putting the parts together

one of my favorite things to make is oval bakers.  i make them in two parts... i throw the bottoms and the tops separately on the wheel...

the tops are bottomless cylinders that i alter once they have set up a bit... depending on humidity it may not be until the next day...

i place the altered cylinder on top of the bottom, tracing around it with a needle tool.  i make a mark on both the top and bottom so that i can line them up properly when attaching them.  after tracing the oval i cut through it using an exacto-knife, it is little finer cut than a fettling knife.

i score both sections and depending on the dryness of the clay, either moisten the sections or use slip... to attach.

i smooth the inside seam with what i call i little wooden finger tool (sorry i didn't get a picture of it) and also my own fingers.  i smooth out the outside connection with a rib and my fingers.  i used to put these together at close to leather hard stage and then used the pony roller with WD-40 to smooth the seams.  i find working with the clay a little wetter gives me a little more fluid look.

this is a new shape, a little different than my "standard" oval, now i have to re-think the handles... that is my mission for tomorrow.  on a side note, these were thrown with laguna b-mix.  jeff and i will be wood-firing with our neighbor dan in september.  b-mix looks great in a wood-firing.

i leave you tonight with a picture of my studio mate today...

this little guy sat by my wheel most of the day :-)