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observations about throwing big pots

I like to throw big, but as yet I'm still self-taught and what I am doing is throwing them in one go and using porcelain. This is difficult, I find. I tend to throw thin and a large porcelain piece doesn't like that, no matter how much I dry it with a metal scraper. Nevertheless I've gotten acceptable (not super) results.

However yesterday I was watching someone throw a large pot and I noticed that he took it off the wheel after he made a cylinder, used a sponge to dry it, and let it sit for maybe

10 minutes.

Furthermore the way he threw it was something I've seen before but as yet have no explanation of: he didn't make the sides smooth as I do, but he gave it a corrugated look. Hence his inability to use the metal scraper to drying.

He then did something odd: he covered it with plastic as if it were completed, and left it overnight.

I don't know what clay he was using, but it didn't look like porcelain.

Reply to
ProfessorSparky
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We here tend to use gas blow-torch for partially drying pots to stiffen them a bit. Fast and fun, especially for "fire" people. I have a gas bottle permanently next to my wheel! o,yes... works with porcelain :0) Cheers, Andrea

Reply to
A&V

You can use a hot air gun too. You know the paint stripper variety. A

Reply to
annemarie

I gotta say that the clay is everything when throwing big. I witnessed Bob Kinzie throwing 2' & 3' pots like nothing. During the workshop using his clay I was throwing larger then I had before- we were re-using the clay & I had trouble the wetter it got; I think you need a lot of grit in their to go real large. I have not seen a lot of real large porcelin myself, tall but not super large. Another note on Mr. Kinzie style- very, very wet. So much water that you will get a miniature bath while watching him, he does not let it sit but he uses a lot of water- well I guess when throwing 25+ lbs you need to?

Reply to
Jeff

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