Alyssa Ettinger on thu 12 oct 06
anyone care to share any hints/rules of the road for production throwing
small pieces? my small bowls are a mere 1.5 pounds of clay, and i take as
much time wedging each little ball than i do throwing each one. plus, the
wedging on these tiny balls is making my hands feel terribly arthritic.
(that in itself is humiliating...)
i know i could throw off the hump and kind of "feel" or eyeball approx that
amount of clay... but... could i really? does anyone else do it this way?
am i missing something? is there a trick i've yet to learn? i hate that it's
feeling tedious because i love my work.
ideas?
alyssa
www.alyssaettinger.com
Nancy Braches on fri 13 oct 06
The roofing felt is perfect for not only small bowls but large plates. I love using it! I originally read about it in a pottery making or clay art magazine for people who were making large plates and had trouble wiring them off the wheel.
They are easy to use and move and peel off the bottoms nicely (unless the piece is still too wet.
Nancy
Ingeborg wrote: Ellen Currans, clayarter and potter extraordinaire, uses roofing felt (cut
into little circles) instead of bats. Sounds perfect for little bowls.
Just passing on your tip Ellen.
Ingeborg
----- Original Message -----
Um...no way would I have individual bats for 1.5lb bowls; that's just a
waste, UNLESS you're throwing paper thin porcelain or something that will be
easily distorted. Get a ware board and remove each bowl from the wheelhead
after it's made; then you can take the whole board out in the sun. :)
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Alyssa Ettinger on fri 13 oct 06
ok, i've a lot of new methods to try out in the next week. i'm thinking the
"big coil" thing might be the best thing to try first. (what i love about my
tiny bowls is the way they stack... which makes the thought of hump throwing
daunting.)
and marek, i wedge and rewedge and rewedge.
i'm thinking about one of those warm paraffin spas for your hands.
will keep everyone posted
alyssa
www.alyssaettinger.com
Marek & Pauline Drzazga-Donaldson on fri 13 oct 06
Dear Alyssa,
heaven knows why you are wedging each 1.5 ball of clay for. Knead and =
wedge a goodly amount at one time, cut and weigh and PRACTICE.
Happy potting Marek
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
Assemble a dragon finial at www.dragonfinials.co.uk
Free Works and Mole Cottage DVD's and Video content on all the sites
Alyssa Ettinger on fri 13 oct 06
marek,
i actually do wedge a giant amount, then cut pieces to weigh. but i still
have to wedge up those little pieces!
alyssa
www.alyssaettinger.com
Lee Love on fri 13 oct 06
On 10/13/06, Alyssa Ettinger wrote:
>
> am i missing something? is there a trick i've yet to learn? i hate that it's
> feeling tedious because i love my work.
>
> ideas?
>
> alyssa
The toombo, measuring gauge, is important when
throwing off the hump. You can make them out of shishkabab skewers
and wirer twists. Cut one skewer to width of the bowl. You can
use wirecutters to cut them. And then use a twist tie to put the
cross bar at the proper height to measure the inside depth. You can
eyeball the outside. Remember to leave enough for the foot.
In the begining, you can always weigh the form after you
cut it off to see how close you come to the lump method weights.
--
Lee in Mashiko, Japan
http://potters.blogspot.com/
"Let the beauty we love be what we do." - Rumi
"When we all do better. We ALL do better." -Paul Wellstone
Daniel Semler on fri 13 oct 06
Hi Alyssa,
I don't know much about production throwing particularly but, with
small volumes of clay I usually just wedge 5 or 6 lbs and then cut it
up. I can't comfortably wedge 1-2 lbs as its too small for my hands.
If you are throwing on full sized bats that may present a small
storage issue while they dry too. You may want to try a smaller bat or
a tile to throw on so you can store them.
I'll leave comments on the hump throwing to those who do it
regularly but I see no reason why it could not be done and produce a
repeatable result. You would just need to make sure the amouunt of
clay on the top that you actually throw is about the same each time,
and this could be done by making sure its the same height and
diameter. Then use a tombo to measure and away you go.
