Denice

I have made paper clay  several times,  I have never found anything that was very good at inhibiting mold growth.   My home made paper clay was good for large sculptural pieces but not good for fine detail work.  My local ceramic store started carrying paper clay,  I bought 100 lbs of it and loved it.   It was more like regular clay and much easier to work with.  I had about 5lbs of clay left when I was finished with my project,  I rolled it into a slab an let it  dry.   When I need to repair a crack or reattached something I will break off a piece of paper clay.   I soak it and then add it to the clay I am working with.  I didn't have any problems with the clay growing mold.   Denice

I bought a kiln that looks like this one,  it also had glaze running down the walls.  I paid $100 for it because it had 2 good shelves and 100 stilts that were still in the boxes.  I got it home and saved the lid and stand demolished  the kiln.    Denice

I also use the floor puzzle foam mat,  my pathway is a big rectangular in my studio.   If I have a area that gets extremely dusty and dirty I will pull  them up to clean.   If one particular area starts wearing thin I can easily replace them.  I  had a bedroom in the basement my son used as a hangout,  rowdy boys,  soda and carpet don't mix so I covered it with foam mat.   When we polished the concrete I moved them upstairs to my studio.  Now I have a lifetime supply.  I even stand on one in the kiln room when I am loading the kiln.   I don't leave it there when I am firing.  My husband is working on his wood shop and I found a  big heavy  duty  dense mat on clearance.  I think it will help his sore feet.   Denice

I also use the floor puzzle foam mat,  my pathway is a big rectangular in my studio.   If I have a area that gets extremely dusty and dirty I will pull  them up to clean.   If one particular area starts wearing thin I can easily replace them.  I  had a bedroom in the basement my son used as a hangout,  rowdy boys,  soda and carpet don't mix so I covered it with foam mat.   When we polished the concrete I moved them upstairs to my studio.  Now I have a lifetime supply.  I even stand on one in the kiln room when I am loading the kiln.   I don't leave it there when I am firing.  My husband is working on his wood shop and I found a  big heavy  duty  dense mat on clearance.  I think it will help his sore feet.   Denice

I also use the floor puzzle foam mat,  my pathway is a big rectangular in my studio.   If I have a area that gets extremely dusty and dirty I will pull  them up to clean.   If one particular area starts wearing thin I can easily replace them.  I  had a bedroom in the basement my son used as a hangout,  rowdy boys,  soda and carpet don't mix so I covered it with foam mat.   When we polished the concrete I moved them upstairs to my studio.  Now I have a lifetime supply.  I even stand on one in the kiln room when I am loading the kiln.   I don't leave it there when I am firing.  My husband is working on his wood shop and I found a  big heavy  duty  dense mat on clearance.  I think it will help his sore feet.   Denice

I also use the floor puzzle foam mat,  my pathway is a big rectangular in my studio.   If I have a area that gets extremely dusty and dirty I will pull  them up to clean.   If one particular area starts wearing thin I can easily replace them.  I  had a bedroom in the basement my son used as a hangout,  rowdy boys,  soda and carpet don't mix so I covered it with foam mat.   When we polished the concrete I moved them upstairs to my studio.  Now I have a lifetime supply.  I even stand on one in the kiln room when I am loading the kiln.   I don't leave it there when I am firing.  My husband is working on his wood shop and I found a  big heavy  duty  dense mat on clearance.  I think it will help his sore feet.   Denice

I went from firing three manual kilns to,  a LL with Genisis controller,  a Paragon Caldera test kiln with a Genisis controller and a small Duncan manual kiln.   I decided to go with the controllers because of my age and my MS,  I was afraid I would forget that I was firing.   The last couple of months I have had trouble with my memory and concentration,  I managed to get through a manual firing and a controller firing.  It really scared me how fuzzy my brain was,  it was a MS relaspe.  They can last several months or never clear up,  my brain is clear now .   I am so happy that I have automated  my home and studio.    Denice

I went from firing three manual kilns to,  a LL with Genisis controller,  a Paragon Caldera test kiln with a Genisis controller and a small Duncan manual kiln.   I decided to go with the controllers because of my age and my MS,  I was afraid I would forget that I was firing.   The last couple of months I have had trouble with my memory and concentration,  I managed to get through a manual firing and a controller firing.  It really scared me how fuzzy my brain was,  it was a MS relaspe.  They can last several months or never clear up,  my brain is clear now .   I am so happy that I have automated  my home and studio.    Denice

