Good question! The underside is flat, just like the underside of a mug would be -- they are thrown as closed "bubbles." At leatherhard, I use a half-inch drill bit to drill a hole in the side. After shrinkage, it is just large enough for a half-inch rubber stopper to fit snugly.
Hi Lori, your salt and pepper shakers are so wonderful and I like the fact that you make them round which makes them more stable on a table I would suspect. Why do you wait till they are leather hard to drill the hole? Could you not use a clay hole cutter when they were softer and avoid drilling? Do they break ever break when you are drilling them?
Hi Linda! I wait until leatherhard because the holes need to be pretty much perfectly round for the stoppers to fit right. If I cut the holes too early, the piece can deform a little bit, and then the salt leaks. All over the stove top. (Ask me how I know this.) I just jold the bit in my hand, I don't put it in the drill, and I make the hole at a quite-early leatherhard stage, so, no, luckily I haven't lost any yet.
Hi Lori, thanks so much I was envisioning you drillingl into the piece. My holes distort for the baskets I just made and for pendants, i will have to try your method, thanks again this really helped me.
Nice idea - but how do you deal with the underside (and keep the salt etc in)?
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year!
Chris
Good question! The underside is flat, just like the underside of a mug would be -- they are thrown as closed "bubbles." At leatherhard, I use a half-inch drill bit to drill a hole in the side. After shrinkage, it is just large enough for a half-inch rubber stopper to fit snugly.
ReplyDeleteThanks Lori - I'll give it a go
ReplyDeleteAll the best
Chris
Hi Lori, your salt and pepper shakers are so wonderful and I like the fact that you make them round which makes them more stable on a table I would suspect. Why do you wait till they are leather hard to drill the hole? Could you not use a clay hole cutter when they were softer and avoid drilling? Do they break ever break when you are drilling them?
ReplyDeleteHi Linda! I wait until leatherhard because the holes need to be pretty much perfectly round for the stoppers to fit right. If I cut the holes too early, the piece can deform a little bit, and then the salt leaks. All over the stove top. (Ask me how I know this.)
ReplyDeleteI just jold the bit in my hand, I don't put it in the drill, and I make the hole at a quite-early leatherhard stage, so, no, luckily I haven't lost any yet.
Hi Lori, thanks so much I was envisioning you drillingl into the piece. My holes distort for the baskets I just made and for pendants, i will have to try your method, thanks again this really helped me.
ReplyDeleteThese rock!!
ReplyDeleteThese are nice but they will look greater with some color on :)
ReplyDelete