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was real throwing! now mud towels

updated thu 26 nov 09

 

gayle bair on wed 25 nov 09


I found wiping my hands repeatedly during the day on a dry towel causes =3D
clay dust in the air.
Now I wet the towel wipe off my hands then wipe my now clean hands with =3D
a dry towel.
When the wet towel gets too much clay on it I just swish it in a bucket =3D
of water and wring it out.
No dust flying and the dry towel lasts a lot longer.
When new to pottery I thought wearing clay was a statement....=3D20
now getting up from a day at the wheel with nary a smudge of clay on my =3D
clothes is the prize.

Gayle Bair
Bainbridge Island WA
Tucson AZ
gayle@claybair.com
www.claybair.com

On Nov 24, 2009, at 11:53 AM, Des & Jan Howard wrote:

> Steve
> A potter of my acquaintance used to wear shorts all the
> time, wipe his hands on his shorts & rest his head on
> his slop bucket when throwing. His long hair & caked
> clay dags still bring a shudder when the image flashes
> past me. I wear an apron for all pottery work, a long
> split leg apron for throwing & use small mud towels for
> wiping icky bits off fingers when trimming. I don't
> have enough hair to form dags even if I stuffed my head
> in the bucket.
> Regards
> Des
>=3D20
> Steve Mills wrote:
>> Hang on Des, what are Trousers for (apart from keeping your "Bits" =3D
warm)?
>=3D20
>=3D20

Steve Mills on wed 25 nov 09


All humour apart,
over the years I've tried various forms of clothing when throwing, includin=
g
(at Johnny Leach's suggestion) a full length rubber/plastic milking apron,
which was amazingly dust free and protective, but rather cumbersome.

Now I've returned to traditional Stoke-on-Trent wear; a Potter's "Slop" and
over-trousers, made from very densely woven synthetic polyester fibre
(terylene), which is light, comfortable, and doesn't hold dust.
The Slop is a short sleeved jacket that "does up" at the back in the same
way (but more effectively) as a surgical gown, leaving a crevice-free front=
.

Hand wiping is a series of increasingly decrepit towels worn over the right
knee and washed out before they dry, which are discarded when they become
see-through.

All part of the process of shutting the stable door after the horse has
bolted (about 30 years ago!)

I think that when the fires eventually claim me, my lungs will make a
wonderfully solid sculptural piece, fit for a mortician's mantlepiece.

Steve M



On Wed, Nov 25, 2009 at 8:21 AM, gayle bair wrote:

> I found wiping my hands repeatedly during the day on a dry towel causes
> clay dust in the air.
> Now I wet the towel wipe off my hands then wipe my now clean hands with a
> dry towel.
> When the wet towel gets too much clay on it I just swish it in a bucket o=
f
> water and wring it out.
> No dust flying and the dry towel lasts a lot longer.
> When new to pottery I thought wearing clay was a statement....
> now getting up from a day at the wheel with nary a smudge of clay on my
> clothes is the prize.
>
> Gayle Bair
> Bainbridge Island WA
> Tucson AZ
> gayle@claybair.com
> www.claybair.com
>
> On Nov 24, 2009, at 11:53 AM, Des & Jan Howard wrote:
>
> > Steve
> > A potter of my acquaintance used to wear shorts all the
> > time, wipe his hands on his shorts & rest his head on
> > his slop bucket when throwing. His long hair & caked
> > clay dags still bring a shudder when the image flashes
> > past me. I wear an apron for all pottery work, a long
> > split leg apron for throwing & use small mud towels for
> > wiping icky bits off fingers when trimming. I don't
> > have enough hair to form dags even if I stuffed my head
> > in the bucket.
> > Regards
> > Des
> >
> > Steve Mills wrote:
> >> Hang on Des, what are Trousers for (apart from keeping your "Bits"
> warm)?
> >
> >
>



--
Steve
Bath
UK
www.mudslinger.me.uk