Newbie ramblings

My 4-year-old son was pootling about in our
garage-cum-studio(-cum-toolshed) and he prodded a slab of reclaimed red
earthenware that was drying out on a plaster slab. He said "Mummy,
what's all this muck?"

I nearly told him "That's not muck, that's clay!" but instead I just
said "It's clay". He's right, it *is* muck, but we can make beautiful
things with that muck.

I'm going to my friend's house later today to play with her wheel. I've
never used one before - any advice (apart from "remember to duck")?
--
M Rimmer

Well I went to my friend's house and played for a couple of hours with
the wheel. I turned a few kilos of clay into slurry and ground a
millimetre of skin off my little finger, and had lots of fun!

I got one bowl-y thing (with rather thick walls) off the wheel in
more-or-less acceptable shape. Apart from that I had quite a few forms I
liked on the wheel at some point, but inevitably a few seconds later
they collapsed, or the top tore off, or my thumb went through the side.

I learned a lot, though. I kept thinking "Well that didn't work, I won't
do it that way again", or "I wonder what would happen if I did x, y, or
z?" So it was never frustrating, like when it all goes wrong and you
just don't know what to do differently. For example, do I need to lose
my fingernails? I have long fingernails on one hand (I'm a guitarist,
but I suppose I could use a plectrum). Or can I throw pots with
fingernails as long as I'm careful where I stick them? I found the clay
would start out too hard and be difficult to do anything with - probably
I should have spent more time preparing it but my friend didn't have
anywhere in the shed suitable for doing that. If I'd known I'd have
prepared the clay at home and wrapped it up in plastic before I went.
But then after a time trying to centre it and make something, it would
be too wet and fall over as soon as I formed any kind of a wall.

I wish I had a wheel. I'd spend an hour a day just getting centring
right and learning how to throw nice symmetrical forms. I could easily
get in loads of practice, even if it meant the kids had to make their
own dinners and my husband had to wash all the clothes for a few weeks.
--
M Rimmer

In article , M Rimmer
writes
Well I went to my friend's house and played for a couple of hours with
the wheel. I turned a few kilos of clay into slurry and ground a
millimetre of skin off my little finger, and had lots of fun!

I got one bowl-y thing (with rather thick walls) off the wheel in
more-or-less acceptable shape. Apart from that I had quite a few forms I
liked on the wheel at some point, but inevitably a few seconds later
they collapsed, or the top tore off, or my thumb went through the side.

I learned a lot, though. I kept thinking "Well that didn't work, I won't
do it that way again", or "I wonder what would happen if I did x, y, or
z?" So it was never frustrating, like when it all goes wrong and you
just don't know what to do differently. For example, do I need to lose
my fingernails? I have long fingernails on one hand (I'm a guitarist,
but I suppose I could use a plectrum).

I'm a Guitarist as well, but not Classical which I suspect you are, so
for some stuff I do I wear finger picks

Or can I throw pots with
fingernails as long as I'm careful where I stick them?

I can't, I keep them all short except my little fingernail on my right
hand, which I use (wet) for scoring surfaces where I'm joining handles
etc.; it scores the surface AND makes the slurry for joining all in one
go!

I found the clay
would start out too hard and be difficult to do anything with - probably
I should have spent more time preparing it but my friend didn't have
anywhere in the shed suitable for doing that. If I'd known I'd have
prepared the clay at home and wrapped it up in plastic before I went.
But then after a time trying to centre it and make something, it would
be too wet and fall over as soon as I formed any kind of a wall.

I wish I had a wheel. I'd spend an hour a day just getting centring
right and learning how to throw nice symmetrical forms. I could easily
get in loads of practice, even if it meant the kids had to make their
own dinners and my husband had to wash all the clothes for a few weeks.

I do have to warn you at this point that throwing can be addictive!

Have fun.

Steve

--
Stephen Mills

"M Rimmer" wrote in message
...
Well I went to my friend's house and played for a couple of hours with
the wheel. I turned a few kilos of clay into slurry and ground a
millimetre of skin off my little finger, and had lots of fun!

I got one bowl-y thing (with rather thick walls) off the wheel in
more-or-less acceptable shape. Apart from that I had quite a few forms I
liked on the wheel at some point, but inevitably a few seconds later
they collapsed, or the top tore off, or my thumb went through the side.

I learned a lot, though. I kept thinking "Well that didn't work, I won't
do it that way again", or "I wonder what would happen if I did x, y, or
z?" So it was never frustrating, like when it all goes wrong and you
just don't know what to do differently. For example, do I need to lose
my fingernails? I have long fingernails on one hand (I'm a guitarist,
but I suppose I could use a plectrum). Or can I throw pots with
fingernails as long as I'm careful where I stick them? I found the clay


I used to have long fingernails and great fun using crazy nail-polishes, but
I soon realized that I was BOUND to stick my nails in where they weren't
wanted, and they were all sacrificed in favour of my pots.

As to getting bowly things, I know just what you mean! I have long breaks
from the wheel for one reason or another, and then I get a couple of bowly
things before I get my feel back also. In the beginning, I kept all my bowly
things, as they were at least something tangible I could keep for my
efforts.... but you get better, and more selective, as you get in more hours
on the wheel.

Keep an eye out on Ebay and in the local papers to see if you get lucky and
someone wants to sell a used wheel. Also contact local potters and pottery
"schools" to see if maybe they have some "left-overs". You never know where
you can have luck.

I just bought a very nice book about pottery for kids. It is in German, but
maybe it is translated from English. I have it back home, so will try to
remember to check it when I get back and let you know. In any case, the
pictures are pretty self-explanatory and inspiring. Will try to get back to
you about this.

Keep having fun! That's what I think pottery is all about - fun and
relaxation!

Marianne

I got a chance to work on a wheel once at school(college) I made about
three bowly things and a plate. We called the bowly things ash trays. I
also had an instructor who prepared the clay with the right consitency
of water so I didn't have to worry about it.
One thing he told me about centering clay is that you guide it not
push it into the right spot. He also recomended not using more than 2
pounds of clay to start out with.
I am hoping to find a way to work with the stuff more often. It was a
blast

Good luck