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Ways To Make Square Forms\Urns


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I make a lot of urns, but I swear, one day I can center, then I cant center for a week. So I want to make square forms. Every template I see gives me 90 degree corners where slabs meet. I want a square form with somewhat rounded corners. Does that have to be thrown on the wheel and altered? I really like handbuilding and want to start making my urns like square ones with rounded corners.  

Thanks in advance,

nancy

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I would make them with the 90 degree corners to start with, bevel the joining edges so there is more surface area to make a strong joint then add a very thick coil on the inside of the corners, when leather hard rasp down the 90 degrees to round them off the way you like. I would make the entire box as one piece so the lid will fit well then cut off the top section and add a flange to the lid or the base. I would also make some sort of decorative mark as a key on the outside so you know which way round the lid fits. 

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1 hour ago, nancylee said:

Thank you! One question: if I’m making it from 4 slabs, what do you mean when you say make the entire box as one piece? 

Thanks!

Don't make the base and the lid separately, make one box the total height of the finished box then cut the top off and inch or whatever down from the top. That way the lid and base will flow together smoothly.  I would add the base and top to the square "tube", round the corners then make a registration (key) mark then cut it. Make sense? 

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I make canisters using a half gallon melk carton as a form.  After crushing the sharp corners on the carton to reduce the likelihood of cracks at the corners, the carton is wrapped with two separate layers of newsprint (one to layer to stick to the clay and one to stick to the carton).  A long continuous slab is the wrapped around the carton to form the vertical walls of the canister.  I overlap the ends of the slab to create an obvious vertical line at the join (my aesthetic).  I work with wet floppy slabs so the joins are lightly dampened with vinegar and compressed thoroughly.  The photo is of a small cup made using this technique.  It takes longer to prepare the form and roll the slabs than it takes to assemble the item.  The photos are of a cup made with the technique.

IMG_3030x.jpg

IMG_3029-cropx.jpg

IMG_3028-cropx.jpg

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3 hours ago, Min said:

Don't make the base and the lid separately, make one box the total height of the finished box then cut the top off and inch or whatever down from the top. That way the lid and base will flow together smoothly.  I would add the base and top to the square "tube", round the corners then make a registration (key) mark then cut it. Make sense? 

Yes, thank you!!

,! 

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2 hours ago, Magnolia Mud Research said:

I make canisters using a half gallon melk carton as a form.  After crushing the sharp corners on the carton to reduce the likelihood of cracks at the corners, the carton is wrapped with two separate layers of newsprint (one to layer to stick to the clay and one to stick to the carton).  A long continuous slab is the wrapped around the carton to form the vertical walls of the canister.  I overlap the ends of the slab to create an obvious vertical line at the join (my aesthetic).  I work with wet floppy slabs so the joins are lightly dampened with vinegar and compressed thoroughly.  The photo is of a small cup made using this technique.  It takes longer to prepare the form and roll the slabs than it takes to assemble the item.  The photos are of a cup made with the technique.

IMG_3030x.jpg

IMG_3029-cropx.jpg

IMG_3028-cropx.jpg

Lovely work! Thank you!!

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I use a wire cutting tool to make 45 degree beveled edges on my slabs, score the edges, and assemble.  Use the triangle piece cut from the edge on the inside to strengthen the corner, or a thin coil.   For boxes with tops, I follow Min's process -- make the box, let it set up, then cut the top part off.  On the inside of the bottom part, I add some thin slaps to serve as a gallery or sorts.

DSC_0633.JPG.c1f5683291d34c28086d0fad42deb1d3.JPG

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I have done some square forms, hex, sept and others. I usually use a combination of wheel thrown, and slab constructed pieces. Often these are planned out on paper, sometimes rendered in a 3D program like Blender, and then created in the studio. These usually start with a paper template for the slab walls usually have wheel thrown neck/shoulder and wheel thrown feet. Here is one that I did 10 years ago. 

Storage Jar.jpg

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2 hours ago, Pres said:

I have done some square forms, hex, sept and others. I usually use a combination of wheel thrown, and slab constructed pieces. Often these are planned out on paper, sometimes rendered in a 3D program like Blender, and then created in the studio. These usually start with a paper template for the slab walls usually have wheel thrown neck/shoulder and wheel thrown feet. Here is one that I did 10 years ago. 

Storage Jar.jpg

That is amazing! Just beautiful! Is the top piece solid? Clay? Looks like bone!

What is this program Blender? If you work it out in a 3D program, does it give you a breakdown of template sizes? What is the advantage of Blender if it doesn’t? Thank you!!!

nancy

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Thank you, Nancy.

The top is a Lid with two pulled ceramic "horns" attached into the center which is attached to the lid. Everything there is clay. In my gallery there are some closeups of the rings and the textured surface.

Blender is and open source 3D modeler and animation program. It also does film editing, and will create entire environments. I use it now days just to visualize the proportions of my pieces. Once I figure what my height vs width is for the center slab section, all other pieces can be scaled by eye to match up to what I visualized. It is just another step, but a pot like this takes 3-5 weeks of construction, glazing etc. Shame to waste any of that time if you decide it is "wonky" for some reason or other. As for templates, I have not looked into it, but am sure that there is a way of doing them. You can get lots of help with Blender on line at their web site. . . very large community.  Best thing for me is as it is open source. . .It is free!

 

best,

Pres

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15 hours ago, Pres said:

Thank you, Nancy.

The top is a Lid with two pulled ceramic "horns" attached into the center which is attached to the lid. Everything there is clay. In my gallery there are some closeups of the rings and the textured surface.

