Hulk
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The clays I like from "nearby" vendor (about a hundred miles) have been reformulated.
The whitish stoneware seems about the same, the red behaves a bit differently.My intent was (still is!) to look into alternatives this year; I've enough Gerstley, Custer, and Texas Talc to last a few years, however, years go quickly...
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Totally take the 5 to 805, then East on the 8, 94 or surface street, like the Imperial, but toootally go Lisbon to Skyline dude, check out the Encanto Open Space.
...aye, San Diego, CA
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When looking for glaze recipes (cone 5/6), I chose from sources that included notes (results, application, and test results an extra plus!).
If starting over, would definitely consider refining a (one, just one!) base glaze first, then coloring it.
For example,This Forum
digitalfire.com
John Hesselberth's FrogpondPottery.com* (There are three low fire glaze recipes, with notes).
Susan Peterson's book The Craft and Art of Clay
Lakeside Pottery's website includes some glaze recipes**
Another book I'm not remembering just now, will look for it ...not finding it, will try again later
Bill van Gilder's book (I use two or three from his book) Wheel-Thrown PotteryI was looking for recipes from a known source, where there are usage and/or testing notes included (pictures are nice too)
A well behaved clear liner (there's enough white in mine to show over dark clays) glaze took some time, testing, trial, start-overs, some help, and then aaah.
It has significant MgO, small amounts of Sodium and Potassium, a dose of Lithium (a little bit makes a difference!), and there's Boron - it melts well - for I work cone 5/6; there's enough Silica and Alumina to make a tough glaze that doesn't run or sag much.*archived here Tested Glazes | Frog Pond Pottery (archive.org)
**Cone 6 Glaze Recipes | Great Mid Range Pottery Glazes (lakesidepottery.com)
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An image of the piece, err, pieces could help - character of the break, how thick/thin the ware, etc.
What clay(s) are you using?
About how long does it take to achieve 1240C?
From peak, how long does it take to cool to room temperature? -
Hi Brian_Ire, welcome to the Forum!
We did a pit firing in Wheel I and Wheel II classes, no ferric chloride was used - just pit fire with some smelly biscuits added to the fire*.
The wares came out interesting black, orange, yellow, and baked brown colors...This article has a long paragraph on ferric chloride safety, and another paragraph on Raku safety:
Natured Inspired Firing (ceramicartsnetwork.org)Check back, perhaps others with ferric chloride experience will respond...
*horses having passed since the last high tide!
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Still using "SE 13 1/4 Inch Stackable Classifier Gold Prospecting Pan" for sieving glazes.
I'd bought an 80 and 100 mesh. They fit a five-gallon bucket.
Looks like the price has almost doubled since 2018 (I'm seeing just over $30 each now).
I'm encouraging flow with my rubber gloved hand.
The sieve rinses clean easily.For small/test batches, I'm still using this smaller unit, which I'd put together for screening glaze at the JC Ceramic Lab (when I was taking classes there) using 100 mesh stainless steel screen (I still have a few square feet of screen!), a plumbing collar, a section of black pipe that fits in the collar, and some glue.
Almost as easy to make several, so I did, and gave the extras away...
Still using US Balance 2000g (it will go a bit over 2000g before erroring out) scale (~$26, today, about the same as six years ago).
I thought it a reasonable compromise between inexpensive and sufficient to the tasks.
The 2000 gram limit means more than one step for some glaze ingredients. -
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I used my one-gallon bucket for tools to/from Wheel I&II classes.
The throwing buckets available in the Ceramics Lab were all two gallon size (and encrusted); I prefer the smaller size, so, double duty.Full sponge, half sponge, sponge bits, pointer, metal rib, wood rib, wood knife, sandpaper, wire/cutoff, a few brushes, small glaze sieve, tape, scissors, razor knife, and somewhat I'm not remembering, surely.
