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Can You Handle a Handle?

4/6/2013

4 Comments

 
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:
Picture
(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. 
Picture
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
Jay Wiese link
4/7/2013 11:38:36 pm

Some handle tips, hope you find them useful:

I've found that a handle cross-section that's curved on the inside and flat (or slightly curved) on the outside is the most comfortable.

Sharpish edges make the handle appear thinner and accentuate the line of the handle.

Ridges along the length of the handle can make it uncomfortable to hold, particularly on the outside near the bottom where it rests against the palm or finger.

Keep your hands *wet* when handling your handles- this helps avoid fingerprints.

If you're pulling handles in strips and attaching them (rather than pulling them from the pot), it can be helpful to let the sticky surface moisture dry before shaping and attaching. A hair dryer can speed this up somewhat.

As long as the pot is not too dry, you don't need to slip & score to attach handles, all you need is a small amount of water- moisten the handle at the attachment with a sponge or finger, then wait 30 seconds or so to let the water soak in a bit, and gently press onto the pot.

Keep your hands *dry* when attaching your handles- this gives you a better grip on the clay.

If your handles are too soft to retain a nice curve, set the pot with fresh handle upside down to dry. For overhead handles like those above, you'll need to shape the handles and let them dry enough to retain their shape before you attach them.

Let the pot with newly attached handle "mellow" overnight in the damp box to minimize cracking and separating. Also, handles will usually dry before the pot, which causes stresses as the clay shrinks; drying slowly (over several days) allows the handle and pot to shrink at the same rate.

If your handles are cracking at the curve (often a problem with porcelain), try adding a small amount of nylon fibers to your handle clay.

Cheers,
Jay

Reply
Bill
12/2/2017 04:37:36 am

Good info. Can use right away.

Reply
Mea Rhee
4/8/2013 12:24:22 am

Thanks Jay ... great tips!

Reply
Linda Starr link
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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    Mea Rhee (mee-uh ree),
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