Minute seven is some of the best advise you can give. In clay or life. Its actually life advise I heard my dad give my brother a lot growing up. "You can not correct a situation you refuse to acknowledge. It will remove any possibility for control and leaves you a victim of your own irresponsibility." Obviously he wasn't talking clay but, it is kind of omni-catagorical advise. Figure out what went wrong, why it went wrong, and what needs to be done to correct it. I still often feel bad for my brother but, when you're a observational learner, It helps to have a sibling that is a bit of a train wreck. So, thanks bro?
Thank you for talking about posture and body placement--so many videos only show what's happening with the hands, and the centering, I find, happens in the shoulders and elbows. I just wish your camera was better centered when filming this, because I can only see one side of what you're doing.
I call the two types of wedging Duck Face and Sea Shell. I like duck face for small amounts of clay and sea shell for large amounts because as a small female, large amounts can be too hard to manage all at once and the sea shell focuses all the energy on a small portion at a time, but the duck face is good when it's small amounts that are easy to get my hands around. When I wedge, I like to put one foot forward and one slightly back so that my center of gravity is in the middle and I can rock back and forth really rhythmically to put my whole body weight into the force of wedging rather than trying to let my hands or arms only do the work. That really helps.
I don't blame, I learn! Sometimes it's takes me a little longer to get it, and I need to feel my feels. Then when no one is looking, I put my self together and get on with I. That's why these videos are so excellent. I can watch and listen as many times as it takes. When I slip up I can review without being a bother to anyone. That's just me. As always, Thanks Tim See
I hope this comment doesn't get lost as this is an older video that I'm commenting on. However- quarantine has gotten me interested in trying a new hobby. What is the average start up costs for everything you'd need for a beginner? Should I get a kit? Should I invest in a DIY/Built your own with the parts needed? Where is the best place to buy supplies/equipment/clay/tools? I'm also in Ontario, Canada if this info helps with suggestions. I apologize if this has been covered in a previous video already 😬 Thank you so much for taking the time to get back to me!!! 🥰🎉
Not lost but hard to answer. Finding used is the cheapest and the hardest. It can take months to find decent equipment near you or longer. DIY wheels and kilns cost more than used or new and never work well. I don’t know the best places in Canada. Search pottery or clay supplier near me.
Tim, Your videos tell what it too me 35 weeks of classes to figure out. Yes, use slip instead of water. Yes, wedging is kneeding the clay so it is homogeneous. Yes, "throwing" is carefully re-shaping the clay.... This is a great set of wonderful learnings. I wish I had found them earlier.
Thank you, Tim, for your time and willingness to share what you know with us. I really like and appreciate your no-nonsense approach to teaching. You are someone I can actually learn from.
I've gathered and cleaned some natural clay, it's beautiful and I'd love to play with it. I have several blocks dried to various stages, and that is my question; how do you know how wet/dry you want your clay before wedging it? How dry/wet is too dry/wet, beyond the obvious of course?
Hi Tim, How would I know if my clay needs moisture added to it? It seems to get sticky really quick when I am throwing. should I add water while I'm wedging? Thanks.
Disclaimer, I am not Tim. I do teach tho and it's a real problem, I can always pick the breadmakers out of the crowd! So, here are things to think about. Never fold the clay onto itself. Instead, with the base of your thumbs where Tim demonstrated, think "landslide", you want to push the clay downward from the top of the hill to about 1/3 of the way down into the ball, then roll it about a quarter turn toward you and again, make the landslide from the top of the hill, and stop about 1/3 of the way between the top of the clay and the table. Landslides don't twist and turn, they just slide down the hill, so no rotating the ball of clay, just roll it toward you. If it gets wider, try to cup it between your hands to control the sides. Hope that helps and I am sure Tim has a lot more help to give but I saw that you asked a week ago so I thought I'd chime in.
Thank you for sharing! Very informative. My pottery teacher told me, that the clay I am using can not tolerate more than 7 minutes work with it. Is it true for all kind of clays?
Gabriella Me I’m not sure that’s a thing. It might be a rule of them for a beginner but I don’t mind people taking longer and just trashing a ball if they are still getting experience.
