SIMON LEACH - Slip or water ?

[TheLyricalRAP]

I throw with clean water at first every time. After a little while it becomes a bit of a slip. So I do a bit of both!

[crataegus17]

Me too. We have a really shady spot under an apple tree where nothing will grow and that's where all the clay water goes. Great apples.

I think that the tree will get have to get used to a bit less water from now though.

Thanks Simon

[NinjaMermaid]

I love, love, love the apron!

[ceiliog]

Dirty potters throw higher! It's always been the way... :-) Good video btw Simon. Thanks. D

[ljmutube]

I'll take a peck of the pickled pots please.

I agree!!! It slows down the absorbtion, buying more time to shape etc. and the viscosity is it improved.

I haven't pickled (add the vinegar) my slip tho. I have added beer to my recycled clay to speed up the maturing process. Now there is some smell lol

and. Paper clay gets a bit ripe as well.

Amoir!!!!!!

Thanks Simon

Laura

[alfredo274372]

hi simon, I have been throwing for about three semesters in college and I find that slip (slurry) works better for me. The piece don't get water logged and turning is smoother. I like the clarity and simplicity of your videos. Will you be coming to North Carolina? I would love to be a part of a class or seminar. Thanks again for all you share with us. Graclred

[CarlaHerren]

Thanks for showing us that after all your years of experience, you are still learning and not ashamed to admit it. Too many "experts" seem to think they know it all. These video clips are the highlight of my day.

thanks again.

[alexandermunro]

Brilliant demo Simon,Thanks

[ChumleyWhiplash]

I agree about slip - I find it lubricates better for me, Also, I attach handles with slip, so its nice to always have a bit about without having to crumble up some dry clay .

[asep51]

Are you an educated teacher, Simon? You make everything so clear and easy to understand.

I take clean water to begin with, and soon it gets slurry. When it gets too thick, I pour it into a big bucket to settle. Then I reuse it as clay. When I turn pots I throw the bits and pieces in the water bucket, so I get a slip rather quickly.

[ThatLynnGirl]

I always use "dirty" (slippy) water and don't change my bucket out unless I'm changing clay colors. However I keep a BIG bucket beside me for the scraps so I don't have lumps in the slip bucket. All colors combine in the big bucket for great recycled clay in a pink color with all the attributes of the others. :-) (I throw with red, white or buff)

[ThatLynnGirl]

Come to think of it, I even refill my throwing bucket from the big tub, after it's settled out. I don't have sediment traps in my house drains so I never throw any away.

[asep51]

I don´t have sediment traps either, so if I throw anything away, I pour it outside in some flower bed. You have to improvise, when you don´t have all equipment. With a bit of imagination you get along, don´t you think?

[ThatLynnGirl]

Absolutely! Right into the yard if I have to let any go! Ashes to ashes, dust to dust LOL

[PotteryGarage]

I also reuse and reuse my water until it turns into slip (not because I planned it though!). In terms of changing clays, I use a different bucket for each of my clay bodies. And so as not to waste anything, I pour the buckets into the reclaim instead of using plain water to recycle the clay. That also replaces all the fine clay particles that are removed when we throw.

[potterybysybil]

jlg5778, my husband and son built a wheel for me using Simon's plans and I love it. we modified the seat a little for me

made it wider and padded it. good luck with making the wheel. getting better and better on it.

[shelsel0115]

Great clip, Simon. I like clean water but slip does work better. A lot of the time I will scoop slip off my wheel head and use that. I am a slow thrower so the slip keeps the pot from becoming too saturated - a hazard with water!

Sally

[MamereClaire]

I am middle of the road on slip v water. The slip can ,at some point ,becomes too thick and I either add water or start over with a new bucket. Thanks for the video .

Claire

[marcozepp]

Been throwing with slip this morning and it does indeed seem better. For me the main thing is that it's easier to apply the slip for lubrication, and once thin, the walls don't get quite as wet and flacid.

