Speed Kills

The speed of your wheel is so important. The wheel needs to start out fast and gradually get slower. Centring should be done with your wheel at full speed. This feels counterintuitive at first, but - the faster your wheel is going the easier it is.

Once centred, you need to shift down the gears as your pot gets bigger. You should be at 3/4 speed when opening out and compressing the base, then move to 1/2 speed for pulling up the walls - the taller your pot gets the slower your wheel.

‘YOU’ – need to be moving slower than your wheel. If your hands are moving quicker than your clay - you will end up with a wonky pot! Do every step slowly. Even when you don’t have your hands on the clay - move slowly! Sometimes just leaning over to get a tool, but moving too quickly, can knock and destroy a beautiful freshly-thrown pot.

courtesy karaleighfordceramics.com