For other stuff - snacks, glasses, drinks, notebooks, more snacks - I'd repurposed my "tool bag" from last ~fifteen years of work life, somewhat like this, err, exactly like this:
BUCKET BOSS 12 in. Gatemouth Tool Bag with zippered top and 16 Total Pockets 60012 - The Home Depot
...but well worn and faded.
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Didn't see anything in the news a few weeks ago; I'd missed this, "The EPA says the smells near the Reilly Tar & Chemical Co. Superfund site matched benzene, pyridines and ammonia." from Neighbors concerned over years of bad smell prompts action from EPA (wrtv.com)
The article includes a photo of Tibbs Ave/Minnesota St intersection, which is... 105 miles away, perhaps not related.
Best wishes for identifying the problem(s) asap.
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Some of the two piece pans, the join is raised up enough such that some liquid may accumulate afore the leakage begins - a pint or more.
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I'm seeing Evenheat model 1210 described thus (where the volts, amps, and watts values line up):
"The RM II 1210 is the ultimate personal ceramic studio design. The RM II 1210 is designed to fire china paints and clay materials up to 1800°F (982°C), cone 07 on a daily basis."
Note, the 2280 value stamped on the depicted plate is labelled "watts"...
...looks like the low fire model there SierraRed18!The 1210B Evenheat model, however, is 240v, 3120 watts, rated cone 10, 2350°F ("High Fire")
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"I'd like to monitor my temperature next time..."
I'd used a portable pyrometer to monitor my first kiln (fully manual); at the time, this TPI dual input unit (sold by Skutt, and others...) was on sale.
Using it, I was able to keep firing notes that included times, temperatures, observations, results, et cetera.
The notes can be handy. Over time, monitoring element decay, for example; how much longer a firing takes with two more shelves and the posts - mass matters! - and how much longer it takes to cool to opening; reference for programming ramps and holds for the new kiln, priceless? Maybe not, but useful? Yep!The new kiln has three thermocouples. I've been using the portable as well, however, to get an idea how the readings compare.
Now that I've completed a few firings, the portable may be regulated to backup... -
What
Attachments (in my experience, err, limited experience), almost always one piece is damper than the other.
The drier bit, I'll pick up half a drop of water with my finger and wet the attachment point - not enough to run, enough to impart a sheen that dissipates as the water is absorbed - add another half drop, as required (credit Ingleton potter Dick Unsworth's teapot process video).
The wetter bit, I might dampen just enough to bring up a sheen, then score it in two crosses* (like UK flag), pile on a blob of slip, score the pre-dampened landing spot (in no particular pattern), dampen it a touch more, then get to attaching. I don't mind if it slides a bit at first, for it tightens up considerably as the moisture dissipates into the surrounding (dryer) clay.
For shallow angles, like the top portion of a mug handle's lower attachment, I roll a small coil (2-3 mm, if that), cut to length, wet it, set it aside. After all ends are attached, I'm brushing a bit of slip in there, placing the coil, then smooshing it in. The edge of a loop tool fits in there. A damp brush can help. I don't remember where I saw this, perhaps a Pinnell video clip.
...now I do the same on the top attachment as well.
Why
Variations on what we were shown in Wheel I class.
There was talk of vinegar and "Magic Water" - I was curious; what is magic water**, how does it work, what are advantages & drawbacks?
I was curious, but not enough to dig into it, for my attachments were much less a problem (at that time) than so many other things!Adding the tiny coil, well, the radius can be achieved by other means, shaping the end, for example (credit Simon Leach video clip).
* The slip squeezes out along the score lines.
Nah, but that was the idea, which is now habit.**Here's an article and recipe:
Magic Water (ceramicartsnetwork.org) -
I do like water.
A few years ago I tried for a fountain, driven by a small pond pump.Credit the FDR Memorial (Washington, DC) fountains, in part, for positive inspiration, a neighbor's drop-in pool kit for negative inspiration.
The former, a variety of water sounds, each fountain different, each pleasing; the latter, a solid stream, not so pleasing.I wanted a soft drip, hence, the water flows over the inverted cone shape, falls a short distance (.8 to 1.2") to the tower base, then another inch or so to the reservoir, producing a gentle gurgling murmur.