I went from firing three manual kilns to,  a LL with Genisis controller,  a Paragon Caldera test kiln with a Genisis controller and a small Duncan manual kiln.   I decided to go with the controllers because of my age and my MS,  I was afraid I would forget that I was firing.   The last couple of months I have had trouble with my memory and concentration,  I managed to get through a manual firing and a controller firing.  It really scared me how fuzzy my brain was,  it was a MS relaspe.  They can last several months or never clear up,  my brain is clear now .   I am so happy that I have automated  my home and studio.    Denice

I went from firing three manual kilns to,  a LL with Genisis controller,  a Paragon Caldera test kiln with a Genisis controller and a small Duncan manual kiln.   I decided to go with the controllers because of my age and my MS,  I was afraid I would forget that I was firing.   The last couple of months I have had trouble with my memory and concentration,  I managed to get through a manual firing and a controller firing.  It really scared me how fuzzy my brain was,  it was a MS relaspe.  They can last several months or never clear up,  my brain is clear now .   I am so happy that I have automated  my home and studio.    Denice

The lights I created were made out of C6 stoneware clay ran through a slab roller, ribbed and then draped on some plaster forms.  Denice

I have never owned a kiln with a locking lid before,  I noticed when I was firing my new LL the lid had lifted about a quarter of a inch.  My old Skutt didn't ever lift but I did replace the lid a lot.  I just wanted your opinion if I should lock the lid.  Trying to prevent replacing lids in the future.    Denice

About 15 years ago I made a wall lantern and hanging light shade with this technique.   My first lantern didn't allow enough light out so I thinned the clay around the cut outs and then used white glaze inside the second one.  When I was carving the  hanging shade I decided to using thinner clay and larger cut outs.  It had a bell shade just as I got  to the middle I realized I didn't have any support.  I left about two inches uncarved in the middle and carved  a pattern around the bottom edge.  I found several minor stress crack inside that didn't show up on the surface,  they told me it had twisted a little  when was firing.   If you are doing some testing you could try putting separator  around the edge or take a damp Q-tip around the edge  to clean the glaze.   To get the deeper pull back on the glaze.      Denice

About 15 years ago I made a wall lantern and hanging light shade with this technique.   My first lantern didn't allow enough light out so I thinned the clay around the cut outs and then used white glaze inside the second one.  When I was carving the  hanging shade I decided to using thinner clay and larger cut outs.  It had a bell shade just as I got  to the middle I realized I didn't have any support.  I left about two inches uncarved in the middle and carved  a pattern around the bottom edge.  I found several minor stress crack inside that didn't show up on the surface,  they told me it had twisted a little  when was firing.   If you are doing some testing you could try putting separator  around the edge or take a damp Q-tip around the edge  to clean the glaze.   To get the deeper pull back on the glaze.      Denice

I do more hand building than throwing so I don't have any inventive ways of creating a foot.   Your number 4 is the way I would trim for a runny glaze, number 2 I would use this for quickly made cups.   I made bisque molds for recycled glass casing  I  had to break the molds off of the fired glass,   I  had seventy of them to make.    Number 7 is the look I like to trim on more elegant well balanced pot.    Denice

I do more hand building than throwing so I don't have any inventive ways of creating a foot.   Your number 4 is the way I would trim for a runny glaze, number 2 I would use this for quickly made cups.   I made bisque molds for recycled glass casing  I  had to break the molds off of the fired glass,   I  had seventy of them to make.    Number 7 is the look I like to trim on more elegant well balanced pot.    Denice

I vacuum out a kiln when the bottom starts to gets speckled looking or a pot shatters in a bisque firing.   I sieve my glazes before I use them if they have been sitting on a shelf for a long time.   I tend to jump around on glazes so I probably sieve them every time I  use them.  Maybe you got a piece  clay stuck on your sleeve and it fell off when you were loading.        Denice

I  used bags that the newspaper came in,  I no longer take the paper so I just put the clay directly in it.  My extruder is homemade so I think it has more areas for the clay to hide in.    When I am finished with it I take it apart and let it soak for a day before I clean it.     Denice

I fired a big Skutt in a basement like that for 13 years,   I had some ventilation but not enough,  you have windows so you could probably run a vent hose out it.   My ceiling was tongue and groove boards  and my floor and walls were cement.   You could always put up some cement board if the ceiling worries you.   The Skutt was in the same area as the breaker box,  I had a electrician put in the correct breaker, wire and outlet.   It was a old house and some of it still had knob and tube wiring.   Make sure you buy a kiln that comes in sections,  much easier to move.  On days the kiln was fuming more than my ventilation set up could handle I would stay out of the basement.   I don't think there is a system that removes all of the fumes.  My kilns are in a separate room  with a Skutt dual vent system,  a window and a ceiling exhaust.  Sometimes I can still smell fumes,  I can shut the door or leave the room.    Denice

