Handles on cups / New tool

[Crooked Lawyer Potter]

In the hope that someone else may benefit from this:

Not sure where I saw this idea but it has helped me a lot in putting handles on cups.  (I dont "pull handles", I make them out of a small coil).  It lets me concentrate on the attachment without having to worry about holding the cup and it gives me a firm foundation on to which I press the handle connections.  I threw and bisqued the bullet shape with a hole at the bottom into which a rod goes.  The other end of the rod is stuck into a hole drilled into the table edge.  Put a sock over it for softness.  The cup to be "handled" goes over the bullet and is held conveniently in place while I attach the handle.

[oldlady]

looks like a good idea.  was stymied for a minute before i noticed the first photo was in the last position just the way album photos are backward.   so the white mug is grooved and you place the handle parallel to the grooves.  would like to see a short video on your technique.  i hate doing handles.

read some good stuff this am about "souring" the clay for handles before attaching them.    hamer & hamer's big book.

[Pres]

I love my magic water, and the power extruder of course. Looks like a great little hack for having 3 hands.

best,

Pres

[shawnhar]

Nice.. thanks for posting!

[Crooked Lawyer Potter]

On 8/2/2022 at 7:13 PM, Pres said:

I love my magic water, and the power extruder of course. Looks like a great little hack for having 3 hands.

best,

Pres

Pres -- you know I was having problems with my handles popping loose when drying so I tried some new methods including using magic water infused slip and vinegar infused slip.  Neither worked for me as well as just plain watery slip.  Funny how these things work for some and not others.

Old Lady -- I will try to remember to make a short video. (Always wanted to be a movie star someday.)

[kswan]

Nice! I saw something similar, but also with a wooden form that was placed on the inside of the handles to give them a uniform shape. It was shaped like a capital letter D.  Do you pop that into the hole when you need to handle mugs, or is that always there? I'd have lots of bruises right at that height in my studio.   

The worst thing for me in attaching handles is if the mug body is too dry. My handles always want to come apart when that happens, no matter how long they're under plastic to equalize. I find just water on my scored areas is good enough to make the attachment if the mug body is damp enough. 

[Callie Beller Diesel]

I’ve found a few things over the years on handle attaching:

1. Slip vs water vs magic water: there is not a universal method. What works on one clay might not work with another. I’ve used white stonewares at cone 10 that needed slip and score, and red stoneware at cone 6 that wouldn’t grip for love nor money if I was using slip, but needed scoring and water instead. If one trick doesn’t work for you, try another.

2. If your handle and your mug body are at different stages of dryness, that’s the thing most likely to cause handles popping off in drying.

3. Wiggle that sucker on there! Whatever you use from step one, if you don’t wiggle the handle into the attachment point until it stops moving, it’s not attached well enough. If done properly, a handle will break off just outside the join rather than the join itself giving way.

[Crooked Lawyer Potter]

Here you go Oldlady.  Follow this link: https://hcbailey-my.sharepoint.com/:f:/p/rick/EkxCuy9MoolOlbANUFJUU1sBpzHGhGuXVX6zfJIesQxL2g?e=2JUuGz

On 8/2/2022 at 7:00 PM, oldlady said:

looks like a good idea.  was stymied for a minute before i noticed the first photo was in the last position just the way album photos are backward.   so the white mug is grooved and you place the handle parallel to the grooves.  would like to see a short video on your technique.  i hate doing handles.

read some good stuff this am about "souring" the clay for handles before attaching them.    hamer & hamer's big book.

 

[Crooked Lawyer Potter]

19 hours ago, Callie Beller Diesel said:

I’ve found a few things over the years on handle attaching:

1. Slip vs water vs magic water: there is not a universal method. What works on one clay might not work with another. I’ve used white stonewares at cone 10 that needed slip and score, and red stoneware at cone 6 that wouldn’t grip for love nor money if I was using slip, but needed scoring and water instead. If one trick doesn’t work for you, try another.

2. If your handle and your mug body are at different stages of dryness, that’s the thing most likely to cause handles popping off in drying.

3. Wiggle that sucker on there! Whatever you use from step one, if you don’t wiggle the handle into the attachment point until it stops moving, it’s not attached well enough. If done properly, a handle will break off just outside the join rather than the join itself giving way.

I'm gonna have to try to remember that piece of advice.  I intuitively resist wiggling because I unconsciously think of gluing things where a wiggle is not desirable.

[Crooked Lawyer Potter]

20 hours ago, kswan said:

Nice! I saw something similar, but also with a wooden form that was placed on the inside of the handles to give them a uniform shape. It was shaped like a capital letter D.  Do you pop that into the hole when you need to handle mugs, or is that always there? I'd have lots of bruises right at that height in my studio.   

The worst thing for me in attaching handles is if the mug body is too dry. My handles always want to come apart when that happens, no matter how long they're under plastic to equalize. I find just water on my scored areas is good enough to make the attachment if the mug body is damp enough. 

I pop it in and out as needed for just that reason!

[oldlady]

thanks, i see how the hole in the side of the table and the diameter of the pipe you are using makes a difference, too.   could not imagine how a single nail would hold it firmly enough for you to work on it.  good idea.  

you have experienced the use of a sock and see how easy it is to remove an item from the sock covered form.  a single nylon stocking or piece of panty hose allows quick removal of an interior bowl when making slab dishware.