The pump is concealed between the base and tower, wrapped in foam to dull the humming.
- pottery007, LeeU, Rae Reich and 1 other
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Hi krknn, welcome to the Forum!
Good questions; check back for responses... ...just wanted to add that smoke and fumes may an issue for neighbors as well, if they are close enough that fan noise is a concern.
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Good questions.
Glaze fire, I'm dropping 100°F from peak, then holding there for half hour or more, kiln vent left on.
From there, controlled cool to 1850°F, with kiln vent still running, then I'm shutting down the heat and the fan. Maybe that top shelf cools more quickly than the middle and bottom shelves when the fan is left on, so, I'm turning it off when the heat is turned off at 1850°F - also, I typically load the top lighter.
I believe the cooling rate to be closely tied to the mass - how much weight of material is in the kiln, so, faster cool with less mass.
If your kiln has a controller, you might program the last ramp(s) to match your firing notes?I'm curious about shelves of different thickness at the same level; my guess would be that they are more part of the overall "system" in terms of heat and mass, and hence the ware on the light shelf wouldn't cool off faster, but I don't know that for a fact.
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Good questions.
My guess on question one, using heavier shelves in the middle could help with evening out the heat.Question two, with less mass - the new shelves weighing considerably less than the old ones - the kiln should cool more quickly, and heat quicker as well.
How much faster? If you have notes on loads where the differences in total mass (wares + shelves + posts) match up, that could be a good starting point.My notes indicate significant differences in time to target - more time when the load includes an additional level (two half shelves, plus six posts) and more wares - and significantly slower cool down as well.
I'm curious to see what others have to say.
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New clay in their bags, in their boxes, wrapped in moving film*
stacked on cardboard, under a heavy tarp, in the Studio.
Changes in temperature seems to accelerate the drying out process.
To be reclaimed clay, in bins or buckets. I'm setting the clay portion out in the sun to thoroughly dry afore starting the reclaim process. The slop portion, if it's dried to a disc it gets set out as well, else just slop it in there at the re-wetting stage.
Reclaimed clay, in clay bags (washed, dried, checked for holes); wrapped in the same moving film, if the clay is being stored for "a while" - where a while is a few months in the damp/cool part of the year, a few weeks otherwise.
*Some vendors' clay bags seem to breathe more water than others.
Wrapping the box with moving film equalizes that, in my experience.
We have two partial rolls of the moving film left over from last year's moving, enough to last several years... -
Looks like the motor would be in the way.
Agreed, the pulley appears to be fixed to the shaft by that bolt; perhaps it is stuck? Perhaps start on that with penetrating oil that dissolves rust/corrosion. -
Hi Alice,
Welcome to the Forum!
Please post an image of the wheel's nameplate (if any, particularly the model number), and images depicting the parts in question?Is it this one?
cowley_wheel_manual.pdf (bathpotters.co.uk)Glancing over that ^ manual...
...the bearings specified for the wheel shaft and pulley assembly, 6203 and 6201 (respectively) are fairly common.
My bikes definitely use the same bearings, also with the double seal, "2RS"
Typically the are press fit, which takes some careful doing.
Removing the old ones, important that they come out straight, for if they take a slant, they bind up.
Installing the new ones, also important that they go in straight, and, force applied to the outer race edge only.
There are tools for pressing in/out bearings.
Getting help from someone familiar and with the tools may a good choice?Removing the wheel head, "To remove the wheelhead lift upwards..."
Likely it's stuck? Perhaps start with some Liquid Wrench, PB Blaster or somewhat similar... -
Reflecting on Alex's questions, again, how does one assess dust generation?
Given that one is mopping the floor and wiping down work surfaces daily, and wiping storage and secondary work surfaces regularly, and opening the area to air movement only after cleaning - to minimize dust blowing around - how to gauge, how to quantify the dust situation?
How much dust accumulates on horizontal surfaces in the area? How quickly?
