Pulling The Handle Off The Cup
gary navarre
Hay Crew,
So we got threw trimming all those cup blanks and it becomes time for attaching handles because that's what we do in a civilized coffee drinking society. The main way is to pull strips of clay from a lump and after they set up a bit attach them to the cup. Another way is to attach the lump of clay to the cup rim and then pull the strip of clay, attaching the end to the bottom of the piece...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUbidV_CK48
... after doing the first one I misplaced the piece of comb I use to scratch the cup rim and had to revert to how Simon Leach suggests and used my fingernail. I found my scratch tool later.
After the cups got handles I cover and store for about 12 hours so the moisture can balance out between the handle and the cup body...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6akgr9hP1a8
After setting for a while I'll go back for a final finishing by filling in clay to the handle transition so it makes a smooth line and some cups will get an incised cat tail and Lilly pad decoration. Every time before I do these I think, "Wow, what a bunch of work...!" but when they come out of the firing I'll change my mind, I hope, so stay tuned and stay in there eh!
Gary Navarre
Navarre Pottery
Navarre Enterprises
Norway, Michigan, USA
http://www.youtube.com/GindaUP
http://public.fotki.com/GindaUP/