Making an oval pot - a potter tale retold

[Pat K]

Fantastic.....always good to see how others do it

Boony, I love all forms of fishing but flyfishing is my current passion......

Pat

[Steven]

Thanks for posting this tutorial Paul!
I'm really enjoying following it and learning the potters secrets
I never knew there was so much work involved and that it took so long. And you haven't even fired yet!
Looking forward to the next installments,
Steven

[Bretts]

Do you mean adding paper to the vinegar based slip or adding paper to a water based slip?

I asked wether adding both would be better and Sally laughed at me so I just used the paper to a waterbased slip
I used tiolet paper but in articles that I read about paper clay it had a small issue, maybe mold?. Newspaper is stated to be the best for making paperclay. I have not read anywhere about using paperclay to jion normal clay though. The articles I read were about using paper clay for the whole item and the jioning ability of the clay.

[Boondock]

Fantastic.....always good to see how others do it

Boony, I love all forms of fishing but flyfishing is my current passion......

Pat

WOW, an expert potter and a flyfisherman. I've been a flyfisher for 30 years, I build all my rods from scratch and tie all my flys. From floating drys on spring creeks to blue water salty flyfishing, It's my passion too.

[pjkatich]

Fantastic.....always good to see how others do it

Hi Pat, thanks for the positive feedback.

Thanks for posting this tutorial Paul!
I'm really enjoying following it and learning the potters secrets
I never knew there was so much work involved and that it took so long. And you haven't even fired yet!
Looking forward to the next installments

Steven,

You are very welcome and I'm glad you are enjoying my little soap opera.

I asked wether adding both would be better and Sally laughed at me so I just used the paper to a waterbased slip
I used tiolet paper but in articles that I read about paper clay it had a small issue, maybe mold?. Newspaper is stated to be the best for making paperclay. I have not read anywhere about using paperclay to jion normal clay though. The articles I read were about using paper clay for the whole item and the jioning ability of the clay.

Soltan,

Thanks for the information on the paper clay. I'll need to do a little research on the subject.

Cheers,
Paul

[pjkatich]

Next, I will go to work on the outside seam. The following photo shows what the seam looks like before I begin this part of the process:

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Using my trusty seam tool, I will compress the outer edge of the rim ring down into the slab as shown in the next photo:

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Then, I will work the excess clay and slip back into the seam and finish it off with a layer of slip to fill in any rough spots that are left. The following photo shows what the outer seam looks like after this part of the process:

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Once again, the pot is allowed to rest for about an hour to allow the join to set up before we move on to the next step - trimming the excess slab.
The following photo shows the first pot and the tool of choice for this procedure - a wooden knife.

IMG_0027a.jpg

I like to use the wooden knife because it does not actually cut the clay. If used properly, it will smear the clay and blend the seam between the rim ring and the slab as I remove the excess clay. The following photo shows the pot after this part of the process:

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The next photo shows the profile of the first pot at this stage of production:

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The following two photos show the profiles of the remaining two pots at this point:

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Once again, the pots are bagged up along with their foot pieces and some additional newspaper for a few more days to allow the joins to fully set.

Any questions?

Stay tuned for the next installment.

Cheers,
Paul

[pjkatich]

After the pots have rested for a few days and the joins have fully set, it's time to get back to work.

At this point, the plastic and damp newspaper is removed and the pot is placed on a stable, flat work surface. Then the inside seam is worked once more with a soft blue rib as shown in the next photo:

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Then, the pot is fitted with a foam insert as shown in the following photo:

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The foam insert is used to support the weight of the slab during the remainder of the production process. Now, I will flip the pot over onto it's rim using a second ware board as shown in this photo:

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The following photo shows the pot and the tools of choice for the next phase of construction:

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The tools of choice are a sure-form tool (yellow handle) and several different ribs. One is a metal rib, one is a stiff green plastic rib, and one is a soft blue rubber rib.

First, I will use the sure-form tool to rough out the final profile of the pot as shown below:

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The following photo shows the profile of the pot after this procedure:

IMG_0007a.jpg

Then using the ribs I will work the outside profile of the pot into it's final shape. The next photo shows the final profile of the first pot at this point:

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The next two photos show the before and after profile of the second pot:

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The next two photos show the before and after profile of the third pot:

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Once the pots profile has been completed it goes back under the plastic along with the foot pieces to rest for a bit as shown below:

IMG_0021a.jpg

That's all for now.

Please stay tuned for the next installment.

Regards,
Paul

[Steven]

Very interesting Paul!
Don't make us wait too long for the next installment please...
Steven

[Asus101]

So why have you done this?

[pjkatich]

So why have you done this?

Not quite sure what you are referring to? Please clarify.

