QotW: Large or Small, creamed , slurry or water to lube your throwing?

[Pres]

I was recently at NCECA, and notices some interesting throwing buckets at one booth selling wheels. They were paint trim buckets, hanging over the splash pan edge by their handles! Some wheels had two, some only one. I could never use that size of a bucket while throwing as I use water in the beginning to center the hump, and gradually taper off till almost dry. I see a lot of beginners with small bucket with about 3-4 inches of water in the bottom. They often have to reach in deep to even get to the water. I like a one gallon bucket that is full, so that I can get to the water easily/quickly. I usually throw with water, not slurry. In the early days I had been told to try hand cream in the water to protect chapping, and to make the water lubricate the hands against the clay. Tried it, and discarded it within a week or so. My idea about pulling is that the smaller the area of drag on the clay the easier to pull and keep from corkscrewing. When throwing larger, I pull with the rt hand pointer supported by the thumb and the second finger, on the inside the first supports the second against the third. I have tried the edge of the thumb on the left, but no more as it doesn't bend in the first joint.

QotW: Large or Small, creamed , slurry or water to lube your throwing?

best,

Pres

[Mark C.]

I use a plastic bowl for water . Its a wide open form -I keep a cut shammy on the lip and few sponges in it. I get fresh warm water every throwing day from electric tea kettle-my guess is 1/2 +gallon of water-less water the better in terms of throwing

Edited March 25 by Mark C.

[Min]

750 ml yogurt container, so I guess that would be nearly as small as the paint cups with the handle. It sits in the splash tray (Bailey wheel), don't keep any sponges or chamois in it. I start with warm water then top it up as the day goes along. After a few throwing days I put it to one side, stir a splash or two of peroxide and then it goes into the reclaim.  3 yogurt containers used in rotation. 

[Hulk]

I'm using a one gallon plastic bucket* - it fits in the splash pan - with a clothespin for keeping the chamois un-lost, nearly full.
Sometimes I'll keep a two gallon bucket nearby for second rinse when transitioning to clean and dry hands, keeping the towel - and everything else as well - cleaner, much.

To start, I'll pour off clear/clearish, mix up and dump the settled muck into reclaim, pour back the clear, then top up with hot fresh.
Since adding an electric kettle to the Studio space, warm water is much more frequent (always), as hike to/from the kitchen no longer required.

I throw with water, enough that there is some accumulation in the pan, some being more than none.
I use a half sponge** for cleaning, two sponge pieces (corners cut from a full sponge) for adding and taking off water/slip, also wood knife, metal flexy rib, wood rib, chamois strip, and, sometimes, a pointer.

I'll collect some slip (from my right hand, mostly -  clockwise rotation...) in a small bowl for attaching handles, making repairs, etc. later on.
 

*it's a favorite! ...a washed out paint bucket (fancy deck paint) from ~forty-two years ago.
**large grout sponge, cut in halves is a nice size (for me).

 

[Pres]

@HulkI just attach a fishing float to the chamois, and it gives me a handle when my fingers are slippery.

 

best,

Pres

[Hulk]

,)

My string (for "off the hump" separations) has a wine cork on one end...

I'm setting my pointer and metal kidneys on a half sponge set in the other corner of the spash pan - easier to pick up, particularly that metal rib.
The other tools, in a cylinder set next to the half sponge...

[Rae Reich]

I like a broad shallow bowl with room for wetting, scraping both hands at once and for pulling handles over. I throw pretty dry, using slip/slurry and a chamois. Big water bucket for more washing and rinsing of tools.

I just recently got one of those paint buckets with a handle, for painting, and then saw them being used by potters. Too narrow for me!

[Denice]

I like using a small shallow bowl and have a 5 gal bucket near by to wipe scraped clay into.  I was also taught to throw dry and like to use a thin slurry starting with warm water.    Denice

[Kelly in AK]

A small wide plastic container on the wheel deck for throwing (just need a few ounces of water there), and a five gallon bucket full next to me.