Thanx
D
Maurice Weitman on fri 13 oct 06
Howdy, Alyssa,
Well, it's not a trick, but you may be missing on the joys of using a pug mill.
I know about aching hands (and elbows and shoulders and back).
That's why I almost never wedge clay anymore. I know, too, that
wedging can be a meditative process, and that there are ways
(including the slice and slam method that Michael Wendt champions)
that don't beat me up that badly. But still... I'd rather not if I
don't have to.
That's why I bought a de-airing pugmill.
Every throwing session, I run a few bags through it once to "warm up"
the clay. I cut the cylinders into 8-pound and/or 9-pound lengths
that fit into trays I use.
I made up some rulers with lines corresponding to different pot
sizes. So (if my memory's correct and it's about 10 pounds in 19
inches) the 1.5# ruler has lines every 2.85", for example.
Now, if I'm throwing 1.5# pots, I slice as many as I want to throw
now, put them on a plastic bat, cover in plastic and bring them to
the wheel. No wedging. After centering each lump, I cone it up and
down a few times while compressing the base. I have no S-cracks.
And my hands, et al, thank me.
Yes, I'm sure there are tricks, and I'm sure it would be more elegant
to throw off the hump (I've made and used gauges (tombo) used to
measure height and diameter), and that with practice one could
develop the eye to produce equal-sized pots easily, but the above
works fine for me.
Regards,
Maurice
ps How's your kiln?
At 23:52 -0400 on 10/12/06, Alyssa Ettinger wrote:
>anyone care to share any hints/rules of the road for production throwing
>small pieces? my small bowls are a mere 1.5 pounds of clay, and i take as
>much time wedging each little ball than i do throwing each one. plus, the
>wedging on these tiny balls is making my hands feel terribly arthritic.
>(that in itself is humiliating...)
>
>i know i could throw off the hump and kind of "feel" or eyeball approx that
>amount of clay... but... could i really? does anyone else do it this way?
>
>am i missing something? is there a trick i've yet to learn? i hate that it's
>feeling tedious because i love my work.
Nancy Braches on fri 13 oct 06
Alyssa
I wedge 5-8 lbs of clay at a time (my hands can't wedge more than that) and then I roll it out into a thick tube and measure it evenly, cut it with my wire and form "snowballs" .....saves a lot of wedging. I throw 1lb bowls and this gives me 5-8 balls for my bowls.
Nancy
Alyssa Ettinger wrote: anyone care to share any hints/rules of the road for production throwing
small pieces? my small bowls are a mere 1.5 pounds of clay, and i take as
much time wedging each little ball than i do throwing each one. plus, the
wedging on these tiny balls is making my hands feel terribly arthritic.
(that in itself is humiliating...)
i know i could throw off the hump and kind of "feel" or eyeball approx that
amount of clay... but... could i really? does anyone else do it this way?
am i missing something? is there a trick i've yet to learn? i hate that it's
feeling tedious because i love my work.
ideas?
alyssa
www.alyssaettinger.com
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Nancy Braches on fri 13 oct 06
Alyssa
Try using enough clay to make 4 bowls. I think you are rewedging because you are piecing the clay after cutting it to get the 1.5 lbs? If you weigh first, lets say 6lbs. Then after wedging make an even tube, cut in half and cut those in half again, you should get almost exactly 1.5 lbs each. I use this method and it works beautifully. I never rewedge those sections.
Hope it helps
Nancy
Alyssa Ettinger wrote: marek,
i actually do wedge a giant amount, then cut pieces to weigh. but i still
have to wedge up those little pieces!
alyssa
www.alyssaettinger.com
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L. P. Skeen on fri 13 oct 06
Alyssa, making a lot of any object that you want to be the same size and =
shape is all about muscle memory. Make the same form over and over =
enough, and it becomes second nature. =20
Yes, you can learn to throw small bowls off the hump - it's certainly =
faster to work that way, but for someone who's never done it, =
hump-throwing can be a hard way to learn because of the potential for S =
cracks due to lack of compression in the bottom.
