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Tbh, I was shaping my goblet stems wrong for two years until a workshop in Portland
I kept getting weak spots and breaks until an instructor, Mark, pointed out I was cooling the gather too much before pulling. He said to keep the pipe hotter, around 1800 degrees, and pull with a steadier, slower motion. Honestly, it made the stem way more consistent and strong. Anyone have a different trick for pulling a solid stem?
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reesepatel1mo ago
Two years of wrong stems" really hits home. I spent a good six months convinced my punty attachment issues were just bad luck, not my own rushed technique. Sometimes you get so deep into a habit you need someone else to point out the obvious fix. Mark's advice about the steady pull is key, it's amazing how much a little patience changes the whole piece.
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jason5241mo ago
That "steady pull" advice is so simple but it's easy to forget when you're in the middle of it. What was the first sign for you that made you realize your technique was off, was it a specific kind of break or just a feeling in the work? I'm curious how you finally noticed the pattern.
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Two years of wrong stems, that's a serious dedication to a bad technique.
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