I don't vent either of my test kilns,   I think they are too small.   I have put a piece of shelving under the edge of the lid during a bisque firing.    My old AIM kiln had a large peep hole that the fumes could get out.   My new Paragon is sealed up,  no peep holes.  I remove the piece of shelf when the fumes are gone.  a window is behind the test kiln.   I have a small manual kiln that I can easily fill and do a bisque firing so I try to stick to glaze firings in the test kilns.    Denice

I fired a big Skutt in a basement like that for 13 years,   I had some ventilation but not enough,  you have windows so you could probably run a vent hose out it.   My ceiling was tongue and groove boards  and my floor and walls were cement.   You could always put up some cement board if the ceiling worries you.   The Skutt was in the same area as the breaker box,  I had a electrician put in the correct breaker, wire and outlet.   It was a old house and some of it still had knob and tube wiring.   Make sure you buy a kiln that comes in sections,  much easier to move.  On days the kiln was fuming more than my ventilation set up could handle I would stay out of the basement.   I don't think there is a system that removes all of the fumes.  My kilns are in a separate room  with a Skutt dual vent system,  a window and a ceiling exhaust.  Sometimes I can still smell fumes,  I can shut the door or leave the room.    Denice

I bought a new Paragon Caldera XL last year.   My old test AIM test  kiln was in need of repair,   I was wanting to jump into the world of computerized firing.  It  has a Genisis controller and very tightly built with three inch bricks.   The three inch brick is very important,  my AIM had two inch brick that  cooled down way to fast.  I would try to slow it down manually,  it was very difficult to do.   I never felt like my test were totally accurate,  the glazes always looked different when they came out of a large firing.  The Genisis controller is also easy to use,  I believe the Caldera takes a 15amp outlet.   You could fire two mugs in it.  You may have to find a smaller test kiln with thick walls for a 120v outlet   Firing a test glaze fast could produce different results  than a big standard firing.   The Genisis  glaze program  is hours slower than the program I fired manually.   My L&L has the same controller so I just let it do it thing.    Denice

I started out wanting to be a art teacher,   I didn't get to attend college until I was older.   I decided to concentrate on clay instead of teaching.   I had my studio for 15 years when I went back to finish my degree.   I taught some art classes in my son's school,  sold some pots  and did portraiture sculpture  during that time period.   When I graduated from college  I closed my decorating business  that I had for 20 years to concentrate on my work.   I had  my mother,  father,  niece  and other relatives die that year,   my husband and I decided that life is too short  and I should be in the studio working.    I started selling my work at galleries  before I graduated,  so I at least had money for supplies.    I  haven't sold any work since Covid,  most of the galleries around here closed and didn't reopen.   I don't care about selling work anymore,   I will let my son deal with it  when I am gone.   Right now I am headed out to my studio,   I have a mural to finish before I head into a new direction  with my work.   Yesterday I picked up a 25lb bag of clay off the floor and ran it thru the slab roller.   I flipped it over after I laid sheet rock on it and cut the tiles.   I am a 70 year old woman who has Multiple Sclerosis,   working with clay makes you STRONG.   At this stage of my life strength is more important than money.  Denice

I started out wanting to be a art teacher,   I didn't get to attend college until I was older.   I decided to concentrate on clay instead of teaching.   I had my studio for 15 years when I went back to finish my degree.   I taught some art classes in my son's school,  sold some pots  and did portraiture sculpture  during that time period.   When I graduated from college  I closed my decorating business  that I had for 20 years to concentrate on my work.   I had  my mother,  father,  niece  and other relatives die that year,   my husband and I decided that life is too short  and I should be in the studio working.    I started selling my work at galleries  before I graduated,  so I at least had money for supplies.    I  haven't sold any work since Covid,  most of the galleries around here closed and didn't reopen.   I don't care about selling work anymore,   I will let my son deal with it  when I am gone.   Right now I am headed out to my studio,   I have a mural to finish before I head into a new direction  with my work.   Yesterday I picked up a 25lb bag of clay off the floor and ran it thru the slab roller.   I flipped it over after I laid sheet rock on it and cut the tiles.   I am a 70 year old woman who has Multiple Sclerosis,   working with clay makes you STRONG.   At this stage of my life strength is more important than money.  Denice

I have the windows with a view and my outlets are four feet off the floor,  I could use more outlets also.  I don't have a floor drain.  wanted to put one in when I built the studio but we couldn't get the county inspectors to grasp the idea.  They thought I would be polluting the near by creek.  Doubling my space would be nice but I probably would fill it with stuff I should get rid of.   My husband is on a bright  lights rampage,  he put new LED tube lights in my studio that are so bright you need sunglasses.  Fortunately  they are dimmable.    Denice