Throwing - out of center - why?

Hi Bubbles, does this happen when centring ? or when you are opening up ?, or maybe pulling up the clay?? It could be you are moving your hands too quickly to the clay or away from the clay, try smaller lumps of clay to warm up with first, I find a warm ups works for me and it is relaxing when not aiming for a specific shape. I hope this helps, don't give up, Yours in clay art Elaine.

Hi Elaine :-)

It is happening as I am trying to center. It is as if there is a blob of heavier clay on one side of the piece. I am sticking to pieces of about 500 grams still - that is around a pound, I think! Not very big. I am still at the stage where I kind of go where the clay leads me. I try to pull up into a cylindar and then work from there.

I am going to video tape this in the near future and post it to YouTube, so people can see what my problem is. So difficult to explain in words!

I am very careful about removing my hands too fast.

Marianne

Hi Bubbles I will look forward to seeing the video, it may give a bit more info that way as to what is going on. The other thing I have learned over the years of potting is to show the clay who is boss. Also, as you know it must be really be cantered before opening the clay and pulling up.

( Girl We Will Get To The Bottom Of This Problem ) :- ) Elaine.

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a friend of mine had a similar problem & we discussed wedging, arm bracing, etc. it wasn't until she brought over her plastic bat that we saw the problem. her injection molded plastic bat had ridges in the underside that put a quiver into the pieces as you'd try to center it. she threw away the bats, got clean old flat ones & the centering problem went away...

see ya

steve

Ela> Hi Bubbles

Hi,

I have seen this happen when the clay is too firm. Try using softer clay - not so soft that it is sticky - it might be that you have to use clay that is too soft to pull up into really thin walls at first but as you become more used to centering you will be able to deal with firmer clay.

pierre - i just saw that happening today. i ws throwing some rather stiffer clay out of the bag. sure puts up a fight & my wrists are not what they used to be.

see ya

steve

Pierre Brayford wrote:

I found that I had arthritis a few years ago. The pain was excruciating. First doctor prescribed pain killers that did nothing, the second opinion came from a friend who is a doctor that specializes in immune disorders and he told me to try Glucosamine. I can't tell you how well this worked. I recommend that any potter or person dependent on their hands pass the age of

40 consider it as a supplement. It keeps your joints from degenerating and helps out once they do.