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Handles


Min

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Hsin-Chuen Lin recently posted a youtube demo making handles. He says his method of attaching results in 99.9% success rate with no cracking. Love watching this guy work, thought I would share the link:

 

(my pottery supply place doesn't carry the ridged wood pieces but I bought smaller sized pieces from a cooking shop, sold as butter or gnocchi paddles, I think VanGilder sells something similar)

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Min, Van Gilder does make these and they are sold in a lot of online stores.  I have been using them for about 15 years now, love them for handbuilt handles. I also will pull a round handle roll it between these and use it as it bends much nicer that way. I have found of late that textured silicone hot pads are great texture tools for pots and handles. I am having lots of fun with these lately.

 

Most of the video is almost exactly the way I join handles but I do use magic water. . .I find it helps.

 

 

best,

Pres

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Pres, good idea on using silicone hot pads, I'll have to check some of those out. Yup, I use magic water too, sometimes alone, sometimes in slip.

 

The bit I found interesting in the vid was how he waited 10 minutes to do the final finish on the join. I try to just get it done, put it down and leave it alone. I'm not one for cat licking a pot. What he said makes sense, will give it a go and see if there is any difference.

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I have a few bamboo dowels of different sizes that I use to smooth the inside for handle join at the cup,  usually just after joining. I will have to try the 10 minute thing, to see if it matters.

 

Try pressing the hot pads into a cylinder before shaping, and only touch the inside to shape, then finish the top and rim pulls.  for handles using the texture, texture after making the tapered round, then slap on board at angle to stretch texture and flatten. Other way is to partially pull handle in whatever shape, then texture, then finish pulling handle with as little touching as possible. Leaves bands of the stretched texture on the handle.

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Maybe I should clarify, I don't do anything more with mug handles than pull them join them, and use the bamboo inside to help reinforce the join. The other handles are more for teapots, pitchers, and other things like lid handles etc.

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Back in the day I used to use needle tools to scratch with and pulled handles all handles-that was the 70's.

In the past 35 years I have made so many mugs (this is all in Porcelain) that the process needed to be speeded up.

Sometime in the 80s I cut my handle in half and made dies in aluminum (cross section) ( I have 4 sizes) and extruded the handles-the byproduct was a homemade handle the same as mine (not tapered) and the handle was a lot stronger. (extruded compresses clay). I shoot two handles at a time(the length) and load a bat up with 30 handles at a time. I keep a slip container next to wheel and use my throwing slip with vinegar added to connect handles-I use a brush for the slip. I use a metal serrated flat rib(its oval shaped) to score mugs ( one pass equals about 10 with  needle tool) and also same tool to cut angle on handle.I cover mugs one night to equalize then dry as fast as needed.This system is not for everyone only those who need to make mugs fast and have time for other things-its a production potter deal.All of my fellow production potters make handles in similar fashion with their own spin.

When making large mugs I have to let the mugs dry a bit with handles upside down so they maintain the shape I want. I thumb spot (thumb rest) every mug as well. Its one of my signature things

When you make 100-200 mugs a week you need use processes that work well and fast.

You also need to keep in mind I make my living with clay and time is very important to me.Hence when you work with 60 mugs every day you learn to pick it up a notch.

Mark

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Hope would be full time potters take note of a, how hard you work, b, how you have thought through the time eficiencey of tasks, c, what you have come up with.

I guess this keeps you off the jack hammers and outta the trees though I bet your best thoughts come when hanging upside down.

Have a yoga acquaintance who says from time to time, think I better do a headstand on that one!

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One thing I sometimes do after I get a board of mugs done is quickly insert (and then remove) one of those red solo cups into the mugs to true them up. If the mug is a bit soft and I distort it while attaching the handle the solo cup gets it back to round really fast.


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Min,

 

What a fabulous idea! I have been having a hard time with just this thing. My mugs are lovely, my handles go on nicely, but I have an issue with the mouth of the mug ending up not quite perfectly round. I know it's because I am still trying to figure out the best time to attach the handles but next time I am going to try the solo cup insert and see if it helps keep them true.

 

I have figured out to keep the nice shape in the handle to turn the mugs upside down to dry as mentioned. I also made my own scoring tool since the commercial ones are really soft and useless as far as I am concerned and with the serrated rib sometimes gives me a too broad and shallow score and the need.e tool takes too long to get enough scratches. I took a cheap flat paintbrush and cut off the bristle end then drilled little holes and inserted the ends from old safely pins. I love it it's easy to hold and get nice control and deep grooves.

 

T

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I have used a graduated plastic form to help get a true round back to distorted rims.  The last couple of high priced, "professionally" made mugs I purchased have not had true round rims.  I decided I kind of like the "makers mark" look of that.  Still on the fence about this issue with my own mugs.  I still keep them round.

Babs, the horizontal chuck makes me think of a shoemaker, working on his shoes on a form.  Not a bad idea for mug makers.

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I watched a video of slip-casting mugs at Emma Bridgewater (a pottery in Stoke-on-Trent) and they put a "former" of some kind in the top of their mugs while drying.  I'll have a look, see if I can find it again.  ha ha...........

 

Edit:  Found it, only took 9 minutes.     From 1:50 onwards.   

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