This information is here to help identify the
common problems with throwing a pot on
the wheel.
In order to get better we have to identify what we are
doing that doesn’t work and seek ways to improve. If
we don’t actively learn, we won’t ever improve. Actively learning doesn’t involve having someone tell us what
is wrong. We have to find it for ourselves in order for
that information to truely become our own.
Steps for throwing on the wheel
1. Center
2. Open
3. Lift/pull
4. Shape
5. Collar
6. Trim Rim
7. Remove clay from base
8. Cut off/remove pot from wheel
9. Trim foot rim
10. Put name and period number on bottom of pot
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WHEEL THROWING: self evaluation
STEP 1. CENTERING THE CLAY
1. Pull clay up into a cone (not too high). Elbows in.
2. Center and flatten into a hockey puck shape.
Elbows in.
3. One arm (left arm) in front of rib cage (this gives stability and strength to
your hands).
4. Cup the clay with your pinky and ring fingers and the heel of palm in front of
belly button and against the clay (directly in front of you not to the side).
5. One hand (right hand) on top. Make a fist and use wrist area to push down
ward into a hockey puck shape.
6. You are pushing forward with the hand on the side of pot(left hand) and downward with the hand (right hand) on the top.
7. Make sure the base is centered and not just the top. Your piece won’t be centered if your base is not centered.
WHEN TAKING YOUR HANDS OFF THE CLAY ALWAYS RELEASE THE CLAY
WITH A SLOW STEADY PRESSURE. DO NOT LET GO QUICKLY.
Slow and steady is the key. Keep muscle movement strong (like Thi Chi or Yoga). Don’t be afraid of the clay,
you’re not going to hurt it. Don’t let the clay push you. Let the clay mold to your hands, use some force. Focus
on centering your hands, not the clay.
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STEP 1. PROBLEMS CENTERING THE CLAY
Problem 1: The ball clay comes off the wheel.
Solution: *Put clay on dry wheel. If the wheel is wet the clay won’t
stick.
Problem 2: The clay rips off the wheel and the base is still on the wheel. (you have not tried to lift the walls yet.)
Solution: *Keep the clay wet. If the clay is too dry it will stick to your hands instead.
*Don’t put too much pressure on the clay.
Problem 3: Lumpy clay.
Solution: *Wedge the clay better. Wedge with clean (not slip filled) hands.
*Don’t pull the cone up so high. The height shouldn’t be much higher than the base is wide.
*Too much slip. Keep hands free of a lot of slippy clay, but keep hands wet.
Problem 4: Can’t get the hockey puck shape.
Solution:* Take a wood tool and remove excess clay from corner base.
* Hold your hand on the side in a vertical position not at an angle.
Problem 5: Mushroom- a ring of clay on the top corners that flares out.
Solution: *Keep thumb of (left hand) over the top. Let the corner of the clay mold into the corner of your thumb and pointer finger.
Problem 6: Belly dance- the clay is still moving from side to side.
Solution: *Pull up into a cone again and recenter back into the hockey puck shape. You may not be putting enough pressure on the clay.
Problem 7: It was centered and now it isn’t.
Solution: *Once it is centered let go of the clay VERY SLOWLY. Letting go of the clay will throw it off center. Slow even pres-
sure is the key.
Problem 8: Ridges in the side of the clay.
Solution: Lock your fingers together. There is space between your fingers creating uneven pressure on the clay. The clay sneeks out between your fingers.
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STEP 2a. OPENING THE CLAY
1. Once the clay is centered place thumbs directly in the center, hands touching
around the sides (not with fingers flying out).
2. Put small dent in the top. Fill with water.
3. Place thumbs in the center again. Push striaight down using steady, constant pressure. If you go too fast a thumb could get caught or push unevenly. Sometimes a
faster speed will create that constant steady pressure.
4. Leave 1/2” of clay in bottom center.
5. Check thickness with needle tool BEFORE you pull the sides out.
6. If too thick go back in and make deeper, BEFORE you pull the sides out.
7. Once you start try not to stop.
WHEN TAKING YOUR HANDS OFF THE CLAY ALWAYS RELEASE THE
CLAY WITH A SLOW STEADY PRESSURE. DO NOT LET GO QUICKLY.
