Pres

Glazenerd,
I really am pleased when posts are able to help others out. However, I can not take credit. . . . it takes a community.
 
 
best,
Pres

Learning to throw does take a lot of practise. AN instructor can only do so much. I'd say it takes hours /week of practice to get it. Michael Cardew said it takes 7 years before the level of mastering the skill. It is like playing a musical instrument. It takes focus and practice.
 
Marcia

Idaho, I like your take on the mixed bag doing the handbuilding and the throwing. I often would have students that had one thing in mind to do. It may have been a handbuilt pasta bowl, or making ceramic molding, or learning to make a teapot, or some other specialized project. I would always have them fill our a little survey 4X7 card with their contact info, their hobbies/interests, their experience with clay, and if there was anything they really wanted to accomplish in the class. This would lead to the types of demonstrations I did, and how the demonstrations would branch to specific types of projects. In the case of the molding the extruder, the handbuilt pasta bowl to hump or slump molds. I a student was interested in throwing, I would have a group that once I started the handbuilders, and had done a throwing demonstration of a cylinder form, would meet at the wheels those just beginning would get the hands on hands treatment. They were always taught to master the clay-pushing up and pushing down, a good preliminary to centering. Pressure with the hands, and bend of wrist/positions were reinforced constantly. More advanced students would often ask what was going wrong, why things weren't light enough, what caused ripples etc. These things I would explain and demonstrate corrections. Many times a student would complete a second plain cylinder after much work, and I would coax/help them shape it into a more interesting form with their input of what they wanted to do with it. Next have them repeat the same with the next cylinder.
I only ran classes the same as you, with no practice time-the studio was used during the week by my HS classes, and most of these folks couldn't/wouldn't come in after school. However, as I was there late most of the time some folks would ask and come in to work. The last class was a glazing day, and then folks would come in to pick up their work the following week. Towards the end, they begged to have an extra day where they picked up their work, got to see everyone's work and could talk about it-and party, I could not turn them down. We had great fun.

Glazenerd,
I really am pleased when posts are able to help others out. However, I can not take credit. . . . it takes a community.
 
 
best,
Pres

Pres:
i threw my new formulated porcelain for the first time today. Incorporating the advice here and elsewhere: actually made a piece I was happy with. Uniform wall thickness, went much smoother.   TY all

Tom, 
The biggest advice I would give my students came with a hand on hand assistance to the first pull and the second. (Assuming you are RT handed )Create the donut after opening up. That is a donut attached to the wheel head, centered. Then using your left hand with the thumb down at the base of the wheel head on the outside, and the fingers bent to the floor on the inside with the rt hand with a sponge on the roll of the donut. . . . begin squeezing firmly with the thumb and fingers of the lft as you push inward on the roll with the sponge in the rt hand.  As you feel the roll going up, ease slightly on the pressure and continue to rise with the roll just above your fingers and thumb. Continue until to the point that you have gone off of the clay. Never stop the pull motion at the top of the pot, always imagining the clay to be 1-2" higher.
Second pull, begin with lft on inside, rt with thumb or pointer or whatever edge you use to pull with. Elbows braced against the body leaning to the rt. Firmly squeeze the clay between inside and outside fingers of lft and rt hand. As the roll moves up, ease slightly on pressure again and continue up with the pull as before. 
The firmly here is important, as that is where thinning the base comes in on a pull. Without firmly squeezing at the base level of the pull, the pull actually starts above the base of the pot leaving a heavier area in the base. You must firmly squeeze that roll on every pull to get it to move out of the base.
best advice I have, now practice. . . 
 
Pres

yes, I have established the basic shape with fingers, then finish the bellying with CD from top to bottom, last touch of rim and that's it.
this way I know the rim can handle the expansion of the interior.

Tom, 
The biggest advice I would give my students came with a hand on hand assistance to the first pull and the second. (Assuming you are RT handed )Create the donut after opening up. That is a donut attached to the wheel head, centered. Then using your left hand with the thumb down at the base of the wheel head on the outside, and the fingers bent to the floor on the inside with the rt hand with a sponge on the roll of the donut. . . . begin squeezing firmly with the thumb and fingers of the lft as you push inward on the roll with the sponge in the rt hand.  As you feel the roll going up, ease slightly on the pressure and continue to rise with the roll just above your fingers and thumb. Continue until to the point that you have gone off of the clay. Never stop the pull motion at the top of the pot, always imagining the clay to be 1-2" higher.
Second pull, begin with lft on inside, rt with thumb or pointer or whatever edge you use to pull with. Elbows braced against the body leaning to the rt. Firmly squeeze the clay between inside and outside fingers of lft and rt hand. As the roll moves up, ease slightly on pressure again and continue up with the pull as before. 
The firmly here is important, as that is where thinning the base comes in on a pull. Without firmly squeezing at the base level of the pull, the pull actually starts above the base of the pot leaving a heavier area in the base. You must firmly squeeze that roll on every pull to get it to move out of the base.
best advice I have, now practice. . . 
 