Quit with the wedging of 1.5lb clay balls. I'm guessing, since you're =
wedging, that you don't have a pugmill. Wedge your larger mass, shape =
it into a log, and cut your pieces from that. I have a pugmill, which =
spits out 3 or 4 inch "logs" of clay. I've just about mastered the art =
of twisting off the right size lump from each log to make whatever I'm =
workign on in series. This week, it was 1.25 lb balls for a dozen =
tumblers. After the first 4 or 5, it was all about muscle memory....you =
can do it! :)
L. P. Skeen, Summerfield NC
Get your 2007 Clay Lover's Calendar at =
http://www.living-tree.net/calendar.htm
----- Original Message -----=20
From: Alyssa Ettinger=20
my small bowls are a mere 1.5 pounds of clay, and i take as much time =
wedging each little ball than i do throwing each one.=20
i know i could throw off the hump and kind of "feel" or eyeball approx =
that amount of clay... but... could i really? does anyone else do it =
this way?
Ann Brink on fri 13 oct 06
Alyssa, I also don't see any reason to wedge the small pieces separately; If
you have wedged the larger amount and divided it by weight, those small ones
are ready to throw. I usually give them a quick roll between my hands to
round the edges, then start in.
Ann Brink in Lompoc CA
----- > i actually do wedge a giant amount, then cut pieces to weigh. but i
still
> have to wedge up those little pieces!
>
>
> alyssa
>
> www.alyssaettinger.com
>
>
Veena Raghavan on fri 13 oct 06
I have found the easiest way is to wedge a large amount of clay, roll it into
a large coil, and then cut the coil in equal parts. I then form each part
into a ball for throwing and weigh each one, so I can adjust the weight, but
taking a little off or adding a little on to get balls weighing the same amount.
Hope this helps.
Veena
VeenaRaghavan@cs.com
Michael Wendt on fri 13 oct 06
alyssa,
My personal preference is for off the
hump. I wedge 12-15 LBS at a time
(see the March-April issue of Pottery
Making Illustrated for the wire wedging
technique that makes large masses
very easy to wedge).
Center the mass and section a "doughnut"
shaped piece.
After a few tries, you can section the
needed amount just by feel. Throw the
bowl normally and finish. Use a 1.25"
wide by 1/16 " thick by 10" long piece
of metal to cut the bowl off while it is
rotating on the wheel.
Off the hump saves all the time needed to
cut and weigh innumerable little pieces.
If there is any interest, I can prepare a
video of off the hump throwing methods
which would include wedging, centering,
shaping, measurement, cutoff and trimming.
Regards,
Michael Wendt
Wendt Pottery
2729 Clearwater Ave
Lewiston, Idaho 83501
USA
wendtpot@lewiston.com
www.wendtpottery.com
anyone care to share any hints/rules of the road for
production throwing
small pieces? my small bowls are a mere 1.5 pounds of
clay, and i take as
much time wedging each little ball than i do throwing
each one. plus, the
wedging on these tiny balls is making my hands feel
terribly arthritic.
(that in itself is humiliating...)
i know i could throw off the hump and kind of "feel" or
eyeball approx that
amount of clay... but... could i really? does anyone
else do it this way?
am i missing something? is there a trick i've yet to
learn? i hate that it's
feeling tedious because i love my work.
ideas?
alyssa
Jennifer Boyer on fri 13 oct 06
Throwing off the hump is indeed the answer, but it takes practice
like anything else. The hard part is learning to start each bowl from
a knob of clay at the top of the hump that is the appropriate size.
It's like you are creating your 1.5 lb ball on the top of the hump.
This is a muscle memory type thing that happens with practice. I
throw almost all my small forms off the hump. Bowls are actually the
perfect form to start with since they are open and it's easier to see
where the bottom is. Practice: it's worth the learning curve. And
don't try TOO hard. Simple repetition will get you to your goal. One
thing you might do is to center a 1.5 lb piece of clay and then cut
it off and set it near your wheel. Then center a big piece of clay
for throwing off the hump and create what you think is a 1.5 lb knob
at the top. Eyeball the cut off one and the one on the hump to try
and match them. After awhile this will be a touch type thing, not a
visual one but you have to start somewhere!
