mel jacobson on fri 2 mar 07
there are some huge benefits from making your own
stainless wire (fish line) cut off wires.
length.
it is so nice to have a variety of lengths when
throwing pots. each set of pots has a different base size
to be cut through. when making mugs, it is best to have a short
wire that you do not have to wrap around your hand.
when doing great big platters, it is perfect to have a wire that
is much larger than your base. then you make oversized clay knobs
that really have some power behind them.
and without question, the safety factor of having great long
floppy wires that can tangle in your wheel and catch your hands
is vital.
the bisque knobs allow the potter to drape the wire over your water
bucket, and it stays there...the knob sinking to the bottom of the
bucket inside, with the other end over the edge, right there for you to
grab. no floating wooden ends.
the ability to find your tools, instantly is so important.
i have seen potters that take more time searching in the water
bucket than it does to make the pot. and, without question, the
number of twists you give the wire will determine the pattern.
vary the size of the wire, and the number of twists.
i have cut off wires that are 40 years old, made from wire fish line.
and, i have given away hundreds of them.
hand crafted tools that fit your hands, are made for the specific
job, are the life blood of the production potter.
i find the kemper kit one of the most awful set of tools on the
market...and they are everywhere, every studio.
worthless. kmart tools, from harbor freight.
we made all our tools when i was teaching. thousands of
hand tools...kids got so they made tools often....each kid
went home with his own hand made tools. the only thing we
bought and paid for was clay, and glaze materials. (and we never
told anyone about our electric bill...and they did not ask...no meter
on the kilns...and three skutt 1026's fired almost every day.)
we had boxes of sponge from old mattress foam, scap wood and
bamboo, miles of fish line wire. and of course a box of 200 ready made
bisque fired knobs. and, once you have made your own trimming tools,
man you will never go back to kemper.
i use phil's bison cutting tools some of the time..but my box of very sharp
bent metal cutting tools are still the first grabbed when doing repeat work.
the shape of the tool makes the shape of the foot ring. each set of mugs
or plates will have that unique shape. it can be repeated over and over...
thousands of times.
it is one section of my book that folks talk to me about over and over.
all the easy ways to make hand tools for the potter...each unique
to you...
how many times have i said on clayart..`one size fits all, but never you.`
it is like jockey shorts...we would not want to see them only in size 30.
the marks you make in clay stay forever. it is your way of being alive
forever. long after the mona lisa is dust, my pots will still be in use...
someplace. i want the marks to me my hand marks...not kemper.
the twisted wire pattern on the bottoms of my pots were made from
a unique wire..my wire. not kemper.
hey, kemper stuff is good for young, new potters, they don't care,
don't know...but for the long range view of pots, make your own
marks.
the only accidents that i ever had to clean up where from those
stainless steel ribs from kemper, and that over long cut off wire.
cut hands, deep cut hands. scared the hell out of me...a potential
law suit...and i threw out every one of them. a hell of lot worse
than barium or even lead. a 7 inch cut, right to the bone of the palm.
now that is scarrrrrry. and that was a woman in dubai. had four
others cut at my school. then i got rid of them all. never have them
around me. only wood or rubber.
check out po's website...he has many hand made tools that are
produced for the chinese potters market. some really neat stuff,
and very inexpensive.
i am trying to get him to have a `kit`made, that i design, for real
potters. some day we will get it done.
mel
i will put a pix on my clayart website of chinese tools.
god they make me smile.
from: mel/minnetonka.mn.usa
website: http://www.visi.com/~melpots/
Clayart page link: http://www.visi.com/~melpots/clayart.html
John K on fri 2 mar 07
Mel,
I have been trying to post something on ClayArt but it won't let me. It
would not accept my password so I created a new one. Still no luck. I
tried to e-mail several of your addresses I found on the internet but they
bounced. Help!
Thanks.