Problem 1: Hole is off center (doing a belly dance).
Solution: *When pushing in hole go straight down, NOT forward.
* Go faster-Match wheel speed with the speed of your hand movement, you may be punching the hole too slowly.
* Go steady and strong.
* Start over, the clay was not centered before you opened.
Problem 2: Hole is too deep, less than 1/2” to base.
Solution:*Start over.
*Use this as a practice piece, next time don’t go down so far.
Problem 3: Long fingernails get in the way.
Solution: *Cut your nails.
* Use a sponge over the top of your nail, this will stop the clay from grabbing the nail and throwing it off center. The problem with the sponge and nails is they don’t have nerve endings, it is hard to feel what is happening to the clay.
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2b. PULL OPEN
1. With hands on the sides pull thumbs toward palms.
OR
1. With (left) hand on the side, heel of palm in front of belly button.
2. Using middle finger (your strongest finger) of the (right) hand on the inside.
3. Pull your finger toward the palm of your hand. If you double-up on your fingers
make sure the pressure is at only one point.
4. *Open the hole 2 1/2” inches wide.
(if you go too wide you will not get your hieght because it will be in your width.)
WHEN TAKING YOUR HANDS OFF THE CLAY ALWAYS RELEASE THE
CLAY WITH A SLOW STEADY PRESSURE. DO NOT LET GO QUICKLY.
Problem 1: Hole is off center. One side is thick and the other side is thin.
Solution: *Open at a steady even pace. if you open too slow or too fast the speed is not matched with the wheel speed at which you open.
Problem 2: Hole was in center now it isn’t.
Solution* see above
*Make sure you have enough water to lubricate the clay so it doesn’t stick to your thumbs. If it sticks to your thumbs it is too dry and can pull it off center by creating uneven pressure on the clay.
Problem 3: The inside is more U shaped than L shaped.
Solution: Push fingers or thumb more into the inside corner. This is a problem because if you leave all the clay on the inside corner of your base you won’t have enough clay for your height.
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2c. COMPRESS THE DONUT RING
This step compacts the clay and evens out the rim.
1. Place the thumb and pointer finger of your (left) hand on either side of the clay wall.
2. Place the pointer finger of your (right) hand on the top of the wall.
3. Gently but firmly make the clay into a nice donut looking ring.
2d. SMOOTH OUT THROW RINGS
1. Firmly hold the rib with the rounded edge toward the clay.
2. Three fingers on the top (flat) side.
3. Hold rib at an angle.
4. Gently push the rib against the inside base.
5. Start at the outer edge and draw a straight line to the center.
6. Gently lift the rib off the clay.
Problem 1: The rib gets caught and takes a chunk out of the clay.
Solution: *Hold the rib firmly. Remove all the slip from your hands that may make it slip.
* Hold the rib at an angle so the clay is coming into the clay and not against the clay.
*Make sure rib is in right hand.
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3. LIFT OR RAISE THE HEIGHT OF THE WALL
To lift the wall:
1. Place your fingers of your (left) hand on the inside of the opening.
The fingers of your (right) hand on the out side.
The fingers of your (right) hand can be held 4 different ways.
1) use the finger tips against the clay.
2) the middle section of your pointer finger against the clay, making a fist.
3) The knuckle of your thumb against the clay, making a fist.
4) The pointer finger of your left hand on the outside of the clay, the right hand on the inside.
The hand on the outside of the clay should be closest to your belly. NOT on the opposite side.
2. Start at the bottom and lift your hands upward through the rim.
The movement of your hand upward should slow, and match the speed at which the wheel is spinning around.
3. The fingers should be the same distance apart from top to bottom.
4. Make sure your hands are connected, the thumb of left hand resting on the right hand.This makes it one solid movement not two seperate movements from two seperate hands.
5. The walls should be pulled straight upward (slightly inward) and not outward.
6. Wet the walls so your fingers don’t stick to the clay.
WHEN TAKING YOUR HANDS OFF THE CLAY ALWAYS RELEASE THE CLAY
WITH A SLOW STEADY PRESSURE. DO NOT LET GO QUICKLY.
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3. PROBLEMS: LIFT OR RAISE THE HEIGHT OF THE WALL
Problem: The clay rips off. You end up with a donut ring in your hand.
