SIMON LEACH - Making a largish pitcher (jug)

[senekaist]

um, iv'e been looking for your video on how to be making a mug or a cup with a handle and i couldn't find it can you put a tutorial on how to make one? THANks

[senekaist]

um, iv'e been looking for your video on how to be making a mug or a cup with a handle and i couldn't find it can you put a tutorial on how to make one? THAN

[hugebewbies101]

what are you doing with your chin and upper chest? you keep rubbing them against each other o.O, i'v seen MANY throwers do that

[andytheskigod]

simon <3 clay platelets !!! hehehe

[vegascorpion]

Hello Simmon, Thank you for your videos I started recently I find it very enjoyable. Your pots are amazing wish i could do them as good as you!

[spiritjourneypots]

Hello Simon... I have been practicing making pots for less than a year, and am enjoying it tremendously. I think your pots are great, especially your repeat pots. At this time I'm working on producing consistent pots, and your videos on this subject help very much. I just wanted to let you know that I appreciate your videos and and your encouragement. It seems that your videos come along at just the right time for me to build my skills. Thanks! Natalie

[redneckhippychick]

Hi Simon- I Just wanted to tell you you are my hero! I have learned so much from your clips and I am always ready for the next thing you are doing!Thanks so much for sharing your work with us!

Sharon

[Mommyfriend]

Hi Simon,

I have some clay (newly purchased) that is just too hard for throwing. How would I go about softening it up (as I do want to use it) without a pug mill? Could I pour water over it and let it absorb? Would that work?

Thanks for the great videos. I've learned a lot.

[sleachpots]

OK , first unwrap the clay and get it into a rectangular block, then with an instrument like a chop stick punch lots of holes all over the block of clay . When you have done that place the block onto a sheet of plastic and pour water all over it ,overflowing the holes etc ,then wrap & leave for 24 hours. The result will be much softer/stickier clay. Good luck . SL

[Mommyfriend]

Thank you! I will give that a try.

[smcyrone]

nice to see you working on some larger pieces, I wonder if you ever make large platters like your father did. it'd be interesting to see some nice large serving plates. oh and in case you are interested there is another video of Warren MacKenzie on youtube now, of him making (surprise!) a platter! he has kind of an interesting technique for doing this. anywho, just my 2 cents. thanks for the great clips.

[ClayThrower]

Is there any trick to making a dripless spout on a jug or a tea pot? I've heard of some trick, but was never told what it was.

[sleachpots]

Hi - its difficult to get 100% dripless pouring spout in clay unless you make it so thin & fine ,then it chips ! There is the small hole trick with a small groove , so the drop runs into the groove & then back in through the hole & back into the teapot .but I have never tried it as its more on industrial ware that you see that. !!?? SL

[foxmill4life]

how much grog do you you have in your clay, simon? love all your videos!

Emily

[sleachpots]

Hi Emily-grog in this clay is fine,so clay is fairly smooth to use. I have other clay that i use , for raku work & other stoneware more individual pieces that is more heavily grogged.SL

[ellishuney]

hate to be a potting newbie but ah well :P

what does the leather do and how come you only use it on some pots and not others?

kris.

[sleachpots]

Hi Kris - we all had to start sometime ! the leather is to smooth the rim of the pot,make it rounded & more pleasing to the eye.SL

[nate777]

pete pinnell was rather skeptical of the passing it down generations idea when he came to our school here...kind of made a good point...no plastic...was in a cave but still 20 years??? thats a lonnnnnng time!

[credenza1]

I know some people who are a bit lacking in the jug department too.....

[cobaltcarbon8]

Or yoghurt.

Wonderfull clip Simon. Some coffee cups and saucers next? Please.

Cheers, Andrew.

[nate777]

put some vinegar in that fresh clay

itll mold and age faster!

[claymoma]

I also heard that if you use vinegar for attaching handles it provides a strong bond.

[RenosmashDozer]

Nice. Thanks for making a video on these.

[shojimac]

Great, concise throwing as always, Simon!

Just a thought - any chance of you giving us the internal sizes of your test kiln - it looks ideal for . . . .well, . . .tests!

I am sure your viewers out here would appreciate them.

Regards

[amcgovern05]

Great video. the top of your head always seems to make it in! Thanks!

[monkeybss]

Wonderful subject, the pitcher! I recently bought a book called "500 Pitchers",there is an icredible variety of sizes, styles and forms.

I'm curious to see how your pitcher is going to look when finished.

[claymoma]

Hi Simon, Watching you center this chunk of clay I noticed that your head is very close to being directly over the center of your wheel. Does this help you when you center the clay, I mean to visualize as well as feel that the clay is centered? Stands to reason I guess! Love your video's as always.

Warm regards from Debbie in Florida

[DASRAY]

Yep

I was right look at those JUGS>>>>>>>

HaHa

Spring Break Fantasy HAHA

Thanks Simon do love to watch you throw though.

That remindes me How Long would you keep you dry to wet clay sit and mature, if you were makeing your own from powder or scratch?

Been trying to convince somone that clay is not very strong and plastic in the beggining

and needs time to sit absorb the moister, time to break down the organics to develope much needed plasticity.

Thank you!

[enslaver]

The longer the better, you can give the organisms that help sour the clay a kickstart by throwing in some vinegar, wine, yogurt all kinds of gross things.

Ancient potters used to sour clay for their grandchildren.

The longer the better, when you see the dark blueish streaks in it, and it smells, that's a good sign :D

[cobaltcarbon8]

1 of 2.

As enslaver says. But at least 3 months. You can do this in a day with a filter press as I do, but I still let it sit for a month or two. What your trying to achieve is getting moisture into the clay platelets.

visit youtubedotcom/watch?v=XceyoM7x­Fxo (replace "dot" with "." to see filter press process.

You can never leave it too long, but remember to keep it damp.

[cobaltcarbon8]

2 of 2.

As enslaver said "Ancient potters used to sour clay for their grandchildren." Ancients being Japanese, Chinese & Koreans. They dug porcelain from the foot of mountains (primary clay deposits) And buried it again for the next generation.