throwing (pulling up)

Hello,

I have been throwing for about a year, but I still have trouble pulling my
clay up (throwing, right?). Sometimes, I end up with a ring that just comes
off when I get to the top. Other times, usually when I am making tall
objects, the clay doesnt seem to move up at all after a while. Then I get
too ambitious and pull too much up at a time, and the piece usually ends up
all wobbledy. Can anyone give me some pointers?

Thanks,
Mandy

"Mandy Farrier" wrote in message
...
Hello,

I have been throwing for about a year, but I still have trouble pulling my
clay up (throwing, right?). Sometimes, I end up with a ring that just
comes
off when I get to the top. Other times, usually when I am making tall
objects, the clay doesnt seem to move up at all after a while. Then I get
too ambitious and pull too much up at a time, and the piece usually ends
up
all wobbledy. Can anyone give me some pointers?

Thanks,
Mandy


Keep it slow and controlled. Always use sufficient water/slip, a dry spot
will cause problems. When reaching the top always compact the rim. If you
are leaving lots at the bottom, before lifting with your knuckle dig your
finger in against the batt/wheel head so that you can get your knuckle in
right at the bottom.
Good luck

"Mandy Farrier" wrote in message
...
Hello,

I have been throwing for about a year, but I still have trouble pulling my
clay up (throwing, right?). Sometimes, I end up with a ring that just
comes
off when I get to the top. Other times, usually when I am making tall
objects, the clay doesnt seem to move up at all after a while. Then I get
too ambitious and pull too much up at a time, and the piece usually ends
up
all wobbledy. Can anyone give me some pointers?

Thanks,
Mandy



Hi Mandy,
my tips for what its worth:
1. Dont spin the wheel too fast..... slow down.

2. Try and "link" your hands together at the thumbs.... it helpd to make the
wall thickness of the vessel even. Difficult for large pieces but do
practice just throwing tubes with say 400gms of clay to begin with....
progressively making them taller and thinner walled will an even rim.

3. Ease off the pressure on the top of the tubes to help prevent the top
becomming to thin.

4. Dont try and pull too much clay up at once.... especially if it is on the
hard side for thowing..... on the other hand if the clay is too soft, its
difficult to pull up tall thin walled pieces.

5. Soft clay (while easy to center), will tend to "buckle" if its thin....
but if its not too bad it is recoverable.

Regards

Kevin

my pottery homepage www.kevinbaldwin.20m.com

Hi Mandy,
I am a new potter, too. I was having the same problem. I was not keeping
my fingers moving up at the same speed. I found I was holding my fingers in
one place for too long. Hope this helps you.
Sandi
"Kevin Baldwin" wrote in message
...

"Mandy Farrier" wrote in message
...
Hello,

I have been throwing for about a year, but I still have trouble pulling
my
clay up (throwing, right?). Sometimes, I end up with a ring that just
comes
off when I get to the top. Other times, usually when I am making tall
objects, the clay doesnt seem to move up at all after a while. Then I
get
too ambitious and pull too much up at a time, and the piece usually ends
up
all wobbledy. Can anyone give me some pointers?

Thanks,
Mandy



Hi Mandy,
my tips for what its worth:
1. Dont spin the wheel too fast..... slow down.

2. Try and "link" your hands together at the thumbs.... it helpd to make
the
wall thickness of the vessel even. Difficult for large pieces but do
practice just throwing tubes with say 400gms of clay to begin with....
progressively making them taller and thinner walled will an even rim.

3. Ease off the pressure on the top of the tubes to help prevent the top
becomming to thin.

4. Dont try and pull too much clay up at once.... especially if it is on
the
hard side for thowing..... on the other hand if the clay is too soft, its
difficult to pull up tall thin walled pieces.

5. Soft clay (while easy to center), will tend to "buckle" if its thin....
but if its not too bad it is recoverable.

Regards

Kevin

my pottery homepage www.kevinbaldwin.20m.com

In article ,
sandi wrote:
Hi Mandy,
I am a new potter, too. I was having the same problem. I was not keeping
my fingers moving up at the same speed. I found I was holding my fingers in
one place for too long. Hope this helps you.
Sandi

A couple of other hints that might help--

If you want your cylinder to flare out at the top slightly, keep your
inside fingers slightly higher than your outside fingers.

If you want your cylinder to flare in at the top slightly, keep your
outside fingers slightly higher than your inside fingers.

As someone else mentioned, regularly compress the top rim--maybe after
every pull upwards.

Use your rib to take off the slip from the surfaces of the clay after
a couple of pulls. This will also compress your walls.

Try to sit as close to your wheel as possible, so that you are
vertically over your piece. This reduces the tendency to pull
outwards towards your body.

If you're trying to go tall, go about halfway, and let the piece sit
for awhile to slightly firm up before pulling it higher. This will
reduce the chance that it will flop down. I don't mean leather hard
or anything like that--just for a little while so that it's not really
wet and soft.

