Russel Fouts on sat 15 jan 05
Kate,
>The hump mold should be pretty thick and heavy. My humps for the 19'
>plates use 10K of heavilly grogged clay (read one solid hump mold). I beat
>the clay into a big heavy plaster mold I have for this purpose, then
>burnished and dried and fired really slowly, never had one blow up.
That's how I make the hump molds, beating the clay into a heavy plaster
slump mold with a rubber mallet.
I pop it out after about a day, burnish it on the wheel and then dry it
propped up on three bricks so that it can dry underneath too.
However, I have beaten clay into slump molds as well but that's basically
the "boring" process of slapping out a slab, fitting it into the slump mold
and cutting the edge.
I wanted the clay more compressed so I made a bean bag out of a chamois
filled with.....beans. It left a nice dimple pattern on the inside of the
plate. There is an example on my Smoke-Fired Gallery page; third one up
from the bottom on the right side.
I also make spherical roulettes to use on plates inside slump molds as
well. In addition to compressing the clay, they leave a nice pattern. I
don't have a photographic example of this, sorry.
As for the smoke firing technique; a plate is wrapped along with a very
small amount of newspaper (less than 1/4 of a standard sized page) inside a
tightly sealed envelope of aluminum foil.
My kiln is vented with an envirovent but very, very little smoke escapes
the packet.
Don't fire over 650c or the foil will go flaky, breakup and make mess. But
you don't need to even go that high if you remember that paper burns around
223c/451F. You just need to hold it at that temperature for the time you want.
More or less paper makes more or less smoke (also more or less escaping).
Time also makes a difference. You have to experiment.
Russel
At 02:35 15/01/2005, you wrote:
>Russel, I'm laughing my head off here!
>
>>
>>You can use that stiff clay to beat over a hump mold, patterend or not.
>
>First I need to get a hump mold! All mine are of the slumpish persuasion!
>
>>wire, pull the wire up through the stack you've made, lay the wire down
>>again then throw the two pieces you just made one on top of the other and
>>pull the wire through it again. Try to keep the layers parallel. You only
>>need to do this about 10 times to condition the clay. It's the way the
>>forebearers you're emulating probably did it.
>
>Nifty! I'm always afraid of MAKING bubbles when I do it that way. (And
>by the way, what I did with the 25 lb bag of clay was thump it on the
>floor repeatedly--I hope my old floor joists hold up!)
>>
>>The hump mold should be pretty thick and heavy. My humps for the 19'
>>plates use 10K of heavilly grogged clay (read one solid hump mold). I
>>beat the clay into a big heavy plaster mold I have for this purpose, then
>>burnished and dried and fired really slowly, never had one blow up.
>
>OK, I'm confused here...you do the hump mold hamburger, but beat the clay
>INTO a plaster mold...?!?
>
>(prefereably round, but not necessary) and start beating it right in
>>the middle, as straight up and down as possible while turning the turn
>>table (Can you chew gum and walk at the same time).
>
>Not only that but I can pat my head and rub my tummy at the same time.
>
>>
>>Once it's the thickness you want, you can start moving out from the
>>center in a VERY slow spiral following the shape of the mold down until
>>the clay is entirely worked down the hump mold. You'll get the hang of it.
>
>Sounds like fun!
>
>>
>>All my smoke fired plates and bowls are made this way. Check the
>>Smoke-fired gallery on my site http://www.mypots.com it makes a really
>>nice organic looking edge if you do it right and you won't have to cut it,
>
>Ooooh, I've seen your plates and love them. Luscious.
>
>I love you inlayed slip bottle, too--I've done a bit of that. And at some
>point, could you tell me more about electric smoke-fired process? Is your
>kiln outdoors, or just well vented?
>
>>
>>On a good heavy bisque mold, you'd be surprised how soon you can take it
>>off and put it aside to dry further on newspaper (plaster is even better
>>here). I usually work 3 or 4 molds at a time and that's with really soft
>>clay. I just did some the other day with some really stiff clay, unwedged
>>(the beating pops the bubbles) and only had to use one mold.
>
>I got a rubber mallet to beat the clay with, but it's not as much fun as
>my wooden paddle.
>
>>could flip the mold over and it might be easier to work off. I'd have a
>>concave receptical ready to receive the newly formed pot. Those rubber
>>dog ring toys work well, or a really wide bowl filled with sawdust or
>>sand with a cloth stretched over it will also work, but you have to have
>>several.
>
>Excellent ideas, thank you...
>
>>
>>OR, you could do it the BOOOORRRRRINNNNG way (eye's rolling) and roll out
>>or "slap" out and cut your slab before putting it on the hump mold.
>
>OMIGOD. I've been guilty of BORING????
>
>But the
>>edge won't be as nice. ;-( Even when I do this (which is almost never) I
>>still like to beat the clay a bit. ;-)
>
>The lads here tease me about being fond of slapping my pinch
>pots...they're so naughty...
>>
>>Don't hold the paddle too tight and try to use a more extended arm when
>>doing it. It can be hard on the wrists. You'll get the hang of it.
>
>Now I'll have to get going on that hump mold!
>
>>I've used an overturned heavy bowl for this with soft clay in demos.
>>Works pretty well too but the bowl tends to move around more than I like.
>>Besides, I like firing really heavy, solid stuff from time to time.
>>
>>Good Luck!
>
>THANK YOU, much appreciated!
