Pulling A "fancy" Handle

[Chantay]

I have been able to learn to pull a handle.  A plain, simple, handle.  I would like to be able to make them with ridges and lines in them.  I talk to an instructor, watched you tube, etc.  "Just stick your thumb down as you run your hand down," isn't working for me.  Does anyone have some suggestions to offer?  I'm throwing mugs today and hoping to put some zing in my handles.

 

-chantay

 

[Chris Campbell]

You are gonna hate this ... make/pull handles until you get one you like, then do a dozen more, then a dozen more ....

handles are one of the most critical items on any form, so you just have to keep practicing until muscle memory takes over.

Getting to the simplest is the hardest.

[Colby Charpentier]

Some will use a tool to impress or pre-cut ridges.  If you're having trouble with fancier pulled handles, explore some handbuilt handles or otherwise..

[Rebekah Krieger]

For the center ridge, When making a pull I run the outside corner of my thumb in the center and the pulling motion creates a ridge down the center. If you slowly try, it will not work, it must be a confident pull.  

[Diane Puckett]

Chris is right. I detest making handles, because I cannot do them well. My plan is to take a plastic tumbler and spend lots of time putting handles on it. It will be a good activity while sitting on the porch in warmer weather. That is assuming it ever does warm up.

[clay lover]

never fear, Diane. it will warm up until we can't get around for the RAD studio tour for the heat.  Never fails!

[Benzine]

For the center ridge, When making a pull I run the outside corner of my thumb in the center and the pulling motion creates a ridge down the center. If you slowly try, it will not work, it must be a confident pull.

 

After doing the initial pulling, I use my pointer finger to make the groove. My thumb is a little too big for a groove, the size I like.

[Babs]

If you have a non stick, for clay that is, surface , after the initial pulling to almost right thickness you can work a length with a flexible rib or smooth sponge to get the ridges and dips you want.

[Marcia Selsor]

 To pull a long handle or a series off one wad, you can do the front and back with the thumb down the middle and pull the sides every third pull to keep the side ridges. Keep your hand wet dipping it every pull or two.

 

Marcia

[Pres]

I start by making my lug look like a trapezoid in the cross section-narrower at top, then wider at base. pull with thumb over top first, then next pull on left side with thumb, then on right side. This starts to build the ridges needed for the linear accents in the handle. Continuing in this manner will get you what you want with one other thing-practice.  When I first learned, it was with a triangle for a center ridge, with either a lft or rt thumb accent. When I figured out the trapezoid instead of the triangle the handles seemed to fit my style better. Look to my blog site, As I have a good picture in one of the pages of leather hard mugs with the trapezoidal pulled handle.

 

best,

Preston

[Joy pots]

You could lay your pulled handle on a table & press ridges into it with your fingers. Two fingers on each side of the handle or however you prefer the ridges to be.

[Chantay]

Hey everyone, thanks for all the great ideas.  I had something come up and finally getting to make the mugs today.  I'll see how the handles come out.

 

-chantay

[Chilly]

There's a video clip here:  http://ceramicartsdaily.org/uncategorized/design-for-the-soft-surface-b/#handleclipb which might help.......

[Stellaria]

Tim See has a good YouTube video on pulling handles, too. He shows how to do the center groove, edge grooves, and center ridge, plus a bunch of other alternatives.