Good Luck
Jennifer
On Oct 12, 2006, at 11:52 PM, Alyssa Ettinger wrote:
> anyone care to share any hints/rules of the road for production
> throwing
> small pieces? my small bowls are a mere 1.5 pounds of clay, and i
> take as
> much time wedging each little ball than i do throwing each one.
> plus, the
> wedging on these tiny balls is making my hands feel terribly
> arthritic.
> (that in itself is humiliating...)
>
> i know i could throw off the hump and kind of "feel" or eyeball
> approx that
> amount of clay... but... could i really? does anyone else do it
> this way?
>
> am i missing something? is there a trick i've yet to learn? i hate
> that it's
> feeling tedious because i love my work.
>
> ideas?
>
> alyssa
> www.alyssaettinger.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.
*****************************
Jennifer Boyer
Thistle Hill Pottery
Montpelier, VT
http://thistlehillpottery.com
*****************************
Randy O'Brien on fri 13 oct 06
Hi Alyssa,
Try wedging 6 pounds of clay. Throw it against the wedging table
into a 2-3" thick coil. Slap the ends so it is uniform in thickness
all the way across. Cut the coil in half and then cut the 2 pieces
in half. You then have four 1.5 pound chunks of clay that don't
need to be wedged further. Throw them on the wheelhead with
the side down (not the flat cut side down) to reduce cracking
problems. Hope this helps.
Randy
Tucson, AZ
Susan Fox Hirschmann on fri 13 oct 06
Practise! Practise!
Weigh each piece exactly.
When I first started doing sets, I created a contraption of two sticks taped
together. One was the width and one was the heighth--labeling each so you know
which is which---....so you can measure each bowl as you are doing it, and
make changes right on the wheel. They were two sticks taped in the shape of an
"L"....and were a great way of seeing how close I was to the exact size.
I also put a mirror about 3-4 feet across from me, next to the first bowl
that I wished to duplicated.....and could then compare shapes from afar.---cause
they are literally right next to each other.
Both these methods work well....but nothing helps like experience!
Best of luck.
Susan
Annandale, VA
Marek & Pauline Drzazga-Donaldson on fri 13 oct 06
Dear Alyssa,
sorry it seems that we speak a different language. ButI am still =
somewhat amazed - unless of course you say Potato and I say Potatoe - =
that you wedge haveing already wedged - do you mean knock up into balls =
maybe?, even so it should only take seconds to do each one.
Happy potting Marek
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
Assemble a dragon finial at www.dragonfinials.co.uk
Free Works and Mole Cottage DVD's and Video content on all the sites
L. P. Skeen on fri 13 oct 06
Um...no way would I have individual bats for 1.5lb bowls; that's just a =
waste, UNLESS you're throwing paper thin porcelain or something that =
will be easily distorted. Get a ware board and remove each bowl from =
the wheelhead after it's made; then you can take the whole board out in =
the sun. :)
L. P. Skeen, Summerfield NC
Get your 2007 Clay Lover's Calendar at =
http://www.living-tree.net/calendar.htm
----- Original Message -----=20
From: Daniel Semler=20
If you are throwing on full sized bats that may present a small =
storage issue while they dry too. You may want to try a smaller bat or a =
tile to throw on so you can store them.
Jennifer Boyer on fri 13 oct 06
Or use sheetrock or hardy backer board(is that right?) for boards if
you get s cracks. I use a fine stoneware that is prone to s cracking
and sheetrock boards eliminate that. Don't bother telling be about
compression, etc. Been there, done that. All our clay bodies are
different and one size does NOT fit all.....
Jennifer, who loves plaster bats....
On Oct 13, 2006, at 2:22 PM, L. P. Skeen wrote:
> Um...no way would I have individual bats for 1.5lb bowls; that's
> just a waste, UNLESS you're throwing paper thin porcelain or
> something that will be easily distorted. Get a ware board and
> remove each bowl from the wheelhead after it's made; then you can
> take the whole board out in the sun. :)
>
> L. P. Skeen, Summerfield NC
> Get your 2007 Clay Lover's Calendar at http://www.living-tree.net/
> calendar.htm
*****************************
Jennifer Boyer
Thistle Hill Pottery
Montpelier, VT
http://thistlehillpottery.com
*****************************
Overall's on fri 13 oct 06
Now that's a million dollar suggestion Randy!
