O.K.Another drone on for the 'anoraks'(blame the children remember).It strikes me when people see the piles of recycled clay on plaster blocks,there are two reactions.Stick yer finger in it & enquire as to what it is.( kids are convinced it's chocolate & edible!

Do you know what, i reckon we potters invented recycling! I do know of a commercial pottery who refuse to reclaim their scrap on the basis that employing someone to do actually do it was cost prohibitive! It is claimed the oriental potters of yore would prepare and pit store clay for the coming generations and consequently use clay prepared by previous generations. I have to say ,though I'm ready to 'poo poo'many a profundity this particular claim is based on fact.In my opinion the quality of aged & sweetened clay is unequivocal.I never throw fresh clay unless pushed,it just doesn't respond in the same way!

Thought I'd throw goblets to-day. I would never have attempted a one piece throw without scrutinising my 'Guru' the great Jim Creswell (i bow in admiration) who could throw a 10" cider goblet in two breaths!

I guess if you consider the task as two pots in one,you've got it ! Throw a 'conical' mound,divide it & create base and thick stem,develop bowl,return to stem,thin out bowl and so on.The finesse of the finished goblet is i think achieved at the turning.Set up a coned 'chuck' and turn out your stem and i create a simple con caved Base.I like enhancing the 'Knuckle' of the stem with an old broken fluting tool that moulds the knuckle into a neat ball. Before and after shots illustrate this.