Marianne,
When you wire off the pot, mark the side that the wire came out with your finger (on the wet wheel-head).
Make sure your hands are dry and when you lift the pot from the wheel-head, start your lift from where the wire exited under the pot (the side you marked the X on) using your best Vulcan form.
In other words, if you've pulled the wire TOWARDS you, made an X or some other mark (on the wheelhead) on the side the pot exited from (closest to you), start to lift the pot AWAY from you.
If you pull the wire under your pot AWAY from you, you'll start your lift TOWARDS you.
One - maybe two passes with the wire is sufficient - no need for a lot of water to make more of a mess. If your pot smushes a little bit, let it start to dry slightly before trying to 'fix' it - otherwise it might smush more than you had intended...... That would be a bad thing. :o(
Take care - keeping good thoughts!
Lori
Oh - the reason for the mark on the wheel-head? That's in case you somehow end up like me from time to time (in "Doofus Mode") and the wheel-head gets turned. You can always find the exit side with your mark on the wheel-head.....
I do find myself in "Doofus Mode" more often than I care to admit, so it's best if I wire my pots from pinhole to pinhole - that way I have at least a 50/50 chance of finding the exit side.....