Re: teapot spouts

Um, Steve... That assumes (and we know what happens when one assumes) that the clay manufacturer is always going to be right on with the clay body formula. Clay bodies can vary from mfg to mfg, even using the same formula. That's also going to affect the twist. It wouldn't apply perhaps, if you're ordering your clay by the ton, but I've seen wide variations from bag to bag from the same supplier.

The other thing that affects twist (found this out the hard way :>) is wood firing and gas raku firing. The direction of the fire to the flue (exhaust gas direction) can dramatically alter the droop/twist of a spout. I now fire two identical pieces at a time, one on each side of the kiln, and then display and try to sell them in pairs as "companion pieces" if they both survive. Sometimes it's all in the hands of the "clay gods" :>)

Wayne in Key West

Well yes spouts do twist, they go back oppisite to the direction of the turning wheel. So if you cut your spout you have to (normal boring) test to see how much that happens for you. maybe you could throw lots of spouts mark where you cut and fire them. However you do not need to cut the spouts. They can pour very well and look very good simply thrown. You need to have the lip of the spout very fine.

Other things to remember:

Make sure your spout reaches above the liquid level.

Make sure the lid fits well, has a handle that can be held with finger, but also has a deep part that goes inside the pot with a pulled out notch to help hold it in place. Also a steam hole away from handle.

Make sure your handle is sturdy and strong and well balanced to hold and pour hot liquid.

Spout works best if it is wide at bottom and fairly fine at top and as mentioned before a very fine lip.

Good luck, making teapots is fun. A

it's called "the memmory " of the clay, and i always assumed the spout will so to speak "untwist", but that is not true, it continues twisting in the direction it has been thrown. If you hold the teapot in your right hand, the spout will face away from you. The degree of twisting also depends on how much it has been worked, if you throw a spout swiftly, with two pullings and not much more fiddling with it, it will hardly twist at all, but if you work on it a long time, it will twist considerably. At least that is my experience.

Monika

-- Monika Schleidt snipped-for-privacy@schleidt.org

I reread all the teapot posts and am really wondering if making teapots is something I want really torture myself with. Maybe I'll still with pitchers. Thanks again all!

of course you gotta do teapots! they are a great assembly task & elements of a complete teapot are used on many other pieces.

and i don't even drink tea...

steve

steve graber

Yeah, I think you're right. :-)

Ok, ok. I give up! :-) You've persuaded me to give it a shot. I know I would be very proud if I could accomplish a nice teapot. Thanks for your encouragement!

Go for it, teapots are awesome and remember you do not have to cut your teapot spouts it is perfectly ok not to. Funky teapots that are not necessarily functional are fun too, have a go. A