Jump to content

Slurry Vs Water For Throwing


Recommended Posts

is there a particular advantage to use one way or the other or is it a matter of personal preference?

 

i prefer slurry (it makes sense to me to use slurry over water when the idea is slippery) but our school discourages slurry. not sure why. beginning students are strongly discouraged from using slurry. i prefer throwing with soft clay so slurry works better than lots of water. 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As I work, I find that the difference between using slurry and water is based more on what I am working with. When I start out, I often use water and that eventually becomes more murky slurry. However, when I am throwing larger, I find that slip does not work as well for me. It is the way the slurry holds the moisture against the pot, slowing drying and letting water absorb into the clay. When throwing larger I have a tendency to throw very dry, and slurry does not seem to work. I also do not like it as much when throwing bowls as the form has to have a max amount of stretch, and max support for the cantilever sides. When throwing cups, mugs, chalice parts, lids, neck rings or foot rings it really doesn't matter.

 

Hope  this helps you,

 

best,

Pres

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A classroom environment is different than a studio. Most classes require the student to pour off the water and scrape any slurry/clay into a reclaiming bucket.

Then rinse out the bucket.

In the studio, I usually use the one gallon ice cream bucket until there's more clay than water. I do top off the bucket several times, keeping the level about 1/2 inch from the top, to keep from doing stomach crunches all day long. There never are any tools in the bucket except water. The sponge is kept squeezed between the bucket and splash pan, so I don't have to fish or hunt for it. I drilled very small holes in the splash pan rim to park the needle tools.

Just keep potting until you develope your own style and habits. If you see or watch another potter, ask yourself, "why are they doing that?". There is probably a reason that was formed over several years.

Good luck,

Alabama

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have found that slurry can get too thick but overall I think it is better to work with. It glides more and generally lasts longer. I do not use a sponge when throwing. 

I also pull handles from my bucket of throwing water. I usually freshly top it off for handles.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Right Alabama. So true. yet at my first school the teacher actually saved the buckets of water and slurry. but not the present one where i will be continuing. yes i have discovered repeated motions of putting down tools in its place means i dont go hunting for it and waste time. i put my tools on top of a big sponge. when its time to clean since i have to clean out the bucket, i dump the tools in, use the sponge and clean out the wheel so i dont go back and forth. thanks so much for your encouragement but let me tell you how tough it is to get many of my questions answered since i ask too many questions. 

 

Pres thank you. yes. VERY helpful esp when you explain why. i am going to add your advice in my tips book since i dont throw big yet. i was starting to, but its all too uneven. thankfully i ran across john baymore's throwing exercises so instead of trying to throw bigger and bigger i will focus on throwing well and THEN going bigger. 

 

Matthew that's it, it glides better and that's what helps me not overwork the pot (though i am really trying to figure what overwork is). i am using both Matthew trying both slurry and sponge and trying to figure out which i like better. i dont like not feeling the clay when i use the sponge.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Getting started in any art medium is really tough. Its a long road, however, there are some shortcuts.

Almost all of my vessels are thrown with clay more moist than others prefer. I think you can use less water that way.

I seldom throw with a sponge. But I have tried it. Normally if I throw with a sponge, its on the outside and my left hand is the inside. And the clay is over 12 pounds. Sometimes on units of clay over 12 pounds, I might use both knuckles or one knuckle and a sponge. It depends on what is being made.

I keep the sponge to clean hands and bats. When I'm through throwing and giving the final shape, the bat is cleaned, a needle tool scores the base,(to allow a wire tool to slip under the clay), then the vessel is wired off. That way, you can at a glance tell if the wire tool was used in the first place.

If you're a beginner, make a list of what you plan to make. Have the example to look at, or sketch the coffee cup or bowl, etc. that you will make. Cut you losses early. If the cup suddenly starts looking like a bowl...don't finish the bowl. Start another cup. The reason is, you'll never like the bowl. It will always be a reminder of spending 30 minutes in order to salvage a small bowl from a 6 minute cup!

Study forms, make sketches, take notes, if you watch the you tube, watch hand movement, posture, and to see pressure, watch for muscles and veins.

If you like a glaze, get the recipe, and add it to your notebook preferably with photo. You'll regret not doing it around July of 2034 AD!!

See ya,

Alabama

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A i will be entering my 3rd semester in a week. this time i am better grounded and more focused. the last two semesters have been focused on getting all my curiosities satisfied. i did everything you said NOT to do. my excuse. glaze testing. it was all research and experimentation.

