started my first scuttle

Having gone back to school I found out I had to take another "humanities" class. Well a basic ceramics class was being offered so that's what I've been doing this semester. Finaly started working on the wheel about 2 weeks ago, and after making about a half dozen bowls I decided to try for a 2 piece scuttle tonight. I think it should work just fine. It won't be complete for another 2 weeks as it still needs to dry, be fired, glazed and fired again. The thrown size of the inner bowl is about 3" tall and 3" in diameter inside. If I got everything right there will be about 1" - 1 1/4" clearance between the two bowls. Once heated up it should be able to hold temp for quite a while.

Pictures and a write up of the test drive after it's done would be cool.

Then you can start the production line for the rest of us. ;)

If it looks like its going to work fine after I get it put together I will try to make as many as I can. At that point I will only have about 3 classes left in which to build them.

Solution: Sell them and buy your own supplies to make more to sell.

Heck I only signed up for the class because I needed it for a general ed credit, something about "being more well rounded". Kind of like the public speaking class that was also required. I'm going into a program that is going to have me working as a techincian in the middle of nowhere it's not like I realy need to be able to eloquently converse on the finer points of aincient textiles in my job. It actually wouldn't be to bad if I didn't have to many other hobbies already.

I hear you on that one. It's the same reason I took a woodcarving class last semester here.

What is the design? Is this basically a bowl inside another bowl? I'm trying to figure out how to design my next set. I have thrown a couple of different shaving mugs, and brush handles. At this point I'm trying to see what other people have come up with. Google searches don't really show a lot of variation from what I have found.

This should be a fun thread to follow.
Be cool to see both your sucesses and possible failures. I dont think much has been discused, on the topic of making scuttles from scratch...you could provide valuable info., and pics hopefully, that we can all appreciate.

Many thanks,

Mac

Good luck with your scuttle making. If you could get some pictures of the different stages along the way of the scuttle making process, would be very cool, as well as the final product. I agree with McWolf1969, this is going to be a very fun and interesting thread to follow. Thank you and once again good luck.

I'll see what I can do to get some pics of wher it's at so far. May not be able to get them until monday, and then I'll try to get some pics of each step of the process.

I threw a couple of scuttles today. I like one of them, and tossed the other back into the clay bucket. I didn't have my camera with me, so I'll bring it tomorrow. If I still like it tomorrow, I'll fire it and glaze it next week. If not I'll most likely throw another one tomorrow. Either way I should have a finished one next week. I'd still like to know a bit about your design Rhys. Mine will be glazed together, but for now it's two pieces.

It's basicaly a bowl inside a larger base. I'm thinking it may be a bit overkill on size. Like big enough to shave a Yak and still have hot lather. I have an idea of how to make one all in one piece that I will try this next week. It just won't have the water chamber going under the bowl. This first one is large enough that I really think it will be better having it in 2 pieces. With the projected 15% shrinkage it should probably finish up about 6" tall, and about that same diameter maybe a bit bigger. It almost looked more like an urn for ashes at first.

I find your lack of pictures disturbing.


I googled for an image of Darth Vader shaving, couldn't find it (found a video) but found this and needed to share...

http://www.geekologie.com/2009/09/25/baby-vader.jpg

All the times you got beaten up in high school, washed away when you dress your baby up as Darth Vader.

I'd like to see a photo too, especially of the one Rhys is making.

I actually had a camera in my hand in the ceramics studio today, and forgot to take a picture of the scuttle. I'll do it tomorrow. I still pretty much like it. there are a couple of things I'll do better on my next one, but it's a start.

Sounds like a competitor to the Moss Scuttle. Love to see the photos when it's done.

I brought my first one home today, and it works like a champ. The lather stays hot forever. There are a couple of things I am going to try with the next one. I'm going to make the walls a bit thinner on the smaller bowl so that it heats up a little faster, and I think I'll make the lip a little lower. Once I get the design the way I want I'll do something a little nicer with the glaze, but for now it works with just the tranparent colorless glaze.

I couldn't get the image to embed in the post so here's a link.

Very nice.

Public speaking classes are ridiculous. Im in a specialized section for engineers. I lose about 1/3 points on every speech for being too technical. I'm a computer engineer, speaking about computer engineering. Not exactly something that readily "dumbs down". I'm the only computer engineer in the class, there's also a computer science major. The prof asks people to raise their hands if they understood everything in my speeches... The computer science major raises her hand. I'm like, well yes. I won't have to explain the design of computer engineering solutions to people who have no knowledge of computers. It's funny. All the A's are ArchE's who's speech is something along the lines of this... "Bridges are falling down. We should maintain them better. My solution is to maintain them better."