How does the dust compare to other areas? Typically, one's dressing area, and where shoes and socks go on and off gather dust quickly.
Depending on cooking preferences/methods, kitchens can get dusty quickly as well.Monitoring and comparison may help with sharing workspace, particularly if the evidence indicates that clay dust is well controlled, as in look, the Studio is less dusty that the closet!
When I'm keeping up, most of the Studio's dust comes from having the rollup door open and what the cars bring in.
When I'm lax, the wedging station and the floor are main culprits. -
Hi Alex,
Welcome to the Forum!
Good questions.
Moisture:
Water is driven off (as vapor/steam) during the firing process, true, however, the majority of the wet clay's water is lost via evaporation whilst waiting on the kiln.
In addition to drying raw ware in the Studio, add evaporation from clay trimmings; open throwing, cleanup, mopping buckets; just glazed wares; damp - just cleaned - surfaces; any other open containers of wet stuff.Fumes:
Several gasses (besides water vapor) are produced when clays and glazes are fired.
Kiln fumes (digitalfire.com)
The typical powered kiln vent (that pulls a stream of superheated kiln atmosphere from a small hole in the bottom of the kiln and expels it outside via a duct) gets most, but not all the fumes. With provision for adequate make-up air*, a kiln vent may be adequate.
Better, imo, would be to open up doors and windows whilst firing and run a powered kiln vent.
Even better, a powered kiln vent and an overhead hood with a powerful fan**.Dust:
Working with clay, some dust will be generated, however, dust can be minimized via consistent housekeeping and "low dust" practices.
Number one culprit, typically, is dry clay on the floor.
Next might be the wedging station.
A wet mop for floors and a bucket and sponge for work surfaces can make a big difference.There are several archived threads on fumes and dust here!
*air coming in to replace what is being pushed out by the fan.
**an overhead system can help with accumulated heat - firing a kiln indoors will heat the space, a lot! -
,)
My string (for "off the hump" separations) has a wine cork on one end...
I'm setting my pointer and metal kidneys on a half sponge set in the other corner of the spash pan - easier to pick up, particularly that metal rib.
The other tools, in a cylinder set next to the half sponge... -
I'm using a one gallon plastic bucket* - it fits in the splash pan - with a clothespin for keeping the chamois un-lost, nearly full.
Sometimes I'll keep a two gallon bucket nearby for second rinse when transitioning to clean and dry hands, keeping the towel - and everything else as well - cleaner, much.To start, I'll pour off clear/clearish, mix up and dump the settled muck into reclaim, pour back the clear, then top up with hot fresh.
Since adding an electric kettle to the Studio space, warm water is much more frequent (always), as hike to/from the kitchen no longer required.I throw with water, enough that there is some accumulation in the pan, some being more than none.
I use a half sponge** for cleaning, two sponge pieces (corners cut from a full sponge) for adding and taking off water/slip, also wood knife, metal flexy rib, wood rib, chamois strip, and, sometimes, a pointer.I'll collect some slip (from my right hand, mostly - clockwise rotation...) in a small bowl for attaching handles, making repairs, etc. later on.
*it's a favorite! ...a washed out paint bucket (fancy deck paint) from ~forty-two years ago.
**large grout sponge, cut in halves is a nice size (for me).
Purchasing a kiln for home studio use
in Equipment Use and Repair
Posted
Hi B.H., Welcome to the Forum!
Good questions.
Excepting small/test kilns, expect your kiln to be rated for 240v, single phase*.
Also expect to run a dedicated circuit for your kiln.
Firing clays and glazes produces fumes. Adequate ventilation is a must, in my opinion.
To fire cone 8, a kiln rated to at least cone 10 will last better than a lower rated kiln.
There are several archived threads here where some of your questions are discussed at length; I'll look later today, have to run just now!
*Not sure what the electric standard/convention is in Southampton.
Here in California (USA) we have 240v single phase at our home. Three phase is typically only found in commercial buildings...