Grinding

[bciskepottery]

Am picking up wares from a wood firing and anticipate having to grind some glaze drips from bottoms.  What is an acceptable amount of grinding before a ware stays home and is not ready for selling?

[Mark C.]

My cut off is -

Can I make it not look like its been ground.If with a bench grinder and then a dremel it looks ok -it can go out into the world-if its a mess when I'm done it stays home. One other point is wood fired pots tend to be rough looking to some degree anyway.

mark

[Guest JBaymore]

The drips and runs and grinding are a part of the typical woodfiring aesthetic. Grinding is done to make the work "functional" in the sense of not being "lethal" to hands and furniture. it is not to totally try to hide the fact that it was ever ground. These are "embellishment marks of process" similar to tong marks on raku, finger marks in glaze from holding a piece when dipping in raw glaze, and so on.

 

There are a LOT of folks that will not share the aestentic appreciation of this type of work. THEY are not your market. Don't try to make a piece like this "fit" for a person who does not appreciate the inherent nature of some of this kind of work. You will never satisfy that particular person... and will ruin the nature of the work for the person who does appreciate it in tryinjg to do so.

 

As you move into woodfiring, you are moving into a more rarefied market. When you move outside of potters themselves (who tend to more broadly appreciate this kind of work), it is a niche market. And in general a very aestehtically critical and educated niche consumer.

 

Part of the real art of grinding woodfired work is knowing when to stop. it is easy to overdo it. In Japan I've found it is WAY easy to overdo it.

 

best,

 

.......................john

[Mark C.]

(

As you move into woodfiring, you are moving into a more rarefied market. When you move outside of potters themselves (who tend to more broadly appreciate this kind of work), it is a niche market. And in general a very aestehtically critical and educated niche consumer.)

this is very true for my salt fired work as well.

The foot wadding marks and some ginnding is part of whats it about. The market is much smaller for these works as well.

I have a separate small display for these at a show at times with signage speaking to the proocess.

Mark

[bciskepottery]

My intent is not to remove the marks of firing, but I will need my vases to sit flat and not wobble and will want to remove any sharp edges that could cause cuts.  And I just can't come around to consider those insidious little rubber thingies that can be glued on the bottoms.  I'll be picking up the pieces later today; missed kiln opening due to holiday travel. 

[phill]

@JBaymore: What do you mean exactly when you say "when you are in Japan"? Can you elaborate? 

[Mark C.]

I would not put any rubber bottoms on either just make safe and grind so they sit flat.

How about a photo or three.

Mark

[Guest JBaymore]

@JBaymore: What do you mean exactly when you say "when you are in Japan"? Can you elaborate? 

 

I spend a lot of time working and showing (and hence selling) in Japan.  Therefore the comment.  The Japanese market tends to be more appreciative of inherent ceramic process and usually understands a lot about ceramics.

 

Does that help?

 

best,

 

..................john

[Biglou13]

I had same conversation with other wood fire potters here are a few highlights.

 

400 wet dry sand paper is your friend.

209 grit wet dry sandpaper is your friend.

200 grit 400 grit diamond hand sanders are you friend. ( biciske turned me on to inexpensive link/ source)

You want a piece smooth enough that it doesn't snag cotton ball.. ( more regarding lips / Kuchi zukuri and chasen surfaces)

Don't sand the whole foot.... Just the areas at wadding, then any PARTS that need attention.

Any kiln contribution that doesn't interfere with fuction stays

Rules are meant to be pushed and broken.

 

I've over ground and sanded a few pieces. Start with higher grit wet dry sandpaper than you think for me it was 400. And slowly work down the rough spots. Stop rinse and feel frequently. The latest woodfired yunomis I have take about 15-20 minutes to finish. The idea is to take away only what is necessary. I like a piece with tactile input! After my first sanding session my fingers were raw from all the work, scanner would not read finger print at work. I do 99.9% of cleaning with hand tools.

 

I think the eastern market tolerates / appreciates the idiosyncrasies of wood firing!

[bciskepottery]

How about a photo or three.

Mark

Sounds like a plan, will need a day or two.

