Narrow neck Bud Vase

[Joe H]

I started throwing last November.  I am having a lot of difficulty throwing narrow neck bud vases.  Is this just a matter of more practice time or am I missing out on technique.   I have had success at many different forms.  I use Kansas Clay, Buff Plus (grog body).   Is this the problem.  I've spent hours watching You Tube for instruction.  Any thoughts on this word be appreciated.

[Babs]

Maybe post a pic of your efforts, and what you'd like to achieve.

[GEP]

The technique you want to learn is “collaring.” Search youtube for this specific term. 

[Callie Beller Diesel]

The least intuitive part of collaring is the part where you have to speed up for it to work better. Other than that, some things to keep in mind are to make sure you do a small pull or a pass with a stiff rib in between collaring passes. 

[Hulk]

Leaving enough clay at the top rim (but not too much!) to extend in and/or up takes some trials (and errors, in my case, many errors).
Judicious use of the rib (I like the flexible metal ones) to remove moisture/slip and thereby arrest softening can help, and so can allowing some time to pass while the clay dries/stiffens a bit afore continuing to narrow and raise the opening.

Other thought - keeping the form as narrow as possible while bringing it to initial height, narrowing the opening, then reaching in with a tool to belly out the form leaves one a lot closer in terms of closed up at the top, does that make sense? I have a small wooden tool that's a "knife" at one end and is rounded off like a butter knife handle at the other end - I use the rounded end for bellying out small vases.

^ likely not the shape you're working toward; the opening is small tho'...

One more thought, watching video clips, I still see more/different things after some time has passed!
Keep circling back to your favorites, you many get some aha moments!

 

Edited September 21, 2023 by Hulk
more italics!

[Pres]

I have been throwing chalice stems for many years, and have found a few skills that make it easier to throw a long narrow stem. In the case of a stem bottle with a bellied out bottom with a long neck, I would start by throwing a tall narrow cylinder with thicker walls than normal.  Then I use a curved throwing stick to belly out the bottom 3rd to the shape for the final vase. then I  use the thumb first finger webs to collar the stem narrower (faster speed) ,  when I cannot get narrower because of corkscrewing I use a long narrow throwing stick to pull the stem thinner and to remove the corkscrewing (slower speed). I don't allow the corkscrew to get extreme. I finish the shaping with a wooden spoon shaped rib and slow speed.

 

best,

Pres

[Min]

I've found that using a soft clay helps prevent the clay from pleating or buckling when collaring in. I also leave the wall a bit thicker than the lower part of the form where I start to collar it in, collar in a bit then throw that then collar in again and repeat until it is a narrow (or enclosed) as needed. Watching videos is great as long as the person doing the demo knows what they are doing. I had a quick look at Florian Gadsby's one on throwing a simple bud vase, at around the 5 minute mark he collars the clay in. 

[Morgan]

Ya as min mentions the key is to pull the thicker clay after every collar which will prevent issues and maintain the integrity of the form.