Pres

I have a friend that I bowl with, he was having severe health problems, and was finally diagnosed with a blood test for gluten intolerance. Now he has gained back up in weight, eats gluten free, and has gained back his strength. These things hit us as we get older and are weaker to fight them off, and it may be that our bodies reach a peak point where exposure becomes too much.
Joseph, if you post the bowls, that would be helpful. If anyone wants to share the print out, go ahead what its here for. Teachers also. Just don't take credit.
 
It would be nice to build a strand of beginning projects to help along those looking to gain/improve wheel skills.
best,
Pres

Ron, I realized that, just pointing out that for some the need to do things differently is important. I haven't had a full cookie since 2009. 
 
I had not thought about ring holders. . . ceramic would work to. Wonder how many Apple Bakers have been re serviced as ring holders. Maybe someone didn't know what it was?
 
best,
Pres

Baking apples. . . Tablespoon of water, teaspoon of butter, spices-I use cinnamon and ginger, sweetener(sugar, brown sugar, maple syrup, honey), as a diabetic I use none, others(nuts, granola, etc) Liquor(?) 
 
Apple baked 7 1/2 minutes in microwave oven. 40 minutes will work in a regular oven. Great Winter desert.

A few thoughts on Apple Baker
 


 
The throwing skills here are similar to a  bowl as it is a wide flared cylinder with a second interior cone wall. This form will expand your throwing skills. 

Baking apples. . . Tablespoon of water, teaspoon of butter, spices-I use cinnamon and ginger, sweetener(sugar, brown sugar, maple syrup, honey), as a diabetic I use none, others(nuts, granola, etc) Liquor(?) 
 
Apple baked 7 1/2 minutes in microwave oven. 40 minutes will work in a regular oven. Great Winter desert.

Thanks for the help Joseph that would be helpful. Have you ever thrown an apple baker?
 
best
Pres

Dear Jessica 
In the 15 downloadable ^6 glazes there are typos on each glaze saying 06.  FYI
Marcia

Carlo Zauli (Faenza-Italy)
Prof.Dr. Gaetano Ballardini (Faenza)
Hans Coper (Germany)
Robin Hopper (Canada)
Eva Zeisel (Hungary and USA)
Otto Lindig (Germany)
Horst Kerstan (Germany)
Edmund de Waal (UK)
Roberto Lugo (USA) "this machine kills hate"...
Lotte Reimers (Germany)
 
Will think of more.....

A good teacher, trained as one or not, is one who constantly seeks knowledge and solutions to the problems of their students. If the knowledge or the solutions come from the student, bravo. Often with adults this happens, as they know where they want to go or what they want to make and have researched in that direction. Now putting that knowledge together with skills, that is often the place of a teacher well grounded in the medium.

Hi Sharon, welcome to CAD forums, and good on you for volunteering.
 
I'm too far to away come and help, but slip-casting (pouring) is (to me) the easiest job in the studio.
 
Like everything though, you will need to test, test, test and make good notes.
 
Start with a two-piece mould.  Apply mould straps so mould cannot openup. Using a soft brush, make sure there is nothing inside, no dust, old clay, spiders nests........ Stir your bucket of slip thoroughly for several minutes.  If it's been hanging around for a while you might want to sieve it. Using a plastic jug with an open-bottomed handle scoop up some slip. Pour the slip into the mould until it is full to the very top. Hang the jug on the rim of the bucket, so it drips back into the bucket. Set a minute-timer for 10 minutes.  I use 10 for earthenware, 20 for stoneware slip, but this differs depending on heat and humidity. Meanwhile, find a pair of flat sticks or an old fridge shelf and place over top of bucket, to hold upturned mould. When timer goes off, use a plastic tool to cut a small v-shape (10mm by 10mm max) from the setting slip in the pour hole so you can see the thickness of the cast. Re-set timer for more if needed. Pour slip from mould back into bucket. Leave mould upturned on sticks until slip stops running out. Leave upside down, or right way up for several hours (again this depends on humidity), until you can see the clay start to shrink away from the mould. Use thin end of plastic tool (lucy tool - http://www.cromartiehobbycraft.co.uk/imagecache/c0b4830c-141b-490c-999d-a27e00a10685_800x479.jp)  to remove clay from the pour hole.  This action is a bit like scraping round a bowl with a spatula to remove all the cake mix. Undo mould straps. Place mould on side with seam horizontal.   Use thick end of plastic (lucy) tool to gently prise the two halves of mould apart, then lift top half of mould away from bottom half. Allow to dry a bit more, then carefully remove "pot" from mould. Put the mould back together, with mould straps and leave in a dry, airy place for <>24 hours before re-using (depending on, yes, you've guessed, the humidity. Place pot on thick piece of foam and fettle (clean up the seams etc) when leatherhard. Wash, rinse, spin, repeat
 
