Titi Posted January 29, 2021 Report Share Posted January 29, 2021 Hello! Hope you all are doing great! I'm a new potter only 3yrs experience(self taught), and I've always wondered.. is there a technical reason why we need foot on our plates?.. does it prevent warping or something like that? thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liambesaw Posted January 29, 2021 Report Share Posted January 29, 2021 Helps prevent cracking during cooling, and is useful for functional reasons Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hulk Posted January 29, 2021 Report Share Posted January 29, 2021 Hi Titi! Plus: limit unglazed portion to just the ring - the rest of the underside glazed, hence stronger, easier to clean, etc. limit contact surface - easier to make flat (so the pot doesn't rock) and easier to make smooth (so the pot doesn't scratch surfaces) provides a place for fingers to catch - easier to handle allows for precise thickness - better balance, lighter, closer match to the rest of the pot, etc. looks cool cut away the least conditioned part of the pot, the layer against the wheel head (or bat) is most likely to start cracking (per above) increase durability - ring provides mass and structure at the base, where impacts are likely Minus: takes time to cut foot rings takes more time to glaze generates trimmings Other: plates are a special case, bein' flat an' all... Other other: We've had a week of rain and wind here! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinR Posted January 29, 2021 Report Share Posted January 29, 2021 If you don't put a foot on them you can get what I call spinners. The middle of the plate end up being lower than the edges. This is also a problem of drying but a foot ring gets rid of the problem altogether. Lin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldlady Posted January 29, 2021 Report Share Posted January 29, 2021 oh, lin, spinners sound like frisbees so they must make a wonderful sight flying toward the shard pile!! much better than meeting mr. hammer like mine sometimes do. if they have'nt met the cherry tree trunk as greenware first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Titi Posted January 29, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 29, 2021 46 minutes ago, LinR said: If you don't put a foot on them you can get what I call spinners. The middle of the plate end up being lower than the edges. This is also a problem of drying but a foot ring gets rid of the problem altogether. Lin Yep! that has happened! haha I thought the reason could be that the plate was a bit thin... and do you recommend a minimum size of how much tall the ring should be? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Titi Posted January 29, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 29, 2021 22 minutes ago, oldlady said: oh, lin, spinners sound like frisbees so they must make a wonderful sight flying toward the shard pile!! much better than meeting mr. hammer like mine sometimes do. if they have'nt met the cherry tree trunk as greenware first. haha you just trash them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Titi Posted January 29, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 29, 2021 1 hour ago, Hulk said: Hi Titi! Plus: limit unglazed portion to just the ring - the rest of the underside glazed, hence stronger, easier to clean, etc. limit contact surface - easier to make flat (so the pot doesn't rock) and easier to make smooth (so the pot doesn't scratch surfaces) provides a place for fingers to catch - easier to handle allows for precise thickness - better balance, lighter, closer match to the rest of the pot, etc. looks cool cut away the least conditioned part of the pot, the layer against the wheel head (or bat) is most likely to start cracking (per above) increase durability - ring provides mass and structure at the base, where impacts are likely Minus: takes time to cut foot rings takes more time to glaze generates trimmings Other: plates are a special case, bein' flat an' all... Other other: We've had a week of rain and wind here! very useful, more pros... THANKS! Other: too special.. Sometimes I just want to give up making plates :/ Other other: here only lots of rain! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldlady Posted January 29, 2021 Report Share Posted January 29, 2021 yes, unless i want a bird water dish to go on a stand with a hollow in the center, the birds don't care. i have a huge platter out on the porch with sunflower seeds in it. one of my neighbors said my pink, decorative spiral it looked like pepto bismo vomit on the black platter so i just gave it to the birds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GEP Posted January 29, 2021 Report Share Posted January 29, 2021 All of the above answers are correct. Having said that, I make my plates without foot rings, because I want to produce them as fast as possible. It can be done. I've never made a spinner, but do occasionally produce rockers, which get sold as seconds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liambesaw Posted January 29, 2021 Report Share Posted January 29, 2021 I fix spinners with a lapidary disc on my wheel, works good Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Titi Posted January 29, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 29, 2021 31 minutes ago, GEP said: All of the above answers are correct. Having said that, I make my plates without foot rings, because I want to produce them as fast as possible. It can be done. I've never made a spinner, but do occasionally produce rockers, which get sold as seconds. Yeah, me too to make them fast, how thick do you make them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted January 29, 2021 Report Share Posted January 29, 2021 I put feet on all plates it takes more clay, more time but the bottom is glazed (not the foot) and the plates are stronger and easy to clean all surfaces. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GEP Posted January 29, 2021 Report Share Posted January 29, 2021 33 minutes ago, Titi said: Yeah, me too to make them fast, how thick do you make them? About 1/4 inch thick (6mm) for dinner and salad plates. For larger things, I'll go a little thicker. Keeping them flat is mostly about technique, handling them without too much stress, allowing them to dry evenly, and firing them on a kiln shelf that is free of any lumps or warping. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Titi Posted January 30, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2021 19 hours ago, GEP said: About 1/4 inch thick (6mm) for dinner and salad plates. For larger things, I'll go a little thicker. Keeping them flat is mostly about technique, handling them without too much stress, allowing them to dry evenly, and firing them on a kiln shelf that is free of any lumps or warping. and you dry them on drying racks or plaster? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GEP Posted January 30, 2021 Report Share Posted January 30, 2021 2 hours ago, Titi said: and you dry them on drying racks or plaster? I dry them on commercially-made ceramic field tiles, because they are so reliably flat. I should note that my plates are made from slabs, not wheel-thrown, therefore even thickness throughout. Drying them evenly is not that hard. When I make wheel-thrown plates and platters, I dry them upside down, because there is usually extra thickness in the floor which will dry faster if facing up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chilly Posted February 3, 2021 Report Share Posted February 3, 2021 On 1/29/2021 at 7:07 PM, LinR said: you can get what I call spinners. We call them gravy plates. And we've had lots of rain here too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.