» Making Multiples: Using Templates to Throw Uniform Shapes on the Pottery Wheel

March 25, 2009

Making Multiples: Using Templates to Throw Uniform Shapes on the Pottery Wheel

by Jennifer Harnetty Read Comments (0)

I think many beginning potters start out with the goal of making perfect sets of bowls or mugs, but quickly realize that it isn’t that easy to make exact duplicates on the pottery wheel. It can be argued that this is precisely the charm of; and made objects - that they are not perfect. If you want perfect, you can get factory-made pottery at your local big box store.

But, if you still can’t let go of the idea of making exact sets, you might want to try using a throwing template. Today potter Bill Schran explains how he makes and uses templates to throw multiples on the pottery wheel. Enjoy! - Jennifer Harnetty, editor.

When my beginning wheel-throwing pottery students have developed a sufficient facility with clay, they’re assigned the project of creating a set of four matching cups. Though I’ve demonstrated to students how to measure their forms using calipers and other devices, I continue to observe them experiencing difficulties. In an effort to overcome this stumbling block, I decided to show a technique that has been successfully used by students in my beginning handbuilding class.

This technique involves the use of templates to repeatedly create an even, symmetrical form. In the coil-building exercise, the template is positioned abutting the pot as coils are added, making certain the pot conforms to the profile of the template. The template is then used as a rib to scrape the surface of the pot as it is rotated, creating a smooth, uniform surface.

Making a Throwing Template
To incorporate this technique into wheel throwing, I began with testing of various materials that might serve the function of a template. The result of these tests proved to be sheet plastic, a durable material that can easily be cut and shaped. Searching through scraps available at local glass supply and repair shops, I found pieces of 1/4 in. and 3/16 in. sheets that could be cut
with a power saw and handsaw and could be readily shaped into the desired profiles. The edges can then be smoothed with fine sandpaper. This process can also be used to produce templates with more complicated and compound profiles with relative ease. The image to the right shows an assortment of throwing templates made of sheet plastic.