[QotW:What is your set up for throwing on the wheel?]

I have a Brent half a horse powered wheel.   I have a small commercial table with wheels  on one side.  It holds a small bucket of water and a bucket of tools. not very big but it is the right height.   On the other side is a plastic shelf unit with grid shelves  I can space  them for the height I am working with.  My wheel came with a MDF square bat system with 2 dozen bats,  I haven't been able to use it the bats keep moving around.   I  just throw on the wheel and cut it off and place it onto the bat and then the shelf,  they get moved to a drying cabinet later.   I keep a 5 gal bucket near by for trimmings and throwing water.  My throwing area may be just a little too comfortable,  I have to remind myself to get up and move around.   Denice

[Something A Little Different In My Studio]

Nice work on the medallion,  just out of curiosity what cone does your glaze fire at.  I use some underglazes on my murals and fire at C5,  I have to use four coats to keep the color from fading away at that temp.     Denice

[Are exhibitions or juried art shows worth entering?]

I use to donate pieces a couple of times a year,  one was for AIDS and the other Hunger.    I never got any business from them and I thought they treated the artist badly,  I finally quit in protest with other artist who were treated badly by the committee.  I didn't have any problems .  my piece sold but the work that didn't got dumped on the sidewalk the day after the auction.  One of my friends who is a well known metal sculptor  had his work thrown out.  His sculpture covered  home is in tourist guide books.   Denice 

[Bisque firing quit at 1353 after 6 hours]

Refiring is need,  speckle clay have a  lot of impurities that need to burn out,  I use several clay's that have a excess of impurities.  I fire a slow C04 to keep my glazes clean.   Denice

[Full Shelves or Half Shelves in Electric Kilns]

Henry I am not sure the Corelites will break in half like the standard shelves,  They have a grid pattern on the underside.  Is there anyone who owns a kiln near you or a  pottery class,   you could help someone load and fire.   I have a degree in  ceramics but I will take a evening pottery class when they have  a  teacher I want to learn from.   They are always happy to have help loading,  firing and unloading.   Denice

[Full Shelves or Half Shelves in Electric Kilns]

I bought Corelite shelves for my new kiln,  I have only 16 firings on them so I can't review them yet.   I was a little disappointed when I got them I thought they would be a lot lighter than my old standard shelves.  I guess at my age I should be happy with a little less weight.    Denice

[vacuum recycled clay to remove air pockets]

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  

[Moving Sculpture to Kiln]

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

[Second firing of unglazed bisque ware to cone 6 (red mid-fire clay)]

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

[Full Shelves or Half Shelves in Electric Kilns]

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

[Adding plasticity to reclaim]

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

[refiring glaze without changing it]

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

[Clay recommendations for wheel thrown sculptural work]

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

[refiring glaze without changing it]

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

[Paragon kiln repair. Help!]

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

[refiring glaze without changing it]

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

[Is this an unusable wheel head? Please help me]

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

[Clay body for birdbath ?]

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

[L&L vs Cone Art Kilns]

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

[The Pottery of Sound]

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

[Table top slab roller]

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

[Gas or Electric Kiln For Starting Out]

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

[QotW: Have you had to reformulate any clays or glazes due to a shortage of materials?]

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

[PID small kiln]

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

[QotW: Talisman, Bucket or other type of sieve for glaze mixing?]

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