>
>Much fun...and by the time I dropped the bag on the floor several times I
>discovered it's really not too stiff to work. Made a nice tavern mug this
>afternoon (and had a good laugh at the 6-minutes-to-make-a-mug concept.
>Not handbuilt, it doesn't... I might be able to make six a DAY...)
>
>Best--
>Kate
Russel Fouts
Mes Potes & Mes Pots
Brussels, Belgium
Tel: +32 2 223 02 75
Mobile: +32 476 55 38 75
Http://www.mypots.com
Home of "The Potters Portal"
Over 3000 Pottery Related Links!
Updated frequently
My work can also be seen on:
The World Crafts Council Belgium Site http://wcc-bf.org:
Members English Pages: http://wcc-bf.org/artistes/ukrussel_fouts.htm
EasyCraft: http://www.easycraft.org
"To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that
we are to stand by the president, right or wrong, is not only
unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American
public." --U.S. President (and Nobel Peace Prize winner) Theodore
Roosevelt.
Russel Fouts on sat 15 jan 05
Kate,
>> I am now, however, officially Out Of Clay (except some year old buff
stoneware, which I'm eyeing wistfully--it's pretty stiff, but I'm
desperate!). The order's in but not sure when it will arrive...I made my
last mug today. <<
You can use that stiff clay to beat over a hump mold, patterend or not. If
your paddle is patterned, you get a nice texture on the outside. Experiment
Grab a handful of that clay and wedge it if you can. If you can't, then
"slam wedge" it. Lay your cutting wire on the table in as straight a line
as possible then throw a bunch of pieces one on top of the other onto the
wire, pull the wire up through the stack you've made, lay the wire down
again then throw the two pieces you just made one on top of the other and
pull the wire through it again. Try to keep the layers parallel. You only
need to do this about 10 times to condition the clay. It's the way the
forebearers you're emulating probably did it.
The hump mold should be pretty thick and heavy. My humps for the 19' plates
use 10K of heavilly grogged clay (read one solid hump mold). I beat the
clay into a big heavy plaster mold I have for this purpose, then burnished
and dried and fired really slowly, never had one blow up.
Put your hump mold on a good solid turn table or the wheel head or your
wheel. Maybe put a mouse pad under it to cut down on the noise and the
shock to your hump. (bisque humps are better for this but plaster will work
too).
Then take a ball of your clay, sized for your hump and make a thick
hamburger out of it in your hands. Put the hamburger in the center of your
hump (prefereably round, but not necessary) and start beating it right in
the middle, as straight up and down as possible while turning the turn
table (Can you chew gum and walk at the same time). Keep this up until you
think the bottom is as thick as you want it. Measure with a pin tool. You
can adjust the hamburger if it's no longer centered at this point.
Once it's the thickness you want, you can start moving out from the center
in a VERY slow spiral following the shape of the mold down until the clay
is entirely worked down the hump mold. You'll get the hang of it.
All my smoke fired plates and bowls are made this way. Check the
Smoke-fired gallery on my site http://www.mypots.com it makes a really
nice organic looking edge if you do it right and you won't have to cut it,
just compress it a bit with a chamios when the piece is dry enough to
handle (but not too dry.
On a good heavy bisque mold, you'd be surprised how soon you can take it
off and put it aside to dry further on newspaper (plaster is even better
here). I usually work 3 or 4 molds at a time and that's with really soft
clay. I just did some the other day with some really stiff clay, unwedged
(the beating pops the bubbles) and only had to use one mold.
The form might stick a little bit so you might to work it carefully off the
mold. I can't describe how I do this, you would just have to see it. If you
designed your hump molds with an indent and a handle in the bottom, you
could flip the mold over and it might be easier to work off. I'd have a
concave receptical ready to receive the newly formed pot. Those rubber dog
ring toys work well, or a really wide bowl filled with sawdust or sand with
a cloth stretched over it will also work, but you have to have several.
OR, you could do it the BOOOORRRRRINNNNG way (eye's rolling) and roll out
or "slap" out and cut your slab before putting it on the hump mold. But the
edge won't be as nice. ;-( Even when I do this (which is almost never) I
still like to beat the clay a bit. ;-)
Don't hold the paddle too tight and try to use a more extended arm when
doing it. It can be hard on the wrists. You'll get the hang of it.
I've used an overturned heavy bowl for this with soft clay in demos. Works
pretty well too but the bowl tends to move around more than I like.
Besides, I like firing really heavy, solid stuff from time to time.
Good Luck!
Osgoode (Lecherously) "Oh, I see you play double-base. Do you pluck it or
do you stroke it?"
Daphne (Smiling) "Well sometimes, I just SLAP it!"
Russel (clay is so S&M ;-)
Russel Fouts
Mes Potes & Mes Pots
Brussels, Belgium
Tel: +32 2 223 02 75
Mobile: +32 476 55 38 75
Http://www.mypots.com
Home of "The Potters Portal"
Over 3000 Pottery Related Links!
Updated frequently
My work can also be seen on:
The World Crafts Council Belgium Site http://wcc-bf.org:
Members English Pages: http://wcc-bf.org/artistes/ukrussel_fouts.htm
EasyCraft: http://www.easycraft.org
"To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that
we are to stand by the president, right or wrong, is not only
unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American
public." --U.S. President (and Nobel Peace Prize winner) Theodore
Roosevelt.
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