What’s on your workbench?

[liambesaw]

1 minute ago, LeeU said:

My workbench today has a thrown and altered bowl form, then hand-worked with stamped, paddled, & incised techniques. I like how much work actually goes into making something look "other-than" a properly, nicely, thrown bowl.  

 

Isn't that great though?  Throw a beautiful form and then slap it around a bit to make it interesting.  I've recently gotten into paddling my forms on the wheel.  Takes some getting used to but it's a lot of fun!  I'm amazed at how hard I can whack a nice tall cylinder and still be able to shape it a bit afterward!

As far as going electric, I have wanted an electric kiln for a very long time.  Gas firing looks very nice and being able to reduce glazes and body is nice too, but it is expensive for me and requires my full attention for an entire day.  It's tiring and I've got a 5 and 7 year old running around, so I am just glad I have one less thing to worry about.  

[Bill Kielb]

4 minutes ago, liambesaw said:

Very nice, almost bone-like.  Was the pinholing from high loi?  When I put my glazes into insight I know that the loi figures are a rough guess, but I try to keep mine low by subbing out whiting and fiddling.

It was not actually, but I am a low sodium then low calcium guy anyway with porcelain so when I can reduce these it is usually  decent practice for me. This glaze would actually over fire so badly that it would literally dry up. It had little self healing capability as well. When I solidified this Bristol recipe it fired nicely, no pinholes and matte per the chemistry so LOI is usually not a super high primary interest to me especially if it works when in correct chemistry form..

I find if I can normalize these things in  Stull and they fire per their chemistry then I can move from there to try and get it to look the way everyone thinks it should. Just my method, I am a UMF guy and do like a lot of Tony Hansen’s stuff, as well as Britt, Arbuckle, Katz and many others.

just my method of keeping it simple for me. LOI has never been something I designed to unless I was worried about the efficiency in use of materials.

[Denice]

Mostly throwing and trimming but I have a new project on my worktable.  I was at a concert in a historical theater last week and notice a grill in a huge arched window,  I have a arched opening on my front porch it needs art work  that will block the North wind.  I am working on a design for the tiles,  I want to put wine and beer bottle bottoms in the openings, they will block the wind, still let light through and still look like a Spanish grill.     I am thinking of using Laguna Red Calico,  it will be expose to nasty winters so if someone has a better idea  on clay I am all ears.    Denice

[neilestrick]

57 minutes ago, Denice said:

Mostly throwing and trimming but I have a new project on my worktable.  I was at a concert in a historical theater last week and notice a grill in a huge arched window,  I have a arched opening on my front porch it needs art work  that will block the North wind.  I am working on a design for the tiles,  I want to put wine and beer bottle bottoms in the openings, they will block the wind, still let light through and still look like a Spanish grill.     I am thinking of using Laguna Red Calico,  it will be expose to nasty winters so if someone has a better idea  on clay I am all ears.    Denice

I'd use porcelain. The lower the absorption rate the better.

[Magnolia Mud Research]

According to my memory, there is a paragraph or two in Val Cushing's handbook on clay bodies for use in cold climates.  Fully vitrified porcelain is not one of those clay bodies, as I remember;  there is a optimum porosity for freeze - thaw requirements.   Also check the Rhodes & Hopper book on clay bodies. 

Remember that roof tiles and bricks have been used in cold and snowy regions for several hundred years and they have survived lots of freeze thaw cycles.

LT

[Min]

Depends on the structure of the claybody, have to measure the porosity, which is different than absorption. It's my understanding that if the clay has a somewhat open pore structure, that is to say there are little tunnels (for lack of a better description) in the body then when absorbed water is  frozen it has somewhere to go when it expands. So, either zero absorption and porosity like a porcelain body or a body with absorption and porosity but within a specific range. I have the info regarding procedure and figures somewhere, if you want me to dig it out @Denice let me know and you can run your own tests on whatever body you are thinking of using.

[Bill Kielb]

Clay tile roofs are great in warm climates and protect from UV quite well, plus they have mass and are less susceptible to uplifting forces. Final Waterproofing for these systems almost always depends upon the underlayment.

Just a thought so minor cracks in clay tile not really a tremendous concern including cedar shakes unless the underlayment is not water tight. I would vote for the tight porcelain body myself.

Assuring enough room for water expansion is difficult at best.

[Denice]

I have used the Red Calico on a large exterior fountain before but it was glazed,  I was thinking I could put a clear on it if needed.   I ordered some clay from California to make a clay tile roof several years ago for a mailbox roof.  It was also a C6 clay and very coarse,  no glaze and I haven't had any problems with it.   By the time I got it shipped to Kansas it cost me a dollar a pound, I'm sure the costs would be higher now.  We are having some frigid weather this week  I think I'll boil a Red Calico pot and thrown it into some snow and leave it there for a couple of months.  I read a article about building a ceramic patio wall in a 1960's Ceramics Monthly years ago.  I have it stored on my old computer.  I need to spend some time searching for it I don't remember the year or month it was published.   Bill you are right about the membrane on a tile roof,  I had them put a rubber membrane under my tile roof when we built our house.  I didn't want my ceilings ruined  if the tiles were damaged by hail.  The roof is concrete tiles and breaks much easier than clay tiles.    Denice

Edited January 29, 2019 by Denice
addded info

[oldlady]

denice,  Penland has a wall that is made of a mosaic of many different pieces.  could the article be related to that?  i have taken pics of it and remember the planter that was the bottom half of a human sitting down on the wall,  it was done in a pinkish clay.

