Denice

The only reason I sold my kickwheel is because I was 68 at the time and was having trouble kicking up the wheel fast enough.   I also had my knee separate on vacation,  a doctor took a  x-ray of it and wrap it up.  He told me that I had extremely strong bones in that leg and asked how I did it.   I told him it was my kicking leg  I used on my wheel for throwing.   I used that wheel for forty years and it has gone to a new home.    I think a potter should use  the wheel of their choice,  to me a wheel is personable.   Denice

The only reason I sold my kickwheel is because I was 68 at the time and was having trouble kicking up the wheel fast enough.   I also had my knee separate on vacation,  a doctor took a  x-ray of it and wrap it up.  He told me that I had extremely strong bones in that leg and asked how I did it.   I told him it was my kicking leg  I used on my wheel for throwing.   I used that wheel for forty years and it has gone to a new home.    I think a potter should use  the wheel of their choice,  to me a wheel is personable.   Denice

The only reason I sold my kickwheel is because I was 68 at the time and was having trouble kicking up the wheel fast enough.   I also had my knee separate on vacation,  a doctor took a  x-ray of it and wrap it up.  He told me that I had extremely strong bones in that leg and asked how I did it.   I told him it was my kicking leg  I used on my wheel for throwing.   I used that wheel for forty years and it has gone to a new home.    I think a potter should use  the wheel of their choice,  to me a wheel is personable.   Denice

On the subject of venting  is your kiln going to be located near a outside wall.   In my kiln room  I have a dual Skutt   exhaust system  that works on two kilns and exhaust  through the wall.  My test kiln and doesn't need one.   It is located close to a window,  I also have a exhaust fan in the ceiling to clear out some heat  that is vented  outside.   Even with all of these exhaust features  I usually keep the door open  to my studio to  let some heat escape.   Sometimes you can still get some odor from the firing but having a room reduces the odor.  This may be important because of the apartment in the same area.   I connected kiln  duct work to  a dryer vent in a basement years ago,  It had a baffle on it to close off the dryer vent when the kiln was running.  It only had a 3ft run  from the baffle to the house.     Denice

My ceramics supply store fix kilns,  you had to haul your kiln to the store and then wait 3 to 6 months.   You could probably stretch your repair schedule out a little,  your customers will wait.   I didn't feel confident working on the kiln myself,   my husband had no interest in working on my kilns.    When he retired he decided to give it a try and decided it was easy.   It would be easy for him,  he wrote  operation  and repair books for a living.    Denice
 

I need to do some more testing before I know what direction I am going.  My first test firing had miserable results so I an going to try a different clay.   I was going to work on it this week but I just got scheduled  for some radiation treatment on some facial skin cancer.    I have to get treatment for five days,  the doctor said it might make me tired.   Caught it early so its no big deal.  Denice

I need to do some more testing before I know what direction I am going.  My first test firing had miserable results so I an going to try a different clay.   I was going to work on it this week but I just got scheduled  for some radiation treatment on some facial skin cancer.    I have to get treatment for five days,  the doctor said it might make me tired.   Caught it early so its no big deal.  Denice

I was the same way,  I  decided to quit looking at other peoples work,  magazines and shows were cut.   I also decided to work strictly with C6 clay.  If I need to remake something in a low fire clay  I will use up the clay immediately and throw  away any scraps.  That way I don't have to worry about contamination of the C6 clay.   It has been 10 years and still working with Cone 6 clay,  I  am tempted to look at magazines when I am at my  ceramics supplier  but manage to control myself.     Denice

Hobbies can keep your mind and body active.   Growing gourds is preparing for my next hobby,  one of these years my MS will prevent me from working with clay.  Gourds can be the shape of pots and are light weight.   You can varnish,  paint, dremel, stain and cut designs out,   I already have 3 big lawn bags filled with a nice variety of dried gourds.   I have started a small collection of gourd art for inspiration,  two of them are from Peru and one is from a gift shop on 5th avenue.   Denice

Hobbies can keep your mind and body active.   Growing gourds is preparing for my next hobby,  one of these years my MS will prevent me from working with clay.  Gourds can be the shape of pots and are light weight.   You can varnish,  paint, dremel, stain and cut designs out,   I already have 3 big lawn bags filled with a nice variety of dried gourds.   I have started a small collection of gourd art for inspiration,  two of them are from Peru and one is from a gift shop on 5th avenue.   Denice

