Now that that great sale is all over, I have been making replacement items for what sold. The biggest seller were my mugs. So I threw five on Monday. On Wednesday, I trimmed, slipped, added handles, and added the last details.
Now, I have had some trouble, in the past, with handles. There are so many things I have learned in the last several months that have helped me with my handles. Most of my problems had to do with proper drying.
I threw my largest vase ever, back in November. It really asked to be a pitcher form, so I pulled a spout on it, and added a handle. In previous times, as a pottery student, in college, I would spend all day in the studio. I would, therefore, be able to attach a handle the same day I threw the form. I no longer have that luxury. when I attached that big handle to that big vase, the moistures of the two were too different. While waiting in the kiln room, the handle ripped off, breaking the top of the vessel. I tried to fix it, but to no avail. It was a disaster that I won't get into right now.
The biggest lesson, I thought, from that incident, was not to attach handles to the rim of a vessel. That was not, really the issue. The real issue goes back to high school biology class. I was embattled with the physical process of osmosis! (For those who do not remember, this is the process by which water flows from wettest to dryest area.) By attaching a wet handle to a drying vessel, the waster wants to move to the dryer clay. Add in the shrinking that clay dries, when it dries, and you have a big problem.
Now, I have had some trouble, in the past, with handles. There are so many things I have learned in the last several months that have helped me with my handles. Most of my problems had to do with proper drying.
I threw my largest vase ever, back in November. It really asked to be a pitcher form, so I pulled a spout on it, and added a handle. In previous times, as a pottery student, in college, I would spend all day in the studio. I would, therefore, be able to attach a handle the same day I threw the form. I no longer have that luxury. when I attached that big handle to that big vase, the moistures of the two were too different. While waiting in the kiln room, the handle ripped off, breaking the top of the vessel. I tried to fix it, but to no avail. It was a disaster that I won't get into right now.
The biggest lesson, I thought, from that incident, was not to attach handles to the rim of a vessel. That was not, really the issue. The real issue goes back to high school biology class. I was embattled with the physical process of osmosis! (For those who do not remember, this is the process by which water flows from wettest to dryest area.) By attaching a wet handle to a drying vessel, the waster wants to move to the dryer clay. Add in the shrinking that clay dries, when it dries, and you have a big problem.
(My blog ate half of my post. So I will attempt to re-write it.)Two pieces of clay, of two different drynesses, will shrink differently. As they dry, they will each shrink, pulling apart. This causes cracking.The simple solution is to wrap the handled vessel in plastic for a few more days. This will create a mini ecosystem inside the bag. The water cycle will do its thing onside the bag, and your disparate pieces will normalize in terms of water content. Same water, same shrinkage, no cracking. This problem is solved.
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