DIY Network

Throwing the Larger Bowls Bill Van Gilder makes a second, larger serving set. From "Throwing Clay" episode DTHC-202

Master potter Bill Van Gilder is making double-bowl servers. So far, he's thrown two small bowls. Using an undercutting tool, he trimmed the bowls on the wheelhead while the clay was still wet and pressed the walls together to combine the individual bowls together into one server.

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Figure A

Using the same techniques, Bill makes another server; this time the bowls are slightly bigger. Each bowl is thrown from 1-1/4 lbs. (20 oz.) of clay. Now he's ready to combine the bowls into a second server (figure A).

1. While he's working, Bill makes sure not to apply too much water to the bowl: if water runs down the bowl to the foot, the clay will stick tightly to the ware board. He uses just enough water to make the clay tacky.

2. He sets the second bowl beside the first and pushes them together, watching the rims to make sure they are level and even (figure B). Using the broad pads of his fingertips, he seals one wall against the other, starting at the top of the bowls and working downward (figure C).

Figure B

Figure C

3. Bill checks the bowls from above, looking for symmetry, before wiping them off with a sponge and setting them aside to dry soft-leather hard. When the bowls are dry, they are stiff but pliable enough to let him manipulate the clay.

4. He places the bowls face down on a foam pad to protect the rims from damage as he trims the bases. Using his thumb, he softens the sharp edges of the bowls. After smoothing the edges, Bill uses a damp sponge to wipe away any fingerprints before applying his signature stamp (figure D).

5. On a dampened surface, Bill rolls out a clay coil and textures it with a small piece of corrugated board, rolling it over the clay at a slight angle and creating a twisted surface on the coil (figure E).

Figure D

Figure E

6. He cuts the coil to length using a wire knife. As he increases or decreases the scale of a project, the sizes of the attachments change accordingly. Thick coils are for bigger bowls; smaller coils are scaled to fit smaller bowls. Bill handles the coils carefully: dents or marks would be apparent later.

7. He wets the surface of each bowl where the handles will attach before bending the coil and tucking it up under the rim of the bowls. He's careful to make sure the coils are the same height and width.

8. To secure the coils further, he uses a piece of dowel rod to press each end of the coil tightly to the bowl rim (figure F). As a final touch, he gently lifts the coils upward. He follows the same pattern for the larger bowl (figure G).

Figure F

Figure G

RESOURCES :

Kilns
L & L Kilns
Website: www.hotkilns.com

Clay
Highwater Clays
Website: www.highwaterclays.com

Extruders
American Art Clay Co. Inc. (AMACO)
Website: www.amaco.com