How to Cone Clay on the Potter's wheel

[@sarahisabella1745]

Thank you. I had teachers (males) who have so much strength in their arms that they always centered the demonstration pieces with just pushing. I’m a not-so-strong teenage female and struggled until my apprentice boss showed me coning. I’m not looking back. Thanks everyone ❤

[@sharynsmith7198]

This was the best explanation of centering, clay particles, and throwing I’ve ever seen. If I had seen this years ago, it would have saved me so much time and ugly pottery!

[@southbridgefarm8795]

Same here.

[@kellymcculley8628]

Thank you for explaining the reasoning behind the leaning cone of clay. Totally explains why I end up with the bulge. All of your videos are so helpful and fascinating. You're a thoughtful and thorough instructor. Well done.

[@joshuabaker7735]

Yes, helpful! Thank you. I am taking notes. I'm six months into my education and have returned to these videos to help troubleshoot some persistent problems with wobbly pots and rims.

[@Kimirokhum]

Hi Florian. You have no idea how much you’ve helped me. I started doing pottery over a year ago, and I’m self-taught. I wouldn’t be where I am today without your teaching. Thank you so much for your videos.

[@dianemontague468]

failing a pottery class rn and these videos are so insightful!

[@tanudjagibson5557]

So so helpful, thank you. I really love the very in depth explanations of hand positions, where (and where not) pressure is being applied and how much, which parts of the palm are being used and when, the reasons why for each step or hand position. Its impossible to tell these things just by looking at someone do it. I dont have huge strength in my upper arms so watching strong people centre by brute force is discouraging but having these videos on tecnique are fantastic. So wonderful of you to provide them.

[@magnifiekvervloekt]

thank you so much for this video series, I really enjoy watching different processes being broken further down into smaller steps. I find the narration also helps quite a bit. I'm more of a visual learner, but watching the steps and getting explanations in parallel makes the whole learning experience much more effective.

[@marTinD42Mike]

I have learned so much from your videos. You make it look easy, but I appreciate that you make sure to let viewers know that it is an acquired skill that takes practice. Also, showing your bloopers is a heartwarming way to remind folks that even experts sometime have a blowup!

[@taraturton5739]

These videos are really helpful and I come back again and again when experiencing issues. Thank you

[@Alex_0Z]

always so satisfying to get the clay under control especially when you cone up and it’s crazy but when you get it down it’s calm and center

[@Cuddlechicken]

Thank you for so clearly explaining why I always get a divot on top of the clay when trying to cone up (trying to cone a flat top) as opposed to a curved top which does not make a divot. I would not have figured that out quickly on my own. Another big step forward thanks to your careful explanations.

[@BuyanCubes]

I really needed this video! I've been feeling like I've taken a step back in my throwing journey this week because I haven't been able to centre or cone my clay properly. This has provided me with so much insight that I feel more confident I'll do better next time I go to my local community studio.

[@elzy133]

I’m new to pottery, and I made a few of my 1st pieces without really making the cone. So in my last class I worked on doing it, & it was a disaster lol my instructor didn’t really explain the process, & had other students to help with various projects. My clay was hard to work with bcuz it felt dry, & when I pushed the cone down (once I finally got it to cone after a million years later) I ended up with the mushroom you explained by not tilting it 1st. So anyways, this video was sooooo helpful. You explained so much like speed & hand placement that are good tips to know. I feel more confident now with trying to make the cone when I have class again. Thank you for making this video, I needed it!

[@jazmeen8886]

Ok, this one answered why my clay has an opening as I cone up, have not been talented enough yet to "Open, pull but a tiny bit without unevenness to one side. Focusing on the coning, tomorrow I will pay attention not to allow the opening while coning, had not clue why this was happening, thank you so much Florian:)

[@FilAsians]

2:05 great visualization to go with the explanation. As someone who hasn't done any pottery (yet,) it was a nice tidbit to learn.

[@elisabethbenders-hyde5286]

A friend and I frequently discussed why you leaned the cone over when centering your clay. Thanks for the explanation, it was eye-opening.

[@julianroberts7116]

Nice one Florian. Lots of good info there as usual.

[@aaronsellers1372]

Thank you! Over saturating has been my problem I think. I need to move faster rather than continuously adding more water it seems

[@TeresaBaileypolymath]

Thank you for the coning video, Florian. I now have one year of throwing under my belt and I can still un-center my clay when I cone. I have much work to do!

[@fuffboi7570]

Oohh and its the worst feeling too when the cone up was looking so centered!! At least I've gotten over uncentering my clay while pulling 😬😅

[@fuffboi7570]

I've always foind it so helpful being able to watch other people throw, especially in detail. Coning to me feels like stretching, lile exercise where I even need to co trol my breathing and be more aware of muscles I may be straining. Thanks for the demomstration, I'll definitely start to control the wheel speed more while coning since I still fiddle with it too much for my liking!

[@michaelmatuszewski7231]

Perfect timing on this video! My wife and I had our first pottery class yesterday, and some things were just not clicking for us when it came to coning. It’s super helpful seeing the pitfalls in addition to the strategies. Thank you for your excellent videos!

