Denice

Slam wedging before you hand wedge and sometimes if your hand is twisting the wrong way you wedge bubbles back into it. I use my recycled clay for handbuilding or mold making, I don't hand wedge any more. I slam wedge clay from a fresh bag, I go a step further and put the bag of clay in a 5 gal bucket of water a day or two before. The clay comes out smooth and even consistency and soft enough for old tired wrist, fingers and hand to throw. If is is to soft I will pull the plastic down and let it air dry for awhile. Denice

I have fired many large pots and sculptures that filled the kiln. Taking the kiln apart and candling over night is the way to go, I also use a shelf to build and fire it on, I pick one that is not in the greatest shape. I am getting ready to work on new sculpture, I have already figured out a way to make it in two pieces so I don't have to take my new kiln apart. It only has 16 firings on it and it is bigger around than my old skutt but shorter. The rings are harder to manage, I am not ready to bump, scuff and chip the edges yet. Denice

They will be fragile flower pots that can't hold up to freezing weather. Denice

I have one purchased set of half shelves, eventually your full shelves break in half. I use them as half shelves, I always end with steadier stack when I use full shelves. Two half shelves cost more than one full shelf. Denice

I add some ball clay to my 5 gal bucket of reclaim when I add more waste clay, just a handful and mix it in. I like to work with a clay that has more body to it so I can hand build with the recycled clay. I also use it for the original piece when I make a mold, you have to toss the original piece and first mold pull. Denice

Kelly thank you for the informative reply, it gives me a little more hope that it will work. Me and my arthritis are to old to make another set. I could buy a set but I like unusual daily utensils in my life. Denice

Maybe you could contact the clay company and see if they have a technician that can help you with choosing a clay. I have had problems with Laguna's Buff clay cracking in slab type sculptures and B Mix has always cracked for me. I would be interested in finding out what the clay is that the clay company recommends. Denice

I hadn't thought about the plates retaining moisture, I could put a salad plate in the oven and let it heat for a while before I test fire it. I don't need to refire the whole set just the plates. I probably should start using my china dishes, I no longer have a family to cook a holiday dinner for. They also don't sell well at estates sales, younger people aren't interested in formal occasions. I have extra sets of stainless silverware that I might as well start using everyday. I have been trying to talk my husband into putting in a pool table and getting rid of the unused dining room furniture. Denice

You might also include your firing schedule, moisture in your piece is usually the cause of pots exploding or firing to fast. Denice

I have been thinking about refiring some dishes I made 20 years ago. We use them for our daily dishware, the glaze is a dark cobalt blue developed by Tony Hansen. It is a glaze that is suppose to be durable on dish ware. I guess 20 years is to long to expect it to hold up, the surface of the plates look like a wedgewood blue now from utensils scraping against it. I still have some of the glaze, I guess I will just have to test fire and see what works the best Denice

I bought a used Brent wheel that had a sticky foot pedal, everyone here of the forum told me it probably needed adjusting. I found a video on-line that showed how to fix it. It was adjusted totally wrong, I followed the instruction and put it back together. It ran like a new wheel. Denice

A roof top satelite dish make a good drape mold for a birdbath. Denice

I bought a L&L from Neil a couple of years ago, I also purchase the longer lasting elements. Few months before that I purchased a Paragon Caldera test kiln, both kilns have thicker bricks and the same Barlett controller. The paragon doesn't have the element holders, it is a very small test kiln. The thicker bricks gives a more accurate results. Denice

I don't remember his horns but I do remember hit work. Fantastic!

Finding a used or free slab roller is like finding a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. You might try some pastry rolling pins for some of your stronger artists, this is something you might be able to get donated. A slab roller also takes some strength to use, I used a pastry rolling pin and boards of different dimensions until I could save up enough money for a slab roller. Are there any clay equipment manufactures in your area that would be will to donate. Denice

I would set up my studio for electric and gas. You can get some work done in the studio and fire it in your electric kiln, while you build the gas kiln. You wouldn't need to buy a high dollar computerized kiln a used smaller manual kiln would be suitable until the gas kiln was finished. It is handy to have a kiln that you can fill up quickly, I am in the city limits and fire electric I have a test kiln, a small kiln and a larger L&L. There is always someone wanting a gift or urn made in a hurry. The small kiln is my go to kiln on rush jobs, it isn't computerized like the others but fires great. You could also do bisque firings in it for the gas kiln. Denice

The only thing I am out of is Lithium, so I don't mix any glaze that contains Lithium. One of these days they are going to figure out how to make a battery easier and cheaper without using Lithium. Denice

How fast did you fire it? Is it still sitting on the garage floor, if the floor is concrete you could have a uneven firing. The concrete is cold and will keep the bottom of the kiln colder. I understand that this is a small kiln, small kilns have to be set up correctly. I had one in front of a window but had to keep the window closed. It could really slow the firing and cool it down to fast. Small kilns already have a problem with fast cooling. Denice

I have a sieve that fits a 5 gal bucket, I bought it about 40 years ago. A few years ago the screen started break along the edges, so I went to the supply store and the same screen had a flimsy plastic body on it. My old screen has a heavy plastic body, my husband sealed the screen in with a waterproof adhesive. It isn't very pretty but it works and I have a really small sieve for test glazes. Denice

A tool bag that mechanics use might be something to look into. There are many different sizes and features, I have tool box trays in my studio, you couldn't carry them but they are very handy and inexpensive. Denice

It sounds like you need to have a neighborhood meeting to discuss how to handle your problem. To start with everyone should start keeping a folder on medical expense, the whole works time, date, cost, receipts, symptoms, loss of wages. I sure there is more cost to organize, cost of repairs, specialists, hotel expenses. Take photos of creepy growth on the walls and start researching the lands history. My town has had to reimburse families that bought houses in a area where large dry cleaning facilities were located. People started becoming ill especially children, after some research they found out the chemicals they used for dry cleaning was dumped on the ground for decades. Good Luck. Denice

Actually the vinyl is for protecting your paint and cleans up easily, certain clays can stain your paint. If you are renting you would have to repaint. My first studio was a small folding top and chair, bowl for water and a few tools. I made mostly pinch and coil pots not enough room for slabs. I eventually bought a used small kiln, the garage area was so small I could barely fit it in. My husband used the garage to repair cars, the desk top and chair had to fold up so he could walk around the car. Every potter I know has had a crummy first studio, the studio situation in college isn't great. A lot of yelling going on you just have to ignore it. Denice

I have a Brent with a large splash pan, I still get curls of clay on the floor when I trim. I hung vinyl wallpaper around my wheel because I will splatter clay when throwing. I actually love seeing the curls, it means that I am still able to work in my studio at the age of 71. To me a part of being a potter is having a mess to clean up. Today I am cleaning the studio so I can mix up glazes for testing and making a new mess. Embrace the mess. Denice

I haven't try to make one of these it is a idea that has been rolling around in my head. The ancient Greeks would put large gourds in trees. The gourds would have a hole in them and strings strung across the holes. They would have dinner al fresco and listen to the gentle wind creating musical tones from the gourds. I was thinking that I could make some gourds out of paper clay to keep the weight down. I grew some large Snake type gourds to give to my son, he has never lived anywhere long enough to hang them up. I finally have trees in my yard large enough to hang gourds on. Making your own gourds would be easier than growing giant snake gourds. Denice

I don't use any Chromium in my studio, I considered it dangerous to my health. One of the first things my glaze professor told us was to wear mask and gloves and don't use chromium if you have a open cut, it can kill you. I decided that there was different ways to make green glazes, I can live without chromium green.