 

in the last week of the semester i finally felt triumphant. i finally "got" centering. more mentally than physically. but it totally changed me and i felt more capable. it made me question my stance and try new ones. my left leg being higher than my right i discovered gave me more stability. 

 

now i feel more grounded. more focused. more organized. i have throwing exercises thanks to john here. i am going to focus on form and non glazed surfaces. and i now know how to organize my notebook. 

 

i understand the limitations of my schools clay studio and know which experiments i cant try. i have been a jack of all trades these last two semesters, but now its time to specialize. take one thing at a time. so now i will not let a cup be a bowl. in fact i will destroy more than put in bisque fire. and i am excited about that. 

 

soo all these little pearls of wisdom are being much appreciated.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest JBaymore

I use slurry almost exclusively.  And I too throw pretty dry (to the amazement of most of the students).  The only time I use a bit more water is when throwing small forms quickly off the hump.... and mainly only up to the opening-to-a-disc-shape point.

 

Core reason for slurry.... when you add water to clay... it gets softer.   Simple.  If you throw FAST.... well...... of course the clay does not have time to absorb the water.  Not an issue in that case.  But if you are not throwing really fast... the more you keep adding water... the softer and softer the clay slowly becomes.  (And a lot gets washed away too.) Makes it harder to get the clay to stay vertical or to hold a form.  Counter-productive.

 

As to teaching throwing.... there is no "one size fits all" deal.  I can explain the rationale about attempting to be throwing dryer.  But it is never "a requirement".  Nor is using lots of water.  But exploring all of the options IS a requirement.

 

The goal is using the appropriate approach to get the job done efficiently.  So some... that will be OK with plain water and lots of it.  For others .... it will be slurry and not much of it.

 

best,

 

...................john

.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

thanks john. i was making the slurry when i was trying to center. so it seemed like a good idea to use that slurry to open and pull up. plus my clay was already pretty wet. 

 

i still throw slow and am not confident enough to throw fast yet. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I prefer water. Slurry does not flow down and over the pot, but with water I can just squeeze the sponge and cover the pot in an instant. I also use a metal rib on the outside of my pots to smooth them, and scraping off a bunch of slurry is a mess. It's also easier to get water out of the inside of the pot. Slurry does not soak into the sponge very well. I throw fast, and use a lot of water.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I use water because slurry ain't slurry. I never really have a good feel for how thick or thin slurry is when I am getting it out of the bottom of my water bucket, or, even worse out of the wheel pan. Sometimes a handful of "slurry" has lumps of harder or thicker clay in it which get smeared on the pot you are throwing and then create spots which "grab" as you go over them. Water is the same consistency of slipperiness every time you put it on.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I throw with slip/slurry usually. I start with water, once I get enough on my hands and on my bucket rim I just use that to throw. I add water to the slurry if I need it more wet, then put my hands around the pot. I have to admit it slows down my ability to throw, I can throw much faster if I just use water, but I prefer throwing with slurry as I can do more with the pot. I guess it just depends on what I am throwing, if its something that is simple like a spoon rest or something I just knock it out with water, if I am throwing a yunomi on the hump I use slurry.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest JBaymore

I use water because slurry ain't slurry. I never really have a good feel for how thick or thin slurry is when I am getting it out of the bottom of my water bucket, or, even worse out of the wheel pan. Sometimes a handful of "slurry" has lumps of harder or thicker clay in it which get smeared on the pot you are throwing and then create spots which "grab" as you go over them.

 

When I prep new slurry for throwing ...... a bit of clay goes in a blender and then a bit of water and zap........ nice even heavy cream.  This slip/slurry gets kept in a bucket and only needs refreshing occasionally in a work cycle.  Usually is it 'self generating' and nice and consistent.  Occasionally I'll add a tad of water to the slurry bucket... and hand mix a bit.

 

Most of the time I just wipe the slurry on my hands back onto the pot and re-use it.  I rarely use a sponge.  Gets in the way of the use of the hand and also if placed between clay and fingers.... dulls the sensory feedback.  I just need a slight amount of "slippery" on the clay.  And I generally do throw fast also....so it is not about slowing things down.

 

I also don't use splash pans; no need to.  Clean up of the wheel area is a breeze.  No mess.  I get almost no clay on myself.

 

best,

 

.....................john

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 we need a video John! Just so we have something to strive towards..... I use slurry but it is amazing where it ends up , and how often I push my hair back, that, I guess, is where the bandana comes in.....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.