When it comes to attaching a wet-pulled handle, I only have rule: DO NOT TOUCH THE OUTSIDE OF THE HANDLE. You can touch the ends of the handle, which will either become attachment points, or cut off as excess. You can touch the inside of the handle. But keep your paws off the outside. Those beautiful, liquidy, gravity-fed lines ... don't spoil them with your fingerprints.
Everyone's least favorite subject ... wet-pulled handles. Just mentioning them generates groans. I try to teach many approaches to handle making, but the wet-pulled handle cannot be avoided. It's really important, because it teaches you how to gracefully handle wet clay. This translates into good craft skills in all areas of pottery. I had my Level 4 students make wet-pulled handles for a teapot. We pulled the handles and set them across to cylinder to form a nice curve, then let them dry for about an hour while we worked on trimming and attaching a spout: (photo by Jenny Adams) When it comes to attaching a wet-pulled handle, I only have rule: DO NOT TOUCH THE OUTSIDE OF THE HANDLE. You can touch the ends of the handle, which will either become attachment points, or cut off as excess. You can touch the inside of the handle. But keep your paws off the outside. Those beautiful, liquidy, gravity-fed lines ... don't spoil them with your fingerprints. From left to right ... Jonathan Gordy, Kara Duffy, me, Melanie Choe, Margaret Lukomska, Jenny Adams, Judy Goldberg-Strassler, Andrea Schewe, and Jeri Holloway.
4 Comments
Some handle tips, hope you find them useful:
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Bill
12/2/2017 04:37:36 am
Good info. Can use right away.
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Mea Rhee
4/8/2013 12:24:22 am
Thanks Jay ... great tips!
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4/9/2013 01:34:41 am
Great to see the handles drying and then on each pot. These are some good tips. Sometimes if my handles such as on baskets are too flimsy to stand on it's own I use a block of foam or wadded newspaper to hold it up till it's dry enough and then I gingerly remove that before the handle shrinks too much and won't allow me to remove the prop.
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