[kroraven]

Very interesting food for thought, I'll give it a try and get back to you..... I heard that putting a bit of hydrogen peroxide in the water keeps the smell and bugs away... haven't tried it yet.... have you heard of this or tried it? Thanks ~ Karen

[LizaNaude]

Thanks for this demonstration, Simon.

My teacher also said 'slip works better', except when going into a 'dry area' - for instance, when going down and opening up the clay - she recommended using water for that, and then start using the slip for the actual throwing bit, but my water bowl ends up as slip too, so I use thin slip for opening and thick slip for throwing...

Keep well,

Liza

[aodenkou]

I am a bit of a lazy guy and do not empty out my water container and so I have been throwing with slip. I had a problem with the smell, so I will add a tsp. or so of bleach to the water and I don't have smell. There comes a point in time where I do have to clean the container and I look forward to the liquid getting more like slip.

[6jslade]

Simon,

In a youtube video Michael Cardew (Seth's father?) noted that slip is superior to water for throwing. (you fellows, at different times, went to the same school...right?) In the same video he mentioned a method of preventing "S" cracks when throwing off the hump but the clip ended before he could demonstrate. If you do an "off the hump" clip it would be nice if you would address how to compress the bottom.

Your clips are the best...

Thanks very much for posting.

[jlg5778]

showing your wheel and kiln in a bit of detail

[jlg5778]

I downloaded your Kiln and wheel diagrams, but I was hopeing to ask you if you would make a video showing your wheel and kiln in a bit of detain if that would not be to much trouble, I have always thrown on an electric wheel only because the kick wheels I had seen were just that a vary large circular slab that you would have to continue kicking to keep it going, But I see in your plans that it appears that there is a lever action of some sorts.

Thank you.

Appreciative subscriber

[tripanfal]

Simon has detailed videos of both up already

[jlg5778]

Very Informative Simon,thank you for shareing that piece of knowledge, makes complete sence in my mine even without the demo but the demo drives it home. I have a favor to ask of you,

[0emk1]

If a psychiatrist used this technique, would it be a Freudian slip? :-)

[credenza1]

Thanks, Simon. What a terrific exploration of water vs slip. Very interesting and informative. Everyone will be using slip now, (as well as rushing out and buying Slick 50).

[potterybyjohn]

I have been working on making a 16-inch tall cylinder for a form I have in mind. I have been working it a pretty long time to get the clay out of the bottom and up the wall as I want to use 6 lbs or less clay. Since i work it so long the bottom of the cylinder gets soggy and either sags, torques badly, or tears, failing the pot. Next one I throw I will start with slip and not use any water and see if that helps keep the base from getting too wet. If it works I'll give you credit.

[joealanouf]

hey spence! if you see this..yo!

[djostraat]

I totally agree with you. Discovered this on my own last summer quite by accident. I always started out with a clean bowl of water, but as I worked my clay, the bowl gradually became slurry slippy water anyway, which I found worked so much better, and from which I came to the exact conclusions you have presented here. So good to find that I am not such a crazy non-conformist rebel potter!! Hurray for slurry!! As always, an insightful video. Thanks millions, Donna WA State

[ceibhfionn2]

i agree! not only for reasons you've explained but also i find that when i use a more 'grogy' clay the water takes out the finer parts and the surface gets washed and leaves you with only grog to lift.

throwing with slib prevents that from happening.

(you should have seen my hands.....i had holes in them from the grog!!)

Could you explain what the vinigar does Simon? and what when you want to throw with another kind of clay?

Thanks!

still practising and clicking :-)

[beachblond628]

I have noticed in the past that after throwing for a while, and as my water bucket collects more slip from my sponge going back and forth from the pot to the bucket; that I don't need to use so much water.

[zippymontana]

Hi Simon:

Thanks for the video. Looking forward to the September 8th class.

Grant.