Tenmoku and Blue Chun Bowl

Love the starburst effect- great work!!

Love the starburst effect- great work!!

Thank you so much! I am pleased as well! (:

Lovely work : ) 

Have you tried using slightly stiffer clay for pots thrown without batts?

Lovely work : ) 

Have you tried using slightly stiffer clay for pots thrown without batts?

Thank you Min!

 

Stiff clay and I do not mix well at all. I have joint problems, and it is very difficult for me to center and pull even walls on harder clay. I actually work very well with porcelain and b-mix, but the other qualities of that clay is what makes it hard for me to deal with (warping, fragility during leather and bone-dry mostly). We ran out of b-mix so I only have the option of a clay called "bone white" which is stiff, very very groggy and difficult for me to use; or porcelain. If I bought my own batts that would basically just solve my warping problem! (:

If you are throwing right on the wheelhead have you tried leaving a little squat stem under the bowl? Often done when throwing off the hump, gives you a little bit of clay to hold with your fingers without distorting the form. Another thing you could try if you haven't already is to gently place a square of newsprint on the rim of the bowl and lightly run your finger around the rim then wire it off and pick it up. The paper helps trap air inside the bowl so it doesn't distort, you remove the paper after setting the bowl on a ware board. 

Min, I am right handed, but I throw clockwise and work on my left. When I paint and draw, I also start on the left side of the paper, just as we read left to right. It just feels so much more natural, and I am stronger in my movements this way. I have tried going opposite for a few weeks, and it is significantly harder and less pleasant. 

 

Wow, that paper trick is great! I think I will try that, as well as just ordering a pack of a few dozen batts. Do you wet the paper?

 

As a side note, I cannot successfully get lids off the hump either. Which is unfortunate, as I have a lot of projects due with lids...

Min, I am right handed, but I throw clockwise and work on my left. When I paint and draw, I also start on the left side of the paper, just as we read left to right. It just feels so much more natural, and I am stronger in my movements this way. I have tried going opposite for a few weeks, and it is significantly harder and less pleasant. 

 

Wow, that paper trick is great! I think I will try that, as well as just ordering a pack of a few dozen batts. Do you wet the paper?

 

As a side note, I cannot successfully get lids off the hump either. Which is unfortunate, as I have a lot of projects due with lids...

Nope, you just use a square of dry newsprint so it sticks to the wet rim. If the bowl distorts when you peel the paper off then just leave it dry a bit then take the paper off.

"If the bowl distorts when you peel the paper off then just leave it dry a bit then take the paper off."

 

If the paper is already off, how do I take it off again?

"If the bowl distorts when you peel the paper off then just leave it dry a bit then take the paper off."

 

If the paper is already off, how do I take it off again?

sorry, mixing glazes and writing this in a hurry, what I should have taken the time to write is try it with one while still on the wheel, if your rim is super thin it might distort while taking the paper off. If so, just fix up the rim while the test pot is still on the wheel then put a piece of newsprint on the rim, gently smooth it down with a fingertip, cut it off the wheel, put it on the ware board and leave it alone until the clay dries a bit then remove the paper. The rim on the bowl in your picture you posted here looks thick enough not to distort if you take the paper off straightaway after lifting the pot onto the board. make more sense?   

Oh ok, I see. Yep, makes sense. Also, heat guns are lovely. Thank you for your time and advice, Min!