Solution: *Don’t put pressure where it is thin. It often thins out at the bottom corner because that is where you start putting pressure to thin it out.
*Keep even pressure through the rim. Hurrying through the rim makes it so there isn’t the same pressure on the clay as there was down below. So the rim ends up thicker and therefore top heavy. Making it so thin base cannot support the thick rim.
* Don’t push it too fast. You could be trying to do too much too soon.
Problem: The clay isn’t getting any taller.
Solution: *Put more pressure on the clay as you lift. Pinch more.
Problem: You can’t fit your hand on the inside and it is all wrinkly on the inside. You are trying to raise the wall only from outside pressure.
Solution: *Force your hand down inside the hole. You are trying raise the clay by putting both hands on the outside of the clay. One hand should always be inside one should always be on the outside.
* Pull up the wall from the inside as well as the outside.
Problem: the clay walls won’t hold their shape.
Solution: *Start over with new clay. You’ve spent too much time stretching and pulling the clay and it has lost it’s elasticity. Once clay has lost it’s elasticity (that ability stretch and spring back) you can’t make the clay do anything. It’s like a rubber band that won’t stretch. You have to gently coax the clay into the place you want it to be in. If you force it too fast it won’t hold.
Problem: The clay walls are lumpy and tear as you pull them up.
Solution* You are pulling them up too fast. The clay needs to be slowly coaxed into place not pushed there too quickly.
*Wedge better, air bubbles are in the clay.
*Wedge the clay with dry hands, if they are slippy it creates uneven texture in the clay.
*Get new clay. You opened the clay, tried to pull it up and then closed it back up and used the same piece of clay to start over.
*The clay was pugged with bone dry clay. This is rarely the case but it happens.
Problem: There is a piece of biqueware or part of a broken tool in your clay.
Solution. *Wegde better. You should find those things as you wedge.
*Don’t accidentally throw your tools in with the recycle clay. A broken tool could seriously hurt someone’s hand as they try to center.
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3b. LIFT AND COLLAR IN
After each pull upward place your thumb and pointer finger of both hands
on either side and gently squeeze the rim.
Do this after each pull. Lift, collar in, lift, collar in, lift, collar in.....
WHEN TAKING YOUR HANDS OFF THE CLAY ALWAYS RELEASE THE
CLAY WITH A SLOW STEADY PRESSURE. DO NOT LET GO QUICKLY.
Problem: The cylindar is turning into a bowl. You can’t reach the 5” cylindar.
Solution: collar in after each pull. It keeps the walls going straight up instead of out.
Problem: There are wrinkles on the inside of the cylinder.
Solution: Pull up after collaring in. The clay that has been squooshed inward now needs to go upward.
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4. REMOVE EXCESS CLAY AND STRAIGHTEN SIDES
4a. REMOVE EXCESS CLAY
1. Brace your forearm on the splashguard tray.
2. Hold the wood tool at the outside base of your cylinder.
3. Remove excess (volcano like) clay.
This is done to aid in re-centering your pot when you need to trim a foot rim
(after your clay is leather hard). This is an important step.
4b. STRAIGHTEN SIDES
1. Use the side of the rib(rounded edge faceing you) or the side of the wood
tool and place it next to the side of your pot.
2. Brace your arm on the splashguard tray or elbow into the hip bone to stabilize your arm.
3. Place your (left) hand inside the cylinder and pull up the wall of the pot
against the rib.
WHEN TAKING YOUR HANDS OFF THE CLAY ALWAYS RELEASE THE
CLAY WITH A SLOW STEADY PRESSURE. DO NOT LET GO QUICKLY.
Problem: the base of your pot is still monster thick, but the outside goes straight down.
Solution:* Trim more clay off.
*Go back to the opening stage (it’s too late to do that now) and when you first open your clay make sure
the clay on the inside is not in a U shape but is
more L shaped on the inside.
Problem: The rib gouges the side of the pot when you try to straighten the wall.
Solution: *Hold the rib at more of an angle.
*Check to see if you are useing the flat side, if you are use the rounded edge.
*Hold the rib on the right side so the clay comes into it instead of against it.