Blender is and open source 3D modeler and animation program. It also does film editing, and will create entire environments. I use it now days just to visualize the proportions of my pieces. Once I figure what my height vs width is for the center slab section, all other pieces can be scaled by eye to match up to what I visualized. It is just another step, but a pot like this takes 3-5 weeks of construction, glazing etc. Shame to waste any of that time if you decide it is "wonky" for some reason or other. As for templates, I have not looked into it, but am sure that there is a way of doing them. You can get lots of help with Blender on line at their web site. . . very large community.  Best thing for me is as it is open source. . .It is free!

 

best,

Pres

That piece is worth 3 to 5 weeks worth of work! 

And thank you, Pres! I looked Blender over but will really check it out when I have time this weekend. 

Enjoy the day! 

Nancy

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22 hours ago, Pres said:

I have done some square forms, hex, sept and others. I usually use a combination of wheel thrown, and slab constructed pieces. Often these are planned out on paper, sometimes rendered in a 3D program like Blender, and then created in the studio. These usually start with a paper template for the slab walls usually have wheel thrown neck/shoulder and wheel thrown feet. Here is one that I did 10 years ago. 

Storage Jar.jpg

After reading the topic post, your work is the first thing I thought to link to Pres.  I remember seeing several "squared" jars on your blog.

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I have done this also, and have a project now that requires a thrown square bowl. My biggest problems it that even though I have conquered throwing the object fit the metal lid someone asked me to do, I have not figured out how to keep the rim from rising. where the sides get squared.

 

best,

Pres

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32 minutes ago, Pres said:

I have done this also, and have a project now that requires a thrown square bowl. My biggest problems it that even though I have conquered throwing the object fit the metal lid someone asked me to do, I have not figured out how to keep the rim from rising. where the sides get squared.

 

best,

Pres

Maybe that "toilet flange" idea (from the moon vase thread) on the rim while you bulge the corners from inside. Then paddle to square - with flange still on?

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Thoughtful Rae, but the rim still arcs upward as the corner is created. I think part of the problem is the form is more of a bowl. If it were a dish with more upright sides it may not rise as much. Either that or throw it without a base and do the squaring while upside down forcing the rim to stay flat.

 

best,

Pres

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You could recut the rim after squaring.

I tend to do this on chopsticks bowls and like the raised sides which have cut outs for the sticks. Since you have a lid and its metal the sides need to be all the same level-You could also sand it smooth in the green state and smooth out the rim afterwards.

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Mark, are you suggesting to throw the form with a thicker/deeper rim, and then cut the inner galley to a straight edge so the lid fits into place? I think you have a solution there, I will have to play a bit. . .I only need one.

 

best,

Pres

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  • 4 weeks later...
On ‎19‎/‎11‎/‎2017 at 4:33 AM, bciskepottery said:

I use a wire cutting tool to make 45 degree beveled edges on my slabs, score the edges, and assemble.  Use the triangle piece cut from the edge on the inside to strengthen the corner, or a thin coil.   For boxes with tops, I follow Min's process -- make the box, let it set up, then cut the top part off.  On the inside of the bottom part, I add some thin slaps to serve as a gallery or sorts.

DSC_0633.JPG.c1f5683291d34c28086d0fad42deb1d3.JPG

Sorry for the stupid questions... but ... while making the box how do you  prevent the the top from collapsing? That is, before cut the top apart how do you manage to keep the top perfectly flat? I've done a couple of attempts but the top inevitably tends to go down... probably you use a clay much less soft that mine... And at what stage do you cut the top apart? The clay needs to be still soft or should I wait a leather consistency? 

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3 hours ago, andros said:

Sorry for the stupid questions... but ... while making the box how do you  prevent the the top from collapsing? That is, before cut the top apart how do you manage to keep the top perfectly flat? I've done a couple of attempts but the top inevitably tends to go down... probably you use a clay much less soft that mine... And at what stage do you cut the top apart? The clay needs to be still soft or should I wait a leather consistency? 

The top could be sagging due to the clay being too soft, which could be fixed, after cutting the top off.  However, it could also be due to the air inside the sealed boxed contracting, which pulls the sides inwards.  So when making a sealed box, even one that will eventually be separated, it is a good idea, to create a vent hole, to allow air in and out.  Just a small needle tool sized opening will suffice.  I've done this, when making single thrown, lidded forms on the wheel.  The bottom and top are made at the same time, with a groove made part way through, where the two parts will eventually come apart, once they are dry enough to do so.  In that groove, I poke the needle through.  Otherwise, the lid portion is bound to collapse, and even crack.

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Andros, and Benzine, 

I guess I am not so certain as to Benzines advice. I have always found that the shrinkage of the clay will cause the top to bloat upward a bit when not putting in a balance hole. I have never had much of a problem with this as I usually assemble the piece on a large slab, then cut around the edges after assembled. My next step is to flip the form over onto one of the pieces remaining from the base slab, joining the top on while upside down. The I will lightly paddle the box and scrape to square edges. Seems like to me that there is no need for a balance hole, but if I have anything collapse, I just use a square wooden block to realign the lid section so it is flat. Not very often I have to do this. 

On another note Andros, do you use slip or Magic Water for joining?

 

best,

pres

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Thanks to @Benzine and @Pres for the tips! Very appreciated!!

5 hours ago, Pres said:

 On another note Andros, do you use slip or Magic Water for joining?

Actually I really don't know what could be the "magic water"! My english finds a limit here... :blink: I'm sorry... anyway I use a dense slip for joining, usually...

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