Goblet stems

Bunny: one of the tricks I use is to center and open as if for anything else. Once you are done with your pulls almost to the height you need, start to collar in slowly (meaning not too much pressure per collar run up the clay) until it is approximately what you need. Then I take a shaft of wood approximately what I need for inside diameter, cover it in slip and insert it into the piece all the way to the bottom. Collar around the piece again with the shaft still installed, then remove the shaft....SLOWLY! I have on occasion been known to leave the shaft in until the clay is more firm, but not yet leather hard (drying clay shrinks, remember?) so that it does not slump. (I work in porcelain, and have made candleholders about one foot tall, about 3/4 inch in diameter. No fun those.) One can also trim quite easily leaving the shaft in, and gripping the end of the shaft loosely on top allowing it to rotate in the circle formed by your thumb and index finger coming together (properly lubricated with slip). A dryer or fan pointed at the piece while still rotating slowly on the wheel will help dry it faster, so you can remove the shaft before leather hard stage and the piece will not shrink and bind to the shaft or slump. Of course, what happens in the kiln is yet another matter:>)

If you don't feel like throwing your stems, you can use that same shaft to wrap a slab around. Instant tube! Most potters I see doing this make the bowl of the "goblet" separate from the stem and foot, and join them later. I throw the goblet upside down on the bat, with the stem on top and a rim for the foot, then join a thin slab on top to make the bottom of the foot. Leave the goblet wall extra thick to support the weight of the rest of it, or leave the goblet bowl solid clay, and trim it out later. Works for me, any how.

Hope that helps, Wayne Seidl

Hi Bunny The way I do goblets, is two piece throwing, first the bowl then the stem. Center the bowl first & trim, then add the stem. Yours in clay Elaine

Thank you for the hints. How thick is your clay after you open and draw up? (befor collaring?) What I have been having trouble with is torqing and tearing off. I think the wooden core will help that.

I had thought of making a slab stem, but needed some extra hints on that. Will try that too and see which one works better for me.

:-)

Bunny

I usually end up with the wall being between 3/16 and 1/4 inch. but remember, I'm throwing plaster, very soft, and very slow...aboput 40 rpm. Your mileage may vary :>) Wayne Seidl

OOPS!!! MAKE THAT porcelain, not plaster! Sorry about that! Wayne

Wayne,

Your technique with the piece of wood reminds me of a tool used in a country pottery I worked in briefly many years ago called a Drainpipe Stave; a hollow turned wooden cylinder, with a basic handle at one end, at the other end the edge or lip was quite thin. Pipes for land drains were wheel thrown using this as follows; the clay was opened out into a bottomless ring, the wetted stave placed in the ring, the clay collared up around it, the stave removed, and the piece wired off and removed from the wheel. The hollow shape which extended through the handle and thin lip at the bottom made it easier to remove. I have used variations on this tool since, though sometimes it is easier to wire off the whole thing and then gently *persuade* the clay cylinder off onto the ware board.

Steve Bath UK

In article , wayneinkeywest writes

"wayneinkeywest" wrote in news:1oWpb.19986 $ snipped-for-privacy@bignews4.bellsouth.net:

Damn. I was hoping to come down to Key West and watch you throw plaster.

Hey Spunky! Anyone can throw plaster. Easy as anything. Of course, when it hits, it's maybe gonna do some damage, depending on if it's powder, or the whole bag! If you've mixed it with water, let me know so I can high-tail it out of there first :>) Best Regards, Wayne Seidl

Tried the dowel. Rolled a slab around it, then placed it into a well of clay. Progressed to throw the foot from that. It worked really well. Thank again.

Bunny

I was looking forward to see how your kiln held out! I wonder if I could have heard the explosion from my studio? Steve in Tampa, Florida

The kiln is fine. Got a bunch of bananas hanging over it to ripen right now, so no firing this weekend. The (black) cat is not amused after rubbing up against the porcelain looking for attention. She now looks kinda like a skunk :>) She's gonna be even less amused when I get done washing her off! Wayne Seidl