Throwing questions

[Tom Humphries]

Just a couple of things that came to mind whilst in the garage earlier...

I don't have any batts, and cut my pots from the wheel after throwing. To avoid making hand prints on the pots I remove slurry with a stick. I've never been able to avoid getting hand prints by this alone so I use a hot air gun - the type for paint stripping to dry the pots a little. So far I've had no problems but I wonder if it may cause any problems, with drying the surface too fast? 

I also threw a 1kg lump into a vase. I have struggled getting height but think I'm improving, I was wondering what sort of height you guys could get from this size of clay, a cylinder about 3inch diameter? 

[Kabe Burleson]

The plaster bats I use have a plastic piece that attaches to the wheel head and the bats are formed to mate with it. real easy to change. If your wheel head does not have holes for pins they could be drilled when you get bats. mine are just Allen Head screws with a nut and washer to hold them on. We used Masonite bats when I was in college. The holes wallow out in time and that sucks. I haven't tried the HYDRO-BATS but they sound like a step up from plaster. The company that makes the plaster system is Pure and Simple Pottery Products. Bates make it so you can just keep throwing, till you run out of bats. I think it helps you form a rhythm. You can measure out ten balls or so and just work your way through them. happy firing

Tom Humphries said:

Are you guys using a clay pad to sit your bats on, or bat pin system? My wheel doesn't currently have any holes drilled, but seems a bit of a faff to make clay pads

[Leo Villaroman]

There are a lot of factors to consider,one is how soft is your clay to start with,second do you use so much water to throw or utilize the slip that gathers in your hands. How much work can your clay withstand?