Min Posted November 15, 2014 Report Share Posted November 15, 2014 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? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joseph Fireborn Posted November 15, 2014 Report Share Posted November 15, 2014 Wow that is gorgeous and so smart. It amazes me how people did things so long ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benzine Posted November 16, 2014 Report Share Posted November 16, 2014 Not really that big of deal. I make things like that all the time, except I use one of these wheels: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judith B Posted November 16, 2014 Report Share Posted November 16, 2014 Oh yes I remember seeing those in France, the most amazing thing is that it has the pattern of the rope on the inside of the pot. Beautiful! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldlady Posted November 16, 2014 Report Share Posted November 16, 2014 seth cardew told a workshop that he made the big pots that the 40 thieves came out of in a movie made years ago. no ropes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babs Posted November 16, 2014 Report Share Posted November 16, 2014 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cavy Fire Studios Posted November 16, 2014 Report Share Posted November 16, 2014 Benzine's post wins this thread. Dang...my back went out trying to figure out how you'd carry that around!! So cool! I was getting depressed at the lack of terracotta on here, too. Ha... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcia Selsor Posted November 16, 2014 Report Share Posted November 16, 2014 I have never seen that interior method before. I have seen very large pots coiled and thrown in Spain and Italy without any interior structure. The rope is a nice texture but why would you need it inside a pot? Marcia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crusty Posted November 16, 2014 Report Share Posted November 16, 2014 That rope cant be cheap, just added cost to the pot.. there is a reason why some methods of pottery are not done any more- the pots are nice but that method didn't stand the test of time... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyler Miller Posted November 16, 2014 Report Share Posted November 16, 2014 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? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joseph Fireborn Posted November 16, 2014 Report Share Posted November 16, 2014 They dont leave the rope in, thats the cool part about it. They pull the rope out. The rope gives the shape, they apply the clay to the outside of the rope, then remove the rope after the clay drives by pulling it out of the pot. It's a smart idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Min Posted November 16, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 16, 2014 I think the author of the blog got it wrong by saying the rope stays in. Or maybe it's a bit of both and if a length of it gets stuck then they just leave it in and fire it off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joseph Fireborn Posted November 16, 2014 Report Share Posted November 16, 2014 Maybe I am wrong, the blog does say they burn the rope out, but that makes 0 sense. Wouldn't that be extremely wasteful. Also numerous pictures in that blog looks to have the clay in leather hard form that has no rope inside of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterH Posted November 16, 2014 Report Share Posted November 16, 2014 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babs Posted November 16, 2014 Report Share Posted November 16, 2014 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJR Posted November 16, 2014 Report Share Posted November 16, 2014 Look at the last picture of the three. The pots are still leather hard, and the rope has been removed, not burned out. TJR. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babs Posted November 16, 2014 Report Share Posted November 16, 2014 Yes, think the rope even with the armature removed would be inflexible enough to cause cracking of the pot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Posted November 17, 2014 Report Share Posted November 17, 2014 They make roof tiles in China with a similar internal mold method. Their mold is more like a roll top desk top with cloth and sticks but they've been doing it that way for a long time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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