Throwing a small vase today!
As I show in the video I mainly use a wet sponge for the clay pulls, I’ve been using this technique for a while now and find it’s been one of the best things I’ve used for getting consistent results on the pottery wheel
What a good throwing sponge will do, is it will give the benefit of not allowing to outside wall to dry out while throwing, it will give your fingers a bigger surface area to push against without your fingers penetrating the clay wall and it will also keep the surface of the wall nice and smooth
I will recommend not to have the sponge completely saturated, too much water in the sponge will make the walls too damp and risk the wall collapsing
You want enough water in the sponge to not have it dry out but not too much that it saturates the clay with water
The other big thing I’ve enjoyed using is the use of a straight metal rib, WOW! It’s certainly a lot easier to get the walls nice and smooth with a metal rib, especially when straightening the walls, it helps to have a solid object to push against
Here is a step by step guide to wheel throwing from a previous post:
- 1. Start by preparing the clay – knead it thoroughly to remove any air bubbles and create a smooth consistent texture.
- 2. Center the clay on the pottery wheel by applying pressure in the center of the clay with your palms, while also using the fingertips of your other hand to press inwards towards the centre of the wheel from the side, using the pedal to get the wheel spinning at a moderate speed.
- 3. After centrering, squeeze your hands together with the clay mound spinning inbetween to begin creating a cone, it should look like a cone upside down on your wheel head this will help even out your clay, a lot like kneeling it on the bench, but with the added benefit of adding water
- 4. Now, Using your thumbs and fingertips, create a rounded shape mound of clay to begin the throwing process.
- 5. press down into the center of the clay using your thumb of fingers to create a hole.
- 6. As the wheel spins, and your hands are still at the center, gently pull the clay upward, creating the walls of the pot. Use your other hand with a sponge to press towards your inner hand and start lifting the wall up in a gradual but continuous manner
- 7. As the walls get taller, use your sponge-dampened hand to smooth the surface periodically, renewing the moisture content, and removing any irregularities.
Don’t add too much water, though, as this could weaken the wall.
- 8. Continue to shape the pot’s walls by applying pressure with your fingers while keeping the clay moistened with the sponge.
- 9. Once you have the desired shape, With a Rib tool, refine the shape and remove any bumps or irregularities.
- 10. Use a sponge and fingers to soften the rim of the pot and alter the shape slightly if needed.
- 11. Use a carving tool or wooden rib to trim the foot of the pot if desired.
- 12. Allow the pot to dry completely before firing it.
As always we hope you are enjoying your own pottery adventures and we will see you in the next one
Until then happy potting 🤗
