American-made ceramics forms

[ikiru_vessels]

Very well thought out and executed.

Thanks so much! A couple more attached of my very first couple pots. Pardon all the stamps on the lipped round, gotta test at some point!

 

[Pitoon]

Thanks so much! A couple more attached of my very first couple pots. Pardon all the stamps on the lipped round, gotta test at some point!

Very nice! I like those rounds and the dark clay body. What clay?

 

[ikiru_vessels]

It’s

Very nice! I like those rounds and the dark clay body. What clay?

actually greenware at this point, this is basic bmix nothing fancy (yet). Here’s the group post bisque, getting glazed next!

I plan to get some reddish brown stoneware next and try some oxidation during firing but no glazes.

 

[Pitoon]

It’s

actually greenware at this point, this is basic bmix nothing fancy (yet). Here’s the group post bisque, getting glazed next!

I plan to get some reddish brown stoneware next and try some oxidation during firing but no glazes.

Looking forward in seeing those pots finished.

 

[namnhi]

New to the forums and just as new to bonsai pottery and taking it slow as I have free time. Here are some examples of pots I've built, any feedback directionally on where I could/should take my style please let me know - just experimenting for now and just get a kick out of making the forms.

The only feedback I have is too small to be useful other than mame type. Supersize them.

 

[ikiru_vessels]

Thank you for the feedback! I wanted to focus on shohin sized pots to start thinking that would be easier, boy was I wrong larger pots are up next!

 

[penumbra]

actually greenware at this point, this is basic bmix nothing fancy

But what is the dark clay.

 

[Pitoon]

Thank you for the feedback! I wanted to focus on shohin sized pots to start thinking that would be easier, boy was I wrong larger pots are up next!

Welcome to my world of small and smaller pots. Honestly I feel the smaller they are the harder they are to make, at least for me with all the details.

 

[ikiru_vessels]

But what is the dark clay.

It’s Blick Stoneware Clay, fires to cone 10. It’s been great for slab building, but if I try to do too much with it I’ve noticed it will crack when drying, so I’ve had to learn to be okay with small inconsistencies.

Restricted Access 2023

www.dickblick.com

 

[penumbra]

In the world of none bonsai pottery, there are a lot who strive for larger and larger pots but very few who make miniatures. I love tiny pots but have gorilla hands.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Such nice work! Watch the hole sizes - both for the main drain hole(s) and the wire holes. Main drain hole should be about 1.5" diameter, max. The wire holes should be large enough for a wire... and nothing else. Those holes reduce the structural integrity of the bottom of the pot, so you don't want them any larger than necessary. I'll bet on a mame pot you could get away with a 1" drain hole. It just needs to be large enough to let the water flow out

 

[ikiru_vessels]

In the world of none bonsai pottery, there are a lot who strive for larger and larger pots but very few who make miniatures. I love tiny pots but have gorilla hands.

Haha I’ve been lucky enough to have small enough fingers to fit in the corners of shohin pots. I’m not good enough with tools yet to go mame sized confidently. I might stick to shohin long term but definitely want to try my hand at bigger pots to learn more about how the clay reacts.

 

[ikiru_vessels]

Such nice work! Watch the hole sizes - both for the main drain hole(s) and the wire holes. Main drain hole should be about 1.5" diameter, max. The wire holes should be large enough for a wire... and nothing else. Those holes reduce the structural integrity of the bottom of the pot, so you don't want them any larger than necessary. I'll bet on a mame pot you could get away with a 1" drain hole. It just needs to be large enough to let the water flow out

thanks for the feedback and tip! Right now all main drainage holes are ~1” or so but I need to keep the wire holes consistently smaller, I have noticed cracking when I widen them on a few failed pots.

 

[penumbra]

The wire holes should be large enough for a wire... and nothing else. Those holes reduce the structural integrity of the bottom of the pot,

I have not seen this as a problem. I don't believe it weakens the pot in any way.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

I have not seen this as a problem. I don't believe it weakens the pot in any way.

Well... as soon as you prove that air has the same structural strength as fired clay, your future will be made!

 

[penumbra]

I would challenge you to prove these tiny holes weaken the structure. I don't believe they do. If anything, these tiny holes could very well add strength. Certainly they would offer a benefit in expansion when the piece is fired and quite possibly help to prevent "s" cracks. Air is much more forgiving than fired clay.
An argument could be made either way I suppose.
Ask a potter. I have.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

I would challenge you to prove these tiny holes weaken the structure. I don't believe they do. If anything, these tiny holes could very well add strength. Certainly they would offer a benefit in expansion when the piece is fired and quite possibly help to prevent "s" cracks. Air is much more forgiving than fired clay.
An argument could be made either way I suppose.
Ask a potter. I have.

I'm being facetious because the argument is illogical. By your reasoning... why not make the holes larger and larger? Wouldn't you be strengthening the pot further? In fact, why have a bottom at all? A hoop of clay would be damn near impervious

But this one falls in the category of "choose your battles". I don't care how large or small the holes are... other than I know what I would buy. If it makes you happy - make any pot you want. Just make sure you buy enough drainage hole mesh, LOL

 

[sorce]

Triangle is weaker by thousands if a large hole is less sound at all.

Depends how you finish the holes.

Sorce

 

[ikiru_vessels]

Wow got deep into statics in this channel LOL having taken plenty of physics classes there are a number of arguments for both especially when you get into direction and distribution of force, at the end of the day as long as the thickness of the base is sufficient to support the hole diameter, the shape shouldnt matter much or the number of holes. In actuality the cracking in my experience is a direct factor of working the clay too much. When I punch a hole I’m breaking bonds created when compressing the clay which leads to cracking when drying. When the clay crystallizes it won’t matter much because we are putting relatively little force on the base of the pot and it’s these cracks that do the damage not the size or volume of holes. That’s just my take anyway!

 

[bwaynef]

New to the forums and just as new to bonsai pottery and taking it slow as I have free time. Here are some examples of pots I've built, any feedback directionally on where I could/should take my style please let me know - just experimenting for now and just get a kick out of making the forms.

It’s actually greenware at this point,

I'm assuming greenware means they haven't made it through final firing ...and maybe they haven't made it through some of the other steps. I hope you'll post pictures after they've competed the whole process.