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5. TRIM THE RIM
1. Brace your arm on your leg.
2. Hold the needle tool like you would a pencil.
3. Place the tip 1/4” down from the lowest point of the rim.
4. Gently place the tip into the wall.
5. Hold the tool steady, at the same height, at a slight angle.
6. Slowly push the tip through the wall.
7. Once it is all the way through the whole circumference of the rim
quickly lift up.
THE KEY IS TOO KEEP YOUR HAND STEADY.
Problem: The wall collapses on one side when the tool is pushed in.
Solution: * Start over. *Slow the wheel speed down. The pot is off center, one side of the pot is thicker than the other. Once the tool made it through the thin part it hit the thick part and the thicker clay resisted the tool.
*Push the tool in more slowly. You could be doing to quickly. Putting too much stress on the clay.
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6. SHAPE
1. Once the wall thickness and height have been established (5” out of 2lbs
of clay) Place your (left) hand on the inside of the pot. Your (right) hand
on the outside to brace and guide.
BOWL (U shaped with a lip):
2. With your (left)hand on the inside starting at the bottom of the pot
slowly and steadily push out ward for the bottom half of the pot.
3. Then pull your hands striaght upward.
4. For a lip, hold your finger on the outside edge about one inch from the
rim. Place your other hand on the inside, using a finger pull the clay over
the top of the finger on the outside of the bowl.
5. Smooth over the rim before removing from the wheel.
VASE:
2. With your (left)hand on the inside starting at the bottom of the pot
slowly and steadily push out ward for the bottom half of the pot.
3. Then pull your hands striaght upward.
4. Gently collar in the neck.
5. Pull the neck part up again.
6. For a lip, hold your finger on the outside edge about one inch from the
rim. Place your other hand on the inside, using a finger pull the clay over
the top of the finger on the outside of the vase.
7. Smooth over the rim before removing from the wheel.
WHEN TAKING YOUR HANDS OFF THE CLAY ALWAYS RELEASE THE
CLAY WITH A SLOW STEADY PRESSURE. DO NOT LET GO QUICKLY.
PARTS OF THE POT
MOUTH
LIP
NECK
Problem: The pot is lopsided when I push out the belly.
Solution: Match the wheel speed with the speed at which your are going upward and outward. If the wheel speed is too slow and your hands are too fast it will be lopsided, and visa versa.
SHOULDER
BELLY (BODY)
BASE
FOOT
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7. REMOVE POT FROM WHEEL
1. If your pot is still quite wet and doesn’t hold it’s shape well you may want
to use a heat gun (hair dryer) to dry out the wall of your pot. Becareful to not
dry the rim too much, You only want it dry enough to hold it’s shape. Less
than leather hard.
2. Use a sponge to wet the wheel. Put a lot of water down around the outside
edge of the pot.
3. Holding the wire tools like you would dental floss get your thumbs as close
to the base of the pot as you can.
4. Pressing your thumbs against the wheel head slide the wire tool under your
pot.
5. Make sure there is water there to go under the pot.
6. Get a wood bat and wet it’s surface.
7. Hold a wood bat underneath the wheel head.
8. Gently hold the outside of the pot while slowly turning the kick plate. or
gently twist the pot. If you push it it will go into an oval instead of a circle.
9. Slide the pot onto the bat, toward the far edge of the bat. Pull the bat out as
you slide the pot.
10. Wrap a bag around it and put it in the damp box.
Problem: The pot is only on 1/2 of the bat.
Solution: *Make sure the bat is wet. When it is dry it the clay will stick to the dry area.
*Make sure you are holding the edge of the bat UNDER the
wheel head.
Problem: The pot bends into an oval when it is being removed from the wheel.
Solution: *Twist it off instead of pushing it off.
* Make sure there is water under the pot.
8. LET HARDEN
Cover your pot with a bag. place the pot in the damp box until leather hard.
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9. TRIM FOOT RIM
9a. Center your pot upsidedown on the wheel head. Place your pot on the
wheel head. Eyeball as best you can placing it in the center. Bracing your
forearms on the splashguard tray take a needle tool, hold it infront of your
belly toward the pot, not yet touching the pot. Spin the wheel around and
make a mark on the pot near the base of the pot. Stop the wheel. Place the
line that was made toward you. Put your fingers on each end of the line.
