Originally Posted by
gt6267a
Happy to help. For < 2lbs of clay, a general rule of thumb is that a pot is thrown in 3 pulls after tip 5. I’ve heard some say any pot only gets 3 pulls. Especially for a big piece, I find 3 pulls means its going to be heavy or require a lot of trimming. That said, I’ve wrecked my share of pots trying to get the last bit of height out of a big piece.
I took a workshop with Bill Van Gilder at Haystack. He was teaching all kinds of tips and tricks. All of it was great, but I probably learned more in what he was doing but not even bothering to explain. I love watching a fantastic potter. One tip he shared that goes against everything anyone is teaching … if a pot is not crazy dry, handles only require a wipe of water before attaching a handle. Everyone will teach you to score and slip before attaching anything. There are times when the extra support is needed. That said, for most mugs and situations, wipe the attachment point with water, when the clay is wet but not slick attach away and you’re done. No mess, no problem. I’ve been doing this for years and never had a problem.
Inspired by this post, I threw a dozen mugs that will require trimming. This will be my first time trimming mugs in 10 years. Should be interesting. I’m traveling to Minneapolis this week and will be off the wheel. Send some pics and let’s see what your pots look like!
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