new to porcelain

Go with the feel (corny I know, but true), you can't bully Porcelain.

I've never used it as a facial; it gets hung up in my beard. :-)

Steve Bath UK

In article , Deborah M Riel writes

Just like throwing with cream cheese! One of the differences in throwing with porcelain is after a few throws, you may want to walk away from the piece for 10-15 minutes. Let it continue to turn at a very slow rpm. If you don't walk away from it every once in a while, it starts getting dizzy and then slumps. Steve in Tampa, FL. USA

I think I'll try to keep the water to a minimum, and use the slurry as you said. I haven't tried to go big and thin yet--I think I'll stick to smaller pieces until I get a feel for it. Besides, it's nice to completely do an about face from the great big, heavy cookware I've been working on. I needed to get away from flameware--it was starting to drive me crazy.

Deb R.

I'll keep this hint in mind. I've heard the cream cheese analogy, but I think it even feels smoother than that!

Deb R.

All of the other advice is good (I work exclusively in porcelain) but I'll add my

2¢ here:

Go into your bathroom, and go get your blow dryer. Turn it on low, and hot, and set it where it can blow on the piece as you throw. Helps keep it from collapsing. Patience is what porcelain demands. She's a stern teacher, that one :>) Wayne Seidl

Slurry/slip should always be used when throwing, not water. That goes for centring too. Water gets absorbed into the clay/porcelain. Slip seals the surface and your clay/porcelain will not get too wet.

A hot air gun (paint stripper) is better than a hair dryer. I have one in my studio just for using in the studio. The hair dryer tends just to dry the surface, the hot air gun because of the high temp dries right into the clay.

Annemarie: The problem with that is that with the heat gun on, and blowing across the work, I find that my hands tend to "cook" if I have to collar in for an extended period, which I often do. My vessels tend to have extremely looooong necks. I may start with a

4 inch diameter cylinder, and collar it in to no more than 3/4 inch diameter. Easier to get the 12-18 inch height on a wider cylinder. Makes pulling easier. Since I'm throwing those vessels in one piece, that extra heat can be, um, painful. Easier (for me at least) to let it revolve a few times, and sit back and sip my coffee :>) (I throw standing, so it gives me and my back) a break as well.

I've also been told, (but haven't tested) the fact that extreme heat, concentrated on wet clay, can subject the clay to unequal drying stresses caused by the rapid removal of water from the body. This results in that cracking we all know so well...with porcelain, not a good thing. Porcelain does not have the strength of a clay body with grog to begin with.

Best, Wayne Seidl

I make tall narrow things too. Yes, centre, lift, collar, lift collar lift. If it is getting too soft through the process I just grab my hot air gun and with wheel turning and hot air gun moving up and down firm it up a bit, then carry on. It works well too if you want to alter work. Throw, then dry off with hot air gun, turning, moving.... when dry to touch - not sticky anymore, but still very flexible you can alter it to whatever shape you want then dry off a bit more so that it stays. Great for fine large jug spouts and the like. A

Odd, I once read that you should not use the slurry which rather confused me since I found it much easier to work with. I can't remember why it said not to use the slurry (unless you would not want that "slip" covering your final product but I tend to thrown dry towards the end so I don't have that)... Would like to hear ideas on this. DKat

I've never heard not to throw with slurry. I always compress with a rib anyway, so there's no slip remaining on the surface of the pot.

Deb R.

I've thrown porcelain with slip for a year now, and will never go back to plain water. I throw sloppy or dry, depending on what I need to do with the clay. Use a rib, no matter if you're using water or slip, to keep the excess water out of the clay.

I use thick slip rather than water; doesn't wet the clay up so quickly, and feels nicer.

Steve Bath UK

In article , D Kat writes