fergusonjeff

The sharing that goes on here is even more valuable than I had realized.  I am the lucky pottery who met up with Mark in St. Louis a week ago.  I knew I had absorbed a lot of his tricks of the trade from this site, but I did not fully realize how much.  As we talked for an hour or two in my booth, almost every aspect of my pottery has some mark of his influence.  From the way I wax my pots to the design of my display shelves - Mark's influence and generosity are  everywhere.  Helpful potters like Mark and Neil E. deserve a lot more credit than they get. 

Since you are not too far away, here are a couple options.  About 10 years ago I convinced Alsey (a hard brick manufacturer in Illinois) to sell me three pallets of "seconds" for a significantly reduced price.  When they arrived they looked perfect to me and have done well in my wood kiln.  These were super duty bricks.  I think they were not really seconds and they were just being nice.  They normally crush up any rejects as grog in future batches.  https://www.alsey.com/
One other option: There was a second-hand refractory store near St. Louis that closed a few years ago.  A local guy that makes an occasional pizza oven bought all the remaining inventory he could move.  I bought a large load of 4x3x9" really nice bricks for only around $1/brick just a few months ago.  He probably still has a large inventory, particularly of large and odd-shaped bricks.  I can try to contact him if you are interested.  Would be a bit of a drive though.

The sharing that goes on here is even more valuable than I had realized.  I am the lucky pottery who met up with Mark in St. Louis a week ago.  I knew I had absorbed a lot of his tricks of the trade from this site, but I did not fully realize how much.  As we talked for an hour or two in my booth, almost every aspect of my pottery has some mark of his influence.  From the way I wax my pots to the design of my display shelves - Mark's influence and generosity are  everywhere.  Helpful potters like Mark and Neil E. deserve a lot more credit than they get. 

The sharing that goes on here is even more valuable than I had realized.  I am the lucky pottery who met up with Mark in St. Louis a week ago.  I knew I had absorbed a lot of his tricks of the trade from this site, but I did not fully realize how much.  As we talked for an hour or two in my booth, almost every aspect of my pottery has some mark of his influence.  From the way I wax my pots to the design of my display shelves - Mark's influence and generosity are  everywhere.  Helpful potters like Mark and Neil E. deserve a lot more credit than they get. 

The sharing that goes on here is even more valuable than I had realized.  I am the lucky pottery who met up with Mark in St. Louis a week ago.  I knew I had absorbed a lot of his tricks of the trade from this site, but I did not fully realize how much.  As we talked for an hour or two in my booth, almost every aspect of my pottery has some mark of his influence.  From the way I wax my pots to the design of my display shelves - Mark's influence and generosity are  everywhere.  Helpful potters like Mark and Neil E. deserve a lot more credit than they get. 

The sharing that goes on here is even more valuable than I had realized.  I am the lucky pottery who met up with Mark in St. Louis a week ago.  I knew I had absorbed a lot of his tricks of the trade from this site, but I did not fully realize how much.  As we talked for an hour or two in my booth, almost every aspect of my pottery has some mark of his influence.  From the way I wax my pots to the design of my display shelves - Mark's influence and generosity are  everywhere.  Helpful potters like Mark and Neil E. deserve a lot more credit than they get. 

Not all rock chicken grit is feldspar.  I got some from another potter that worked, but all the chicken grit (rock kind, not shell) I can find now is granite.  Can add interesting texture but does not melt even up to cone 12. 

The dip in pressure you are getting is the vacuum finally getting to the mixing chamber.  When the mixing chamber is full and you are mixing mode, there is a seal of clay that forms between the back chamber (where the vacuum port is) and the mixing chamber.  When you start pugging it allows a small gap to form along the mixing shaft that then removes the air from the mixing chamber.   This is more pronounced if the mixing chamber is overstuffed.
After getting the vacuum established in the rear chamber using mixing mode, I switch to pugging mode and slow speed.  Usually where there is about 4-8 inches of clay out of the nozzle the seal will break that releases the vacuum into the mixing chamber.  Keep slowly pugging until the gauge shows the vacuum back up.  then reverse direction to mixing and allow the extruded clay to be sucked back into the chamber (be sure to replace the cap).  After a few second of mixing, then return to pugging and extrude the full batch.  Usually, the first 6-8" has some minor bubbles so that just goes back in the next batch (or I keep that aside for handles and other attachments).

The dip in pressure you are getting is the vacuum finally getting to the mixing chamber.  When the mixing chamber is full and you are mixing mode, there is a seal of clay that forms between the back chamber (where the vacuum port is) and the mixing chamber.  When you start pugging it allows a small gap to form along the mixing shaft that then removes the air from the mixing chamber.   This is more pronounced if the mixing chamber is overstuffed.
After getting the vacuum established in the rear chamber using mixing mode, I switch to pugging mode and slow speed.  Usually where there is about 4-8 inches of clay out of the nozzle the seal will break that releases the vacuum into the mixing chamber.  Keep slowly pugging until the gauge shows the vacuum back up.  then reverse direction to mixing and allow the extruded clay to be sucked back into the chamber (be sure to replace the cap).  After a few second of mixing, then return to pugging and extrude the full batch.  Usually, the first 6-8" has some minor bubbles so that just goes back in the next batch (or I keep that aside for handles and other attachments).