It really depends on the humidity level where you live.   I live in Kansas very hot, windy and can be humid or dry.   I took a summer throwing class,  we would take a freshly thrown piece outside  and place it in the sun.   The wind was always blowing,  we would take breaks and turn the pot  until  it was stiff enough to cut off the bat.   Trim the pot and start the drying with bottom up,  by the time class was over they were almost totally dry.   A humid day took much longer.    Denice

We lose our power about once a month  fifteen minutes to a hour.   The controller takes over and finishes the firing when the electricity comes back on.   We lost our power for two days when a tornado was close to us.   We were having some ceiling work done recently and the sheet rocker told us he could see daylight from the roof.   We had a roofer out and he said that our tile roof had been lifted and dropped by the tornado,  we probably need a new roof.  Finding a roofer is another problem,  there was 1000 buildings damaged or destroyed in that tornado.   The roofer never came back to fix the holes,   we  had a handyman do it.    Denice

Not much into sports,  but I can walk around in my house and from my car to the scooters in the store.   I know this doesn't sound like much activity but my neuro is surprised I can still walk.  Most of our remodeling is finished and my sewing room has almost all of the junk stored in it gone.   I have already finished up some work and thinking about another project.   I am more of a upholstery seamstress  than clothing.    I am planning on planting some gourds this summer for qourd art.   Clay is my main focus,  I am starting to feel a little anxious  I haven't been out in my studio for three weeks because of bad weather.   Denice

Not much into sports,  but I can walk around in my house and from my car to the scooters in the store.   I know this doesn't sound like much activity but my neuro is surprised I can still walk.  Most of our remodeling is finished and my sewing room has almost all of the junk stored in it gone.   I have already finished up some work and thinking about another project.   I am more of a upholstery seamstress  than clothing.    I am planning on planting some gourds this summer for qourd art.   Clay is my main focus,  I am starting to feel a little anxious  I haven't been out in my studio for three weeks because of bad weather.   Denice

Not much into sports,  but I can walk around in my house and from my car to the scooters in the store.   I know this doesn't sound like much activity but my neuro is surprised I can still walk.  Most of our remodeling is finished and my sewing room has almost all of the junk stored in it gone.   I have already finished up some work and thinking about another project.   I am more of a upholstery seamstress  than clothing.    I am planning on planting some gourds this summer for qourd art.   Clay is my main focus,  I am starting to feel a little anxious  I haven't been out in my studio for three weeks because of bad weather.   Denice

I have never looked into ICAN,  I haven't subscribed to  CM for 10 years.   I had quit reading them because I would see some new technique  and drop what I was working on.   The unread magazines were piling up  while I delved deep into my work.   I did subscribe off and on for 40 years and donated them to art programs.   I try to come up with questions for the forum but they are usually pretty lame.   Like how many people have the first pot they hand built or thrown and why did you keep it.   My brain is starting to slow down,  maybe some of the younger potters can come up with some questions.  Denice 

I think resin work can be very  intense and deep with color but I will have to pass on it.   I have MS and my immune system thinks it is protecting me when I am around unusual smells,  it actually shuts down my lungs.     It can be anything from a strong cleaner,  bug spray,  spray paint,  mold, cat dander ect.   I carry a EPI pen with me but I usually just try to avoid situations that causes me problems.   I will have to check my bag of clay  and  see what brand I have,  it was my sculpture partner  favorite clay.   He was from a nearby tribe and mostly did southwestern sculptures  a lot of eagles and  cowboy and horses.  The slip I used was called a C5 Porcelain slip,  my supplier had it in black and white,  it was new on the market.   I'll have to look around and see what is new at my ceramics store these days.   Denice

I am also glad I bought my new kilns with the Genisis controllers.   I have fired the Paragon test kiln twice as much as the L&L  I am so happy to have controllers that manage the firing.   I don't have to worry about brain fog and forgetting to turn knobs and change the temp.   When I first decided to get new kilns  I wondered if someone my age should spend that kind of money on  kilns.   After I started using them I decided that is exactly what someone my age should do.   I have automated my house as much as I can,  why not the studio.   Denice

