How to handle big pots bottoms

[nomis]

Hi everyone,

I'm currently experimenting making big pots with my rope wheel, and the size of the pot makes it impossible to turn upside down for proper drying of the base. In my case, the bottom is open (it'll be the body of a drum) and I'm afraid that even after cutting under the pot with the knife, the clay will stick again to the plywood bat and prevent it from shrinking smoothly.

Does anyone have any advices on how to handle this (either with open or closed bottom)?

Many thanks,

Simon

Edited May 7, 2022 by nomis

[Bill Kielb]

Low cost - You could put a paper towel down on the bat or board, then the ware on the paper towel. It will wick the moisture out and allow the pot to shrink without sticking. If you are hand building with coils, make sure to cover the towel thoroughly  as well in between sessions though else it will continue to wick and dry the bottom. When I do this with ordinary wares on a ware board, the pots dry fine right side up and I have no need to flip them on their rim until trimming. I often use the cheapest recycled  cfold hand towels - work just fine.

[nomis]

Oh that sounds good, so there's no need to cut under the pot with the wire/knife at any time, right?

[Bill Kielb]

No, nothing to cut.

[Mark C.]

make it on plaster bat and that will dry the bottom as well.

[Magnolia Mud Research]

use a canvas bat on top of the plywood bat. 
see the details here: https://www.vincepitelka.com/handoutsinformation/    
http://www.vincepitelka.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Throwing-on-Canvas-Bats-as-an-Alternative-to-Rigid-Bats.pdf   

send the cutting wire under the bat; use the canvas to slide the item off the wheel onto a drying table 

LT
 

[nomis]

Thank you very much, Bill, Mark and LT,

I think your three answers cover it pretty much With that I'm good to go, I'll test the three methods eventually.

[Pyewackette]

Or try newspaper instead of a paper towel.  It's smoother and less likely to tear or stick to the clay. Not the glossy kind.

[nomis]

Oh thanks; actually I'll try an thin open cloth first. I'll keep the newspaper strat in mind though, in case I'm not happy with the cloth.

[Magnolia Mud Research]

addition: 
I have used these materials on large plates (~24 inches) and on small stuff when small all the real "bats" have gone to the belfry:  
canvas, tar paper, roofing felt, the first three pages of the NYT, carboard, 
and I watched Fred Olsen throw a ~meter diameter dish using a plastic tablecloth as a bat. To trim the foot of the dish he place by place a support in the middle of the dish and a sheet of plywood over that and flipped the whole thing over on the wheel for triming the foot. 

The point is: there is more than one way to get from here to there, if you just look at what you have around you.  

LT