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cracked lids from the hump or "s" cracks

updated thu 31 oct 96

 

Kenneth D. Westfall on tue 15 oct 96

It has been Quite enjoyable to read the various method to solve those
mysterious "S" cracks. Many of them I have tried and have had some success
in curing the problem. I will offer one more which came to me from a friend
of a friend of a friend who went to the work shop who got it from a potter
that they couldn't remember their name. It go like this, after your piece
is leather hard and trimmed. You add a little paddy of clay to the center
and throw it onto the bottom. Since the paddy of clay is thrown in the
opposite direction than the piece was the two cancels out each other and you
don't get that cracking. Real simple, no figuring out the twist coming out
of the pug mill, no squeezing in at the bottom or guessing if you pressed,
compressed, or depressed enough. Which ever way you solve the problem I
hope no one will just, "want to put up with them if they aren't too awful".
"S" crack or any other crack not intentionally made is a flaw and should not
be acceptable for sell or display.
Kenneth
DON'T GET STUCK IN THE MUDPIES--K & T

Dave and Pat Eitel on wed 16 oct 96

Which ever way you solve the problem I
>hope no one will just, "want to put up with them if they aren't too awful".
>"S" crack or any other crack not intentionally made is a flaw and should not
>be acceptable for sell or display.
>Kenneth
>DON'T GET STUCK IN THE MUDPIES--K & T


Kenneth--I wrote the comment about putting up with the s cracks. I believe
certain styles of pottery could tolerate a small s crack inside a lid
without it being considered a flaw. After all, it is a natural part of the
process of making a certain style of lid in a certain way.

I would naturally consider an s crack in the bottom of a pot a flaw if it
would interfere with the function of the pot--if for example it caused it
to leak.

Obviously, we all have different criteria for our work.

Later...Dave

Dave Eitel
Cedar Creek Pottery
Cedarburg, WI
daveitel@execpc.com
http://www.digivis.com/CedarCreek/home.html