Demo notes GP bowl

	Demo notes: GP bowl
Preparation	wedge & knead 4 pounds of soft clay & divide it into 4 1-pound balls bat bucket 1/2 full of water throwing stick small sponge needle tool cut-off wire plastic sheet or clay bag for scrap clay
Pat down the clay	Dry hands, dry clay Start the wheel turning very slowly pat clay down firmly onto the bat
Center the clay	Wet hands, wet clay Speed up the wheel (3/4 top speed on kickwheel; as fast as you can go on electric) Brace your elbows against your hips or thighs squeeze the clay from the sides up into a cone press the clay back down into a hemisphere (3x)
Open the clay	Slow down the wheel to medium-fast speed With fingers of left hand, make conical hole until clay at bottom is ¼ inch thick Make an undercut with left thumb outside bottom at 4 o'clock
Make the first pull	Slow wheel down to medium-slow speed Re-wet the clay and your hands before each pull Right hand outside, edge of hand against wheelhead at about 4 o'clock left fingertips inside at very center Left fingertips smoosh the clay up against right palm
2nd & 3rd & 4th pulls	Start each pull at the very bottom on the outside and very center on the inside pulls happen at about 4 o'clock, left fingers inside and right fingers outside For each pull, left fingertips press outward against right fingertips
Finish & cut off	Remove excess clay at the base with the throwing stick; left fingers inside keep the clay from bulging inward use the throwing stick to smooth & clean slurry from the outside of the bowl Use a sponge to remove excess water from the inside bottom Dry hands & wheelhead Clean your wire Keep the wire taught and tight against the bat Pull wire towards you and follow through Let the bowl dry to leatherhard on the bat
Tips	The softer the clay, the easier it will be to center The more thoroughly you wedge your clay, the easier it will be pull up If you have lots of air bubbles in your clay, it needs to be kneaded more thoroughly wet your hands each time you touch the clay
	© 2/3/2010 Jay Wiese