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While there is still room for improvement I like the shape. But sadly when I went to the studio yesterday I found a problem

 

Fourth teapot in a row, all had silly errors.  I'm thinking the handle sagged and since I didn't attach the handle well it came off the pot. I'm using Standard 630 White stoneware and I've had sagging handles before with this clay. I should know better and should have supported the handle.

 

Just finished throwing #5, maybe this will make it.

post-80153-0-95696500-1496173972_thumb.jpg

post-80153-0-83589500-1496174224_thumb.jpg

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If the pot is dry or close enough to, just take a thin-ish wooden tool, and take the harsh edges off of that crack. Glaze will fill that in, and reinforce it. You have to fire some of these to see how they pour.

 

I use a tool called a wipe out tool. I don't know what it is for, but I use it. It is a rubber pencil tip. It works magnificent for this job. On the rare occasions I get this issue I take vinegar and put it on the crack, then I let it soak in, then I take this wipe out tool and pencil over the crack. Never have a problem after that. You have to do this at the stage between leather hard and bone dry.

 

31ROIgLhpVL.jpg

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I use additional pieces of clay (3 balls indented with thumb in center and tools on opposite sides) to add some detail and a little more support for the handle. Seems to work well, even with the 630. I will be making some teapots soon and will post a few.

 

 

best,

Pres

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I like the form. What type of glaze pallette?

 

Jed

 

Thanks Jed, I haven't zeroed in on a glaze yet

 

As a 'loose leaf' tea drinker I gotta mention that having the spout come directly from the bottom of the pot means every single leaf is going to end up in the cup.

just sayin ....

 

Thanks Chris, on this pot the first hole is about in the middle of the form, the lower part of the spout is just for looks. The one I finished today the hole is near the bottom and the form looks ugly as sin. When I take a second look at it tomorrow I may recycle it if it doesn't look any better.

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If the pot is dry or close enough to, just take a thin-ish wooden tool, and take the harsh edges off of that crack. Glaze will fill that in, and reinforce it. You have to fire some of these to see how they pour.

 

I use a tool called a wipe out tool. I don't know what it is for, but I use it. It is a rubber pencil tip. It works magnificent for this job. On the rare occasions I get this issue I take vinegar and put it on the crack, then I let it soak in, then I take this wipe out tool and pencil over the crack. Never have a problem after that. You have to do this at the stage between leather hard and bone dry.

 

31ROIgLhpVL.jpg

 

I used to have one of these when I did watercolor painting, they're for very quickly fixing the edge of an area of applied watercolor. If you're fast enough you can reset the edge of the watercolor before it leaves a watermark, since with that type of painting you're often painting over a faint sketch and are trying to stay right on the line and get a particular dried edge. Easier than wiping back with your fingernail, which also works.

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I threw a teapot and a mug on the same day then trimmed both the following day. I used the same clay, approximately the same wall thickness and pulled both handles at the same time and same way. I let them dry next to each other on the same shelf.

 

The teapot handle separated the same way as in the image in the first post in this thread. 

 

The handle on the mug is fine.

 

Studying the two pots next to each other I noticed the handle on the teapot was a whole lot drier then the body. I also noticed that the body on the mug was also drier than the body of the teapot.

 

The only difference I can see is I kept the lid on the teapot while it was drying. I'm thinking that the teapot body isn't drying as fast because it is a closed form while the handle is out there exposed to more air and shrinking quicker.

 

So the next I'm going to try is to keep the lid off while its drying.

 

If that doesn't work (as suggested to me in a PM) is to wax the area where the handle is attached.

 

What has me wondering is the spouts haven't split from the body, maybe even though there is a small opening at its end its still a closed form, or maybe the moisture from the body is moving out through the spout keeping it moist enough not to crack.

 

The upside is I'm getting quicker at throwing teapots and they are beginning to look better.

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@ Rockhopper,

Most times I place the pot on a box or brown paper bag to slow down the drying. I have a plastic bucket that I'll try next.

 

 

I let handles set up as neil mentions. The closer the handle and the pot are in moisture content, the less problems you'll have.

Marcia

 

I let the handles set up at least four hours. The first thing I do when I walk into the studio after I turn on the lights is to pull handles and the last thing I do before I turn out the lights is attach the handles.

 

I tried pulling handles the day before and double bagging them but they were to dry to work with.

 

=== Edit in ===

 

I cracked the latest failure apart and I think I'm throwing to thick. I'm a heavy 8mm. I'm going to work on 4-5mm next which is what my mugs are.

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8mm is thick When trimming, stick a flathead thumbtack inside the bottom and trim til you hit the point. Snip the stick to the dimension you'd like, say 1/8" or about 3mm before you begin. 

