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I'm stuck! Pulling Clay - Best Methods for lifting the wall


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Hi all,

I am new to the clay game and the one area that is giving me serious grief is the pulling of my clay. My teacher mentioned that the first steps I am able to do well (e.g. centre, cone, etc.), and showed the class a two finger technique, however, I often bore a hole through the clay with this technique. I have read up on using your knuckle and have been folks online who use their sponge. I just want to get this right! It's been well over a month and I feel stuck. Thanks in advance.

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Some people use fingertips or the middle section of their bent pointer finger, or a sponge, or the edge of their hand with their little finger held straight. It can vary with the amount of clay being pulled up in the wall and the thickness of the wall. I use a combination of finger positions. Usually a bent finger for the first couple pulls then two fingertips pointing at about 11:00 when I'm doing the last pull. It's a balance between the fingers inside the wall and those on the outside. Inside fingers must be below the outside fingers. Is it your outside hand that is pushing through the clay? 

Video below showing one method of pulling up a wall, you can see the hand positions in relation to each other really well after the pot is cut in half at the end.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ge7b5XKTEAg

edit: @clay_andcomfort, I took the liberty of slightly editing the title of this thread.

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  • Min changed the title to I'm stuck! Pulling Clay - Best Methods for lifting the wall

I tend to use some combination of my 3 middle fingers on the inside (depending on weight of clay), and the first knuckle of my pointer finger on the outside. Slow down, and make sure when you’re forming the ring you’ll be lifting up that you’ve let the wheel make at least one full rotation before you start to pull. Set your fingers at the thickness you want, establish the clay ring, and just gently...lift. The trick is to hold the points of contact an equal distance apart, rather than applying pressure. If you keep your hands braced on each other, this is easier to do. If you’re finding you have to force it, your clay may be too firm.

I was taught that if you have problems with your initial cylinder flaring outwards to put the outside contact point (finger, knuckle, sponge, rib, whatever) below the inside contact point. If you do want your piece to flare, put the inside contact on the bottom. The clay will move in the direction the last point of contact pushes it.

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Definitely recommend watching some video clips, practicing regularly, and giving it a rest as well. Go back and re-watch the clips you liked, and see with your new/changing perspective!

...lots of clips, and note the variation in technique.

Initiating a pull, seems to take much longer to establish the shoulder/ridge of clay than it does to move it up, once established. Really take your time initiating the move. I use the side of my index finger to establish a groove at the very bottom of the outside ...Bill Van Gilder uses his middle finger in some o' his videos, thumb in others. You may see folk using just about any portion of the outside hand (per prior), also various tools for pulling walls. My initiating step is not the quickest, for sure, for I'm using my right index finger, then moving that hand to the inside - it's adding a move. Keeping one's fingernails away from the clay (and the wheel head/bat!) may be important, as they can wear away - when that becomes second nature, time to celebrate. Any road, forming and then getting that ridge moving takes more time that keeping it moving.

:|

"Inside fingers must be below the outside fingers." I sat up, closed my eyes, an' did some imaginary throwing! I'm running my outside below the inside. A quick check o' books I have lying about, and a few online sources - there are several others that run outside contact below inside. I'll definitely try the opposite though. Min, do you initiate your pulls with outside contact below inside, then shift (maybe a typo)?

I haven't been aware that I'm using one hand for pulling walls now, wonder when that started? Any road, I've thumb on the outside, fingers on the inside, using the "inside" hand, where the outside hand is steadying and supporting, but not doing much. When the piece is taller than I can reach that way, I'll move to index and middle finger (or second knuckle of index finger) on the outside, two or three fingers on the inside. Hands are in contact with each other - until the piece is too big for that...

Some may (like me!) be more comfortable with one rotation direction over the other; counterclockwise seems heavily favoured 'round here (California). Whilst I can (kind of) hang that way, clockwise is much better for me - lots of reasons, some of which I'm aware of, heh. Try different grips; you'll find what works.

 

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As a fellow newbie, my best success was when I wasn't thinking about steps and going by 'feel'.  I think it's just a muscle memory thing, that falls into place with time.  I only think about the bottom thickness, and then making the inside, concave groove, at  the base of the wall, where my inside hand will 'lift'.  Thinking about steps always messed me up.  EDIT: I can't spell

 

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Clay and Comfort, I feel your pain. I echo what Callie said.

I started playing with clay four years ago and kept giving up on throwing. I took several classes with several different teachers and it seems that they all had different ways of throwing and different tips. I finally found what works best for me, which is to use a sponge to guide my right hand/outside hand.

Betty

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