Apple and Pear Bakers; sweet commission

[Bob in SF]

Harvest time is coming; and a friend/chef/owner of a small restaurant requested colorful heat resistant ceramic apple and pear bakers - more slow turning in the mud; steps:

Center a ball of heat resistant porcelain about 1.25x the volume of a large apple to accommodate 12% shrinkage during final firing.
Moment of ambidextrous truth: put the thumb tips together at dead center, then very slowly and symmetrically spread them apart to create a vertical spindle (which will go up through the core of the fruit), pushing down while tapering from 3/4" at the top to 1 1/2" at the bottom - one slip and the spindle topples; at the same time pulling the edges out and up.
Pull up and taper the wall to a level just below, at, or just above the center spindle.
Refine the edges.
Leather dry under a plastic bag x 3 days, then trim the bottoms.
Apply colored underglazes on a concentric tower of two simply-constructed lazy susans (such that the colors are easily accessible below, and the baker turns at a comfortable level).
Dry until bone dry.
Bisque fire.
Apply zinc-free/food-safe clear glaze, then final fire at cone 6:

(brought me back to childhood days picking apples in Virginia orchards on crispy Fall days...then baking them with a drop of butter and a drop of maple syrup...)

Happy Monday - Bob

 

[ADKBUG]

Multi-talented is an understatement... Beautiful!

 

[JimB]

One of these you are going to need to explain how you became so talented! I love seeing your creations!

What does 'leather dry under a plastic bag' mean?

 

[liljohn1368]

Very nice, Bob..

 

[magpens]

Well done, Bob !!!! . Gee ... you have a lot of strings to your bow !!!!

 

[Bob in SF]

Sincere thanks June, Jim, JP and Mal!

Jim - "leather dry under a plastic bag" was a bit unclear on my part: I loosely cover the freshly thrown piece with a plastic bag (avoiding contact with the bag) - and this provides a humid environment for more uniform and slower hardening. When the piece is firm (leather hard) but not yet dry, I turn it top down on a simply-made foam-masonite disc and turn it on the potter's wheel to trim the bottom.

 

[Charlie_W]

Sincere thanks June, Jim, JP and Mal!

Jim - "leather dry under a plastic bag" was a bit unclear on my part: I loosely cover the freshly thrown piece with a plastic bag (avoiding contact with the bag) - and this provides a humid environment for more uniform and slower hardening. When the piece is firm (leather hard) but not yet dry, I turn it top down on a simply-made foam-masonite disc and turn it on the potter's wheel to trim the bottom.

Twice Turned! Like a wet wooden bowl!

 

[JimB]

Sincere thanks June, Jim, JP and Mal!

Jim - "leather dry under a plastic bag" was a bit unclear on my part: I loosely cover the freshly thrown piece with a plastic bag (avoiding contact with the bag) - and this provides a humid environment for more uniform and slower hardening. When the piece is firm (leather hard) but not yet dry, I turn it top down on a simply-made foam-masonite disc and turn it on the potter's wheel to trim the bottom.

Thanks for the explanation Bob. I feel like I learn something every day I come on here.

 

[Bob in SF]

You got it, Charlie - twice turned!