Regards,
Paul

[pjkatich]

Very interesting Paul!
Don't make us wait too long for the next installment please...
Steven

Steven,

Patience, this is one process that you shouldn't rush.

Thanks for the positive feedback.

Cheers,
Paul

[pjkatich]

Now that the pots have had a rest for a couple of days, it's time to get back to work.

I will take the pots out of the bags, flip them onto their bottoms on a stable, level working surface and remove the foam insert. The next step is to cut the drainage holes in the bottom of the pot. Using a ruler, I will measure and mark two spots on the bottom of the pot where the holes will be cut. The following photo shows the first pot along with the tool of choice - a biscuit cutter.

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The following photo shows the pot after the two drainage holes have been cut.

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Next, I will work the inside seam again using the soft blue rib. I will also work the rim of the pot with a small piece of wet, chamois as shown in the next photo.

IMG_0043a.jpg

I will then replace the foam insert and flip the pot back onto it's rim. The following photo shows the pot ready for the next phase (attaching the feet) along with the tools of choice, a metal ruler, a flexible ruler, and a needle tool.

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Using the metal ruler, I will determine the center axis of the pot as shown below.

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Once the center axis has been determined, I will mark the spot on each side of the pot with the needle tool as shown.

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Next, using the flexible ruler, I will measure and mark out the space between the two feet on each side of the pot as shown.

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Then, using the flexible ruler, I will measure and cut the individual feet to length. Sometimes, the foot pieces are a bit on the dry side by this stage of production. If so, I will warp them in a damp cloth for about to minutes as shown below. This will soften them up enough to move on to the next stage.

IMG_0143a.jpg

Next, I will test fit the foot pieces, making any necessary adjustments to their curvature to insure a good fit. This is illustrated in the following photo.

IMG_0147a.jpg

Well, it's lunch time here. So, that's all for now.

Stay tuned - more to come.

Have a great day.

Cheers,
Paul

[mudlarkpottery]

Hey Steven, no potters' secret techniques revealed yet. This method is used for joining any two surfaces. Although it's usually not with such meticulous attention to detail as Paul's work. That shows real professionalism. Pottery books written in the 50's will show this technique. You do the same for rectangular pots, casseroles, boxes, vases etc.
Paul, brown vinegar works just as well as white and I haven't noticed any difference using it straight from the bottle. The vinegar helps to age the clay. Also it doesn't shrink as much as water, which helps when joining surfaces. Toilet paper, tissue paper or tissues is best, Newspaper is too thick - you just have to tear it into small pieces (or use a blender). As it is cellulose, a natural product, it will attract mould and bacteria, so make sure your inocculations are up to date. A cut on your hand or inhaling the spores can make you extremely ill. A dollop of bleach in the slip after you have finished using it will kill the mould and will have dissapated by the time you are ready to use it again. Roseanne Gault was the potter who first experimented with paper-clay. An article she wrote has been published in Ceramics Monthly - late 80's I think. Using paper-clay is not suitable for detailed work as the fibre will pull out of the clay (like small pieces of plastic) during cutting, scraping or fine work and ruin the whole piece.
Keep going, Paul, I'm enjoying it so much.
Penny.

[pjkatich]

Now that the feet have been cut to size it's time to attach them to the bottoms of the pots. However, before we do that I would like to mention something I neglected to point out in the previous installment: save the extra portions of the foot ring. I use these pieces later in the process. With that said, let's attach the feet.

I begin by marking the location of each foot with the needle tool as shown:

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Next, I will score the top side of the foot pieces and the underside of the slab as shown:

IMG_1002a.jpg

Then, I will apply a thin layer of slip to the top of the foot piece as shown:

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Next, the foot piece is firmly pressed down onto the bottom of the pot with a slight side-to-side movement until the excess slip is squeezed out as shown in this next photo:

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Then, using my trusty seam tool, I will work the backside seam of the foot in the same manner that I worked the outside seam of the rim ring when I attached it to the slab. This is illustrated in the next photo:

IMG_1005a.jpg

I will also work the two end seams of each foot in a similar manner to insure a good mechanical bond between each foot an the bottom of the slab.

These procedures are repeated for each of the other feet on this pot and the feet of the remaining two pots.

The following three photos show the profiles of each of the three pots at this stage of production.

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IMG_1009a.jpg

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At this point,with the foam inserts in place, I will put the pots back into the plastic bags on their rims for a few more days to allow the foot joins to set properly.

That's it for today.

Stay tuned for the next installment.

Have a great day.

Cheers,
Paul

[Pup]

Although I am not a potter and I feel no need to change that. I have found this to be one of the most absorbing post on this site.
Thank you Paul it is a pleasure to read each instalment with baited breath.

Now bloody well get on with it you Bludger

Seriously I am enjoying your work and teachings Pup