When/ How To Wire Off From A Batt

[dhPotter]

When wiring off a pot right after throwing, the pot seems to adhere back to the batt. Sometimes the pot will pick up half of what should have been left on the batt after removing the pot from the batt. I use both plaster and masonite batts.

 

Is this normal or is there a better way to wire off? Or maybe the timing of wiring off needs adjusting? I do not usually need to trim pots but with this happening it is a must to remove the excess sliver of clay that should have stayed on the batt.

 

 

[Mark C.]

I never wire any pot on plaster bats-they should dry and you pop them off when ready.

I never use metal tools or wire on plaster bats as it wears them down fast.

I wire all other bats -wood -plastic-etc. Right after you throw the pot as its still on the wheel.

If they are sticking use a larger wire diameter.-this will help-larger the pot the larger the wire.

so say my platters I use a fatter wire than a 5 inch diameter pot

[dhPotter]

Mark C.

Makes logical sense. You know, the more I get into pottery the more it is seems solutions are plain old simple logic - break down the problem into components then address each in a thoughtful logical manner. My problem is, I have been programming computers for so long, I think everything has rules that cannot be broken. Pottery has rules but they all can be broken and still have success.

 

A mind change must happen for me. Perhaps more studio time is the remedy...

[oldlady]

you do not have to wire off masonite bats either if you have trimmed as you threw the work. if you leave a fat doughnut of clay around a pot base and have to trim off pounds of clay, wire it off so it won't crack.

[rayaldridge]

John, small pots I wire and lift off the bat as soon as I finish throwing them.  Large and/or extended pieces I leave on the bat until they are stiff enough to lift.  If I leave them too long, they will sometimes do as yours do, and pull some of the clay off the bat.  Usually, however, that excess clay can be pulled off as soon as you lift the piece off.

 

Lifting wet pots off the wheel is a very useful skill to acquire, I think.  Relatively closed-in forms, like mugs, are easy to lift off-- just get the slurry off your hands, because dry hands work a lot better.  Extended forms like small shallow bowls are a little harder, but it's still worthwhile to do it.  It helps if you throw quickly and without too much water.  Overworking a piece will make lifting off more difficult-- the clay tends to soften and the form seems a lot more flexible.  I try to pull a form a couple of times, maybe three, before final shaping. (This pertains mostly to small forms, of course.  Big stuff takes more shaping, for me anyway.)

[MatthewV]

On plates and platters I wire on the wheel and right before removing.

On vases, slurry coated mugs, bowls and whatnot I only wire before taking off. I let most pieces sit for the time it takes to throw the next 10 -- no reason to rush the process if you are setup with enough space and equipment!

 

Yes, wet clay does rejoin with the base pretty fast. Lift the piece as soon as it is cut.

[Mark C.]

All my pots are thrown on bats except honey pot lids which are off the hump.The work is transferred to ware boards and handled in bulk not one pot at a time.

I did learn to cut off pots from wheel head(thrown directly) and remove but its not a production tool I use anymore