Gently push the pot forward. Only push a tiny amount! Keep repeating
this step until your needle tool line goes all the way around the pot.
9b. Place coils of clay around the rim of the pot to secure the pot to the
wheel head. Be careful not to push it off center as you do this. Place the
clay on either side at the same time.
9c. Holding the large loop tool firmly in both hands, bracing your arms on
the splashguard tray. Spin the wheel at full speed. Hold the loop tool in
the center of the pot and trim to the outer edge. Once you reach about 1/4”
from the edge push down and out.
9d. Switch to the small loop tool. Using the squared end make a step on
the outer edge of the pot about 1/4”. Come in 1/4” of an inch and make a
step on the inside. Flip the tool over to the rounded edge and remove clay
from the center. Use rounded edge to soften the corners of the foot.
9e. Using the small or large loop tool taper the side. Remove any thickness
from the side of the pot.
9f. Using a rib gently press the surface of the clay to remove any sharp
edges. Getting the rib wet helps.
9g. Write your name and period number on the bottom of the pot.
9h. place pot upside down (so you don’t dent the work you just did) in the
damp box. No need for a bat.
rib
needle tool
large loop tool
small loop tool
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9. PROBLEMS RE-CENTERING THE BOWL UPSIDE DOWN ON THE
WHEEL
Problem: Having difficulty making the line to see if it is centered.
Solution: * Review step 9a on how to trim.
* Learn to re-center the pot upside down on the wheel.
* Find the center of the circle
Problem: the foot rim is off center:
Solution: * Learn how to center the piece on the wheel. See step 9a.
* Learn how to throw on center. When the pot was thrown off center it is impossible to get the foot rim centered be
cause the original pot was not centered.
* Hold your hands steady. Brace them on your legs or the splash guard tray, pull arms in to the body to help stabalize your arms.
* When putting the clay around the pot to stabalize the pot while trimming the pot was pushed off center.
Problem: The pot goes flying off the wheel when you try to make the centering mark.
* The wheel speed is too fast or too slow.
* There isn’t any clay around the base to stabalize the pot while trimming. Take coils and put around the base of the pot.
* The tool grabs an edge of the pot and sends it flying. The clay could be too dry or too soft.
* Hold the tool at an angle so the clay is coming into the clay and not against it.
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9. PROBLEMS TRIMMING THE FOOT RIM
Problem: Base is cracked
* Let dry too quickly. The pot wasn’t covered with a bag or it sat too long on a bat before trimming.
* Don’t spray it after it has dried. The un even moisture causes it to expand and contract causing the cracks.
Problem: the clay is too soft and sticky, the pot bends when you try to
take it off the wheel.
* Let dry longer, wait till next class period.
* or put in front of a fan for 5 min. each side. and then check. (watching your pot dry is not an option.) NOTE this is not the recomended technique. the quick drying and uneven moisture may cause cracking, and it may only dry the outer layer not the inner layer. which then when you trim the harder layer away your tool gives in the soft area and then you get chunks taken out of the clay.
Problem: Dents or chuncks taken out during trimming.
* Hold your hands steady, make sure your center of gravity is over the top of the pot. the tool caught an edge on the clay and your hands allowed it to move. Grab the tool with both hands, put your pressure weight on your leg leaning slightly to the side.
* Hold the tools firm.
* Use sharper tools.
* Hold the tools at the correct angle over the clay.
* Let the clay dry properly. If the outer layer was dried by a fan or heat gun (hair dryer) then the clay was dried unevenly. The harder outer layer of clay was trimmed away once the tool hit the soft clay the tool gave easier thus causing a dent in the clay. There wasn’t as much resistance with the soft clay as the hard clay. But the pressure you were putting on the pot was the pressure for hard clay. (you need less pressure for soft clay more pressure for harder clay).Once the tool hits the soft clay you need to adjust the pressure for soft clay not hard clay.
* The tool caught an edge left by the wire tool when taken of the wheel. When removing the pot from the wheel try to pull the wire tool through smoothly. Don’t stop part way through.
Problem: The outside corners are still too thick.
* Taper the sides more. Remove the bump with the tools.
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