DIY Network

Sculpting a Knob Bill Van Gilder forms the handle for the garlic jar's lid. From "Throwing Clay" episode DTHC-206

Master potter Bill Van Gilder is making a garlic jar. He has thrown the jar and the lid; now he's ready to throw the knob for the lid.

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So far, he's thrown a cylinder from 1-1/2 pounds of clay. He fashioned a very thick rim and split it in half by pressing down with his thumb before pressing out the belly of the cylinder to give the jar its shape (figure A).

He measured the opening and adjusted the neck to be 3-1/2" across. He then threw a lid upside down, from a 1-pound hump of clay. First, he made a doorknob of clay at the top of the hump; he opened the doorknob by pressing it in the very center and stretching the clay outward to form a shallow bowl. He measured the bowl, or upside down lid, to make sure it was 3-1/2" across. After cutting the lid free from the hump, he set the jar and lid aside to dry leather hard (figure B).

Figure A

Figure B

Figure C

Next, he trimmed the base of the jar on a clay slab. He trimmed the top of the lid, taking care to mimic the shallow bowl shape inside the lid. Finally, he scored the area where he'll attach the knob to the lid.

1. In preparation for throwing the knob, Bill soaks the scored area in water. When the water soaks in, it will create a tacky surface for the knob. He rolls up a small piece of clay (approximately 2 ounces), making sure the surface that comes in contact with the lid is very smooth; if the knob surface is rough, it could trap air, and eventually the lid and the knob will come apart (figure C).

2. With the wheel turning, Bill removes excess clay from the knob with his fingertips; then, using his index and middle fingers, he shapes the knob, topping it off with a swirl.

3. Bill uses the rubber rib to burnish the surface and create a circular mark at the base of the knob (figure D). The mark visually separates the lid from the knob; the knob edges flare up slightly, creating a grasping point for the fingertips. He also points the top of the knob, in keeping with the profile of the jar (figure E).

4. Before Bill begins cutting out the holes in the jar, he places it on a banding wheel, which makes it easier to see the hole pattern as he works. To create a guideline, he lightly scores a line around the pot; the line won't show up after the pot is glazed (figure F).

Figure D

Figure E

Figure F

5. The first cut is centered on the scored line (figure G). The following holes are scored in a clockwise pattern, at 3, 9 and 12 o'clock (figure H). From these points Bill starts building the pattern, working symmetrically around the jar. He cuts with a hole cutter, a tool with a tapered blade (figure I). By watching how much of the blade remains outside the pot, he can cut holes that are the same diameter.

Figure G

Figure H

Figure I

Figure J

6. Bill also uses the cutting tool to cut an air hole in the base of the lid (figure J). Now, existing water in the lid can evaporate through the hole; if water were trapped in the knob, the clay would explode when fired in the kiln.

7. Bill sets the jar and lid aside until they are bone dry, at which time they can be bisque fired.

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