[@jbowen8502]

Your videos are so helpful! I've found holding the wet sponge while coning awkward too. Glad to be free of that!

[@fugueine]

Thank you so much for this. I struggle with centering due to diminished sensation and poor proprioception on half my body; the two thumb technique and reminder to brace hands on each other should be super helpful.

[@tanyahunter7320]

I am considering joining a local pottery group. Your videoas are very inspiring ! Thanks 😊

[@floriangadsby]

Good luck! I’m sure you’ll love it.

[@FavinolaBas]

best coning explanation ever, thanks !

[@sophiusdynami3401]

Interesting choice for a thumbnail

[@floriangadsby]

Well, if it got a comment out of you it worked!

[@sophiusdynami3401]

@@floriangadsby it sure did 😇

[@cscoley]

That was exceedingly helpful! Thank you so much for making this video! I also enjoyed the end it gave me a chuckle

[@michaelanthony3270]

This is the exact skill that I’m working on thanks

[@rakeshrocky]

Sir Florian you are my Guru now!

[@floriangadsby]

🙌🏻🙌🏻

[@ismaelbashagha8231]

Thanks for this detailed tutorial!

[@ronrubia8395]

Superb instructions on conning. Thank You, as always.

[@ProximaCentauri88]

I came here for the thumbnail. I stayed for the amazing craft!

[@charlymarie66]

I'm new at throwing and this has helped alot practicing until I get a hang of it thank you for posting

[@GwladysEACV]

Thank you for this (again) great video 😊 it helps a lot. I was interested by knowing how it would work for a consequent amount of clay. I tried the other day and it was really difficult to push down and to keep centered. My teacher told me that I shouldn't push forward the cone when there's too much clay. But I would be curious to know how you manage coning in this situation. Thank you

[@floriangadsby]

Larger amounts do require a slightly different technique! I’ll have to cover that in another video.

[@GwladysEACV]

@@floriangadsby thanks a lot !

[@ceralith942]

I'm taking a class and the teacher is absolutely useless. Thank you for posting these - there's a lot of basics that I needed a refresher on.

[@LailaHomemade]

Thank you for this helpful video. I do find my clay tends to mushroom a bit, and it is annoying! The explanation of the angling is very useful, and I just need to swap the hands over (I throw clockwise), and practice repeatedly.

[@jenniferhanfield2290]

Hi Florian - thank you for your videos! What is the board called that you reclaim clay on?

[@lesliew3343]

Great video. Thanks, Florian!

[@mirandafrance7016]

Hello many thanks for your video which are really clear on explanation :) i have a question please; how do we manage to recycle the clay as a Beginner, i am wasting a lot on the weel ( break many time 😢)? Many many thanks !:-)😊

[@DaggerMax1]

Thank you for your work.

[@arachloro]

So very helpful. Thank you!!

[@lasrubieraspottery]

I have a language question. At the very end you said "don't be too precious". I'm not familiar with that expression. Can you tell us what it means? As always, thanks for sharing your insights!

[@floriangadsby]

In relation to learning to make pots it helps to not be too precious. Scrap things, destroy pots, recycle the clay and throw it again and again. Your first 100 pots will be terrible compared to the 1000th you throw, and so on, and as a ceramicist it’s helpful to recognise that and understand that learning not to hang onto everything you can can be beneficial.

[@David-uv7hz]

Lovely video as always! I've had clay "crack" as I cone down. It appears like multiple spiral cracks down the clay. What am I likely doing wrong?

[@mikepetersen7319]

Excellent Tutorial.

[@bobcalhoun3714]

Thanks for this. I saw your list, read the item "Twists in lump" and then that's the one part you didn't cover, lol. I sometimes overdo the pressure on my clay and end up with a spiral twist that seems to go away only to rear its head when I pull up. Will you do a video on twists later? Another part of coning for me is that it it serves as the preparatory phase of settling my brain and hands to the task of throwing. It centers me as much as the clay.

[@susanpriem1739]

Wonderful video! Thanks for sharing

[@GM-vo6df]

Thank you. Very informative.

[@lynnenewell6812]

Very helpful and I immediately saw what I was doing wrong! Onwards and upwards 😂

[@luizhenriqueromanholferrei6610]

ok but why is it soo good?

[@markshard]

how do you know when to stop coning?

[@floriangadsby]

I look at the top of the cone. If, as I’m coning it up it levels out and spirals up evenly, then it’s normally ready, otherwise as the clay is forced up it tends to create a wavering point, one side of the top of the cone will be higher than the other. So, I keep going up and down until that top section raises up in a single, even round motion. It’s a bit hard to explain! But normally 2-3 cones is enough, yet it depends entirely on the condition of your clay before you get it onto the wheel. If you’ve wedged it poorly, or if it’s too firm, you might have to cone it more.

[@joerglemke7963]

Very helpful! Thank you very much!

[@hhelloooo]

Thanks for the detailed explanation. I always enjoy and find your tutorials useful. I was wondering if you have any tips for coning and centering larger lumps? I'm still having trouble with coning larger lumps without the divot on top even with a curving slope sides as shown in your video. Would also like to learn more about opening up a larger lump while keeping it centered. Thanks in advance! (=

[@galacticmechanic1]

Actually kinda mesmerizing to watch this.