Look out mugs...here ya come.
I LOVE Clayart.
Kim in Houston
--- Randy O'Brien wrote:
> Hi Alyssa,
> Try wedging 6 pounds of clay. Throw it against the
> wedging table
> into a 2-3" thick coil. Slap the ends so it is
> uniform in thickness
> all the way across. Cut the coil in half and then
> cut the 2 pieces
> in half. You then have four 1.5 pound chunks of
> clay that don't
> need to be wedged further. Throw them on the
> wheelhead with
> the side down (not the flat cut side down) to reduce
> cracking
> problems. Hope this helps.
>
> Randy
> Tucson, AZ
>
>
______________________________________________________________________________
> 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.
>
Kim Overall
http://www.houstonpotters.com
Ingeborg on fri 13 oct 06
Ellen Currans, clayarter and potter extraordinaire, uses roofing felt (cut
into little circles) instead of bats. Sounds perfect for little bowls.
Just passing on your tip Ellen.
Ingeborg
----- Original Message -----
Um...no way would I have individual bats for 1.5lb bowls; that's just a
waste, UNLESS you're throwing paper thin porcelain or something that will be
easily distorted. Get a ware board and remove each bowl from the wheelhead
after it's made; then you can take the whole board out in the sun. :)
Elizabeth Priddy on fri 13 oct 06
Get a rib that is the perfect inside diameter of your
bowl's interior foot and use that after opening to
recompress and stabalize the foot.
use clay straight out of the bag and throw it hard
onto the wheelhead, that will warm it up plenty for a
1 lb bowl.
throw onto tiles, no distortion, no moving it to and
from boards, no big bats, and it will pop off needing
very little trimming.
wheel trim the foot of each the first time after
throwing so that it needs no other trimming.
make a blip about a 1/4 inch above the foot to grab
onto when dip glazing.
When you buy your clay, have them mix it extra soft
with extra water, you will not need to wedge bag clay
again.
You are doing the part of production work that I loved
the most. Try to relax and enjoy it, the little rows
of pots coming into being on your ware table.
Aaaaaahhhh....Now that is relaxing.
And if it isn't, do something else for an hour or so
and get back to it. Production throwing takes a
certain mindset that you don't have 24/7.
E
Elizabeth Priddy
Beaufort, NC - USA
http://www.elizabethpriddy.com
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Ivor and Olive Lewis on sat 14 oct 06
Dear Alyssa Ettinger,=20
Two options;
1 Learn to throw "Off the Hump" twenty pound bag at a time.
2 Take your kneaded (or whatever preparation way you choose)20 lbs of =
clay and break it down by slicing into 1 1/2 lb lumps and just round =
them out. Then throw individually as though your life depends on it.
Best regards,
Ivor Lewis.
Redhill,
South Australia.
L. P. Skeen on sat 14 oct 06
Alyssa, to get bowls that stack, here is a trick that I learned from =
Charlie Riggs - damn I have learned a lot from that man...O wait, I =
digress again...
Anyway, get an AOHell or Green Day or Crash Test Dummies or Dave =
Matthews CD. Open your bowl and pull to the desired height and general =
shape. Then, take the CD, hold directly above the open bowl. Lower CD =
into bowl for uniform, round shape. Remove and finish as usual. :)
My friend Eydie swears by the paraffin thing for her hands. She has a =
"gadget" that warms the stuff and keeps it melty.
L. P. Skeen, Summerfield NC
Get your 2007 Clay Lover's Calendar at =
http://www.living-tree.net/calendar.htm
----- Original Message -----=20
From: Alyssa Ettinger=20
(what i love about my tiny bowls is the way they stack... which makes =
the thought of hump throwing daunting.)
Rogier Donker on sat 14 oct 06
Alyssa!