[alabama]

>>>>> but I will need my vases to sit flat and not wobble <<<< 

Hey,

 

I also have the need to find out that the bottoms of my vessels to be flat.  There's a difference between a vessel

with a flat bottom and a vessel that appears to be flat.  So before the vessels are to be bisqued and are still

bone dry I put a bat on the wheel, wet it and spin it with the bottom flat against the bat for 2 seconds. 

Then turn and look at the bottom.  Any high or uneven spot will be wet.  If need be it can be repeated to

make the bottom flatter as the wet clay will soften and conform to the bat.  Be sure not to sit the vessel

on the wet bat without the wheel spinning or you run the chance of the bottom sticking and tearing as its pulled

off.  Just slide the vessel off to one side, and wipe off any sludge.

     This at least eliminates one part of uneven bottoms, and eliminates dust from sanding.

This also burnishes the bottom.

After glazing, all the bottoms are cleaned with a brass wire wheel on the wheel grinder to remove

any grog that surfaces or anything picked up on a dirty shelf.  Not sure if this works for everyone,

but it works for me.

Good luck,

Alabama

[bciskepottery]

 

>>>>> but I will need my vases to sit flat and not wobble <<<<

Hey,

 

I also have the need to find out that the bottoms of my vessels to be flat.  There's a difference between a vessel

with a flat bottom and a vessel that appears to be flat.  So before the vessels are to be bisqued and are still

bone dry I put a bat on the wheel, wet it and spin it with the bottom flat against the bat for 2 seconds. 

Then turn and look at the bottom.  Any high or uneven spot will be wet.  If need be it can be repeated to

make the bottom flatter as the wet clay will soften and conform to the bat.  Be sure not to sit the vessel

on the wet bat without the wheel spinning or you run the chance of the bottom sticking and tearing as its pulled

off.  Just slide the vessel off to one side, and wipe off any sludge.

     This at least eliminates one part of uneven bottoms, and eliminates dust from sanding.

This also burnishes the bottom.

After glazing, all the bottoms are cleaned with a brass wire wheel on the wheel grinder to remove

any grog that surfaces or anything picked up on a dirty shelf.  Not sure if this works for everyone,

but it works for me.

Good luck,

Alabama

 

The vases go into the kiln with flat bottoms. With the wood firing, the pots are on wads and not the kiln shelf, which allows some runny glazes to form drips on the bottom edge or seep over onto the wadding. Those glaze drips cause the unevenness -- and necessitate grinding for removal.

[bciskepottery]

Photos uploaded. http://community.ceramicartsdaily.org/gallery/album/848-woodfire-november-2014/

[Biglou13]

Doesn't look like you will have much grinding /sanding to do....

Hard to tell by pictures.

From what I could see no a lot of problem spots.

I feel like glazed pieces tend to resist much of the kin "donations"

Most are non functional/ non food surface or no mouth contact surface. So except for bottoms you seem good to go.

Great work. I'm hooked on all things woodfired.

Maybe some close up shots of problem areas?

[bciskepottery]

The pictures are post-cleanup. The main culprits for running glazes were the oribes/celadons; one vase needed a fair amount of work on the bottom, the others were relatively minor. A few of the celadon pieces ran into the wadding and fusing it to the bottom which required grinding. Plus, if you are careful, you can grind the bottom without it being seen from looking at the item without picking it up. The feldspar inclusions that popped out on the bottoms needed to be smoothed. Used both a bench grind and dremel, followed by wet sanding with 100/200 grit diamond sand pads. Just have to take time and not rush. And, you look at the item and figure out how to use its firing "imperfections" to advantage. And the vile plastic/rubber/felt pads are secure on their hook in the aisle at Home Depot.

 

A couple vases were lost in firing -- they were on the bagwall and split on a seam. One tea bowl crack in the bottom where it was thinner than the rest of the cup.

 

Oh, all the pieces are functional. Vases and ikebana vases . . . finished putting in the kenzan last evening. And, there are wonderful ash flecks in the glazed pieces -- they did pick up the gifts of the wood.

[Min]

Looking good! 17 thru 19 are my favorites, they would look really nice in my home!