I facepalm every time I think about the amount of research and work I put into my speeches to get a C for being too technical.


Cool looking scuttle. Now make me one!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by IanS

Public speaking classes are ridiculous. Im in a specialized section for engineers. I lose about 1/3 points on every speech for being too technical. I'm a computer engineer, speaking about computer engineering. Not exactly something that readily "dumbs down". I'm the only computer engineer in the class, there's also a computer science major. The prof asks people to raise their hands if they understood everything in my speeches... The computer science major raises her hand. I'm like, well yes. I won't have to explain the design of computer engineering solutions to people who have no knowledge of computers. It's funny. All the A's are ArchE's who's speech is something along the lines of this... "Bridges are falling down. We should maintain them better. My solution is to maintain them better."

I facepalm every time I think about the amount of research and work I put into my speeches to get a C for being too technical.


Cool looking scuttle. Now make me one!

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Thanks. When I get it the way I like it maybe I'll just send you this one. Of course you'd have to pay shipping, but I wouldn't charge for the prototype itself.

I decided to put the water in the scuttle, and heat it in the microwave. I forgot that the clay I used to make it heats up in the microwave, and so the result was the lather was HOT when I finally used it after my shower. It was very nice, and I refreshed the lather on my face a bunch of times just to feel the warmth.

Made for a pleasant shave.

Very nice looking scuttle! Really. I hope you are going to set a price on the scuttles soon? Well, good luck, and nice scuttle.

I really wasn't planning on selling scuttle's, but I'll throw a couple more and test the water. I have no idea what to charge. Before I do anything enterprising with this I will work out the little details in the design.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jerryjtr

I brought my first one home today, and it works like a champ. The lather stays hot forever. There are a couple of things I am going to try with the next one. I'm going to make the walls a bit thinner on the smaller bowl so that it heats up a little faster, and I think I'll make the lip a little lower. Once I get the design the way I want I'll do something a little nicer with the glaze, but for now it works with just the tranparent colorless glaze.

I couldn't get the image to embed in the post so here's a link.

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Jerry congratulations on your first scuttle! That's mighty gorgeous mate! Very nice and simple. Look forward to seeing more!

Nice design Jerry.

I finaly got this one fired an picked up. Class was canceled one of the weeks so it to a bit longer to get ahold of it than I hoped. I may have time to do another. I only have 2 more classes to work on projects befor the end of the semester. I figured not to bad for someone who hasn't taken an art class in 15 years. I spend most of my day making metal shavings as a gunsmith.


http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t...5/DSC00806.jpg

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t...5/DSC00807.jpg

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t...5/DSC00808.jpg

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t...5/DSC00809.jpg

Ian I know what your talking about on the publick speaking classes. This school only offers 2 sections of it and it's a mix of everybody from Vet students, business majors, ag majors etcetera. The prof worked as a civil litigation lawyer prior to teaching. I have the benefit of having been out of school for about 12 years so I can pull from a lot of different areas for any given speach. I just have to watch that I don't try to put in to much info so I can stay within time limits.

very kuhl design bruh i like it....i was given a georgetown pottery scuttle and i love it! but i think that originality and love of what you do will make you a hero on this site...like a few have said so already there isn't much or anything about making a scuttle from scratch...a step by step with good commentary and pics!...i'm waiting like everyone else...

once again looks great keep up the good work!

Wulfgar

It's very nice looking. I like the simplicity of the two bowl design. Have you thrown before this class? The wide rim on the inside bowl is really nice. It doesn't look too heavy, and that's tricky for a new potter. Does the inside bowl have a lip to hold it on center with the outside bowl?

Can you pay a studio fee to use the facility after your class is over?

Thanks for the inspiration to throw my own. It's funny that in all of this time that I've been throwing I never thought of throwing a scuttle until your post. I guess I had thought about it years ago, but I didn't follow through.

Never touched a wheel prior to about 4 weeks ago. The clay we're using is just a general purpose clay, fine texture, no grog, builds slip like crazy. The class is being taught as an outreach class at the local junior high. There is no lip specificaly for centering. the outer bowl has that rim, and is then under cut wo there is a fair bit of clearance for water around the second bowl once it gets about 1/4 into the outer bowl. At the top the two only have about 1/8 clearance total. this holds it close enough to center.