For your last couple of pulls, try pulling dry. Rib off all the water
from the surfaces of the clay, and dry off your hands on a towel.
There can't be water either on your hands or on any part of the clay
surfaces or you'll "catch" when pulling, but it works well if you've
gotten the water off. Takes some practice. I was surprised that it
worked for me--I didn't quite believe it would until I tried.

Deb R.

another newbie here. learned something in class last night...

"Deborah M Riel" wrote in message
...
In article ,
sandi wrote:
Hi Mandy,
I am a new potter, too. I was having the same problem. I was not
keeping
my fingers moving up at the same speed. I found I was holding my fingers
in
one place for too long. Hope this helps you.
Sandi

A couple of other hints that might help--

If you want your cylinder to flare out at the top slightly, keep your
inside fingers slightly higher than your outside fingers.

If you want your cylinder to flare in at the top slightly, keep your
outside fingers slightly higher than your inside fingers.

As someone else mentioned, regularly compress the top rim--maybe after
every pull upwards.

Use your rib to take off the slip from the surfaces of the clay after
a couple of pulls. This will also compress your walls.

Try to sit as close to your wheel as possible, so that you are
vertically over your piece. This reduces the tendency to pull
outwards towards your body.

stick your nose dead center over the cylinder. i was looking at the side of
my hands when pulling up, and found myself tilting my head sideways to the
right. this caused everything to lean over, and eventually fail.

If you're trying to go tall, go about halfway, and let the piece sit
for awhile to slightly firm up before pulling it higher. This will
reduce the chance that it will flop down. I don't mean leather hard
or anything like that--just for a little while so that it's not really
wet and soft.

For your last couple of pulls, try pulling dry. Rib off all the water
from the surfaces of the clay, and dry off your hands on a towel.
There can't be water either on your hands or on any part of the clay
surfaces or you'll "catch" when pulling, but it works well if you've
gotten the water off. Takes some practice. I was surprised that it
worked for me--I didn't quite believe it would until I tried.

Deb R.

Thanks so much everyone. I'll let you know how your tips work for me.

Mandy


"Charlie Spitzer" wrote in message
...
another newbie here. learned something in class last night...

"Deborah M Riel" wrote in message
...
In article ,
sandi wrote:
Hi Mandy,
I am a new potter, too. I was having the same problem. I was not
keeping
my fingers moving up at the same speed. I found I was holding my
fingers
in
one place for too long. Hope this helps you.
Sandi

A couple of other hints that might help--

If you want your cylinder to flare out at the top slightly, keep your
inside fingers slightly higher than your outside fingers.

If you want your cylinder to flare in at the top slightly, keep your
outside fingers slightly higher than your inside fingers.

As someone else mentioned, regularly compress the top rim--maybe after
every pull upwards.

Use your rib to take off the slip from the surfaces of the clay after
a couple of pulls. This will also compress your walls.

Try to sit as close to your wheel as possible, so that you are
vertically over your piece. This reduces the tendency to pull
outwards towards your body.

stick your nose dead center over the cylinder. i was looking at the side
of
my hands when pulling up, and found myself tilting my head sideways to the
right. this caused everything to lean over, and eventually fail.

If you're trying to go tall, go about halfway, and let the piece sit
for awhile to slightly firm up before pulling it higher. This will
reduce the chance that it will flop down. I don't mean leather hard
or anything like that--just for a little while so that it's not really
wet and soft.

For your last couple of pulls, try pulling dry. Rib off all the water
from the surfaces of the clay, and dry off your hands on a towel.
There can't be water either on your hands or on any part of the clay
surfaces or you'll "catch" when pulling, but it works well if you've
gotten the water off. Takes some practice. I was surprised that it
worked for me--I didn't quite believe it would until I tried.

Deb R.

Nice website Kevin.

Hi GaSeku,
Thanks very much

Regards
Kevin


"GaSeku" wrote in message
...
Nice website Kevin.

"Monika Schleidt" wrote in message
...


Mandy Farrier wrote:

Hello,

I have been throwing for about a year, but I still have trouble pulling
my
clay up (throwing, right?). Sometimes, I end up with a ring that just
comes
off when I get to the top. Other times, usually when I am making tall
objects, the clay doesnt seem to move up at all after a while. Then I
get
too ambitious and pull too much up at a time, and the piece usually ends
up
all wobbledy. Can anyone give me some pointers?



One thing which nobody mentioned: make sure you keep on breathing
properly. I
found out years ago, when i had difficulties throwing a large piece, that
i
tended to hold my breath while pulling it up. Once i had noticed that and
made
myself breath steadily, it became much easier.

Monika
--
Monika Schleidt

www.schleidt.org/mskeramik


You are so right, for me it was holding my breath when centring large pieces
)
I had so much more strength when I breathed.