The really difficult bits are deciding how long to leave the slip in the mould, and knowing when to open the mould, and the physical size and weight of some of the moulds.
 
Not enough/too much time = too thin or too thick castings.  Opening the mould too soon usually results in tearing the pot apart as it is still sticking to parts of the mould.  Leaving too long for a simple vase, say, might not be a problem, but for a complex figurine, the shrinkage can pull the pot apart.
 
You can allow any boo-boos to dry completely and then throw them back in the slip bucket, or start a new bucket and add water.
 
You can add (I recall) up to one third recycled, dry slip to a bucket of new slip without too much problem.  More than that and you need to read this article: http://www.ceramicindustry.com/articles/84299-ppp-successful-slip-castingand then this one: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/527ac372e4b0d4e47bb0e554/t/527fd7f1e4b0c046bfa9b90d/1384110065234/Dispersant+Addition+Procedures.pdf.  It's a bit heavy going, but doable.
 
 
Good luck     

Q's:
 
Is it Craft or is it Art?
You and I may have one idea about a piece of ceramic, while trust me, the oil painters in the gallery/art school/art faire may have another. (Personally, if it's non-utilitarian IMO it's art. But some utilitarian work is so artistic it crosses the line into Art as well. Also, it's a bit like defining God, I feel a bit full of myself just trying. Your opinion may differ.)
 
Is there a genre of ceramics that you hate?
Hopefully no one will get offended. You'll notice I didn't give an opinion.
 
Do you tend to end up using the same general color schemes in your glaze work intentionally or unintentionally? (I do. It's various whites over dark clays, usually with the speckles coming through.)
 
(I'm sure I can come up with a few more questions of the noobish sort, just can't think of them right now.)

Or even using the same technique/process in different ways to arrive at the same form. Ex. bowl thrown upside down and right side up, thrown with texture applied before shaping, thrown with texture after shaping, Thrown with double walls, thrown with colored combinations of clay, Thrown in multiple parts, Other variations I am sure are possible.
 
 
best,
Pres

Friends In Clay,,,,,,Periodically it's a good idea for us to remind all forum users, whether you are an active participant, an occasional contributor, or a lurker, to always take advice, especially technical advice, with care. I have not doubt that everyone who gives technical advice is doing so with the best intentions, but you must do your own due diligence by doing additional research into your question. Then, test, test, test,,,,,
 
best to all,
Steven 

Buying a potter's wheel!
 
best wheel low cost
 
Pottery Wheel
 
Did I get ripped off?
 
Brent Wheel Controllers -- Which years were the bad ones?
 
Shimpo VL Whisper vs. Soldner

This strand will be a series of compilations from In the Studio forum. Please do not reply, as these are to be without-wanderings. If you have an idea for a new line here-PM me.
 
PS not my idea, but one John has set up in the Technical forum.
 
Best, Preston

I'm a little late for the discussion but thought I'd jump in for a moment
 
I think I see something slightly overlooked in this teaching clay thread. It is something that became very apparant when I took my first classes in clay, some 27 years ago.
It takes time for people who have never worked with clay to get the muscle memory to work with clay. Of the few people that I have assisted in learning to turn, it was obovious they had not spent enough time with the wheel or slab or coil to feel comfortable with the clay. It takes time and a few hours a week is not enough to develop these skills in a quick  mannor.
I remember how sore my muscles were at first, how tired my hands and wrist were.
 
I know that even now after turning some larger pieces I have to work with smaller light pieces because my hands and arms are starting to get tired.
I also know that my hands get tired before my brain knows I'm tired and I messup some pieces before I tell myself to stop and take a break or quit for the day.
 
Youtube is one of the great teaching aids we can have. Youtube allows students to see how other potters work, how they center and how they,position themselves, etc.
This allows the students to absorb visually what is hard to transmitt verbally.
 
As much fun and pleasure clay can bring, the fact is, it's hard work. I think some beginning students and not aware of the physical demands of learning pottery and lose motivation to dig deeper.
 
Just my 2 cents and change
Wyndham