Kerri Pero on mon 11 sep 06
Hi, all. I have been working in pottery for some time now and have been
working at making large, closed forms on the wheel. Something like a vase
with a large, round belly and small neck and mouth. Does anyone have any
advice on how to accomplish this? I can make smaller piecese - less than 9
inches high and maybe 6 or 8 inches in diameter - but I would really like to
try to go larger than 14 inches in each direction. It seems like when I do
go larger - either it doesn't want to close up or it collapses. Any advice
would be appreciated! Regards, Kerri
Lynn Goodman Porcelain Pottery on mon 11 sep 06
You may need to use stiffer clay, or mix in more grog/sand. You can
also try throwing with a metal rib when you start to shape--it removes
slip so the clay is less likely to soften as you throw, and compresses
the wall.
Lynn
On Sep 11, 2006, at 7:11 PM, Kerri Pero wrote:
> Hi, all. I have been working in pottery for some time now and have been
> working at making large, closed forms on the wheel. Something like a
> vase
> with a large, round belly and small neck and mouth. Does anyone have
> any
> advice on how to accomplish this? I can make smaller piecese - less
> than 9
> inches high and maybe 6 or 8 inches in diameter - but I would really
> like to
> try to go larger than 14 inches in each direction. It seems like when
> I do
> go larger - either it doesn't want to close up or it collapses. Any
> advice
> would be appreciated! Regards, Kerri
Lynn Goodman
Fine Porcelain Pottery
Cell 347-526-9805
www.lynngoodmanporcelain.com
Lee Love on tue 12 sep 06
You can sectional throw, tops and bottoms then join them. Or you can coil
throw/paddle.
--
Lee in Mashiko, Japan
http://potters.blogspot.com/
"Let the beauty we love be what we do." - Rumi
Darnie Sizemore on tue 12 sep 06
Kerri,
I have found that I have to keep the top of the form
beveled in throughout the process. If I let it flare
out, I am NEVER able to collar it in. And as someone
else commented, leave more clay on the top that you
think.
Good luck,
Darnie
--- Kerri Pero wrote:
> Hi, all. I have been working in pottery for some
> time now and have been
> working at making large, closed forms on the wheel.
> Something like a vase
> with a large, round belly and small neck and mouth.
> Does anyone have any
> advice on how to accomplish this? I can make smaller
> piecese - less than 9
> inches high and maybe 6 or 8 inches in diameter -
> but I would really like to
> try to go larger than 14 inches in each direction.
> It seems like when I do
> go larger - either it doesn't want to close up or it
> collapses. Any advice
> would be appreciated! Regards, Kerri
>
>
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> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
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Craig Clark on tue 12 sep 06
Lynn, one thing that has worked for me is to really try and get in
centered and up quickly. No messing about. You will be using more clay,
and then can cut back on the amount of clay that you use as you get
better a pulling larger pots. I used to use a real stiff body but got
tired of beating myself up so I took the advice from a number of the
more experienced (I almost said old timers....) here on clay art and
went to a softer clay. It works quite well. It is about technique more
than anything else.
Try starting out with about 10 lbs of mud and go up from there. Use
a quasi wet sponge on the outside for the first coupla pulls. Start with
a nice grove at the very bottom of you spinning centered mass. Focus in
on what you are doing, and think about lifting the clay. Don't squeeze
it, lift it. Keep your out finger/knuckle or however you throw beneath
the point toward which you are applying pressure on the inside of the
form. Lift up and in form the very beginning. Remember, the clay wants
to out and it wants to go down....
The advice you have been given about leaving some extra clay at the
top of the cylinder is very good. It will help to keep the spinning mass
concentric and will also provide that little extra bit for shaping of a
nice lip or neck.
Hope this helps
Craig Dunn Clark
619 East 11 1/2 St
Houston, Texas 77008
(713)861-2083
mudman@hal-pc.org
Lynn Goodman Porcelain Pottery wrote:
> You may need to use stiffer clay, or mix in more grog/sand. You can
> also try throwing with a metal rib when you start to shape--it removes
> slip so the clay is less likely to soften as you throw, and compresses
> the wall.
>
> Lynn
>
>
> On Sep 11, 2006, at 7:11 PM, Kerri Pero wrote:
>
>> Hi, all. I have been working in pottery for some time now and have been
>> working at making large, closed forms on the wheel. Something like a
>> vase
>> with a large, round belly and small neck and mouth. Does anyone have
>> any
>> advice on how to accomplish this? I can make smaller piecese - less
>> than 9
>> inches high and maybe 6 or 8 inches in diameter - but I would really
>> like to
>> try to go larger than 14 inches in each direction. It seems like when
>> I do
>> go larger - either it doesn't want to close up or it collapses. Any
>> advice
>> would be appreciated! Regards, Kerri
>
>
>
> Lynn Goodman
> Fine Porcelain Pottery
> Cell 347-526-9805
> www.lynngoodmanporcelain.com
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
>
> 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.
>
Gene & Dolita Dohrman on tue 12 sep 06
I have found that a heat gun has become my best friend when I am throwing.