Practice ,practice ,practice! Anything smaller than 2 lbs, I usually
throw off the hump. Your small bowls sound sort of like my coffee
mugs that now (after 40 years, thank you) take 15 seconds a piece
once memory returns to my fingers. That "memory"usually takes three
or four ill shaped mugs, but after that the mugs will all be the same
size. I can remember it used to take me an hour and a half to throw a
set of eight coffee mugs off the hump. They were the same size and
diameter give or take a half inch :-) That was thirty five years
ago... There's an off the hump throwing sequence on the Pottery page
of my web site
Keep practicing, you'll get the hang of it yet!
Rogier
See us on the web at http://www.donkerstudio.org
Eleanor on sat 14 oct 06
> Nancy Braches wrote: I think you are rewedging because you are
> piecing the clay after cutting it to get the 1.5
> lbs?..................I never rewedge
I weigh out wedged clay for mugs and almost always have to piece. I
just slap the pieces into a ball.
No rewedging.
On the wheel, in the centering process, I cone the clay a few times.
That evens everything out.
No problems.
Eleanor Kohler
Centerport, NY
Marcey's neighbor on Long Island. The fall color here rivals that of
New England.
Nancy Braches on sat 14 oct 06
oooooo I miss my parafin wax system. I left it on Long Island when I moved...forgot how good it is in the cold weather. It not only makes your hands feel better, but moisturizes them too.
Nancy
Alyssa Ettinger wrote: ok, i've a lot of new methods to try out in the next week. i'm thinking the
"big coil" thing might be the best thing to try first. (what i love about my
tiny bowls is the way they stack... which makes the thought of hump throwing
daunting.)
and marek, i wedge and rewedge and rewedge.
i'm thinking about one of those warm paraffin spas for your hands.
will keep everyone posted
alyssa
www.alyssaettinger.com
______________________________________________________________________________
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Hilltop Pottery
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Bonnie Staffel on sat 14 oct 06
Of course you can do it, Alyssa. All it takes is practice. I would =
suggest
that you wedge a large ball of clay, shape it into a log and cut even
sections that look like the size you want. Otherwise, throwing off the =
hump
is also easy if you use your hands as calipers and pull up the cone of =
clay
after every pot removed, use your hands to shape the next ball of clay =
with
the same configuration of your fingers when they squeeze mark the bottom =
of
the ball. I have done this so much I can make lids for pots that I have
thrown off the hump without even measuring any more. It just becomes a
habit accomplished by practice. =20
One other way to handle throwing off the hump is to throw more than you
need, line them up and put those that most closely match each other =
together
if you are making sets. I did that with my mugs all the time, finding =
at
least six that looked good together, then maybe another four, until I
matched up all that I threw that day. You must realize I threw hundreds
every day when I was in production.
Now if you really want to ease the pain of your hands from kneading, you
might invest in an extruding pug mill. If you are in a serious career, =
you
will thank that machine every day for the pain it has saved you. I feel
every potter should have four basic pieces of equipment and that is a =
wheel,
a kiln, an extruding pug mill and a slab roller. There are other ways =
of
working, but if you want to do wheel work, then that is my =
recommendation. =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
Ivor and Olive Lewis on sun 15 oct 06
Dear Elizabeth Priddy,
You suggest << When you buy your clay, have them mix it extra soft with =
extra water, you will not need to wedge bag clay again. >>
I am wondering if this is true under all circumstances. As I understand =
the processes of preparing clay, and assuming that the clay being =
purchased is processed with a Pug Mill, clay which is discharged will =
retain the pattern of motion imposed on it by the auger that drives and =
compresses the clay. In some instances this can lead to delamination. =
This can lead to cracking as the clay dries.
This situation was revealed by research done in the 1950's when freezing =
was used to reveal the structure of extruded clay pugs.
Best regards,
Ivor Lewis.
Redhill,
South Australia.
