Level rims

Hi It's all down to the centreing of the clay (that bit in "Ghost" with the clay? it's not just for fun, but what we do to get the clay centred on the wheel, and get it to form a sort of spiral within the lump so that it becomes a pot easier... Learning to centre is best done from somebody, who can show you where you are going wrong.. If not at the class then find a thrower to show you... By the way, we were ALL complete novices once, it's nowt to be ashamed of.... Hugs and Luck Eddie

Do you have a needling tool? If not take a large needle, grind down the tip a bit so you don't stab yourself, stick that eye end into a wine cork (use pliers) and this will be your needling tool. Even experienced potters will trim up a bad rim.

Everything about working on the wheel is keeping yourself steady. Have you ever seen a painter use a ruler to rest their brush against so they can keep steady? You need to use your body (keep your elbows tucked in, your arms close to your sides) as the means of keeping your self steady. Think of yourself as a lathe (later when you have developed the needed muscles and skills you will want to loosen up). Now with the wheel turning not fast but not too, too slow, you will have a finger resting on the inside of the lip of your pot (the position it would be in if you were pulling). You will then take the needling tool and slowly and steadily cut into the clay at the lip, until you touch your finger, at which point you will lift this cut ring of clay off of the remaining piece. You are only going to go as low as where the low point in the rim is (well - a little below so that you can easily take of the uneven rim. Now take your chamois and compress the new rim.

One of the things that I think many people miss when they are centering is that you have to have a very soft touch to finish off that brute force of pushing the clay to center. If nothing else, this very soft touch will tell you if you are centered or not.

If you have centered your clay properly before opening it and you have opened it on center then your walls will be the same thickness. You can do more pulling and your rim should remain even. If however either your inner or your outer wall are not on center then when you do your next pull your rim will again be uneven. If this is the case, recycle the piece.

Don't be greedy about your pieces. Slice them down the center to look and see what your walls look like. And for heavens sake don't keep a bad piece just because you have invested an hour trying to make it. Think of it as an exercise in learning not as a possession. You can easily wedge your clay back up again and you will learn much quicker this way. The kid that is willing to fall down learns much quicker than the one that will only take steps that are perfect. As Eddie said, we were all newbies once and just like walking, once you learn it you don't even think about having gotten there in 9 months or 2 years - Walking is walking.

Looking forward to hearing what you think of your class.

Donna

Thank you for your help! I promised myself to spend all next week 'centering' and then try a pot. Mel

That sounds really tedious - try lots of pots, and learn from each one.

Here is what I learned from experience---make sure your wheel is level. When I first got my wheel, my pots were always uneven then when I put a level on the wheel head and saw how far off center the bubble in the level was, I started putting shims under the legs of the wheel til it was level. I think the fault lies with my uneven floor but anyway that solved my problem. I hope this helps. Sandi

There is something else that most of the posts in the thread have not addressed. Each time you pull up your wall, take a moment and put your index finger along the top, horizontally, with the index and second finger of your other hand on either side, supporting the wall, in sort of a pinch. All three fingers will then form an "arch" over the wall of the cylinder. (More experienced potters sometimes use just two fingers, like an upside down "V" to do the same thing, while supporting the wall on the outside with their other hand. Either way works well.) I use a piece of chamois or cloth when I get the mind to...whatever you find easiest. Once you have the arch (however you decide to do it), press down _slightly_ to compress the rim. Compressing the rim each time you pull up is one sure way to make the rim level. And it strengthens the rim as well. Best, Wayne Seidl

All good advice I see. One thing I would add, is being extra careful when you approach the top of the pot. As in move your hands away slowly, and very carefully. I am teaching beginners, and they all do the same thing, the carefully bring up their walls, then just get all willy nilly once the get to the rim, they will tend to do crazy flourishes as if saying " Viola, I did it", then they mess up the rim. And also someone mentioned the horizontal index finger, arch thing, yes, yes, yes, this will help immensely. And, pinning off is also not a crime. Please remember, this is not easy, it takes trial, and lots of errors to get even remotely good at throwing, it doesn't happen over night. But, the day you throw that "perfect" pot, will be a very great day, and I'm sure it will happen for ya, just be patient, patience is the key. Good luck! Sa

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I find that laying my index and long finger on each side and then pressing that V down and at the same time pushing the fingers together a bit to stabilize the side helps to get the edge very nice and level. I do sometimes have to cut off the top in any case, though, if I have made a big mistake with centering or bumped it. But the V (tipped to me by someone on here) is a very nice method for me.

Marianne