My forms are getting wider and wider and I am only able to do that by using
a heat gun as I start to bring the clay back in. Not too much...just enough
to firm up the clay a bit. Also, make sure you have enough clay to bring it
back in and finish the neck. However, if you run out, you can always firm up
the clay with the heat gun and add a coil.
Dolita
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Lee Love on tue 12 sep 06
Another method I forgot to mention: A Korean method using a dowel
and a throwing stick. Cone up the form as tall as you want it. Then
run a down through the center while the form is turning. You can angle the
top a little. This helps you pull the dowel out. Then using a throwing
stick to balloon the form out. You start out with the top necked in and
thick, so all you are doing is ballooning the middle out and thinning it.
Helps you make forms that feel like they are made by blowing them up from
the inside.
Lee in Mashiko, Japan
Veena Raghavan on tue 12 sep 06
Hi Lynn,
Apart from all the wonderful advice you have had (of which ribbing the slurry
away from the wall is very important), I find that, when I collar in, I do it
with the right hand only and keep my fingers on the inside, supporting the
underneath of what I am pushing in, and then it does not collapse. I do this
until I can no longer get my finger in. Hope this helps.
Veena
In a message dated 9/12/2006 10:47:56 AM Eastern Standard Time,
mudman@HAL-PC.ORG writes:
> The advice you have been given about leaving some extra clay at the
> top of the cylinder is very good. It will help to keep the spinning mass
> concentric and will also provide that little extra bit for shaping of a
> nice lip or neck.
> Hope this helps
VeenaRaghavan@cs.com
Ron Roy on tue 12 sep 06
Hi Kerri,
When I make those kinds of forms I leave the clay at the top of the pot
thicker - so it does not get so wet - and I'm careful not to wet that part
so much as I'm throwing the form.
That way - when you start to collar in the top you are working with fresh
clay rather than wet. You just thin it out as is needed.
RR
>Hi, all. I have been working in pottery for some time now and have been
>working at making large, closed forms on the wheel. Something like a vase
>with a large, round belly and small neck and mouth. Does anyone have any
>advice on how to accomplish this? I can make smaller piecese - less than 9
>inches high and maybe 6 or 8 inches in diameter - but I would really like to
>try to go larger than 14 inches in each direction. It seems like when I do
>go larger - either it doesn't want to close up or it collapses. Any advice
>would be appreciated! Regards, Kerri
Ron Roy
RR#4
15084 Little Lake Road
Brighton, Ontario
Canada
K0K 1H0
Marek & Pauline Drzazga-Donaldson on tue 12 sep 06
Dear Keri,
I am sure you will get many bits of advice. For throwing larger you need =
more clay than you think. Also you need mto throw more efficiently - =
less time faffing about, be more direct. Leave more clay at the top than =
you think you will need - this not only makes life easier when you =
"collar" in from time to time, but allows for that extra bit of waste.=20
Most importantly - THROW SLOWLY.
Happy potting Marek =20
Hand made Architectural Ceramics from No9 Studio UK www.no9uk.com
Fully Residential Pottery Courses and more at Mole Cottage =
www.moleys.com
"Tips and Time Travel from a Vernacular Potter" reviews on =
www.keramix.com
an irreverent point of view after 35 years in the game Marek =
Drzazga-Donaldson =20
Free Works and Mole Cottage DVD's and Video content on all the sites
Bonnie Staffel on wed 13 sep 06
When I make closed forms or teach it, I emphasize the fact that a =
"chimney"
always has to be present IMO. Clay that is thus formed will close up =
for
you. I also use a small stick to support the inside when my finger is =
too
large for the hole. This same stick can then be laid on the top at an =
angle
to do the final closing which will either remove the remaining tiny =
chimney
or will blend it into the closed form. I have found that it takes =
longer to
close the pot than to throw the whole thing. The thickness of the clay
forming this "chimney" needs to be no thinner or thicker than the body =
of
the pot. Wrinkles or collapse shows that the wall is uneven in =
thickness.
Any unevenness in your throwing technique always shows up at the top.
Sometimes it seems like you spend time cutting it off level quite a lot.
This tells you to practice throwing the walls to get the clay =
distributed
evenly. Also if your clay has not been properly prepared, an unevenness =
of
moisture in various parts of the wall will also show up with a wavy top. =
=20
Through the years I have found that closed forms gave me the basis for =
many
of my sculptures as the form can be altered by paddling, or is strong to
hold up to pressures of clay additions from the trapped air inside. =20
Takes practice but worth the work when you achieve a nicely closed form. =
=20
Bonnie Staffel
http://webpages.charter.net/bstaffel/
http://vasefinder.com/bstaffelgallery1.html
DVD Throwing with Coils and Slabs
DVD Beginning Processes
Charter Member Potters Council
Steve Mills on thu 14 sep 06
I use a technique for large closed forms, wonderfully illustrated in the
Folkstreams film about Jerry Brown, a ninth generation potter from Hamilton,
Alabama.
(This link may be too long to display in one line, in which case copy and
paste each section into you browser into one line and THEN hit Go)
What Jerry does is throw the basic cylinder, partially close the top in, cut
that off and set it aside, throw the main body of the piece, re-attach the
top section and complete the form.
