| Rimmed Platter: Flange and Foot-Ring |
| Creating a ceramic rimmed platter, Part 3 of 4 |
From "Throwing Clay"
episode DTHC-209 |
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Master potter Bill Van Gilder is in the process of making a platter with a decorative rim. He started by throwing a low, wide form on the wheel. Next, he pulled up a short cylinder and laid it over to form a wide, thick flange. He smoothed the inside and defined the shape of the flange with a soft rubber rib. Next, a stretched out spring from a retractable ballpoint pen is used as a decorating tool. With a steady looping rhythm, he used the spring to cut away half of the flange thickness. Now he's ready to finish the textured rim. He has two more steps to complete the platter: he has to smooth the edge of the platter and lower the edge, which is still too steep (figures A and B).
1. Using a damp sponge, Bill softens the inside and outside edges of the flange. As he softens the outside edge, he gently lowers the rim (figure C).2. Working very slowly, he cuts the platter loose from the bat and sets it aside to dry. The platter has to dry very slowly due to the various thicknesses of the clay. The base, which is thick, will take longer to dry than the rim, which is thin and will dry much more quickly. To ensure all sections dry evenly, after six to eight hours of drying time, Bill covers the platter with a thin sheet of plastic and sets the platter aside to finish slowly drying for several days until it is stiff-leather hard.
3. When the platter is dry, he first trims the foot on the back of the platter. As he trims, he will imitate the inside of the platter, creating an even thickness across the platter (figures D and E).
4. Before he begins trimming the platter, Bill throws a short, fat cylinder; the cylinder will hold the platter rim safely above the wheelhead while it's being trimmed. He centers 3 pounds of clay on the wheel, opens the form and throws a short, very thick cylinder, 9" in diameter. For trimming purposes, the cylinder doesn't need a center. To keep the cylinder edge from damaging the inside base of the platter, he cleans the top edge with a rubber rib (figure F).5. After inverting the plate on the cylinder, he establishes the width of the foot ring by measuring the top of the flange; the flange measures 2" wide (figure G).
6. Next, he trims the rough edge of the clay base and establishes where to trim the step. After measuring, he makes a mark approximately 2" in, imitating where the flange drops into the center of the plate (figure H).7. As he trims the foot ring, he keeps in mind the ring has to sit under and be slightly inside the flat part of the platter. He carves away the center, establishing the width of the footring first, making it slightly more than 1/4" wide. Next, using the long side of the tool, Bill carves away the excess clay inside the foot ring (figure I).
8. He measures to make sure the center point of the platter is above the footring. If it protrudes below the ring, the platter will not sit stable (figure J).9. Next, he trims the inside wall, or edge of the foot, before putting a bevel on the foot ring (figure K). 10. As a final step, he tests the platter for weight, making sure the platter feels balanced to the touch.
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
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