I tried doing a one piece the other night, and almost got it. As I was joining the two walls the outer one colapsed as thin as I had it. I'll give it another shot, but I think it would work better with a clay that has a bit more back bone to it. I have done a couple butter bells as well. One piece just holds a small amount of water, the other holds the butter, and inverts into the first piece. The water seals the butter off from the air allowing it to be kept at room temp without going bad. I'll get some picks of them this week as well.

The instructor has been trying to talk me into getting my own wheel after I finish the class. That wouldn't be a problem for me to make fairly cheaply, the problem is the kiln. That thing is pricy anyway you go about it.

I'm impressed. Very nice work for only a few weeks on the wheel. I have students who can't seem to center their clay consistently in the same amount of time.

Kilns cost a lot, and it doesn't stop with the purchase. Then you have to feed them, and they are hungry.

I've done some pit fired stuff that is pretty cool. For that you really just need a fire pit. You can do it with a cover for your pots and it traps the carbon which sets it into the pottery. Depending on what you include, and how you trap it you can get black, and a bunch of other colors coming through the pottery. It's a cool method which doesn't cost a lot. The actual finish is unpredictable, but beautiful.

From the sound of it your clay is something like the CT-3 that I used for my scuttle. It's very forgiving, and you can be aggressive with drying it without it cracking, but it doesn't hold up as pots get bigger. I used it mostly because I had a bag of it open at the time. Later I remembered that it heats up in the microwave, and combined with the water inside it makes for a very warm (hot) lather even 20 minutes later. Have you tried filling yours and heating it in the microwave? I wonder if it will do the same thing.

I used a coarser clay (4010) for our dishes because they don't heat up in the microwave. It's nice to heat up a cup of water, and still be able to hold the handle without a towel. I was planning on making subsequent scuttles with the groggy clay, but now I may continue with the CT-3. We usually fire it low, but I've heard that some potters fire it high. I may try that to open up glaze options.

CT-3 is exactly what it is. I didn't know if that was an industry standard lable or just a manufacturers lable. First I will get to try it is in the morning. At the time I made this one I had about 3-4 hours actually on the wheel. I know this is being fired in the 1900+ neighborhood. I did a bit of looking and have seen a few kilns made from 40 gallon drums lined with ceramic wool. There were primarily being done for Raku. I think it would be awsome to do one of these in Raku as I really like the different blue, green and copper collors I have seen in this type of pottery.

I used that new scuttle for the first time this morning. Put water in the outside bowl, put it in the nuker on sensor reheat. let it sit with TGQ cream in it while I took a shower. When I got out the cream had melted down. Added the water from my brush lather whipped up fine, and even after 3 passes the later was still the same temp as the first pass.

you must have had a huge smile after hard work paid off! nice job be damn proud of yourself!

Wulfgar

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Rhys

I think it would be awsome to do one of these in Raku as I really like the different blue, green and copper collors I have seen in this type of pottery.

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Raku is very cool, and so is pit-firing. But the results are very porous, and a raku or pit fired container will soak up water like crazy. Extremely beautiful at times, but no good for domestic ware.

Greetings
oskar

That's what I was finding the further I looked into it. Awsom decoration, bad utility.

I made a new scuttle the other day, and got it out of the kiln today. I started a new thread for it: http://straightrazorpalace.com/misce...tle-2-0-a.html

Quote:

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Originally Posted by IanS

Public speaking classes are ridiculous. Im in a specialized section for engineers. I lose about 1/3 points on every speech for being too technical. I'm a computer engineer, speaking about computer engineering. Not exactly something that readily "dumbs down". I'm the only computer engineer in the class, there's also a computer science major. The prof asks people to raise their hands if they understood everything in my speeches... The computer science major raises her hand. I'm like, well yes. I won't have to explain the design of computer engineering solutions to people who have no knowledge of computers. It's funny. All the A's are ArchE's who's speech is something along the lines of this... "Bridges are falling down. We should maintain them better. My solution is to maintain them better."

I facepalm every time I think about the amount of research and work I put into my speeches to get a C for being too technical.


Cool looking scuttle. Now make me one!

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write your texts as though you were speaking to a class of 5 year olds.