The advantage of this technique is that you get more out of the main clay
body and it's stronger after you have cut off the top, the re-attached piece
is fresher and easily collared in to a closure, and the finished pot is
lighter and needs far less trimming than a one-piece thrown one.
Works a treat for me.
Thank you Jerry.
Steve
Bath
UK
In message , Kerri Pero writes
>Hi, all. I have been working in pottery for some time now and have been
>working at making large, closed forms on the wheel. Something like a vase
>with a large, round belly and small neck and mouth. Does anyone have any
>advice on how to accomplish this? I can make smaller piecese - less than =
>9
>inches high and maybe 6 or 8 inches in diameter - but I would really like=
> to
>try to go larger than 14 inches in each direction. It seems like when I d=
>o
>go larger - either it doesn't want to close up or it collapses. Any advic=
>e
>would be appreciated! Regards, Kerri
--
Steve Mills
Bath
UK
Dolita Dohrman on thu 14 sep 06
Thank you so much for posting this. I just finished watching it and it was
wonderful. For those of you who have not seen it, check it out. Well worth
the 20 minutes or so and you will be watching something that is fast
disappearing. (I have left the message in tact below as the website is
there, just click on it)
Dolita
----- Original Message -----
From: "Steve Mills"
To:
Sent: Thursday, September 14, 2006 7:35 AM
Subject: Re: Throwing Closed Forms - Any advice??
> I use a technique for large closed forms, wonderfully illustrated in the
> Folkstreams film about Jerry Brown, a ninth generation potter from
Hamilton,
> Alabama.
>
> (This link may be too long to display in one line, in which case copy and
> paste each section into you browser into one line and THEN hit Go)
>
> What Jerry does is throw the basic cylinder, partially close the top in,
cut
> that off and set it aside, throw the main body of the piece, re-attach the
> top section and complete the form.
> The advantage of this technique is that you get more out of the main clay
> body and it's stronger after you have cut off the top, the re-attached
piece
> is fresher and easily collared in to a closure, and the finished pot is
> lighter and needs far less trimming than a one-piece thrown one.
>
> Works a treat for me.
>
> Thank you Jerry.
>
> Steve
> Bath
> UK
>
>
--
No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
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j isaac on thu 14 sep 06
I loved the video thnx so much. I also tried it and it works great. A little practice. What a lost art and much hard work he does.
The Pretend Potter
Jodi
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Everyone is raving about the all-new Yahoo! Mail.
Nancy Braches on thu 14 sep 06
Steve
I went to this site and it was a mess...locked up my computer, the movie was playing with sound but no picture. Had to shut down my machine to get it to stop trying to debug the video.
Any insight on the problem?
Nancy
Hilltop Pottery
Steve Mills wrote: I use a technique for large closed forms, wonderfully illustrated in the
Folkstreams film about Jerry Brown, a ninth generation potter from Hamilton,
Alabama.
(This link may be too long to display in one line, in which case copy and
paste each section into you browser into one line and THEN hit Go)
What Jerry does is throw the basic cylinder, partially close the top in, cut
that off and set it aside, throw the main body of the piece, re-attach the
top section and complete the form.
The advantage of this technique is that you get more out of the main clay
body and it's stronger after you have cut off the top, the re-attached piece
is fresher and easily collared in to a closure, and the finished pot is
lighter and needs far less trimming than a one-piece thrown one.
Works a treat for me.
Thank you Jerry.
Steve
Bath
UK
In message , Kerri Pero writes
>Hi, all. I have been working in pottery for some time now and have been
>working at making large, closed forms on the wheel. Something like a vase
>with a large, round belly and small neck and mouth. Does anyone have any
>advice on how to accomplish this? I can make smaller piecese - less than =
>9
>inches high and maybe 6 or 8 inches in diameter - but I would really like=
> to
>try to go larger than 14 inches in each direction. It seems like when I d=
>o
>go larger - either it doesn't want to close up or it collapses. Any advic=
>e
>would be appreciated! Regards, Kerri
--
Steve Mills
Bath
UK
______________________________________________________________________________
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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Steve Mills on sun 17 sep 06
Dear Nancy,
Sorry for the delay in replying, rather busy at the moment.
The Folkstreams sight used to send Jerry Brown's film out as streaming
video only, now they also give you the option of .mov which works a
treat with Quicktime, free from:
much better quality.
I'm afraid I'm not knowledgeable to give you a quick-fix on this
problem, but I feel sure by the time you read this others on the list
will have given you a number of options to try.
In the past I have had occasions when a sight jammed everything up, it's
usually a problem with the software not the site, but not always. I
sometimes find trying again at a different time of day helps.
Best.
Steve
Bath
UK
In message , Nancy Braches writes
>Steve
>
>I went to this site and it was a mess...locked up my computer, the movie =
>was playing with sound but no picture. Had to shut down my machine to ge=
>t it to stop trying to debug the video.
>
>Any insight on the problem?
>
>Nancy
>Hilltop Pottery
--
Steve Mills
Bath
UK
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