Fancy, Schmancy Handles
 

Hello all,
I'm sure you are all familiar with the beautiful, fancy handles some potters
have on their pieces. I'm not talking about pitcher handles, but casserole
dishes and the like. How in the world are they done? All I can figure out is
they must come from a mold as they are too intricate to handbuild, throw or
pull. If they are from a mold, does anyone know who sells these molds? I
suspect these very talented potters probably make their own since I can't
recall ever seeing two potters using the same handles.
Thanks, Gaye

"GaSeku" wrote in message
...
Hello all,
I'm sure you are all familiar with the beautiful, fancy handles some
potters
have on their pieces. I'm not talking about pitcher handles, but casserole
dishes and the like. How in the world are they done? All I can figure out
is
they must come from a mold as they are too intricate to handbuild, throw
or
pull. If they are from a mold, does anyone know who sells these molds? I
suspect these very talented potters probably make their own since I can't
recall ever seeing two potters using the same handles.
Thanks, Gaye

There are so many ways to make handles. Extruders are often used, then the
extruded piece for a casserole curved and stuck on. Just by simply rolling
a coil you can make literally hundreds of different handles.
You can flatten them with a ruler, press them into something for texture,
roll them over something for texture, press the sharp end of a ruler into
it, turn and press again, then twist. Just sit and try it some time you
will be amazed.

"annemarie" wrote in message ...
"GaSeku" wrote in message
...
Hello all,
I'm sure you are all familiar with the beautiful, fancy handles some
potters
have on their pieces. I'm not talking about pitcher handles, but casserole
dishes and the like. How in the world are they done? All I can figure out
is
they must come from a mold as they are too intricate to handbuild, throw
or
pull. If they are from a mold, does anyone know who sells these molds? I
suspect these very talented potters probably make their own since I can't
recall ever seeing two potters using the same handles.
Thanks, Gaye

There are so many ways to make handles. Extruders are often used, then the
extruded piece for a casserole curved and stuck on. Just by simply rolling
a coil you can make literally hundreds of different handles.
You can flatten them with a ruler, press them into something for texture,
roll them over something for texture, press the sharp end of a ruler into
it, turn and press again, then twist. Just sit and try it some time you
will be amazed.

Another way to make handles for pots is to make a coil and roll it
between two pieces of coragated cardboard at different angles or press
two dowels into a coil. Then when you have attatched them to the pot,
take an interesting stamp you have made from clay and bisqued and
press it into the ends of the handles. Support the inside of the pot
when you do this. It also helps to stick the handle tighter.
Sandi

Thank you both for your tips. I have used several of those techniques and like
the results, but I was refering to handles that are very elaborate. Take a look
at the platter by Cat Jarosz on this website.
http://www.lightonecandle.com/plates.html
I ahve written her and she has shared her technique. I would love to here how
others do it, if anyone knows.

"GaSeku" wrote in message
...
Thank you both for your tips. I have used several of those techniques and
like
the results, but I was refering to handles that are very elaborate. Take a
look
at the platter by Cat Jarosz on this website.
http://www.lightonecandle.com/plates.html
I ahve written her and she has shared her technique. I would love to here
how
others do it, if anyone knows.

They are nice handles. Guessing technique, always difficult. Maybe
extruded and then shaped and bits pressed onto dish?? :o)

That's basically how she does them. Of course, I'm sure it's more involved than
that. I think they are just beautiful.

What a wonderful website! I just loved looking at EVERYthing! Since
I was kind of "handle-centered", given the topic at hand, I was
actually surprised there were so few really innovative handles on most
the pots. But the forms and glazes were phenomenal.
Cat's handles struck me as just being 3 coils of equal length,
probably set in a row on a surface and the central portions melded
together, leaving 3 separate ends on each end. Then to join them to
the pot, a round stamp was used to impress each of the total of 6 ends
into the main pot.
As someone pointed out, handles can be great fun... just take a
handful of clay and try out anything you can think of, and see if it
works on a given pot as something to comfortably grab onto.
Cheers,
Kira in NC (Hi Lois Sharpe, I saw your three pots on there!!!)

I'm glad you enjoyed the site. Chris has done, and is doing, a great job
letting everyone have a chance to submit thier work.
I'm so bad I would have to SEE someone make handles like that. Like my father
used to say, "Some people couldn't pour water out of a boot with the directions
written on the heel". That's me sometimes!
Gaye, oh, and I cleaned it up, It's not really water.

Can you repost the link please. I don't seem to find it in my favorites
list (must have put it someplace safe).


"GaSeku" wrote in message
...
I'm glad you enjoyed the site. Chris has done, and is doing, a great job
letting everyone have a chance to submit thier work.
I'm so bad I would have to SEE someone make handles like that. Like my
father
used to say, "Some people couldn't pour water out of a boot with the
directions
written on the heel". That's me sometimes!
Gaye, oh, and I cleaned it up, It's not really water.

Here's the link.
http://www.lightonecandle.com/plates.html