On day 2, Aidan guides me through the delicate process of trimming the now-dry enough pot.
Ensuring the clay is stable and won’t deform, Aidan instructs me to centre the pot on the pottery wheel, accounting for slight wobbling. Using a cutting tool, I trim any overhang around the base. A steady hand is crucial, slowly bringing the tool in to avoid catching on any irregularities.
Our next goal is to angle the tool to achieve a 90-degree angle from the base to the sides.
For the foot ring, I carefully cut a trench, pressing the tool down along the side and gradually deepening the gouge. After cutting off the corner, I repeat this process in reverse, determining the desired foot ring thickness and cutting down to that depth.
Cautiously approaching the inside edge to preserve the foot ring, I cut down and bring the tool straight back up. Excess material is slowly trimmed away. To ensure accuracy, I evaluate the thickness by gentle pressing down in the middle.
Next, I increase the wheel speed, and glide my finger along the base to smooth out tool marks, being mindful of the middle to prevent any accidental perforations. This trimming process is essential for crafting a high-quality, well-shaped pottery piece.
Welcome to Part 2
So, because I have put a gouge in there, I’ll then come along and flatten it out, making sure not to cut the side again.
Next, grab the tool again and gauge how deep you want your foot ring to be, whether or not you want the foot ring to be that thick or thicker.
When doing this bring your tool straight down into where you think it’s good, then just bring it straight back up.
Because you’re on the inside, it’s very easy because of the way the work is spinning for this inside edge to catch your tool and eat away at your foot ring.
Then you go back in, and you slowly bring it inward and cut away all that material.
So, the next bit is you turn the wheel on a bit faster, and you can just glide your finger along and just smooth it off. This is getting rid of all the tool marks. You can get your finger in the corners.
And so there you have it, Day 2 with the help of Aidan carving the foot ring.
We’ll see you on Day 3.
Happy Potting to you! 😀
Teaching My Dad To Wheel Throw, Carving Decoration
It’s day 3 of teaching dad how to wheel throw and we are at the final stage which involves carving the outside of the wall
We begin with getting a sharp spatula or scraper and begin chipping and cutting the clay wall away, keeping the walls nice and thick when throwing helps the carving process later on giving you a lot of wiggle room to carve to your hearts content!
After carving we then smooth off the lip to allow for easy use!
Well thats the final post for 2023! We would like to wish you all a very happy and prosperous new year and appreciate all the support over this year, its been a wonderful ride and hope you all enjoyed spending time with us, we know we have 🤗
Happy New Year and Happy Potting Everyone!!! 🥳🥳