8 mm is hefty and with water could sprain a wrist. 

Meanwhile time has nothing to do with drying. When I worked in a basement studio in Illinois, it took about 4 days til I could trim mugs and apply handles. In Montana I can trim mugs about an hour after throwing them. 

Soft leather hard is a better description. 

 

Chris is right about the spout. Just make sure the spout is above the galley for the lid. attach the spout to the upper half of the pot.

http://community.ceramicartsdaily.org/gallery/image/5369-selsorteapottophandle-copy/

Don't be discouraged! read this

http://community.ceramicartsdaily.org/gallery/image/5368-post-1954-0-50404300-1395634929/

 

 

Marcia

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I think its the image's perspective and the domed lid that makes it look like the spout is to low. The bottom of the spout is level with the top of the tenon/flange under the lid. 

 

If I left a pot uncovered over night the clay would be between leather hard and bone dry and would be too hard to trim. I have to slow down the drying process in order to trim the next day. If I pull a handle and let it dry in a curve for 6 hours this clay would crack if I need to bend it to fit better on the pot. Standards 211 and 112 gives me more leaway

 

Thanks for keeping me in check.

 

I've been using a tool like this to measure wall thickness. The end by the palm show the wall thickness. I'm going to break down and buy some thumb tacks.

 

rs_spe_cal.jpg

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Ron said:

If I left a pot uncovered over night the clay would be between leather hard and bone dry and would be too hard to trim. I have to slow down the drying process in order to trim the next day. If I pull a handle and let it dry in a curve for 6 hours this clay would crack if I need to bend it to fit better on the pot. Standards 211 and 112 gives me more leaway

 

Everything you are describing here, are all symptoms of sodium based clay. Sodium is hydrophobic ( sheds water rapidly), which accelerates drying times. I have been conducting a study on the effects of sodium in clay: sodium fluxes accelerate drying by 50% plus. Cracking is just one of the symptoms of drying, but is compounded by the strong positive bond polarity of sodium. " memory" is caused by a positive electrostatic charge of the clay body; sodium is the highest positively charged fluxes, which increases the properties of memory. So two of the biggest mechanical issues associated with pottery; are compounded by using sodium as the primary flux.

 

Nerd

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  • 1 month later...

your thread and my gallery call for teapots in Sept. inspired me to make some teapots. New form for me with smaller spouts. here are the teapots and my damp box I dry them in. I pull the handles before I trim and assemble. Due to obligations , I let everything set up in the dampbox over night and the following morning. handles were stiff enough not to droop and playable enough to get the curve I wanted. I use these plastic containers or inverted buckets on the orbs whenI don't want any marring of their smooth surfaces.

Marcia

post-1954-0-73389700-1499607504_thumb.jpg

post-1954-0-88884800-1499607523_thumb.jpg

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I'm flattered that in some small way I could inspire you. Thank you.

 

The last teapot I made has the same knob as the one on the left.

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You should be able to throw in the am and assemble and trim in afternoon.

worst case throw the spout next day as they dry faster than other parts-same with handle, wait day to pull one

Learning thickness come from doing-biginers use a needle tool-then smear over the hole.

With time all this thickness and timing will be second nature .

 

Here on the foggy summer coast I can fog dry pots in am until afternoon clearing and trim and handle by afternoon.

Just put the work outside. One day in PA should work fine.

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In Montana that is true maybe even all in the am if one gets up with the sun at 5am.  One day assembly unless guests coming for dinner, or gardening, hiking, fishing,..

 

Seriously I am taking it easy because of my wrist. It is getting less painful. I see the doctor next Friday.

 

However, when I am throwing orbs, I like to throw all day. Cover them and trim the next day. next day apply terra sig and burnish the next day. We all practice our own routine to fit what we're doing.

 

Marcia

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@ Rockhopper,

Most times I place the pot on a box or brown paper bag to slow down the drying. I have a plastic bucket that I'll try next.

 

 

I let handles set up as neil mentions. The closer the handle and the pot are in moisture content, the less problems you'll have.

Marcia

 

I let the handles set up at least four hours. The first thing I do when I walk into the studio after I turn on the lights is to pull handles and the last thing I do before I turn out the lights is attach the handles.

 

I tried pulling handles the day before and double bagging them but they were to dry to work with.

 

=== Edit in ===

 

I cracked the latest failure apart and I think I'm throwing to thick. I'm a heavy 8mm. I'm going to work on 4-5mm next which is what my mugs are.

Moisture and frying are totally dependent on your location or shop conditions like is a wood stove burning. Montana is very dry. Everyone has to pace themselves to their environmental conditions. 

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