Trying my hand at cascade pots

[vgarth]

Hi All,
thought I'd try my hand at throwing some cascade pots. The challenges for me are a) to get them tall enough, b) to keep the sides smooth and keep the pot centred, not bulging in places, c) to flare outwards steadily, just enough not too much, and finally d) to get a good rim or top edge. (Two of the pots in this picture aren't going to be cascade pots.)

[vgarth]

Here's another two. I've tried to leave really deep bases in these pots, and then turn out the feet from them. That way, I get a smooth pot side right down. Like that look better than some of the clumsy feet I've been adding, at least on cascade pots. For shallow pots, I like the added feet, (but of course, not clumsy ones.)

[anttal63]

Nice Val Practice makes perfect. I too like the chunky deep feet in the 2nd 2. The lower pots will make good semi csacade.

[bodhidharma]

I do not know a lot about Pottery but it sure looks like you do. I would be interested if you want to sell a few.

[vgarth]

I don't really know a lot about pottery, though I have been in hobby classes for years, and do have my own wheel and (small) kiln. I make my own glazes, and do sell pots, round the clubs in Melbourne. I intend at least some of these for sale, if they work out well enough. But as for knowing a lot, I still make lots of mistakes, and need my teachers! I have now retired from my paid employment, so am putting more time than I used to into bonsai and pottery. They are both great fun.

[Bretts]

Great stuff Vgarth. I have only tried one or two of the tall pots on the wheel and it is not easy

It would be great if you had a few to sell

[cuwire]

Don't know where your clumsy feet are - they all look well centered and very well turned ... if not ... WOW!!

If you make your pots too perfect you will loose a great deal of the charm that goes with hand made pottery and very much so in bonsai pots....so knock em up a bit.

Hope you have some great glazing in mind for these .. be daring.

All above IMHO.

Cheers

[Andrew F]

Beautifully crafted pots, look forward to seeing them with a cliff hanger growing out of them

[Nathan]

The pots look great you must be very happy with the way they turned out

[vgarth]

Chuckle, these are NOT the clumsy feet, others I'll not post were. Yes, I'm happy so far. Thinking about glazes, they are a white porcelainous clay, called TMK. Possibly a celadon glaze, or blue... I'll post again when they're glazed and fired.

[Duckbed]

Looking good, Can't wait to see the glaze. Are you firing in reduction?

Cheers

[vgarth]

I hope to fire in reduction one day. I have bought an old gas kiln but can't seem to get it connected. Can't really even find out what I need to actually do to comply with regulations, yet. If anyone knows a class b gasfitter in the Melbourne area, please recommend him or her to me. Until I can get it going, I have a small electric kiln, but can't do reduction in it. Or my teacher's gas kiln, fired in December.... long time to wait. Cheers, Val

[Duckbed]

I noticed a couple of your Pots in another thread.. viewtopic.php?f=45&t=11935

These look like a BRT in Reduction? very nice also.

Cheers

[vgarth]

Yes Duckbed, those are BRT fired in reduction - my teacher's kiln, fired Dec 2011. I want to be able to do that at home too, but need to get my kiln sorted. It's very frustrating as I can't get straight answers from anyone. And so far I can't find a class b gasfitter who will do the work. They either take on contracts in the millions of dollars, or think I want an illegal connection which is quite the opposite to what I want. If anybody knows a class b (or type b or whatever the terminology is) gasfitter, in Melbourne or surrounds, please pm me a phone number.
Cheers,
Val Garth

[vgarth]

Turning the kiln on tonight, to do the bisque on the cheaper weekend electricity rates. Hoping for no cracks. Next post in several days.