1. Bill begins by throwing a tapered clay pad (figure A), which will act as a base to support the mugs. He cleans the clay surface with a rib to create a dry, tacky surface (figure B).
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Figure A
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Figure B
2. He turns a mug upside down, sets it on the pad and lightly taps it in place until it is centered, then applies a slight downward pressure to secure the mug. The tapered shape of the pad helps keep the mug centered (figure C).
3. He makes a slight bevel at the foot of the mug, taking off any sharp edges while keeping the mug centered with the fingertips of his left hand (figure D).
4. Next, he dampens the trimmed surface with a spoon and uses the short, straight edge of the wooden rib to smooth the surface (figure E).
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Figure C
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Figure D
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Figure E
5. Bill goes over the surface with a sponge, then dries his hands, grasps the mug and quickly lifts it off the still-turning clay pad. If the pad is clean, the rim of the mug should remain clean and smooth. Still using the pad, or "chuck," as a base, he trims the rest of the mug (figure F).
6. To make the handles, Bill rolls a 24-oz. lump of clay into a carrot shape, then dips it into a bucket of water. He doesn't immerse his hands in the water, just the clay; the cleaner the hands stay while putting the handles on, the better the handles will look (figure G).
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Figure F
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Figure G
7. Using the tip of his thumb, he creates lines on the handle blank, after using downward strokes to thin and elongate the clay (figure H). Next, and again using his thumb, he creates lines down the length of the clay. Bill will continue stretching the handle once it's attached to the mug, so the basic shape is all that's needed at this point in the process (figure I).
8. He tears the handle pieces off in 3" or 4" length pieces; they will eventually be stretched to be a 4" to 5" handle. The handles have to be a little more than 1/4" thick and 1-1/4" wide, with rounded edges rather than squared. They need to be slightly soft on the back, with the grooves facing the front side. Handles need to be set on a clean, dry surface, and hands must be kept clean and dry when handling leather hard pots; the clay is still slightly soft at this stage and can easily pick up bits of clay (figure J).
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Figure H
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Figure I
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Figure J
9. Bill picks up a handle with his right hand, places his left thumb over the end of the clay and uses it to tear off the end of the clay (figure K), leaving a clean, flat surface able to make firm contact with the mug (figure L).
10. He places a drop of water on the flat surface, wetting the clay just enough to make it tacky, supports the inside of the rim as he pressures the handle up against the rim of the mug and uses the elasticity of the clay to tuck the underside of the handle firmly in place (figure M).
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Figure K
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Figure L
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Figure M
11. Next, he dips the handle in water and pulls it downward, redefining the grooves as he shapes the handle (figure N). Then he tips the mug and curves the handle, attaching it lightly at the bottom (figure O).
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Figure N
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Figure O
12. After attaching the handle, Bill looks at the space between the back of the handle and the mug. The space has to be big enough to fit two, if not three, fingers, without the fingertips bumping up against the hot surface of the mug.
13. He attaches the base of the handle securely to the base of the mug (figure P), using the side of a small piece of dowel rod, then places a wet finger inside the negative space of the handle and gently lifts it up slightly, ensuring the handle won't sag and will properly fit several fingers (figure Q).
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Figure P
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Figure Q
14. Finally, Bill checks to make sure the mug is round and the handle is not leaning before marking the mug with his signature stamp and setting it aside for approximately 48 hours, letting the mug become bone dry.