Throwing a basic pot tutorial - Lakeside Pottery Ceramic school and Art Scsltd in Stacsltd Connecticut
Wheel thrown surface texture tricks

Pottery School, Gallery & Studio
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Throwing a basic pot - Lakeside Pottery Tutorial

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Place clay on bat firmly with point down Tap to center with dry hands while wheel is turning slowly Get your hands wet
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Let the clay turn while wet to create slurry / slip Push clay while both hands are touching as shown.  Wheel is turning fast Sit close to the wheel & Anchor your elbows tightly against body
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When clay reaches calm state, place your thumbs on top Level top with thumbs pressure Both hands are touching and elbows are against body
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To bring clay down, left hands as it was in previous step Place right hand on top while touching tightly the left hand Push down from center of clay to edge. Wheel is still turning fast
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Note that top hand touching half of the top surface Smooth edge of clay with palm Slow wheel a bit. Place thumbs in center and mark the center
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Decisively, make a hole in center - both hands are touching each other Leave enough clay for pot's bottom Pull clay out - both hands are touching each other and clay is wet
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Move clay evenly and keep constant distance from bottom for flat surface Smooth all unevenness. Make sure clay is not too dry Do not overhang clay . When finished pulling, let go gradually to stay in center
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Pass thumbs on bottom to smooth and level Apply constant pressure on bottom - while it's turning medium speed Take off extra clay
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Compress bottom to avoid "S" cracks Raise the wall with wet sponge. Hands touching each other. Use fingers tips only Note that the thumb is helping in squeezing clay
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Notice fingers tips contact - to avoid unnecessary friction And go for the pull - don't be afraid to be a bit aggressive. Clay need to be wet Smooth the rim at end of each pull
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Second pull - stay on bottom until you get desired thickness As the wall gets thinner, use less finger surface contact .... ... to avoid to much friction and walls torquing
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Even wall Do not let wall to move out to insure gravity problems are not in place
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Push inside of pot out while outside hand gently supporting Touch hands as soon as able for stability Note that only finger tips are touching the pot
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Smooth rim with Chamois Clean bottom with wooden tool. Sharpen Wooden tool every so often Clear clay from bat for easy access to the cutting wire
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Clear as much clay as possible to minimize trimming effort later Watch the angle of the wooden tool. Hole the cutting wire
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Pause the wire against the bat with thumbs or index fingers Run wire all the way through If throwing for practice, slice pot to view wall uniformity
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Good luck!

Patty and Morty

Lakeside Pottery
Your input is greatly appreciated and will help in creating improved pottery tips.

Thank you, Patty and Morty
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