Alyssa Ettinger on sun 15 oct 06
again, will be trying all the suggested methods this week.
as for pug mills and extruders and the whole thing... i share an 800sq
studio with 3 other ceramists. we each have our own tiny spaces--my wheel is
in mine, because i'm the only one who throws--4+ work tables, and communal
areas like the spray booth, casting table, slip mixers, 2 kilns, compressor.
rent alone is $1205. it's insanity, and we're one of the most well-equipt
small studios around. and we're jam-packed.
geez, do none of you live in nyc? where do you put this stuff? (said
facetiously, not argumentatively)
alyssa
www.alyssaettinger.com
W J Seidl on sun 15 oct 06
Ivor:
I have about 1000 pounds of de-aired, pugged porcelain sitting in a =
chest
freezer at my home in Vermont (I use the freezer as a clay locker). It =
has
been there, "hermetically sealed" for two years now, through all the =
weather
Vermont can throw at it, temps of 30C to -5C.
I will let you know when I get there if that is the case. Last year, DP
looked in the freezer at my request (I wanted to see if it had been =
overcome
by mold) and said "It all looks fine".
Hmmmm.......
Best,
Wayne Seidl
www.bestkwhomeforsale.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Clayart [mailto:CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG] On Behalf Of Ivor and =
Olive
Lewis
Sent: Saturday, October 14, 2006 8:51 PM
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Subject: Re: production throwing small bowls
Dear Elizabeth Priddy,
You suggest << When you buy your clay, have them mix it extra soft with
extra water, you will not need to wedge bag clay again. >>
I am wondering if this is true under all circumstances. As I understand =
the
processes of preparing clay, and assuming that the clay being purchased =
is
processed with a Pug Mill, clay which is discharged will retain the =
pattern
of motion imposed on it by the auger that drives and compresses the =
clay. In
some instances this can lead to delamination. This can lead to cracking =
as
the clay dries.
This situation was revealed by research done in the 1950's when freezing =
was
used to reveal the structure of extruded clay pugs.
Best regards,
Ivor Lewis.
Redhill,
South Australia.
=20
--=20
No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.1.408 / Virus Database: 268.13.4/476 - Release Date: =
10/14/2006
=20
Cindy Gatto on sun 15 oct 06
Hi Alyssa,
Cindy here I have 3000 sq. ft and I know what ya mean It all just grows. I
just don't understand it It used to fit but now it just bursts at the seams.
But on another note Wow your rent is cheap 800 sq ft for only One thousand two
hundred and five dollars!!! Okay girlfriend who do ya know? I want names
sister!!!! As for where to stick do what all New Yorkers do ---rent storage space
Cindy Gatto & Mark Petrin
The Mudpit
228 Manhattan Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11206
718-218-9424
_www.mudpitnyc.com_ (http://www.mudpitnyc.com/)
mudpitnyc@aol.com
Dale Duncan on sun 15 oct 06
Greetings All....The technique Lisa describes works great.=20
Quite a few years ago I read in one of the clay magazines,=20
sorry can't remember which one, an article that used the=20
same principle for throwing small bowls and cups .=20
Instead of using an ever popular Green Day CD the=20
throwers were using bisqued clay disks of various sizes.=20
I'm not a production potter, but was intrigued by the process=20
and made several to try out. I threw several small flat disks=20
and rolled/rounded edges. For small bowls they worked fine.
..To use the disks, throw them in a bucket of water=20
prior to using and push down into your thrown cylinder or=20
slightly coned shape as Lisa described in her post.=20
Throwing disk photos are posted on fotki in the=20
Pottery Related folder at:
http://public.fotki.com/DDuncan/pottery/
Best Wishes...
Dale Duncan
York, SC
=20
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
=20
>Re: production throwing small bowls=20
>Alyssa, to get bowls that stack, here is a trick that I learned from =
Charlie
>Riggs - damn I have learned a lot from that man...O wait, I digress =
again...
>
>Anyway, get an AOHell or Green Day or Crash Test Dummies or Dave =
Matthews CD.=20
>Open your bowl and pull to the desired height and general shape. Then, =
take the
>CD, hold directly above the open bowl. Lower CD into bowl for uniform, =
round
>shape. Remove and finish as usual. :)
>
>My friend Eydie swears by the paraffin thing for her hands. She has a =
"gadget"
>that warms the stuff and keeps it melty.