Hi Tim. I've just bought my first wheel and am about ready to get going today. I've noticed you have the 2 little raised boots on your wheel for your bats to lock on to. My wheel has holes for those bits, as do my bats. Am I missing the screws and should contact the seller? Or is that not "as standard"? I've only used completely flat wheels in the past that don't have holes, or rivets
Gabrielle Peckham it’s a feature to have the holes on most wheels and for the last twenty years they have been standard size You will need to find out if your wheel head is threaded or if it’s just a hole. Then you will need to find out how deep the hole is. While you are doing that I’m going to measure one of mine so you know how big the cap is
You will need to figure out the length. You will also need to get a pair of wing nuts with the same threads www.grainger.com/mobile/product/GRAINGER-APPROVED-Cylindrical-Socket-Head-Cap-WP7290733/_/N-15gxZ1yzj8ts?breadcrumbCatId=3546&fromPidp=true&picUrl=//static.grainger.com/rp/s/is/image/Grainger/4XB86_AS01?$smthumb$webparentimage$
Hi Tim, I’m a beginner and was wondering what the right consistency is for clay I’m using for throwing? I’m worried that mine may be too firm, causing me to put excess pressure onto it to get it to move :/
Lucy Shackley it’s really hard to tell you what’s the right wetness as we have no unit of measure that is accessible to both of us. It’s a good question. On the scale of hardness to soft the softer it is the easier it will be to center and open but the harder it would be to pull walls and shale.
You are awesome, Tim. I am really gonna need you to demo that spiral wedging in slow motion a lot more! Every spiral wedging vid I've seen goes too fast for me to learn from.
Maybe film at high frame rate if you have the capability and then get the computer to slow mo it for us? I would pay to see slow motion wedging it's always too quick!
Hi ! I have an older bag of clay that's been sitting around for a few months in my apartment, it's mostly all recycled stuff of pieces that weren't working out while I was taking my first course. Just wondering if you recommend wetting the clay a bit before wedging ? I do find it's very hard to work with and not sure if there's a way to make it easier, or make it feel like it's fresh out of the bag ?!
Hi Tim, I loved this video and I think my wedging is okay. My problem is dealing with the spiral end (ends - depending on what method you use) and how to deal with getting them air pocket free. Once you're done wedging, do you use a specific method for cutting up the block to get it ready to throw? Thanks!
Thanks for the fresh look at pottery basics. I used your early videos for my introduction to pottery. One addition that helped me was to add a block of wood to front of foot pedal to keep wheel speed slow (below 90 rpm). Wheel speed easy to measure with cellphone app and a magnet.
I'm a beginner with using the wheel and I know I suck at using the wheel but believe it or not I'm actually better at hand crafting bowls and cups because I learned how to make pinch pots in 2nd grade I was 8 years old I'm 34 now lol plus I've had practice with air dry clay I definitely want to learn how to use a Potter's Wheel production with making cups bowls mugs plates vases what have you
Thanks for the nice video Tim. I want to start pottery, I have a great interest in this. Learning it from UA-cam only. I want to know, from where you get the clay. Can we made it at home.?
Come for the tutorials.. stay for the sound effects and jokes
Bet you a dollar Tim See can throw with cream cheese.
Minute seven is some of the best advise you can give. In clay or life.
Its actually life advise I heard my dad give my brother a lot growing up. "You can not correct a situation you refuse to acknowledge. It will remove any possibility for control and leaves you a victim of your own irresponsibility." Obviously he wasn't talking clay but, it is kind of omni-catagorical advise. Figure out what went wrong, why it went wrong, and what needs to be done to correct it.
I still often feel bad for my brother but, when you're a observational learner, It helps to have a sibling that is a bit of a train wreck. So, thanks bro?
Love this! Thanks for starting with the basics! You are such an awesome teacher.
So happy to see your videos starting again!
"We don't want our balls to stay out" - Good advice right there.
It's like having John Goodman talk me through throwing...I appreciate that xD
Thank you for talking about posture and body placement--so many videos only show what's happening with the hands, and the centering, I find, happens in the shoulders and elbows. I just wish your camera was better centered when filming this, because I can only see one side of what you're doing.