I think resin work can be very  intense and deep with color but I will have to pass on it.   I have MS and my immune system thinks it is protecting me when I am around unusual smells,  it actually shuts down my lungs.     It can be anything from a strong cleaner,  bug spray,  spray paint,  mold, cat dander ect.   I carry a EPI pen with me but I usually just try to avoid situations that causes me problems.   I will have to check my bag of clay  and  see what brand I have,  it was my sculpture partner  favorite clay.   He was from a nearby tribe and mostly did southwestern sculptures  a lot of eagles and  cowboy and horses.  The slip I used was called a C5 Porcelain slip,  my supplier had it in black and white,  it was new on the market.   I'll have to look around and see what is new at my ceramics store these days.   Denice

I have been watching the progress on your medallion,  can't wait  to see your finished medallion.   I worked with oil clay when I belonged to a sculpture group.   I made plaster molds off my pieces.   My son was into medieval times so I made him a chess set that was as close to medieval characters as my research revealed.   I use Cone 5 black and white slip to pour my molds with.  The only problem I had was that they broke easily,  I don't know if I poured them too thin or it wasn't a good clay for a seven year old boys chess set.  I still have the set and the molds,  I ought to dig them out and make a new set.   I have a block of  oil clay in my studio,  I split a order with the man who was the featured at Silver Dollar City  sculpture cabin every summer.  I enjoyed working with the oil clay,  my only problem was that the clay would get soft from my hands holding  the chess pieces while I worked.   When they got sticky I would put them in the refrigerator  and work on a different cooled  piece.   I am happy you are back to sculpting,  I should probably look around for victim and sculpt a bust of them.       Denice

I am also glad I bought my new kilns with the Genisis controllers.   I have fired the Paragon test kiln twice as much as the L&L  I am so happy to have controllers that manage the firing.   I don't have to worry about brain fog and forgetting to turn knobs and change the temp.   When I first decided to get new kilns  I wondered if someone my age should spend that kind of money on  kilns.   After I started using them I decided that is exactly what someone my age should do.   I have automated my house as much as I can,  why not the studio.   Denice

I have been watching the progress on your medallion,  can't wait  to see your finished medallion.   I worked with oil clay when I belonged to a sculpture group.   I made plaster molds off my pieces.   My son was into medieval times so I made him a chess set that was as close to medieval characters as my research revealed.   I use Cone 5 black and white slip to pour my molds with.  The only problem I had was that they broke easily,  I don't know if I poured them too thin or it wasn't a good clay for a seven year old boys chess set.  I still have the set and the molds,  I ought to dig them out and make a new set.   I have a block of  oil clay in my studio,  I split a order with the man who was the featured at Silver Dollar City  sculpture cabin every summer.  I enjoyed working with the oil clay,  my only problem was that the clay would get soft from my hands holding  the chess pieces while I worked.   When they got sticky I would put them in the refrigerator  and work on a different cooled  piece.   I am happy you are back to sculpting,  I should probably look around for victim and sculpt a bust of them.       Denice

I was told that the beautiful Chinese pots were very heavy,  the potters were more interested in the shape and design than the weight.    Denice

I was told that the beautiful Chinese pots were very heavy,  the potters were more interested in the shape and design than the weight.    Denice

I have made  ten exterior murals so far.   You need have the size of mural you want to make and then a design that works with it to start.   Your design need to have small,  medium and large pieces in it and a flow of color and design that will encourage the viewers eyes to follow.   I have made terracotta and C6 stoneware clay murals,   using a cone 6 hand building  clay will give you the best results.   I see you live in PA and have a lot of freezing weather,  your clay needs to vitrified and your glaze has a perfect fix.   Any crackle in the glaze will allow water to leak in  and freeze popping the glaze off.  This is a good time of the year to make some test tiles and lay them outside and let the ice and snow.   I made a two foot mural and  mortared it on a cement board and placed it in the yard to see how it would hold up.  It survived the winter so I knew I was set to make more murals.  I wouldn't recommend making a mural for a horizontal surface after several years the weather takes it toll on it.   I have made two ext floor murals that were on  porches.  The tile was a purchased one inch porcelain tile that holds up freezing condition and epoxy grout.  It was the grout that didn't hold up,  it popped out of the grooves and molded.   I will be glad to answer any questions you have.       Denice