Ellen Currans on fri 18 aug 06
Dear Judy,
I've been using tar paper bats for throwing for over 30 years. I use
l5 lb building felt (tar paper) and have them in about 4 sizes, small
for mugs and soup bowls, larger for salad size plates and soufffles, a
larger size, about the same as the standard bat for plates and
pieplates, and really large ones for platters. They shouldn't be much
more than an inch or so larger than the piece you are going to throw,
since the edges tend to wrinkle up if the bat is not uniformily wet.
They last forever with care. I use mine directly on the wheel head
except for the plate and platter sized ones which I use on a bat. Your
problem with the sliding is probably due to using too wet slurry.
Once you have thrown a few pieces you will have a thin layer of clay
remaining on the wheel head after cutting off the bat and removing it,
and all you have to do is wipe on another thin coating of slip created
by your throwing. Too much and the tarpaper will slip away.
A little practice will tell you just the right amount of slip, and
after the tarpaper has been used a few times, it sticks more easily
also.
I lift the smaller pieces off the wheel and onto a board with a large
cement trowel. The medium size pieces, which won't fit on the trowel
are slid off the wheel by gripping the edge of the tarpaper bat with
needlenose pliers and pulling the whole thing onto a small board and
from the board off onto my ware boards (which hold 5 to 6 of the medium
pieces. One of the advantages of using the tarpaper bats is that you
can line up as many as 12 tro 14 soup bowls on one 12 inch by 4 ft.
ware board. The plates and platters are wired between the tarpaper and
the bat and the whole thing, bat included, lifted off to drying shelves.
I scrape the excess clay off the bats when I have removed the pots
which helps to the bats flat. I believe you can actually turn the pots
over sooner since the tarpaper peels off easlly leaving a very flat
bottom.
Ellen Currans
Dundee, Oregon
-----Original Message-----
From: Judy.Smith@NSCC.EDU
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Sent: Fri, 18 Aug 2006 12:31 PM
Subject: tar paper bats
I read in the archives that some people are using tar paper circles
on
top of their bats. It keeps you from messing up the bottom of the pots
cutting them off the bat with the wire. I tried this and it worked
great for small pots. I stuck the tar paper to the bat with slurry.
When I tried to use it for medium pots the tar paper slid off center
while I was trying to center the clay. Do you have and helpful hints or
words of wisdom for me. I think the tar paper could be a great tool.
Judy
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Nancy Braches on fri 18 aug 06
Judy
There is an EXCELLENT article from Pottery Making Sep/Oct 2004 on this technique. I have the magazine, but went to their website and found the article for you. Here is the link
http://www.potterymaking.org/techniques/sept0401.pdf
I hope this helps! With a little practice it is an excellent method.
Nancy
Hilltop Pottery
"Smith, Judy" wrote: I read in the archives that some people are using tar paper circles on
top of their bats. It keeps you from messing up the bottom of the pots
cutting them off the bat with the wire. I tried this and it worked
great for small pots. I stuck the tar paper to the bat with slurry.
When I tried to use it for medium pots the tar paper slid off center
while I was trying to center the clay. Do you have and helpful hints or
words of wisdom for me. I think the tar paper could be a great tool.
Judy
______________________________________________________________________________
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.
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Smith, Judy on fri 18 aug 06
I read in the archives that some people are using tar paper circles on
top of their bats. It keeps you from messing up the bottom of the pots
cutting them off the bat with the wire. I tried this and it worked
great for small pots. I stuck the tar paper to the bat with slurry.
When I tried to use it for medium pots the tar paper slid off center
while I was trying to center the clay. Do you have and helpful hints or
words of wisdom for me. I think the tar paper could be a great tool. =20
=20
Judy
Smith, Judy on sun 20 aug 06
Thank you for the help. I tried using less slurry and it worked. I
think I am really going to love using tar paper bats.=20
-----Original Message-----
From: Clayart [mailto:CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG] On Behalf Of Ellen
Currans
Sent: Friday, August 18, 2006 9:57 PM
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Subject: Re: tar paper bats
Dear Judy,
I've been using tar paper bats for throwing for over 30 years. I use
l5 lb building felt (tar paper) and have them in about 4 sizes, small
for mugs and soup bowls, larger for salad size plates and soufffles, a
larger size, about the same as the standard bat for plates and
pieplates, and really large ones for platters. They shouldn't be much
more than an inch or so larger than the piece you are going to throw,
since the edges tend to wrinkle up if the bat is not uniformily wet.
They last forever with care. I use mine directly on the wheel head
except for the plate and platter sized ones which I use on a bat. Your
problem with the sliding is probably due to using too wet slurry.
Once you have thrown a few pieces you will have a thin layer of clay
remaining on the wheel head after cutting off the bat and removing it,
and all you have to do is wipe on another thin coating of slip created
by your throwing. Too much and the tarpaper will slip away.
A little practice will tell you just the right amount of slip, and after
the tarpaper has been used a few times, it sticks more easily also.
I lift the smaller pieces off the wheel and onto a board with a large
cement trowel. The medium size pieces, which won't fit on the trowel
are slid off the wheel by gripping the edge of the tarpaper bat with
needlenose pliers and pulling the whole thing onto a small board and
from the board off onto my ware boards (which hold 5 to 6 of the medium
pieces. One of the advantages of using the tarpaper bats is that you
can line up as many as 12 tro 14 soup bowls on one 12 inch by 4 ft.
ware board. The plates and platters are wired between the tarpaper and
the bat and the whole thing, bat included, lifted off to drying shelves.
I scrape the excess clay off the bats when I have removed the pots which
helps to the bats flat. I believe you can actually turn the pots over
sooner since the tarpaper peels off easlly leaving a very flat bottom.
Ellen Currans
Dundee, Oregon
-----Original Message-----
From: Judy.Smith@NSCC.EDU
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Sent: Fri, 18 Aug 2006 12:31 PM
Subject: tar paper bats
I read in the archives that some people are using tar paper circles
on top of their bats. It keeps you from messing up the bottom of the
pots cutting them off the bat with the wire. I tried this and it worked
great for small pots. I stuck the tar paper to the bat with slurry.
When I tried to use it for medium pots the tar paper slid off center
while I was trying to center the clay. Do you have and helpful hints or
words of wisdom for me. I think the tar paper could be a great tool.
Judy
________________________________________________________________________
_
_____
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.
________________________________________________________________________
Check out AOL.com today. Breaking news, video search, pictures, email
and IM. All on demand. Always Free.
________________________________________________________________________
______
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.
Tracy Shea on fri 18 sep 09
Ellen-
I only soak them before I use them- I don't scrape them after peeling them
off of my plates, so maybe that's why they wrinkle upon drying, and I just
pile them up without putting anything heavy on them. ( just lazy, I guess:)
I find that soaking the bats before use also makes them stick
to the plastic bat on the wheelhead more easily and with just a small smear
of slip. When I start with a dry tar paper bat, it seems to wet unevenly an=
d
curl or not stick down completely, and for me it's a slower process. So I'=
m
with you- do whatever works. So, my big glazing bowl doubles as a tar paper
bat soaking bowl on plate making day. I just keep it next to the wheel,
schmear a li'l slip, slop on a dripped off bat, go over it with a
scraper and I'm good to go.
Peace,
Tracy
--
SheaClay Pottery
http://www.sheaclay.com
http://www.sheaclay.etsy.com
http://www.sheaclay.1000markets.com
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