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Working on some elliptical (oval) platters today. They're fussy and time-consuming, not unlike teapots, so I only do them when I don't have much else on the list. I start with 5 lbs. of clay on my biggest bats, open right down to the wheel-head, and throw a platter rim with no base. The form has a slight wall, about 3/4 inch high, then flares out into the rim at a steepish angle, say 45°.
I stop the wheel and squeeze water from my sponge onto the bat, both inside and outside the clay. With the wheel turning slowly, I run my cutting wire under the piece, dragging some water in underneath. This makes a slippery surface, so I can draw the ends of the oval outward, while the sides slide in. The rim will flatten out on the sides and pull up on the ends, so I carefully stretch the ends down with moistened finger until they mostly match the sides. Mop up the excess water and set aside to firm up over night.
On day two, I put a couple of narrow boards, about half an inch thick, on either side of the platter rim, and run my cutting wire along the top of them and through the wall of the rim, cutting off the bottom half-inch to be recycled. I roll out a slab of clay for each platter, smooth both sides with a big squeegee followed by a soft silicone rib, then lay each across newsprint on a piece of drywall. Put the rim on top, cover with plastic and leave for another day.
Day three, I remove the rim, flip and smooth the other side of the slab, replace the rim, cover again. I'm trying to get the rim and bottom to equalize in moisture. Round about midday, I mark the inner edge of the rim onto the base, flip it over onto some foam rubber, and score and slip both surfaces. Reposition rim, press and wiggle together, and reinforce with a coil all the way around the inner edge.
Flip the whole platter over onto the foam, paddle the seam, trim away excess clay with a cheese cutter, then paddle and rib smooth. The bottom may have sagged a little, so flip upright on the dry side of the drywall and rib the middle flat again. Repeat for the other three platters, then dry them all slowly.
I stop the wheel and squeeze water from my sponge onto the bat, both inside and outside the clay. With the wheel turning slowly, I run my cutting wire under the piece, dragging some water in underneath. This makes a slippery surface, so I can draw the ends of the oval outward, while the sides slide in. The rim will flatten out on the sides and pull up on the ends, so I carefully stretch the ends down with moistened finger until they mostly match the sides. Mop up the excess water and set aside to firm up over night.
On day two, I put a couple of narrow boards, about half an inch thick, on either side of the platter rim, and run my cutting wire along the top of them and through the wall of the rim, cutting off the bottom half-inch to be recycled. I roll out a slab of clay for each platter, smooth both sides with a big squeegee followed by a soft silicone rib, then lay each across newsprint on a piece of drywall. Put the rim on top, cover with plastic and leave for another day.
Day three, I remove the rim, flip and smooth the other side of the slab, replace the rim, cover again. I'm trying to get the rim and bottom to equalize in moisture. Round about midday, I mark the inner edge of the rim onto the base, flip it over onto some foam rubber, and score and slip both surfaces. Reposition rim, press and wiggle together, and reinforce with a coil all the way around the inner edge.
Flip the whole platter over onto the foam, paddle the seam, trim away excess clay with a cheese cutter, then paddle and rib smooth. The bottom may have sagged a little, so flip upright on the dry side of the drywall and rib the middle flat again. Repeat for the other three platters, then dry them all slowly.