I call the two types of wedging Duck Face and Sea Shell. I like duck face for small amounts of clay and sea shell for large amounts because as a small female, large amounts can be too hard to manage all at once and the sea shell focuses all the energy on a small portion at a time, but the duck face is good when it's small amounts that are easy to get my hands around. When I wedge, I like to put one foot forward and one slightly back so that my center of gravity is in the middle and I can rock back and forth really rhythmically to put my whole body weight into the force of wedging rather than trying to let my hands or arms only do the work. That really helps.
I love your videos; I am taking a class and my second night is tonight and I now feel much more prepared. thank you
I am in week 5 of my first class and I just learned more in your 15 min video than I have in 5 weeks. Basics!!!! Thank You.
I don't blame, I learn! Sometimes it's takes me a little longer to get it, and I need to feel my feels. Then when no one is looking, I put my self together and get on with I. That's why these videos are so excellent. I can watch and listen as many times as it takes. When I slip up I can review without being a bother to anyone. That's just me. As always, Thanks Tim See
Timsee, absolutely love your films! Sooooooo educational in a clean and simple way. Any chance on you making some more?
Anna all the way from Sweden.
these are really helpful. No in-person pottery classes are being done due to COVID. So these help a lot :)
I hope this comment doesn't get lost as this is an older video that I'm commenting on. However- quarantine has gotten me interested in trying a new hobby. What is the average start up costs for everything you'd need for a beginner? Should I get a kit? Should I invest in a DIY/Built your own with the parts needed? Where is the best place to buy supplies/equipment/clay/tools? I'm also in Ontario, Canada if this info helps with suggestions. I apologize if this has been covered in a previous video already 😬 Thank you so much for taking the time to get back to me!!! 🥰🎉
Not lost but hard to answer. Finding used is the cheapest and the hardest. It can take months to find decent equipment near you or longer. DIY wheels and kilns cost more than used or new and never work well. I don’t know the best places in Canada. Search pottery or clay supplier near me.
Thank you. I’m a newbie… thank you soooo much
Your an amazing teacher! Thank you!!
Tim, Your videos tell what it too me 35 weeks of classes to figure out. Yes, use slip instead of water. Yes, wedging is kneeding the clay so it is homogeneous. Yes, "throwing" is carefully re-shaping the clay.... This is a great set of wonderful learnings. I wish I had found them earlier.
What's a good place to buy clay?
Thank you, Tim, for your time and willingness to share what you know with us. I really like and appreciate your no-nonsense approach to teaching. You are someone I can actually learn from.
I've gathered and cleaned some natural clay, it's beautiful and I'd love to play with it. I have several blocks dried to various stages, and that is my question; how do you know how wet/dry you want your clay before wedging it? How dry/wet is too dry/wet, beyond the obvious of course?
Hi Tim, How would I know if my clay needs moisture added to it? It seems to get sticky really quick when I am throwing. should I add water while I'm wedging? Thanks.
I think the best mentality when starting is that you can always throw it again. It won’t be always the same but they can be pretty similar.
I'm still struggling with the spiral. Find the Rams head much easier.
I've made too much bread in my life. How do I wedge but not add air? Don't say just don't add air. That's what my teacher said... Not helpful
Disclaimer, I am not Tim. I do teach tho and it's a real problem, I can always pick the breadmakers out of the crowd!
So, here are things to think about. Never fold the clay onto itself. Instead, with the base of your thumbs where Tim demonstrated, think "landslide", you want to push the clay downward from the top of the hill to about 1/3 of the way down into the ball, then roll it about a quarter turn toward you and again, make the landslide from the top of the hill, and stop about 1/3 of the way between the top of the clay and the table. Landslides don't twist and turn, they just slide down the hill, so no rotating the ball of clay, just roll it toward you. If it gets wider, try to cup it between your hands to control the sides. Hope that helps and I am sure Tim has a lot more help to give but I saw that you asked a week ago so I thought I'd chime in.
maidenearth I will try that Wednesday in class, thank you!
Thank you for sharing! Very informative. My pottery teacher told me, that the clay I am using can not tolerate more than 7 minutes work with it. Is it true for all kind of clays?
Gabriella Me I’m not sure that’s a thing. It might be a rule of them for a beginner but I don’t mind people taking longer and just trashing a ball if they are still getting experience.
