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Throwing

'Throwing' was the principal method of commercial pottery-making until the mid-18th century. At this time everything but flat plates and dishes were thrown. Even teapots, coffee pots and jugs were thrown, and the spouts, lids and knobs were themselves thrown separately.

The 18th century

We know little about 18th-century throwing wheels as our sources date mostly from the 19th century and are derived from continental manuals. It is difficult to know whether the 19th-century written accounts are accurate because they all seem to be copied from the same source, rather than being based on factory visits.

However, there is an example of an 18th century wheel on display at Gladstone Pottery Museum. These wheels are usually called string wheels. They are the type which Josiah Wedgwood used. The one at Gladstone probably dates from the 1750s and was used at Spode.

The 19th century

So-called kick wheels seem to be a little later and less common, although they feature as illustrations in many books. According to Muspratt, between 1854 and 1860 a new ‘Kick wheel’ mechanism was in use. This involved the potter turning his own wheel by kicking a wheel underneath the top-board on the main shaft. This machine took up less space, allowing more throwers to work in the same space.

The first steam wheel was made by Porteus of Glasgow. This was operated by the friction between a solid large-diameter wheel or disc, in contact with a smaller friction wheel. This could be raised or lowered by a lever in order to create friction with a point close to or further from the centre of the large-diameter wheel. This helped to regulate speed.

The most widely used steam wheel was the Boulton wheel. This has two inverted cones, one driving the other by friction, with a foot pedal for varying the speed. It could be driven either by belt or endless rope, and was much preferred by potters to the earlier Porteus disc wheel, as it was easier to use and maintain.  

A team effort

Throwing was a team effort involving the thrower and his attendants. The thrower did not shape the pot on the wheel. The throwing was done in stages as follows (this description is for bone china): 

• The thrower’s attendant prepared of balls of clay which were accurately weighed for the piece to be made.
• The thrower made a batch of cylindrical pots or linings.
• The flat disc of the throwing wheel was replaced with a ‘head’ - like a flower pot.
• An attendant would place a lining into a plaster cup mould and hand it to the thrower.
• The lining would be pressed to the side of a mould by hand , while the head revolves.
• The surplus clay would be cut off with a profile of horn, slate or fired pottery, called a ‘rib’ he made the clay surface inside smooth.
• The attendant would remove the mould with one hand and replaced it with another with a lining.
• The moulds would be taken to the drying room by mould runners.
• The dried pots were then removed from the moulds by a second attendant called a ‘fusser,’ who checked them and placed them upside down before taking them to a damp cellar to keep them in leather hard condition for the turner.

For earthenware a ball of clay is thrown into the mould and the profile tool of the jolley forces the clay up the sides. The vessel can then be fastened to a lathe and its base can then be shaped as the cup turns around.