Hulk

Clay responds to pressure, aye. Volume changes, I'm not believing.

Like your adjustable pointer, also the inverted for drying choice, which slows drying at the vulnerable rim, and exposes the thickest part - da footring - to speed drying there, whilst capturing atmosphere within, to temper/slow the overall rate (haven't watched the vid yet :O )...

I'm still not believing volume of clay changing (much) due to pressure exerted; volume of clay changing due to percent water reduced, of course! …"much" as in significant, like water itself doesn't compress much either - lots of volume change related to temperature - pressure alone, very little, "Water is essentially incompressible, especially under normal conditions." Clay responds to pressure, aye. Regarding sun and/or air movement whilst drying, avoiding both as I typically don't want to do the turn turn turn that's required - indoors (in my studio), the sun comes from the side and I don't want any air currents (dust); outside is another ballgame, entire. As for surfaces and/or positions, the foot ring being thicker than the rim portion and the center portion, I'm looking to help it along, that is, dry faster, hence the plaster bat (else fiber bat, else newsprint) - yep, absorb water from the foot ring. Slowing down drying rate on the rim and center portions, similar strategy there, imo.

Thanks Lady, been putting off new cutting wires - I want some useful length ones, as you described, with rings, and a few framed ones as well.

Hi Rick! fwiw, I place trimmed plate on a plaster slab; I'm trimming a wide foot ring, hence only the ring is in contact with the plaster. A light spin and a look assures me the entire ring is in contact with the surface - no high spots or curling. I'm putting all wet/damp pieces in a still spot where the sun doesn't shine (oh stop!). Compression is the word, however, I'm not believing that exerting pressure on clay causes any reduction in volume, hence not actually "compression" imo. No, what I believe occurs is more along the "alignment" line. Any road, several of the forum regulars point out that "compressing" in to out should be complimented by out to in. Other factors I) allowing water to accumulate and sit in the vessel is bad, many say II) variance in thickness; the portion S cracking should be about the same thickness as the walls, eh? After trimming, I'm thoroughly burnishing the foot ring, all three sides, and the space within the foot ring as well, with a metal rib and/or the rounded edge of a loop tool. Burnishing makes smooth - also stronger? It don't hurt. From there, I'm interested to see what others may offer. No doubt there's much to read here inna archives as well...

Still curious what mentor/mentee experiences others have had with regard to throwing? I started at the local JC Ceramic lab, where short demonstration introduces skills required for upcoming assignments, then practice. From there, anyone struggling and/or having questions and/or asking for help would get some one on one or small group. I as (still am) ok with that. I have/am learning by practice, making mistakes, and observing others. Isn't it interesting what we see when observing others - particularly what we didn't see earlier? ...aha! That said, having designed and delivered structured practice for skill development, aaand having received structured instruction in skill development, I believe expert guidance and instruction can be very positive (can be - what works for some does not work well for others, see Bernice McCarthy's 4mat ideas, which blow up sensory learning models...). My guess is most throwers observe, practice, and make mistakes...

Two utensil holders (cylinders), one for throwing tools, the other trimming tools - tools that I actually use - switch places in the wheel's built in tray, right next to the one gallon water bucket; next to the holder are three tools that are used for both activities, needle tool, flexible metal rib, cut piece o' sponge. Right next to the wheel, a small table supports a slop plate (pie plate) that receives bits to be recycled, also a pen, pencil, and a dirty piece of paper to write notes on't'. In front of the wheel, a milk crate supports the other utensil holder, and two polishing/smoothing tools. Most other tools are on tool shelf - spares/duplicates, rarely used tools, glazing tools …in utensil holders, small plastic toolbox. Wire tool (used to have two, hrrmm, have to get another one) sits next to wedge board, mostly, else next to slop plate. Key for me being put the tool in "its place" - and when done for now, cleaned as well. In the machine shop, in the building trades, at the steel mill, in the local JC ceramic studio - have seen, on one hand, folk casting about for a frequently used tool (which may or may not be ready for use), as it/they are put down in different places, depending; on the other hand, folk who snap up the ready tool, as it has "a place!" ...big difference, imo. That said, the extremes of tool organization are demonstrated by beginners through the most experienced and skilled, it seems...

Could you post some pics Denice?

Hi Morris! ditto on pics, and approximate the thickness on both sides o'th' footring - if you trim rings, else both sides of the cracks - my guess would be the bottom is much thicker than the base of the wall?

magma, see https://community.ceramicartsdaily.org/topic/19956-yellow-saltblue-salt/?tab=comments#comment-159652

Hi Travis! Any failing/failed bits that are dryer than what I like to throw with go into scrap bin to fully dry and await recycle. Failed blobs/lumps that are wetter than what I like to throw with may end up in the same bin, else dropped on a plaster bat - especially if sticky - or just left on the wedging board if not sticky. Plaster absorbs water quickly! I'll knead that clay periodically, until ready for wedging, then re-throw when it feels about right. If I'm not around to monitor, I'll cover the clay, or just throw it in the recycle bin to dry out completely. A very wet blob could hang around for quite a while before getting too dry... A rib or wood knife is handy for scraping sticky clay off one's hands and fingers. Drying up smaller bits of wet clay (smaller than a bag - twenty five pounds) for reuse - about the same as the end of the recycle process. Crucial, imo, is thorough wedge, such that result is homogeneous, that is, no dryer or wetter threads of clay hiding in thar to wreck the next piece! If the blob gets a bit too dry, cutting into bread sized slices, misting, re-wedge, repeat... it's a bit of effort, but it does work. Still key is thorough wedge.

Hi Liaemars9! I haven't opened that one bag of Aardvark Cassius Basaltic yet... there's some reading available in archives here, e.g. https://community.ceramicartsdaily.org/topic/15631-black-clay-advice/#comments https://community.ceramicartsdaily.org/topic/3856-super-dark-clay-body-and-glazes/ The first includes a link to firing schedules - important related topic. ...try searching "Cassius Basaltic" in Google images... have fun!

"...penciled out...to make it work..." - aye, that's key, based on what little I've seen in small business ventures (the stats aren't particularly good, new small biz launches that stick). There are a few small studios in our neighborhood, all ran out of homes. In town ("town" being SLO, largest town nearby) there is an open type studio. Per my eye, the in between would be running the venture out of owned/mortgaged property vs. rented, where a big part of the long term is owning the property (however, much bigger risk). Old friend of mine put together a string of group homes and drew a modest salary; long row - once hoed, nice retirement, as the properties were carefully selected...

A bit of silicone grease don' hurt. In the early 50s, a contract Electrical Engineer working on the "electric boats" (nuke subs) for the US Navy was brought before some suits for using silicone grease - which wasn't per procedure - chasing shorts between hulls (notoriously damp), clean, grease, reconnect, grease, wrap ...that connection won't ever short again. US Navy changed "the book" ...the EE was my Dad. Two unguents to have alway handy in the workshop: i) anti-seize (for threaded connections - the correct type is important...) and ii) silicon grease

omg