Occasionally I peruse the net for pottery tips. I've had some trouble with slumping plates and I've been trying to improve. I noticed several potters like Michael Kline make plates thicker than I tend to make. I decided to try slightly thicker plates to hopefully overcome some of the problems I've had. Mind you these are in the green state and will shrink quite a bit after two firings. I also decided to make small indentations in the rim to minimize a potential for cracking at the edge.
The small dishes from the last firing stack nicely together, so I thought I'd make more plates which can be stacked easily. Many of the glazes I use pool in indentations or enhance the patterns, so I thought about using the same impressed patterns in different sizes. I'd also like to have few different plates to show off some of my food recipes. The round plate is 10 inches in diameter.
The other day I started with oblong trays which are 10 x 5 inches. Later I made a fairly large platter. These were all drying nicely in the cabinet so I thought I'd make more sizes today.
When I was putting some of the round dinner plates in the cabinet I hit the edge of a large serving platter and broke the corner off. Whoa is me. I'm reminded patience and tolerance must be a constant with pottery designing and making. This large platter is (was) 12 x 11 inches.
I hope the rest of these dry and fire nicely and I'll be able to proceed with making more.
Any of the rough edges on the plates will be sanded before putting in the kiln to be bisqued. Thanks for reading and for all your advice and comments.
Good luck with your thicker plate and I love your patterns.
ReplyDeleteHi Anna, thanks, I sure hope it works; I'd love to have a set in an array of different colors.
ReplyDeleteThese look nice Linda.
ReplyDeleteHi Dennis, thanks, I hope they turn out without slumping or cracking I really want to show some of my recipes on some new plates instead of corelle ware. Ha.
ReplyDeleteLinda- These look great! The thicker slab looks sturdier to me and, as you know, I *love* texture! Pretty design choice for the imprinting. As you mention you will probably need to smooth some of the edges, but the glaze will also fill and soften them too.
ReplyDeleteThese plates are wonderful, I'm sure they will be very popular. I wonder what colours you'll choose!
ReplyDeleteNice plates and love the design! Hope the thicker clay works. Slumping is such a drag.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great gallery...looks like you have an excellent spot,,,,and the building itself is so inviting...envy the azeeas...we are long way from any blooming.....daffodils are coming!
If you can dry them on a wire rack they may not slump as much, it's the equal drying that helps.
ReplyDeleteDifferent colored plates really would be striking. Love the design.
ReplyDeleteLove your plates - the texture and the rim. Hope they stay sturdy through the kiln ride!
ReplyDeleteLove the pattern you're using. How thick are they? Do you ever get the issue with the plate ending up rising a bit in the middle once fired?
ReplyDeletethese are going to be beauties! i really like your textures.
ReplyDeletei need to make some more slab dishes, they sell well but i too had so much trouble with warping and slumping that i got frustrated. i think you are right about going thicker.
Those are very nice! I can just imagine that lovely platter standing in my china hutch!
ReplyDeletepretty. love the texture. will look forward to seeing them glazed. fingers crossed on the slumping. I think you're right that thicker is the way to go.
ReplyDeletelovely gallery on previous post, and how nice to be in such a prominent place on the mantle.
:)
I would like to make some slab plates but was afraid of warping/slumping. The info I came across on this was to make them about 3/8 inch thick. Sound right?
ReplyDeleteWhat lovely plates and the design is gorgeous! Good luck with the firing!
ReplyDeleteI love little plates they are the best when you need something for toast or a muffin.
ReplyDeleteHi Kathy, thanks, yeah next time I think I'll use a more rounded tool to impress the edges to minimize the roughness and keep the sanding to a minimum.
ReplyDeleteHi Elaine, thanks, I'd choose one of every color but I wouldn't be able to fit them all in the kiln. Now if I had a plate stacker, maybe one of these days.
Hi Suzi, thanks, my Gary was wondering about a textured plate, but with glaze and with a dishwasher any food will easily wash away and the texture isn't too deep, it mostly gets filled with pooling glaze anyway.
Hi Lori, thanks, I dry them on wall board but maybe a wire rack would be better I'll have to try that next time.
Hi Patti, thanks, I hope to have a whole array of them, we had different colored milk glasses when I was a kid and I think that can be effective looking.
Hi Judy, thanks, they've got two kiln rides we shall see.
Hi Cazz, thanks, these are about 3/8 now and will shrink about 12 percent. And now that you mention it I do get that rising up in the middle, using porcelain sand underneath may help lessen that so they can shrink more evenly.
Hi Michele, thanks, I hope going thick does the trick, I have several other plates I made but never fired because they are warped so I was like you just not making them then I decided to give it a whirl again.
Hi Ms. Sparrow, thanks, they would look good displaying upright, hope it all works out this time.
Hi Barbara, thanks, I hope thicker will do the trick. Thanks about the gallery, grand opening is coming up soon.
Hi Melissa, thanks, yes I think that is about right thickness. In the past I think my eye told me that looked to thick, but if it's too think before firing it was really thin after and that was the mistake I was making (hopefully), we shall see.
Hi Marguerite, thanks, perhaps I'll make some with mardi gras colors. Ha.
Hi Meredith, thanks, I hope they all turn out, we shall see.