Cracked pots

Earl

No, not me, my pots! I have made two slab pots the last week out of Hawaiian Red, WC 365. Usually, I attach the sides to the top of the bottom and never had a problem. On this one I wanted a continuous smooth side so I set the bottom on a couple small pieces of wood and then pushed the sides against the edges of the bottom. In both cases, the bottom shrunk away from the sides. The first time I put it together when the clay was still quite damp. The second time I let it dry to "leather stage' but neither seemed to help. The last time the sides even came apart. Does any one know if this is a problem with the type of clay (I haven't used it before), or can't you put a pot together in this manner?

I just sprayed the whole darn thing with water tonight and put it back together. I doubt that this will work because it had already been drying since Sunday. I also put a thin rope between the bottom and the sides to try to reinforce it. The poor thing is a far cry from its nice straight lines after wetting it down, but I guess it's lost anyway.

i've attached a picture but the poor pot is a far cry from its original straight lines

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bonsaial1

If this is the poor pic, then I would love to have seen it when it was straight. This is a very nice pot. Too bad you are having fits with it. I have never expieranced this with clay. I have made quite a few of my own pots. I use a wire brush type gadget to score my clay at the joints. At the look of your pot, you been doin this for a while and I'm sure that you have a method that works for you. Hope it goes OK here on out. Keep up the good work , and show us the finished product, or anything else you've thrown down.


Best regards, Bonsaial

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Experience is fundamental

Earl

Bonsaial, thanks for the compliment. Actually, I took a class in the fall where I did a whole bunch of different stuff to learn different techniques. I only ended up with one that could be classified as a pot. I bought some clay a couple weeks ago and have made several pots--none of them fired yet. So I really haven't made many, thus my problems. I spent a lot of time on the wheel in class but couldn't get anything bigger than three or four inches that looked like much. Will try again in the Spring term.

After the first post, when I put the poor thing back together, I covered it loosely and am letting it dry very very slow. So far, it hasn't pulled apart again, so maybe air drying was too fast. Do you cover yours or leave them out in the air to dry?

I was going to post the four I've made recently but my batteries just went dead, so have to recharge first.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS? WHERE ARE THE POST EXPERTS??

Bonsainut

Dear Earl,
Very happy to see you making classic style bonsai pots! I have used Wc-365 and like it. It Fires to a nice brick red in oxidation an warm brown in reduction.
Hard slab construction is a great way to hand build. Your perportions are classic and I commend you for this.
A straight rectangle is a very difficult shape. You will find that after firing 3 out of 5 of your pots will be bowed in along the edges. If you add a rim you will get better odds.
As for Joinery all the parts need to be as equal in dryness as possible. As soon as you can handle your hard slab without deforming them is the best time to join. Score and slip your joints and add a small coil as a reinforcement.
Dry them slowly in a closed cabinet out of drafts or wrap in loose plastic.
Lather,rinse, repeat!

__________________
Keep growing,---'Nut



Lethal Use of Farce

Earl

Bonsainut,
Thanks. When I posted the picture, I had just sprayed the whole thing down, rejoined it, and added the rather large coil between the base and sides. I've kept it covered now for a week and it does seem to be drying without cracking. So maybe the air drying was letting it dry too unequally.

What do you mean by lather, rinse, repeat? I haven't done that or heard of it.

Thanks. Glad to hear about the clay. That warm brown is what attracted me to it.

Bonsainut

Earl,
You may not know my strange sense of humor! I sometimes throw things out there that refer to something else in a vain attempt at funny.
Ever see on the back of shampoo containers the instructions to lather, rinse, repeat ? This was my way of saying keep doing it, ya know make more, lots more! Pleasure thru pot making, ---Nut

__________________
Keep growing,---'Nut



Lethal Use of Farce