[Denice]

I look at the Penland web site and see if I can find the article.  I had a   Red Calico pot  sitting around in my studio, it had been fired to C6 with just some stains on it no glaze.   I've got it outside to take advantage of the Polar Vortex moving into our area.   I need to throw some glass molds for  broken glass and do some tests,  it will be a several months before I have to make a decision on the clay.   I need to make 60  two inch discs and 15 three inch discs that are about a inch thick.  It has been awhile since I have worked with glass  in the kiln.   I have done some research,  it is all coming back  ready to start testing.    Denice

[LeeU]

I now have the 9th piece --a textured bowl--to add to what I'll fire in the anagama kiln in April. I'm aiming for 15, and those still to come need to be spectacular---well, at least they need to reflect some elevated creative effort on my part!  The 3 pieces shown are a fair example of where my head is heading--pun intended.   

[Callie Beller Diesel]

On 1/30/2019 at 9:00 AM, Denice said:

I look at the Penland web site and see if I can find the article.  I had a   Red Calico pot  sitting around in my studio, it had been fired to C6 with just some stains on it no glaze.   I've got it outside to take advantage of the Polar Vortex moving into our area.   I need to throw some glass molds for  broken glass and do some tests,  it will be a several months before I have to make a decision on the clay.   I need to make 60  two inch discs and 15 three inch discs that are about a inch thick.  It has been awhile since I have worked with glass  in the kiln.   I have done some research,  it is all coming back  ready to start testing.    Denice

If you really want to do a stress test for freeze/thaw, the best time to do it is in the fall when things are beginning to freeze but the days are still nice, or at the first hint  of spring when you have warm days but nights are still below freezing. You want a nice temperature vasilation between -3 and +3 C. I’ve killed more terra cotta pots by not covering them up soon enough.....

[liambesaw]

Well I'm all out of space again, so more firings this weekend!  Have a bisque load ready and then I'll have to do a few glaze firings.  If I keep it up at this rate I'll have enough to do a farmers market or whatnot in no time

[Denice]

I plan to do a boil freeze test in my freezer also.   The polar vortex has moved on and it is suppose to be 66 by Sunday and back down to 8 Wednesday.  Our weather has been this way all winter.  I am making glass discs that look like old bottles as part of the design.   I  making  the molds for the crush glass now and will start test firing my glass.   I plan to use clear beer bottles for the smaller outer discs and colored wine bottles for the center.   I need about 80 small discs and 20 large ones,  I am going to see if I can get  empty clear bottles from bars.  My husband volunteered  to drink that much beer but it would take him six months,  I don't want to wait that long.    Denice

[Min]

Trimming the openings in salt pigs. Think it takes me longer to try and get the holes cut more or less evenly and round than it takes to throw them.

[liambesaw]

Wow they all look so good!  

[Mark C.]

1 hour ago, Min said:

Trimming the openings in salt pigs. Think it takes me longer to try and get the holes cut more or less evenly and round than it takes to throw them.

Min I got tired of salt pigs taking so long-I worked on a copper pipe to cut my opening like a hole cutter. I like an oval opening but since yours  are round this will go easier for you.
I ovaled the larger copper pipe fitting and then ground the  inside down to a point with a Dremel tool . You could do this with platic pipe or fittings(these vary in size) Just find the size you want and sand or grind the edge to a point and t=now you have a fast punch. It works great then sponge smooth. Saves tons of time.

 

[Mark C.]

Today it extruded soap dishes sponge holders-butterdishes and mugs. Short day

[liambesaw]

39 minutes ago, Mark C. said:

Today it extruded soap dishes sponge holders-butterdishes and mugs. Short day

Can I see what those look like?

For me, I've got a bunch of mugs to trim and handle, and another bunch of mugs to throw.  I have been making sake sets for my relatives in Japan, hopefully going back this year

[Min]

Thanks Liam!

7 hours ago, Mark C. said:

I ovaled the larger copper pipe fitting and then ground the  inside down to a point with a Dremel tool . You could do this with platic pipe or fittings(these vary in size) Just find the size you want and sand or grind the edge to a point and t=now you have a fast punch. It works great then sponge smooth. Saves tons of time.

Good idea Mark, I've got a round cookie cutter, I'll try that out next time.

[Mark C.]

10 hours ago, liambesaw said:

Can I see what those look like?

For me, I've got a bunch of mugs to trim and handle, and another bunch of mugs to throw.  I have been making sake sets for my relatives in Japan, hopefully going back this year

You meanDxtruded  soap dishes thrown -butterdishes -spongeholders and mugs

[liambesaw]

Extruded soap dishes

[neilestrick]

Today I threw the bodies and necks for some tall bottles. I really enjoy assembling these. The bodies are 3lbs of clay, 12" tall. The necks only require 1lb since they're so narrow. I'll lose about 3" to shrinkage, so the finished pots will be just under 18".

 

[Pres]

18 hours ago, Mark C. said:

Min I got tired of salt pigs taking so long-I worked on a copper pipe to cut my opening like a hole cutter. I like an oval opening but since yours  are round this will go easier for you.
I ovaled the larger copper pipe fitting and then ground the  inside down to a point with a Dremel tool . You could do this with platic pipe or fittings(these vary in size) Just find the size you want and sand or grind the edge to a point and t=now you have a fast punch. It works great then sponge smooth. Saves tons of time.

 

When I make salt pigs anymore, I just throw a rounded jar with a short lip, lay an embroidery hoop over the top at an angle and cut with a fettling knife, then reverse the top 180 degrees and rejoin. Angled cut sets the opening at near a 45.

best,

Pres

[Min]

2 hours ago, Pres said:

When I make salt pigs anymore, I just throw a rounded jar with a short lip, lay an embroidery hoop over the top at an angle and cut with a fettling knife, then reverse the top 180 degrees and rejoin. Angled cut sets the opening at near a 45.

I've seen them made like this but for my style the simple ones I make suit my aesthetic more.  (plus they are relatively fast with no joining) Thanks though!