Centering clay / how to center centre on a pottery wheel tips demo

[TheMiggins]

DUDE CENTERING SKILL!

[Mariede425]

From all the classes I've taken, the wheeel ALWAYS goes anti/counter clockwise, for right handed people. Clockwise for leftys. but I've seen people switch that up as well...so I'm guessing whatever is more comfortable is the right thing to use.

[GracieJams]

Fantastic - all the better for the accent too.

[bolsachica1]

 your accent is great! especially to us uncultured americans :)

[ZenSojourner]

You have made this very clear by repeating the same motions with slightly different "clay configurations" and by TELLING clearly what you are doing. I have thrown before but it was a long time ago - current teacher doesn't really show us how, he wants us to just do it by trial and error, which may be fine if you have unlimited access to a studio, but not so great when you're only allowed in once a week! Now I'm remembering how I did it before. Your video reminds me of the basics I'd forgotten

[akasha1211]

Thanks for this, I didn't laugh at your accent.....promise ;D

[speedyguitarkid]

my ceramics teacher never taught me how to center i finally know! thanks! lol ive been doing your example at 1:40!

[littlefyfe]

Great, Dan. thank you. I am a painter, but have taken on teaching a high school ceramics class. this has been the most helfpul refresher vid because of the repetition, and because you constantly center and then throw off center.

[erinweingarten]

this video is extremely helpful! I am a newcomer to pottery and I am in love with your videos!

[TheZeemaid]

You do make it look so easy. I've had about three lessons so far and it wasn't until the last one that she reminded me to lock my arms.... Love the accent BTW!

[MattethYou]

why would anyone laugh at your awesome accent? i wish i had an accent like yours

[PSMutoo]

Great demo! Easy to understand. 

[MsVisArt]

I noticed the comments on which direction the wheel should spin. It doesn't matter if you are right or left handed. It is cultural and personal. Almost all Japanese potters spin the wheel clockwise, and they are mostly right handed. Western potters tend to spin counter clockwise because that is the way we were taught.

[HappyToastt]

I never thought I'd have to work out for an art class.  I feel like I need to be stronger to do this.

[LinkStragen]

does it matter if you lock both arms

[kevinmarielove]

how would you do this if the wheel's edge is below the actual clay, the one i have at school the sides are at the side of wheel, so if i put my arm on it i would just be leaning REALLY close to the wheel.

[vsdesigntech]

Love your repetative explanations and demonstrations I'm off to practice today, thanks))

[BitZiBitZiDi]

thank you so much for the tips. you make it look so easy,,,

[darbys11]

This was great - thank you for going over it a couple of times. We have our next class tomorrow and will try those techniques. P.S. Love the accent - you should hear the Queensland accent (Australian).

[barabi51]

I've learned something just from watching this today. Thanks so much.

PS. Why would anyone laugh at your accent?

[Pixiepixel62]

Ohh it is taking me a while to center but I got to make 2 wobbly looking pots on the second lesson, apparently it was an achievement, LOL!. Thanks for nice tutorial and keep them coming please. Next time I will try your centering method, I'm just starting on the wheel, and it is difficult.

[kristine1969]

This is the complete opposite of how I was taught, and I've never had much success. I can't wait to try it your way. Running to the wheel now. And your accent is lovely. :-)

[SaintLiam78]

pulling up is what kicks my butt....

[rachbick]

jesus, it takes me an hour to do that!

[trecoolsrebelrocker]

Thanks for un-centering it and showing how to fix it. Most videos just have the person making a perfect centered lump, thanks for the trubble-shooting =)

sorry for my horrable spelling

PS. nice accent I LOVE it =D

[qd11856]

Question: does the type of clay help with centering clay?

[thegirlwithmanyusers]

@qd11856 i don't think the type of clay does anything. maybe the thickness makes it more difficult, but no clay can center itself, no matter what type.

[DoctorD082]

You are better then my Clay teacher!!!! Wil you be my Clay teacher?

[TheFlamingoWithin]

i love the fact that ur watch doesnt get dirt... lol

i always get dirty up to the elbows

even making a small plate

[acidfriend47]

Hey Dann thanks a lot of that instructional Video.. Over 1 year I tried centering but i always failed.. the teachers advice didn't work :P until i saw your video and gave it a try. I was able to mess up the piece over and over and still get it back to Center...

Cheers

[converse48]

thanks a lot. i always waste my whole ceramics class period trying to center it and i end up not getting ANYTHING done. this really helped

[kingcobradude]

Dan, could you do a video on tips to get the excess clay on the bottom to the top, so the walls are even thickness and not thick on the bottom and thin on top

[tmonkeypunch]

His way is pretty much flawless - if you're advanced.

