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Came across a blog that describes how in France huge terra cotta pots are made using a heavy rope wrapped sectional armature. The armature is made to be removed prior to firing. This method hasn't changed in hundreds of years.

 

The blog which describes the process pretty well is here: http://www.deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/handmade-garden-pots/

 

Anybody doing anything like this here?

 

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Fabrication2-475x635.jpg

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A guy in England was doing this, can't remeber his name, beautiful pots, he also made do'cots and terracotta doves. May be able to find the book I read this in.

I thought he removed the rope, possibly not.

The armature he made seemed less complicated, reminded me of theportuguese pot lifter thingie, I'd like to try one of those.

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The rope is a nice texture but why would you need it inside a pot?

Marcia

 

I'm not 100% convinced that you need it. It may just be used because it was thought to look better than a wooden form or alternatives.

 

It's clear they remove the rope before firing(look at the photos of the pieces drying).  What I think it functions as is a naturally "resisted" material, incapable of sticking to the clay. If it's old school nautical style rope, it will have been soaked in any number of petroleum/coal/plant solvents, oils, or tars.  Nothing water based will stick to an old style ship rope, especially a new rope, freshly treated.

 

A cheap, fast, slightly decorative inner press mould surface?  

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There was a thread on a similar set-up a year or two ago. Although the pictures were poor, it

was obvious that in that workshop the outer shape was formed by dragging a profiled edge of

wood round the inner mould/former. ... or maybe it was on Clayart

 

I cannot remember if the inner mould or the outer profile was moved. IIRC the roughness of the

rope helped keep the clay from moving relative to the mould as the profile was scraped across.

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Stephen Guildford is the potter's name I was trying to remember above.. A Brit, living in Oz.  Looking at the rope piled in the corner with the ribs, it looks like it has been coloured thro' time by the terracotta.

I think th rope is used simply to block in the spaces between the ribs of the armature, decoration not necessarily in mind. Used to be a common commodity, can't see it being burnt out if not necessary to do this because of the frugality of the society at that time.

We're the throw away, get new stuff era.

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