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s-cracks/humps/compressed bottoms

updated wed 30 apr 03

 

Lily Krakowski on mon 28 apr 03


John. I agree with you 97.438%. (That sounds SO scientific!)

I was taught and believe that clay is like oatmeal. Flat, nearly flat
"flakes" and the water is like the milk--it goes between the flakes and
lubricates their movement. (Ok, Smarties! Grog is like currants)

Having said that: compression (as David [?] said) pushes/presses the water
out. Hence the bottom becomes relatively drier and firmer and more equal to
the sides in dampness.

I went into so much detail because too many new throwers are unaware of the
importance of thickness and G R A D U A L thinning in throwing. I wanted to
emphasize where inequality lurks.

While in throwing on the wheelhead/bats, tyros tend to make an outsie belly
button in the bottom of their pots;throwing on the hump they tend to make a
mean insie.

I ask students to cut a dozen or so pots thrown off the hump in two so they
can see that they tend to make the center bottom too thin...What bottom
would not crack?

I return to Mother Krakowski's basic tenet. Throw dry, mop out all excess
water, dry your pots slowly slowly in a controlled dampness (damp box,
plastic, or, my favorite, styrofoam picnic coolers.)

I mean--ask any screaming baby-- WHO likes a wet bottom?






Lili Krakowski
P.O. Box #1
Constableville, N.Y.
(315) 942-5916/ 397-2389

Be of good courage....

claybair on mon 28 apr 03


Ahhh...Lili,

It is obvious you have never had a wet bottom Shoo-fly pie!
Though I have to confess I am now an ex-shoo-fly pie maven having been off
sugar for 2 months.

Have a speedy recovery.

Gayle Bair -
Bainbridge Island, WA
http://claybair.com

-----Original Message-----
From: Lili Krakowski

snip>

I return to Mother Krakowski's basic tenet. Throw dry, mop out all excess
water, dry your pots slowly slowly in a controlled dampness (damp box,
plastic, or, my favorite, styrofoam picnic coolers.)

I mean--ask any screaming baby-- WHO likes a wet bottom?






Lili Krakowski
P.O. Box #1
Constableville, N.Y.
(315) 942-5916/ 397-2389

Be of good courage....

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Lily Krakowski on mon 28 apr 03


Cultural deprivation. Ok. Make with the recipe....


claybair writes:

> Ahhh...Lili,
>
> It is obvious you have never had a wet bottom Shoo-fly pie!
> Though I have to confess I am now an ex-shoo-fly pie maven having been off
> sugar for 2 months.
>
> Have a speedy recovery.
>
> Gayle Bair -
> Bainbridge Island, WA
> http://claybair.com
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Lili Krakowski
>
> snip>
>
> I return to Mother Krakowski's basic tenet. Throw dry, mop out all excess
> water, dry your pots slowly slowly in a controlled dampness (damp box,
> plastic, or, my favorite, styrofoam picnic coolers.)
>
> I mean--ask any screaming baby-- WHO likes a wet bottom?
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Lili Krakowski
> P.O. Box #1
> Constableville, N.Y.
> (315) 942-5916/ 397-2389
>
> Be of good courage....
>
> ____________________________________________________________________________
> __
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
> melpots@pclink.com.
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at melpots@pclink.com.



Lili Krakowski
P.O. Box #1
Constableville, N.Y.
(315) 942-5916/ 397-2389

Be of good courage....

Susan Giddings on tue 29 apr 03


I have done quite a bit of throwing off the hump - all kinds of clay
bodies, with or without grog, doesn't particularly seem to matter to me. I
do throw fairly dry (use slurry for lubrication - never water) and with a
good bit of compression (walls are raised with constant steady pressure on
the rim.) I pretty much throw the same on or off the hump. The only thing
different I do when throwing off the hump is I "compress" the foot ring
area from the outside - where the clay shape starts to emerge from the
hump. Normally I do this with the pinky side of the hand as I make and open
the ball. I have found that when I remember to do this - no s-cracks. But
when I forget, about 1/2 the items will have the cracks. Those that do
crack typically have thicker bottoms than those that don't. I do make a few
passes at "compressing" the bottom from the inside once it is opened as
well. Will follow up with more compression from the outside just before i
wire it off. I do trim almost everything and I almost always burnish the
footring area. On hump made items the burnishing is done with a fingertip
or a pliable rubber rib. I use quite a bit of pressure - as much as the
clay can handle. I "think" these two steps definitely have an impact.

I learned these little tricks from workshops I've taken with Malcolm Wright
(from Marlboro, Vermont).

Susan
Expressions Pottery Workshop
East Granby, CT USA