, I can usually scoop the slip out of the bottom of the
throwing bowl (mizu hachi) and it will be okay. I put the slurry in
the corresponding bucket on the floor. I use it for contrasting slip
sometimes, when I don't want strong iron or a strong white slip. None
of this clay ever gets near the sink and if I get too much slip in the
buckets, it goes in with the recycled trimming clay. "Motai Nai!"
Too good to waste. Sometimes the Shigaraki clay will get stinky
because it has a lot of organics in it. If it gets too bad in the
summer, I'll change it.
Nobody uses pans on their wheels here in Japan. I think they
can throw dryer because the clay is softer and their throwing water is slip.
I don't understand why anybody would call slip "dirty water."
I only think of the water being dirty if it has some foreign material in
it, other than water or the slip.
At my teacher's workshop, the Retired Foreman, who made all the
mold made pottery forms, would often come get slip out of the bottom of
my throwing bowl to use to join this hand built stuff. He'd always
seem to think you were goofing off if you were throwing and didn't have
slip in your bowl. At the workshop, we usually cleaned our throwing
bowls at the end of the day.
Folks need to do what works for them. What feels right. There
is no one right way.
--
Lee in Mashiko, Japan http://mashiko.org
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