Four Inch Bowls, Step 1. Throwing.

Further investigation into four inch bowls! I thought I would do a post describing the making process with pictures for each step. So here we are.

Start by making some balls. 9oz to be exact, although 8oz should be enough to get to the desired dimensions of 5" by 2". I have not included pictures of wedging/kneeding but will another day.

Weighing the clay.

Pat the clay into balls.

Many balls.

Sit down at the wheel and get comfy.

Plonk the clay in the middle of the wheel.

Cone up the clay.

Cone down the clay.

Make sure the clay is centred by compressing and containing it.

Start opening up. I use my right thumb.

As you can see the opening does not need to be very deep.

Open more and start pulling clay out of the base.

Half way to its final height and width. (Hopefully when I have done a few hundred more I will only need one pull)

Check the rim. Do this after every pull. Always.

Pull up once more.

Check the rim.

Undercut the bowl so it comes off the wheel easier and needs less turning.

The final move is running your fingers from the top of the rim, inside the bowl to the base. This should complete the curve, making the inside resemble half a tennis ball.

One final check of the rim.

Wire it off with your thumbs pressing the wire down onto the wheel head. Wheel slowly turning.

Gently slide it off. (Mike Finch would not approve of this, he prefers to pick them off the wheel, but I've found that I damage them less by sliding them).

And onto a board.

Now make another one.