Benzine

Right now, I've got ten, school mugs, for the new teaching/ support staff for the school year. A couple years ago, my Art Club made over ninety mugs, for all the staff, in my building. We gave them to everyone, for National Teacher's Day, but it was actually just part of my larger plan. I have always wanted to give new teachers a gift, and what better for teachers, than a vessel to hold caffeinated beverages? Aaaaanyway, I figure if I just started giving them to new teachers, the rest of the staff would feel left out. So we had to front load it, and make one for everyone at first. The plan works well in theory, as we wouldn't have to make many, after the initial batches, but we've had some steady turnover with retirements and transfers, the last couple years, so we are still making several each year.

I've been using some leftover scraps from "Construction Plastic". It's what contractors and such put up, to protect against dust getting out of the work area, to catch paint drips, etc. It's thicker stuff, and keeps the moisture in quite well. It's been so rainy here lately, that my basement stays pretty damp itself. If I just poured some plaster on the floor, it would be one big damp box.

Thought that was a foam cooler. That's a great idea for a damp box, since it's strong, yet light. I just lightly cover my mugs, after attaching handles, basically until the handles firm up. I used to have issues with the join developing hairline cracks, when used to use magic water *and* a joining slip. Since then, I switch to only magic water, and zero cracks.

@liambesaw are those mugs in a damp box of sorts?

People do sales on Reddit?!

@GEP Always been a fan of your aesthetic Mea. Are those metal handles, on the teapots?

I'm generally just being funny... I actually wasn't sure what it was. I had never heard of a strawberry planter. @Hulk Those are very nice works. Far better, than my second batch of glazed wares... I like the bottom of the bowls. They resemble those plastic speckled bowls, faded in popularity, but have now come back, partially due to Rachael Ray using them, on her show as "Garbage Bowls". My family had a large one growing up, but we called it a "Puke Bowl", partially due to it's coloring, partially due, to what it was used for, when someone was sick...

A chip jar, with a place, for THREE different types of dip! Brilliant!

It does happen. Mark C. found one, halfway across the country, not far from me. I've actually seen a Walker or two come up for sale. Jump on those!

No worries, not all forms can be used with the Giffin Grip, so tap centering is still necessary. And @Pres uses chucks *with* his Giffin Grip, for some of his wares.

$130-40 might seem like a lot for a Giffin Grip, but it's well worth it. They will essentially last forever, and definitely speed up the process, especially with the health concerns you mentioned. Definitely a justified "splurge" purchased.

For teaching, I wish I would have known about the Giffin Grip earlier. It's invaluable, in my classroom. I want the students to have experience trimming, but we don't have time, for them to get good at tap centering. I had never heard of the Giffin Grip, until my second teaching job, where they had one. I said, "What is that, and why am I just finding out about it?!" When I took the job, at my current District, I bought one, within the first year. Also, Xiem makes a bevel cutter, which is amazing for the slab boxes, my students make. Prior to that, students either eyeballed the 45, or I had wood templates, they set on the slab, and then ran their knife along to cut the angle. The Xiem tool is WAAAAAAY easier and more intuitive.

That's an interesting equation. "The customer is always right" multiplied by "Keep the Mrs. happy". I believe the answer is, "Do what that person says!" Congratulations on the new wheel! I've never used that brand, but I love the large splash pan they put on them.

I would disagree. I've seen some of your work, and there is definitely artistry involved. Your "sketches" just look a little different... Way more Math...

You poor soul! My Wife and I spent many of our years together, both dating, and marriage, without a dishwasher. We finally got one a few years ago, and things are soooo much better, especially with tiny people running around the house! Great bowls by the way. Those appear to be glazed versions, of those I commented on earlier. The rims look thin, from certain angles, but it could just be how the photos were taken.

Simple, but effective. Did you switch clay bodies?

@liambesaw Nice bowls! What did you use to "square" off the sides?

I'm always sketching new forms, I can't say I always try to create them.

My throwing is a combination of left and right. I am left handed, but throw mostly right. Since I learned in college, with the wheel going either direction, I picked up bits and pieces of both. I only throw with the wheel going counterclockwise now, and tell my students that throwing with the wheel going clockwise, messes me up to no end. We only have two wheels that can go clockwise; the kick wheel and our Shimpo RK-2. Sometimes, when they ask for help, I won't notice the direction, and wonder why I'm off my game for a few moments. Maybe some day I'll better learn to throw both directions... I should probably focus more on improving with one direction first! Also, why did he switch your wheel direction to begin with? Just to mess with you?

I wondered, if it was just decorative, but wasn't sure if there was some purpose specific ware, that I had never seen.

What is the function of that vessel, with the handles positioned that way, Liam?

I like the "Print" dishes. I had some mugs like that, with some cat paw prints in them, only I didn't put said prints there... My workshop, is also, where the cat likes to hang out, and she thought she had to check out the new "things" that were sitting on the workbench.

Currently, too much "crap" is on my workbench. I need to start getting things cleaned up, and organized, so I can start on Graduation mugs, for my Seniors. I was going to get started on all this weeks ago, but this second half of the Winter has been brutal, so I've spent waaaaay too much time moving snow!

Dang Educators, always bringing "Thinking" into things!

I did that, in my very first class, my very first day teaching, to illustrate the difference between ceramic's strength, and fragility. I took a project, left from a previous year(s) and casually dropped it. It got the student's attention! I've only broken one student project (Post firing), and it was a year or two, after I had grade it. They brought it back for an Art Show, they chipped it, and as I was going to fix the chip, it rolled off the edge of the table, and shattered. It was an oblong shape, so I have zero idea, on how it was able to roll... Funny you should say that. I used to put clever things, in the School Announcements, reminding students, from the previous Semester to come pick up their projects. One of such things was, that I would "Donate them to the 'Uncoordinated Jugglers Association'".