tea pot handles of other than clay

Hi, I want to make my own tea pot handle, not just get the bamboo ones
that we see all the time. I have seen many very interesting ones in the
pages of Clay times, etc, but the info about the tea pot is always
about the thrown part, and not the handle.
I'm just wondering if any has any suggestions about what kinds of
materials to use, twigs, sticks, wire.
I usually pull, or sculpt my handles, but I wanted to try something
different.
thanks
Sa
www.deep-water-designs.com

A suggestion was recently made on another list that we all try whatever is
local to us.
For some people, it might be grape vine, for others, willow twigs. For me,
it would be sea grape tree branch
bound with copper wire. It is strong, attractive when dry, and the copper
adds a nice bright element on a dark brown
tenmoku.

What grows in YOUR area? Take a walk, and take a look. You might be
surprised.
Best,
Wayne Seidl


wrote in message
ups.com...
Hi, I want to make my own tea pot handle, not just get the bamboo ones
that we see all the time. I have seen many very interesting ones in the
pages of Clay times, etc, but the info about the tea pot is always
about the thrown part, and not the handle.
I'm just wondering if any has any suggestions about what kinds of
materials to use, twigs, sticks, wire.
I usually pull, or sculpt my handles, but I wanted to try something
different.
thanks
Sa
www.deep-water-designs.com

Sheila Clennell does a very good video on handle making.

http://www.sourcherrypottery.com/ link no. 4 Videos.

Steve
Bath
UK


In article . com,
writes
Hi, I want to make my own tea pot handle, not just get the bamboo ones
that we see all the time. I have seen many very interesting ones in the
pages of Clay times, etc, but the info about the tea pot is always
about the thrown part, and not the handle.
I'm just wondering if any has any suggestions about what kinds of
materials to use, twigs, sticks, wire.
I usually pull, or sculpt my handles, but I wanted to try something
different.
thanks
Sa
www.deep-water-designs.com


--
Steve Mills
Bath
UK

On Sun, 8 Oct 2006 23:11:17 -0400, "w" wrote:

wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi, I want to make my own tea pot handle, not just get the bamboo ones
that we see all the time. I have seen many very interesting ones in the
pages of Clay times, etc, but the info about the tea pot is always
about the thrown part, and not the handle.
I'm just wondering if any has any suggestions about what kinds of
materials to use, twigs, sticks, wire.
I usually pull, or sculpt my handles, but I wanted to try something
different.
thanks
Sa
www.deep-water-designs.com

A suggestion was recently made on another list that we all try whatever is
local to us.
For some people, it might be grape vine, for others, willow twigs. For me,
it would be sea grape tree branch
bound with copper wire. It is strong, attractive when dry, and the copper
adds a nice bright element on a dark brown
tenmoku.

What grows in YOUR area? Take a walk, and take a look. You might be
surprised.
Best,
Wayne Seidl


I'll second the local idea. Around SE Michigan we have
invasive Buckthorn. It's a shrub/small tree that seems to
pop up everywhere and is really hard to control. After it's
been cut back, it sprouts back with straight shoots that
might be fine for your handles. I've been using them for
basketry, though they aren't quite as supple as willow, they
are strong. Wear leather-palmed work gloves, grip
a shoot, and pull all the leaves off in one pass. If you
use them as-is they have a silvery sheen from the bark.
If you soak them and peel the bark (comes off pretty
easily) the wood beneath is bright yellow! The color
seems to be fairly permanent (2 years and counting).

Another possibility around here is Black Raspberry.
I don't think it's officially invasive, but it also pops up
everywhere. Wait until winter and the stems turn
reddish purple. Use the same leather glove trick and
all the thorns come off in one pass. This is a bit harder to work
with since it breaks if you bend it too far, but I have seen plenty
of teapots with fairly straight handles. A twisted bundle
of this stuff would be quite striking. Note, however,
that color does darken over time and the stalks shrivel
slightly... they don't keep the beautiful gloss that they
have initially.

Hope this helps!



Bob Masta
dqatechATdaqartaDOTcom

D A Q A R T A
Data AcQuisition And Real-Time Analysis
www.daqarta.com
Home of DaqGen, the FREEWARE signal generator

Thanks everyone for the great advice. I live in Hollywood , Ca, so I
guess I can make handles out of the bones of starving movie stars, ha.
Seriously, I will do some local agrarian research, and I also have
access to a world of floral supply houses, they often have loads of
already dried wooden items.
Thanks again
Sa

I wonder what manzanita would work like, if it keeps its intense red bark?
That would be beautiful.

http://www.nps.gov/grba/naturescienc...sandshrubs.htm

If you do a page search for basket you can find what plants were used for
weaving and these should work fine for handles if you want them curved.
Your area is shrub country... also rattlesnake heaven. I'm not as
homesick for it as I once was but this brings back all I love about Southern
California - or what is left of it. Just some additional thoughts.



wrote in message
oups.com...

Thanks everyone for the great advice. I live in Hollywood , Ca, so I
guess I can make handles out of the bones of starving movie stars, ha.
Seriously, I will do some local agrarian research, and I also have
access to a world of floral supply houses, they often have loads of
already dried wooden items.
Thanks again
Sa

DKat wrote:
I wonder what manzanita would work like, if it keeps its intense red bark?
That would be beautiful.

OOO, that would be nice, and there's tons of it very close to me. I
live 4 houses down from Runyon Cyn, if you know where that is.
Rattlesnake heaven, you bet, but also loads of Manzanita.

Oh, now I can't wait for the darn tea pot to dry, so I can fire it, and
make this handle!
I have also ordered that DVD about from the Sour Cherry people.
Thanks again
Sa

I will sit back and envy you your treat! If you can post pictures, that
would be nice. Donna
wrote in message
ups.com...

DKat wrote:
I wonder what manzanita would work like, if it keeps its intense red
bark?
That would be beautiful.

OOO, that would be nice, and there's tons of it very close to me. I
live 4 houses down from Runyon Cyn, if you know where that is.
Rattlesnake heaven, you bet, but also loads of Manzanita.

Oh, now I can't wait for the darn tea pot to dry, so I can fire it, and
make this handle!
I have also ordered that DVD about from the Sour Cherry people.
Thanks again
Sa

Now a stuffed rattler would certainly be an unusual handle you have to
admit...
Best,
Wayne Seidl

OOO, that would be nice, and there's tons of it very close to me. I
live 4 houses down from Runyon Cyn, if you know where that is.
Rattlesnake heaven, you bet, but also loads of Manzanita.

Don't suppose you have a picture. That sound really lovely.

"w" wrote in message
...
A suggestion was recently made on another list that we all try whatever is local
to us.
For some people, it might be grape vine, for others, willow twigs. For me, it
would be sea grape tree branch
bound with copper wire. It is strong, attractive when dry, and the copper adds
a nice bright element on a dark brown
tenmoku.

What grows in YOUR area? Take a walk, and take a look. You might be surprised.
Best,
Wayne Seidl


wrote in message
ups.com...
Hi, I want to make my own tea pot handle, not just get the bamboo ones
that we see all the time. I have seen many very interesting ones in the
pages of Clay times, etc, but the info about the tea pot is always
about the thrown part, and not the handle.
I'm just wondering if any has any suggestions about what kinds of
materials to use, twigs, sticks, wire.
I usually pull, or sculpt my handles, but I wanted to try something
different.
thanks
Sa
www.deep-water-designs.com