John Kudlacek
On 3/2/07, mel jacobson wrote:
>
> there are some huge benefits from making your own
> stainless wire (fish line) cut off wires.
>
> length.
> it is so nice to have a variety of lengths when
> throwing pots. each set of pots has a different base size
> to be cut through. when making mugs, it is best to have a short
> wire that you do not have to wrap around your hand.
>
> when doing great big platters, it is perfect to have a wire that
> is much larger than your base. then you make oversized clay knobs
> that really have some power behind them.
>
> and without question, the safety factor of having great long
> floppy wires that can tangle in your wheel and catch your hands
> is vital.
>
> the bisque knobs allow the potter to drape the wire over your water
> bucket, and it stays there...the knob sinking to the bottom of the
> bucket inside, with the other end over the edge, right there for you to
> grab. no floating wooden ends.
>
> the ability to find your tools, instantly is so important.
> i have seen potters that take more time searching in the water
> bucket than it does to make the pot. and, without question, the
> number of twists you give the wire will determine the pattern.
> vary the size of the wire, and the number of twists.
>
> i have cut off wires that are 40 years old, made from wire fish line.
> and, i have given away hundreds of them.
>
> hand crafted tools that fit your hands, are made for the specific
> job, are the life blood of the production potter.
>
> i find the kemper kit one of the most awful set of tools on the
> market...and they are everywhere, every studio.
> worthless. kmart tools, from harbor freight.
>
> we made all our tools when i was teaching. thousands of
> hand tools...kids got so they made tools often....each kid
> went home with his own hand made tools. the only thing we
> bought and paid for was clay, and glaze materials. (and we never
> told anyone about our electric bill...and they did not ask...no meter
> on the kilns...and three skutt 1026's fired almost every day.)
>
> we had boxes of sponge from old mattress foam, scap wood and
> bamboo, miles of fish line wire. and of course a box of 200 ready made
> bisque fired knobs. and, once you have made your own trimming tools,
> man you will never go back to kemper.
>
> i use phil's bison cutting tools some of the time..but my box of very
> sharp
> bent metal cutting tools are still the first grabbed when doing repeat
> work.
> the shape of the tool makes the shape of the foot ring. each set of mugs
> or plates will have that unique shape. it can be repeated over and
> over...
> thousands of times.
>
> it is one section of my book that folks talk to me about over and over.
> all the easy ways to make hand tools for the potter...each unique
> to you...
>
> how many times have i said on clayart..`one size fits all, but never you.`
> it is like jockey shorts...we would not want to see them only in size 30.
>
> the marks you make in clay stay forever. it is your way of being alive
> forever. long after the mona lisa is dust, my pots will still be in
> use...
> someplace. i want the marks to me my hand marks...not kemper.
> the twisted wire pattern on the bottoms of my pots were made from
> a unique wire..my wire. not kemper.
> hey, kemper stuff is good for young, new potters, they don't care,
> don't know...but for the long range view of pots, make your own
> marks.
>
> the only accidents that i ever had to clean up where from those
> stainless steel ribs from kemper, and that over long cut off wire.
> cut hands, deep cut hands. scared the hell out of me...a potential
> law suit...and i threw out every one of them. a hell of lot worse
> than barium or even lead. a 7 inch cut, right to the bone of the palm.
> now that is scarrrrrry. and that was a woman in dubai. had four
> others cut at my school. then i got rid of them all. never have them
> around me. only wood or rubber.
>
> check out po's website...he has many hand made tools that are
> produced for the chinese potters market. some really neat stuff,
> and very inexpensive.
> i am trying to get him to have a `kit`made, that i design, for real
> potters. some day we will get it done.
> mel
> i will put a pix on my clayart website of chinese tools.
> god they make me smile.
>
>
> from: mel/minnetonka.mn.usa
> website: http://www.visi.com/~melpots/
>
> Clayart page link: http://www.visi.com/~melpots/clayart.html
>
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> 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.
>
| |
|