Thanks for the advice on the copper reds.  Fired again yesterday and went with heavier reduction.  Still too hot to open early this morning, but a quick peek showed some nice red test tiles.  More reduction and thicker glaze seemed to help.
 

Just a little additional clarification, LiDAR works by continuous scanning from all angels and would require more than a single shot.  The background would not really matter because it is not using the visual image but laser detected distances in a large point cloud.  You would then have a large data file to export to some processing program. 
Might be a lot easier to just have a series of boxes and the smallest one it fits in is a specific price. 

Just a little additional clarification, LiDAR works by continuous scanning from all angels and would require more than a single shot.  The background would not really matter because it is not using the visual image but laser detected distances in a large point cloud.  You would then have a large data file to export to some processing program. 
Might be a lot easier to just have a series of boxes and the smallest one it fits in is a specific price. 

Just a little additional clarification, LiDAR works by continuous scanning from all angels and would require more than a single shot.  The background would not really matter because it is not using the visual image but laser detected distances in a large point cloud.  You would then have a large data file to export to some processing program. 
Might be a lot easier to just have a series of boxes and the smallest one it fits in is a specific price. 

Just a little additional clarification, LiDAR works by continuous scanning from all angels and would require more than a single shot.  The background would not really matter because it is not using the visual image but laser detected distances in a large point cloud.  You would then have a large data file to export to some processing program. 
Might be a lot easier to just have a series of boxes and the smallest one it fits in is a specific price. 

Just a little additional clarification, LiDAR works by continuous scanning from all angels and would require more than a single shot.  The background would not really matter because it is not using the visual image but laser detected distances in a large point cloud.  You would then have a large data file to export to some processing program. 
Might be a lot easier to just have a series of boxes and the smallest one it fits in is a specific price. 

For my main 3 glazes I got big 20-30 gallon tubs from the farm supply store.  Have held up well for over 5 years.  got cheap furniture dollys from Harbor Freight and just added slightly larger wood tops.  made covers from plywood. 
I have used square 4-5 gallon icing buckets for all other glazes.  The square shape is better for dipping most items than round buckets.  Get them free from Sams Club.

I also get my Tin from them and it has always been fine.
 

I think uneven heating is the issue, which is why I don't use them in my wood kiln.  I have a few 26" half-rounds that I use in my electric kiln up to cone 6, and use the fast glaze fire setting all the time.  No problems. 
The advancers solved all my warped plate issues.  I make some slab plates and bisque on edge.  They warp quite a bit, but come out dead flat after the glaze fire on the advancers.

Mark,
If you get stuck needing a home for more please let me know.  I'd happily pay $100 each.  I have looked for years and have never found any used.  I did once get some seconds (never could tell what was wrong) for my electric kiln.
I realized my previous post listed them at $3000 each.  Obviously a typo.  They are actually $270 each after shipping, but without tax.
Jeff

I built the type of cross-draft kiln in Neil's drawing a few messages earlier.  Works really well.  Not always a lot of ash build up, but you can supplement with sprinkled ash prior to firing.  Works really well for glazed wares.  I can fire it in under 10 hours to well over cone 10.  Just fired it yesterday and that will be my last firing until fall.  Not fun to fire in the summer (heat stroke last time I tried) or the winter (10+ hours outside in the cold).   I have fired it about 25 times and getting better results each time.  I just fired it yesterday so waiting for it to cool to see how it went. 
The version I built is about 18-20 cubic feet.  Anything smaller would be very difficult to fire.
There are very specific plans for this published, but I am forgetting to book.  If you are interested I can get the reference. 

I built the type of cross-draft kiln in Neil's drawing a few messages earlier.  Works really well.  Not always a lot of ash build up, but you can supplement with sprinkled ash prior to firing.  Works really well for glazed wares.  I can fire it in under 10 hours to well over cone 10.  Just fired it yesterday and that will be my last firing until fall.  Not fun to fire in the summer (heat stroke last time I tried) or the winter (10+ hours outside in the cold).   I have fired it about 25 times and getting better results each time.  I just fired it yesterday so waiting for it to cool to see how it went. 
The version I built is about 18-20 cubic feet.  Anything smaller would be very difficult to fire.
There are very specific plans for this published, but I am forgetting to book.  If you are interested I can get the reference. 

When I used my Peter Pugger 20ss for mixing dry clay I found that aiming for about 25# dry ingredients was about right for a batch.  just mix your dry ingredients well and then add with water until full.  It took a while to figure out how to avoid the spins, but not bad.  Pug out a batch and then add in the next 25# and go again.  I would usually let it sit a few days and then repug it to the specific moisture content I need.

When I used my Peter Pugger 20ss for mixing dry clay I found that aiming for about 25# dry ingredients was about right for a batch.  just mix your dry ingredients well and then add with water until full.  It took a while to figure out how to avoid the spins, but not bad.  Pug out a batch and then add in the next 25# and go again.  I would usually let it sit a few days and then repug it to the specific moisture content I need.