An argument can be made about using so much water like him to center. Water is your best friend, and also your worst enemy at the same time. If you take too long to make your project on the wheel, your walls will become weaker and that could mean a lot of bad things. Depending on what you make (e.g. a plate), your walls will give out and flop to the ground.

But this guy is by far the greatest potter I've ever seen.

[DoYouKnoTheMufinMan]

i'd have to agree with you about the water... too much water can be a bad thing when it comes to gravity.

do you know what kind of clay he's using?

[ContaMuir17a]

You have a nice speaking voice. You are easily understandable. Really great sounding Accent! Please speak in all your videos, we learn better by seeing and hearing your explanations!

Thanks for all your hard work! You make it look easy. 8~)

[o0Jinxx0o]

thank you, your advice helped me :]

[LSBellamy01]

Thank you for posting these videos. I will be taking my first pottery class this semester at university and I haven't seen any other videos with this clarity anywhere else. By the way, I love your accent. I'm the one who would be hard to understand, I am from the American South. :)

[teknicolorbabe]

And nice to meet a fellow leftie!

[teknicolorbabe]

Hi Dan,

After watching lot of clips on centering I think this one has to be the best. It's helped me no end, the penny had dropped at last! Just need to keep the opening up bit centred now...

Thanks

Donna

[awindle0001]

dude u just centered tht like it was nothing. like wtf? lol.

[meganmayyyy]

Very helpful, I haven't thrown in quite a while and will be doing it again soon, I didn't want my pieces to turn out bad, found this. Thank you again! And don't worry about the accent, it's not a bad thing at all!

[MarksPottery]

good job on centering Dan

[thepowerofstillpoint]

This is the most helpful advice ever. Knocking the clay out of center and putting it back in patiently was very helpful for me! Accent? What accent? :)

[kr210785]

That's awesome!

Thanks!

[tonyh487]

You're right, the accent is awful but we can't all be from Liverpool.

Your videos are very interesting and helpful, please keep making them, especially instructional ones like this.

Thanks from ScouserDave (now CaliforniaDave)

[cdmudslinger]

Why on earth would one laugh at your accent?

I have just been waiting for you to speak!

I love the accent and it is very helpful to hear you...:) not a laugh...a smile

[oxroses12]

Thanks alot for the explicit demo. I have been throwing for over 4 years and I could never find a technique of centering that worked. This one actually worked for me. Very nice demo!

[Wiskers56]

Great Video, I appreciate you explaining what you are doing.

[rickisbored]

Isn't your wheel spinning the opposite direction it should? I am left handed and my teacher told me to have the clay spinning into my right hand toward me.

[youdanxxx]

Possibly,but It's not done me any harm.

Just goes to show what teachers know.LOL.

[grat18]

@youdanxxx Dan teachers also say that cause most kids that throw on the wheel are pretty in-experienced so the clay will come more natural to push not to have a force against. And when it goes against the wrist area it shaves some of the clay but also depends on your choice of clay so yeah i center with it going into hand then switch the direction for pulling and shaping

[TheOriginaLinkoftime]

I was taught that way to but I use to throw like he does. truth be told I think youdanxxx's way leads to less damage to your joints. I never had any problems until my teacher made me I had switch hands. besides a lot of ppl on these video's like this center this way. actually I don't think centers the way I've been taught.

[mariahthemennis9]

@rickisbored if your left handed it should be spinning clockwise, and right handed it should be spinning counter-clockwise

[PianistandFencer]

@rickisbored I've never heard/used the wheel spinning toward me, personally...it would make things awfully difficult if you had to use a needle tool for cutting. I've only needed to have it spin toward me in maybe 2 or 3 instances. From what I've heard from other potters/students who happened to bring it up, they all have it spinning away from them as well.

[psychokatze13]

awesome, centering has been the biggest issue for me cause im tiny so positioning myself over teh wheel has been awkward...and my ceramics teacher hasnt been helping me at all with the wheel -_- he just told us to lock both arms to our sides and hold it down

[tarahloveshentai]

Thanks for the tips!

[Alyzabeth01]

very helpful video and the accent is really cool:)

[cafluffull]

great video. Can you please do a video on collaring? I find that whenever I try to collar my piece starts to warp.

thanks!

[pillsburydo]

Some people make it looks so easy! *Sigh* It just takes some time to master it.

This video does some help! Well, I have somewhat the vision in my head, I just hope I could apply it in class! Thanks! :)

[MamereClaire]

Your accent is delightful, it adds flavor to your video. What a boring lanuage English would be without our accents. As one from a southern US state, I proudly claim my accent.

Claire

[smille4840]

Thank you for the details. I will use this tonight in my class.