 |
The secret is the holes! Hundreds of small holes located at the intersection of the concentric circles and radial lines all the user to actually mark right through the disk. So you can mark you pot without having to move the disk first. This is what makes the disk so functional. |
 |
Being
able to mark right through the disk is one of the keys to
the functionality of the MKM Decorating Disk.
top |
| 
|
Glaze
or Slip Decorating with the disk.
Here
the Odds Divided MKM 16 inch Decorating Disk has been placed
on a sheet of paper so that you can see what is being done. The disk is actually transparent.
Here
I am using a cut-off brush to put dots of glaze on a small
bowl that has been turned upside down on top of the disk.
top |
 |
It
is easy to make square, pentagonal, hexagonal, or other sided
plates using the MKM Decorating Disk.
After throwing a plate or bowl and waiting until it is leather
hard, I first trim the foot on the form.
I
then center the disk right on top of the bowl or plate and
mark out the corner points of the shape.
Without
even turning it over (unlike what I have done in the picture),
I then use either a flexible ruler or a piece of cardboard
to connect the corner marks and then cut along the edge of
the rule or cardboard.
top |
 |
Altering
while wet.
Refining
the altering just after throwing.
Place
the disk right on the wet clay and mark through the holes
to the clay below. Then remove the disk and move out
the corners in whatever fashion you choose (I usually use
my finger.)
When
the clay is just a little stiffer, the disk can be put back
on the form and the corners refined, adjusted, or just placed
slightly more accurately if it was done quick and dirty the
first time.
top |
 |
Placing
handles and handle cut-outs.
Cut-outs
for handles can easily be located by using the Even Divisions
disk. In this case the cutout was centered on the halfs
line, and then the width of the cutout was located at the
tenths line on each side of the 'center' halfs line.
The
cut-outs were then cut with a fettling knife, smoothed and
rounded with a sponge, and then the handles attached above
the cut-outs.
top |
 |
Use
the disk to mark bats or the wheelhead. When
the marks wear off, it is easy to reapply them with the
MKM Decorating Disk.
top
|
 |
Use
the disk with even divisions to find the center spot
on an oval form in order to do some cut-outs or to add
handles. This same procedure can be done with square
and other polygonal shapes.
top |
 |
Oval
forms can be centered and marked
or altered in a variety of ways using the MKM Decorating Disk. Use the disk with even divisions to center the form, and go
from there.
top |
 |
Almost
any symmetrical pot can easily be accommodated by
the MKM Decorating Disk.
This
form is made by Reid Schoonover.
top |
 |
Getting
rough glazing patterns (in this case with sponge and brush
strokes on a shino) right is easy with the MKM Decorating
Disk.
After
the first layer of glaze has been applied, either turn the
pot over onto the Decorating Disk, center it using the radial
lines, and make your makes as needed. Note that the
disk can also simply be placed on top of the pot.
This
pot here is a dumbek drum made by Rick McKinney.
top |
 |
Finding
the corners of a square plate for any size up to
15 inches diagonal is extremely easy with the MKM Decorating
Disk.
Many square plates start round. Using the concentric circles,
center the plate, then mark the plate using the quarter
divisions. Connect the points with a flexible piece
of cardboard or plastic, and cut.
The
MKM Decorating Disk can also be used to make complex patterns
on the top side of the plate once it has been cut square (or
rectangular, triangular, etc.)
top |
Back to the Home page.
Back to The Tools page.
|