Hi Tim. I've just bought my first wheel and am about ready to get going today. I've noticed you have the 2 little raised boots on your wheel for your bats to lock on to. My wheel has holes for those bits, as do my bats. Am I missing the screws and should contact the seller? Or is that not "as standard"? I've only used completely flat wheels in the past that don't have holes, or rivets
Gabrielle Peckham it’s a feature to have the holes on most wheels and for the last twenty years they have been standard size
You will need to find out if your wheel head is threaded or if it’s just a hole. Then you will need to find out how deep the hole is. While you are doing that I’m going to measure one of mine so you know how big the cap is
You will need to figure out the length. You will also need to get a pair of wing nuts with the same threads
www.grainger.com/mobile/product/GRAINGER-APPROVED-Cylindrical-Socket-Head-Cap-WP7290733/_/N-15gxZ1yzj8ts?breadcrumbCatId=3546&fromPidp=true&picUrl=//static.grainger.com/rp/s/is/image/Grainger/4XB86_AS01?$smthumb$webparentimage$
Thanks so much for the fast reply!
Hi Tim, I’m a beginner and was wondering what the right consistency is for clay I’m using for throwing? I’m worried that mine may be too firm, causing me to put excess pressure onto it to get it to move :/
Lucy Shackley it’s really hard to tell you what’s the right wetness as we have no unit of measure that is accessible to both of us. It’s a good question. On the scale of hardness to soft the softer it is the easier it will be to center and open but the harder it would be to pull walls and shale.
What sort of clay for pit firing? Thanks-I can't wait to mess some things up. Don't blame the clay.
Grogy clay tends to be the best from what I've heard from the internet. Something to do with it shrinking better or slower.
if you're having problems throwing... it's cause you suck... I love this vid!
Spiral wedging
You are awesome, Tim. I am really gonna need you to demo that spiral wedging in slow motion a lot more! Every spiral wedging vid I've seen goes too fast for me to learn from.
It's really hard to do ti slow, once you think about it you over think.
Maybe film at high frame rate if you have the capability and then get the computer to slow mo it for us? I would pay to see slow motion wedging it's always too quick!
Hi ! I have an older bag of clay that's been sitting around for a few months in my apartment, it's mostly all recycled stuff of pieces that weren't working out while I was taking my first course. Just wondering if you recommend wetting the clay a bit before wedging ? I do find it's very hard to work with and not sure if there's a way to make it easier, or make it feel like it's fresh out of the bag ?!
merci Timsee pour ces supers conseils. J'ai été étonnée de voir qu'une terre, même bien préparée avait encore des bullles.
Hi Tim, I loved this video and I think my wedging is okay. My problem is dealing with the spiral end (ends - depending on what method you use) and how to deal with getting them air pocket free. Once you're done wedging, do you use a specific method for cutting up the block to get it ready to throw? Thanks!
I'm sooooo sorry! I LOL'd when you said personal responsibility... Still laughing a bit.
Thanks Tim .
Just had my first experience with grog....hella hard to manipulate but worth it
Thanks for the fresh look at pottery basics. I used your early videos for my introduction to pottery. One addition that helped me was to add a block of wood to front of foot pedal to keep wheel speed slow (below 90 rpm). Wheel speed easy to measure with cellphone app and a magnet.
I'm a beginner with using the wheel and I know I suck at using the wheel but believe it or not I'm actually better at hand crafting bowls and cups because I learned how to make pinch pots in 2nd grade I was 8 years old I'm 34 now lol plus I've had practice with air dry clay I definitely want to learn how to use a Potter's Wheel production with making cups bowls mugs plates vases what have you
I would like to know where you get your supplies. I am a beginner and need to order everything. Where I live there is no place to get anything.
Where are you from
Timsee clay Logan,WV
I dont know why but this vidjeo in particular made me realise you sound A LOT like AvE! 😮😂
We are both skookum as frig
Thanks for the nice video Tim. I want to start pottery, I have a great interest in this. Learning it from UA-cam only. I want to know, from where you get the clay. Can we made it at home.?
Manju Gautam Yeah, you can make it in your backyard with a shovel
You didn't include stack & slam wedging. Is that because you don't like it?
I don't dislike it, I haven't really done it.
i can't use my splash pan; too high. designers do not know the splatter goes out and _down_. splash pan does not need to be above the wheel
Bat systems, and things like chucks make it a bit of a reason to build them higher than wheel head height.
6:28
Bruh 💀