[@galacticmechanic1]

Alas my mind would otherwise take a comment to places not suitable for the general public.

[@heididerksen8227]

Thank you very helpful and useful

[@pauldow1648]

Thank you - What are your steps before and after coneing ?

[@annebroager9261]

Thx for usefull explanation

[@mmmmmmria]

Am I squeezing too hard if I always end up with a ton of clay on my hands when centering and coning? How do I prevent this, is my clay too dry? Thanks so much for your amazing videos!

[@floriangadsby]

It's natural to some degree, there's no escaping it, so try not to focus on it at the start. If it's happening too much, try throwing with water rather than slip, and try to work more quickly if you can. It could also be squeezing too hard. Try keeping a container nearby with a sharp plastic edge that you can scrape the slip off your hands against.

[@mmmmmmria]

I do tend to over think things and get swept up by certain details. And also tend to keep my hands on the clay far too long as a subconscious effort to keep myself and the clay centered.. which is probably when I'm collecting all that slip! I watched the video a few more times, it is immensely helpful ❤🙏

[@maisaverkaikbryan6352]

Thanks for the tips! I still have one question. For some reason everytime i want to cone, the water seems to disappear so quicky beneath my hands, even though i put quite a lot of water on the clay beforehand. Everytime i see your video's I'm thinking, how the hell?! Where you cone up and down with adding water once, i have to add water all the time. I wonder if it has to do with the type of clay im using, or that i'm squeezing too hard. Must be doing something wrong!

[@srauchwerk]

Thank you!

[@evelammer4036]

Difficult for me to understand every words since I am French but very helpful anyway ! Thank you

[@nivethas5705]

Mr. Florian may I know is the pottery is a profitable business?? Because I have started the initial step of pottery business and invested..but I'm confused that is it a profitable only??. Please tell me. Give me a clarity Please

[@floriangadsby]

Well, this is sort of an impossible question to answer, there are just too many variables, but I would say that pottery had never been in a better place - yet it depends on where you live in the world and how you market yourself. Profitable? Yes, it definitely can be, but equally like any industry/profession, it’s totally up to you. I’m in a lucky/privileged position as I’ve built a sizeable social media following and I operate in a country where pottery/craft is ‘trending’, but that isn’t the case everywhere. If you love making pots and can’t see yourself doing anything else, then pursue it at all costs. But without more information about your business, country of operation, etc, I can’t honestly say!

[@nivethas5705]

@@floriangadsby OK Mr.Floriangadsby . Thank you so much for your kind words and sharing your ideas 🤝🙇‍♀️. Getting some hope!!

[@Evan-hw6mn]

At least in my area, even fresh stoneware is quite stiff which makes proper coning without cratering on the top very difficult. It requires a lot of water and strength. I think having soft clay is often taken for granted. Beginners and hobbiests sometimes also use their clay slowly which can lead to even drier and stiffer clay that is almost impossible to throw.

[@herpsandderps8967]

Reclaiming the clay is possible. Throw a wet sponge in the bag for a few days and it'll be much softer. You can also slice it into thin pieces and let it dry completely before slaking it into slop and then drying it to your preferred hardness

[@kilianofficial]

How hard is this to do with porcelain? I’m having issues. 😢

[@floriangadsby]

It shouldn’t be any harder really, beyond the fact that porcelain can be a little bit harder to use on the whole. If you can, maybe try with a nice stoneware buff to begin with? And once you’ve got the skill down using that, then switch to porcelain.

[@kilianofficial]

@@floriangadsby Got it. Thanks!

[@mandowarrior123]

My wife liked the thumbnail.

[@pierluigicicinelli3361]

Tankyou for your video

[@Robespierre-lI]

Let's be honest, when your ceramics professor first demonstrates this skill to the class, there is a sudden division of students who are already REALLY good at this - and those who have no idea how to handle that cone. 😂😅 Read between the lines ....

[@doggo6331]

Dang, I really liked that last vase shape. Too bad

[@soup4241]

ur awesome btw

[@sakaporuwa]

clay magic..

[@biohazard_]

nobody mentioned the thumbnail so I will-

[@robertmabry6998]

Thats not how Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore do it.

[@johnnyzhu5601]

first

[@johnnyzhu5601]

I also am wondering when pulling up the clay how to address the double wall that can some times form. Like after pulling up the clay the outside and inside clay will become together but it also makes the clay become off center

[@barakhullman]

Florian, I appreciate the video but two mid-play ads for a 9 minute video is too much and I didn't finish watching it.

[@floriangadsby]

Apologies! KZbin automatically places the ads initially, let me see what I can do.

[@meeder78]

sadly KZbin is pushing more and more ads which also can't be skipped. It's not the fault of the creators.

[@tornadoeye]

Kinda NSFW 😂

[@claudiav3542]

thank you very much

[@jbowen8502]

Your videos are so helpful! I've found holding the wet sponge while coning awkward too. Glad to be free of that!

[@Cocktail.witch.newhaven]

Thank you!!