[Kohaku]

Quote

Open up the clay about 2/3 to 3/4 of the way down to to the wheelhead. You are leaving the botton "massively" thick compared to all usual techniques. This is deliberate.

Starting at the point the inside opened floor now is, pull up and form the cylindrical form to the thickness that you feel is appropriate for the given form you asre making. And generally shape this form so that the part now near your eyes is the way you want the BOTTOM to look. (Yeah... the form is currently sitting upside down!)

Cut the piece off the wheelhead and set this aside so that the (current) TOP stiffens to leatherhard-ish. Depending on the weather conditions you might have to wrap the lower thick section with some plastic to keep THAT part from drying too much. But because it is thick and solid and base-down.... it will dry WAY slower than the hollow top part. Let it stiffen up til the top will well support the weight of the bottom. No more than that.

Then, using some clay for a nesting chuck to support and adhere the partially finished piece (not a Giffin Grip! ), invert the partially dry form back on the wheel in the opposite position to the way it was originally thrown (what was up is now down).

Like pretty much normal, open the thick still wet clay at the top through into the open area of the lower form. Pull up the walls from the juncture with the stiffer clay. By repeatedly wetting the area where the transition from leather hard and wetter clay happens you can re-soften this area a tad and facilitate some continued shaping at the juncture.

A bit of practice with this and you'll wonder why you did not think of it.

^^ Wow... consider my mind officially blown! I'm marginally terrified to attempt what you're describing... but I'm going to do it anyway. Thank you.

Cass- all of these are for a project (in brief- I'm making indigenous instruments with surface decorations of endangered species from the same region)... so I'm trying to follow tradition in terms of how I'll mount the drumhead. These guys will get a woven rope attachment for the skin.

I'm actually not much of a drummer- I play octave mandolin, but leave the percussion to people who are more adroit than me. So far, most of these have a pretty sharp sound- almost like an Indian tabla.

[Rebel_Rocker]

Very cool, I've been wanting to throw and Udu for awhile, going to have to do it soon.

Anyway, my first raku session is next week so I don't have much insight. But the instructor was saying that sometimes with clays that don't raku well (no grog) you can still be successful if you start the firing with that piece and bring the temp up slowly.

So I don't know, that might help you get one drum done at the start that has no issues, and maybe fire non drum pieces when it's hot? I guess if all you do is drums it might not be very efficient to do a single fire per piece to start them cold.

[OffCenter]

Kohaku, on 19 October 2012 - 10:49 AM, said:

Everyone- I really appreciate all of the feedback- very helpful.

Pres et. al. - your comments definitely jibe with my experiences with building in sections. In actuality, the tall piece I posted was thrown in two sections (top goblet section, bottom cylinder)- you can see the join midway. I had to extend my raku kiln base using some firebrick.

Here are a couple of pieces I threw yesterday- a bit smaller (two feet) but also thrown in sections. It seems to work a bit better if you do your joining at a natural break point. I'm still worried that these will fracture, however. I did make and extra effort to work vertically from the join, basically 're-throwing' the point of connection. Note- I deviated from the traditional Engalabi shape a bit.

I think my next move will be to try a couple using the coil-based method that PricklyPotter mentioned. I've never tried that approach, but it seems intriguing.

There you go, Kohaku! Much better! I like the one on the left better because you show off the joint instead of trying to hide it. Anxious to see finished drums.

Jim

[OffCenter]

JBaymore, on 19 October 2012 - 11:49 AM, said:

OffCenter, on 17 October 2012 - 08:04 PM, said:

voceramics, on 17 October 2012 - 06:15 PM, said:

I've seen photographs of tall cylinder forms being thrown in Korea. Instead of pulling the wall up to create their form, they center and work a very tall mound of clay and then they throw the walls, hollowing it out while working downward. They get their whole arm in there and some of the forms are so tall they use a stick with a nob at the end to finish the bottom.

Strange way to "pull" a cylinder but interesting. I'd like see that being done or even just the finished pot.

Jim

Jim,



Very common technique in Japan, Korea and China. Helps when the clay being used is not all that plastic like what we are used to in America. I use it and similar "not usually demoed in America" techniques sometimes for specific ends.

best,

..............john

I'll have to be on the lookout for a demo of both the techniques you mentioned in your posts. Recently, I was fantasizing about buying one of those little cheap portable wheels and attaching it to something over my head and pulling upside down. If that's been done you probably know about it and will let me know.

Jim

[atanzey]

Joel - Which Standard clay throws itself? Standard is my easiest/most economical choice, and I REALLY need some with that characteristic.... I'm working on going large, although not as large as these!

Alice

[JBaymore]

OffCenter, on 19 October 2012 - 10:26 PM, said:

Recently, I was fantasizing about buying one of those little cheap portable wheels and attaching it to something over my head and pulling upside down. If that's been done you probably know about it and will let me know.

Yup.... it has. Back in the early 70's or so I THINK that CM had an article about it. Can't tremember more than that I saw printed info on someone doing it. But it might have been much later than that.... as I get older.... stuff that I think was a LONG time ago. ...... is stiil "more recent" date-wise than I would like to admit... and is STILL "a long time ago".

As I remember, it was a full sized electric wheel that got hung upside down. And also if I am remembering correctly, it was on some sort of track that allowed it to be started with the wheel in the normal position and then "swung" upside down.

best,

..............john

[Cass]

i remember that, i think i have the pic somewhere...

mostly a novelty i think...that would seriously mess with your head!

[Kohaku]

JBaymore, on 20 October 2012 - 06:39 AM, said:

OffCenter, on 19 October 2012 - 10:26 PM, said:

Recently, I was fantasizing about buying one of those little cheap portable wheels and attaching it to something over my head and pulling upside down. If that's been done you probably know about it and will let me know.

Yup.... it has. Back in the early 70's or so I THINK that CM had an article about it. Can't tremember more than that I saw printed info on someone doing it. But it might have been much later than that.... as I get older.... stuff that I think was a LONG time ago. ...... is stiil "more recent" date-wise than I would like to admit... and is STILL "a long time ago".

As I remember, it was a full sized electric wheel that got hung upside down. And also if I am remembering correctly, it was on some sort of track that allowed it to be started with the wheel in the normal position and then "swung" upside down.

best,

..............john

I saw this- I also recall that the technique was highly sensitive to any flay in the clay (bubbles, irregularities). Gravity's pull would rip the developing cylinder...

[OffCenter]

JBaymore, on 20 October 2012 - 10:39 AM, said:

OffCenter, on 19 October 2012 - 10:26 PM, said:

Recently, I was fantasizing about buying one of those little cheap portable wheels and attaching it to something over my head and pulling upside down. If that's been done you probably know about it and will let me know.

Yup.... it has. Back in the early 70's or so I THINK that CM had an article about it. Can't tremember more than that I saw printed info on someone doing it. But it might have been much later than that.... as I get older.... stuff that I think was a LONG time ago. ...... is stiil "more recent" date-wise than I would like to admit... and is STILL "a long time ago".

As I remember, it was a full sized electric wheel that got hung upside down. And also if I am remembering correctly, it was on some sort of track that allowed it to be started with the wheel in the normal position and then "swung" upside down.

best,

..............john

It's funny that after getting back into pottery after my 35-year sabbatical that every time I see something that I think is new or cutting edge or a new idea it seems to be old hat. Recently, I was telling a potter about some German glazes I bought that have chunks of other glazes in them so that you might have a black glaze with all these other colors running out of it only to be told that that was pretty popular ten years ago and that several American companies used to make glazes like that and some still do.... Thanks for the info, John.

Jim