Last week I got my new POTTERY MAKING ILLUSTRATED in the mail and found a new twist on an old trick. When making sectional pots, I had learned to make the sections, stiffen, join, and do a little final shaping. The article ( by Rich Briggs ) suggested centering and opening a large ball of clay for the bottom section of the pot. Once opened, the walls are pulled straight up and left very thick. Thick like an inch and a half. A mating area is made by beveling the inside of this section at about 45 degrees. A slightly smaller bottomless cylinder is made the same thickness and diameter but beveled on the outside. This section is carefully inverted on the first one with no drying in between. With both sections still soft, no scoring or slipping is needed. At this point, turn the wheel slowly and put light pressure on the seam. Lo and behold, you have a fairly tall, thick walled cylinder that is straight and even. A few more pulls to thin it, a little shaping and there you are. I have made sctional pots before, but here is my first one with this method. Worked like a charm. I have included a 5 gallon bucket for scale.
I have seen lots of folks putting glass in the bottom of pots for color. Theirs looked great. Mine pulled themselves apart. I think I may have put in too much glass. Oh well, it's all practice anyway.
Lastly, here are a few pots that came out nice. Thanks for stopping by. I'm heading for the Western North Carolina Pottery Festival in Dillsboro next week. You should too. It's a great show and a good time
I put in a very small amount of glass when I tried it. When I took the workshop with Meagan Chaney she said some glass expands at a different co-efficient than clay so it may not be food safe and might crack months later.
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