>
>L. P. Skeen, Summerfield NC
>Get your 2007 Clay Lover's Calendar at =
http://www.living-tree.net/calendar.htm
Elizabeth Priddy on sun 15 oct 06
Ivor,
I do not freeze my clay.
Of course my suggestion is not true for all
circumstances, nothing is.
I never feel the need to wedge. Sometimes I slam the
bag on the floor to activate it, but that is not
wedging.
Unless it is clay I have used and am recycling, I just
don't do it. And I rearely have clay that gets
recycled. I am a firm believer that the best way to
clean up is to not make a mess in the first place.
And I do not have de-lamination problems.
Just my experience. Everybody else, wedge away!
E
Elizabeth Priddy
Beaufort, NC - USA
http://www.elizabethpriddy.com
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Donna Kat on sun 15 oct 06
How exactly is this done? That is how do you attach the felt to the wheel
such that the clay does not get pushed off center when working?
Donna
On Fri, 13 Oct 2006 17:38:31 -0700, Nancy Braches
wrote:
>The roofing felt is perfect for not only small bowls but large plates.
I love using it! I originally read about it in a pottery making or clay
art magazine for people who were making large plates and had trouble
wiring them off the wheel.
>
>They are easy to use and move and peel off the bottoms nicely (unless the
piece is still too wet.
>
>Nancy
Nancy Braches on sun 15 oct 06
Donna
The felt disks don't need to be centered. I take a small amount of very wet clay and start at the center and spread it across the wheel while the wheel is turning. I go slightly larger than the piece of felt. This is a very thin layer. I then place the felt on the wheel and take my weight sponge, start from the center and press down and out until I go off the edge of the felt as the wheel is turning. Once you get it, it is so easy. The felt doesn't move at all. I use this method for plates as well but I put the felt on a bat. Using it for plates, helps when it comes to wiring off, I can let the plate sit up a little longer and there is no fear of wiring through the bottom of the plate since you wire off between the bat and the felt. When the plate has set up enough, you just peel the felt paper off. I read the latter part in an article in clayart but I don't remember which month and I have been using it ever since. The article shows a lot of clay being put on the
wheel, but I have found that makes it hard to compress the plate enough.
Hope this helps
Nancy
Donna Kat wrote: How exactly is this done? That is how do you attach the felt to the wheel
such that the clay does not get pushed off center when working?
Donna
On Fri, 13 Oct 2006 17:38:31 -0700, Nancy Braches
wrote:
>The roofing felt is perfect for not only small bowls but large plates.
I love using it! I originally read about it in a pottery making or clay
art magazine for people who were making large plates and had trouble
wiring them off the wheel.
>
>They are easy to use and move and peel off the bottoms nicely (unless the
piece is still too wet.
>
>Nancy
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Hilltop Pottery
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Donna Kat on mon 16 oct 06
On Sun, 15 Oct 2006 19:05:22 -0700, Nancy Braches
wrote:
>Donna
>
>The felt disks don't need to be centered. I take a small amount of very
wet clay and start at the center and spread it across the wheel while the
wheel is turning. I go slightly larger than the piece of felt. This is a
very thin layer. I then place the felt on the wheel and take my weight
sponge, start from the center and press down and out until I go off the
edge of the felt as the wheel is turning. Once you get it, it is so
easy. The felt doesn't move at all. I use this method for plates as well
but I put the felt on a bat. Using it for plates, helps when it comes to
wiring off, I can let the plate sit up a little longer and there is no
fear of wiring through the bottom of the plate since you wire off between
the bat and the felt. When the plate has set up enough, you just peel the
felt paper off. I read the latter part in an article in clayart but I
don't remember which month and I have been using it ever since. The
article shows a lot of clay being put on the
> wheel, but I have found that makes it hard to compress the plate enough.
>
>Hope this helps
>
>Nancy
>
That was very clear and helps a lot. It sounds ideal and I can't wait to
find where I 'stored' my left over roofing felt for making this new tool
(I certainly hope we are talking tar paper here or else I have the wrong
material in mind).
Thanks!! Donna
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