Don't get it twisted...

Ever made something you love only for things to go horribly wrong?  It doesn't have to be pottery...what about that cake you saw on Pinterest?  Or the makeup tutorial on YouTube...We've all had a few #nailedit moments!  (Seriously, if you haven't seen these google the Pinterest "nailed it" photos...when you stop laughing till you cry come back to finish this blog...")  For me the "nailed it" saga stretches far beyond pottery, but when I'm in the shop trying to "nail it" most of the time I blame the Kiln...but THIS one time I will blame Mother Nature. 

When Clay is drying it warps and bends and tries to do anything except stay where you put it when making flat things like trays or tiny little jewelry pieces.  So usually you make flat pieces on rainy days, (or in the south on any day where you walk outside and can't breathe due to the humidity.)  But on occasion one may need things to dry flat on a sunny day.  Well, where there's a need there's usually an invention! (and this is no different) 

So...what can keep flat things flat?  Lay another board on top? Sure, but it could scrape the face of your piece...How about turning it upside down for drying? Sure, unless it has a lip or bend like the edge of a tray. So what will wick out moisture and allow any shape to remain  undamaged? Bags filled with something heavy!  Sand, or bb pellets, or marbles? 

 It should be heavy, but not too heavy...and nothing that could leave marks on the body of the clay...  Rice!  Rice is the magic ingredient!  I can make bags and fill them with rice! ...but how much rice? Well, let's see what they have at the grocery store and start there.  Score!!!! Giant bag just waiting for me...so after the toddler sized 20lb bag of rice was strapped in and safely riding home in my convertible, I got to work.  

First, I made bags from an old cotton sheet...like little pillow cases for my pottery. 

Second, I filled the rice bags with 5-10 lbs of rice!  (No my whole floor isn't covered in rice, the carpet is just the same color...ha!) 

Thirdly, I sewed them shut...and thought hmmm, maybe just for safekeeping lets top stitch around a few of the the edges again for extra rice containment...

Then tried it out!  Worked great!  Large things, small things, detailed things...all things stayed flat and no warping!  

Now if only I could get them glazed and fired as easily...fingers crossed! (The kiln is still the enemy) 

Going "bat-ty"...

I'm baaaaccckkk!  I know you all thought I had disappeared, but I've just been so busy with the real world I haven't been able to escape to Pottery-land.  Well there is no better time than Father's Day weekend to spend a few days with dad!  

You know those "5 year projects" the ones that don't take more than a day or two but don't get done for 5 years because they keep getting pushed to the bottom of the "to do list" over and over?  Well, check "making new bats" off that list!!! 

Now don't get me wrong, I didn't actually make any bats, dad did all the work...but I documented it for publication...ha!  

Step 1...acquire all the tools found in a professional level machine shop. (men and their power tools...)

Step 2, cut the particle board into squares.  Use saw to cut into circles. 

Step 3, drill pin holes in the exact position to fit the wheel head.  You could measure twice and drill once...or you can use and old bat and clamp it to the new one, and drill through both. 

Step 4, put the freshly drilled bat on the lathe and finish up those edges. Good to go!  

Done-zo!  Wait, no...one last step.  Brand new bats fit really well, which means they wobble a lot less, but they are also harder to pick up.  Problem...solved!  Insert "finger notch" so you can pick it up.  Pretty nifty thinking dad...

So somehow for Father's Day I ended up with all the gifts...but the most precious one is the time with dad.  Happy Father's Day 2016!  Now there really are NO EXCUSES for not making pottery!  (No pressure there, ha!)