Denice

I am so happy that you are able to spend so much time in your studio.   I hope you are able to get some big bucks for your works of art.  It is always nice to know that someone appreciates your work and are willing to pay for it.  I think I will make a sculpture of my dog when I finish making some repair tiles for a mural.  He is a Chiweenie  so he is on the small size,  I could fit a life size sculpture of him in the kiln.  My last dog would go crazy when I was working on a portraiture sculpture.  I'd better start taking some photos,  he looks like the dog in the old RCA ads.   I think I will try that pose.   Denice

I like using a small shallow bowl and have a 5 gal bucket near by to wipe scraped clay into.  I was also taught to throw dry and like to use a thin slurry starting with warm water.    Denice

I like using a small shallow bowl and have a 5 gal bucket near by to wipe scraped clay into.  I was also taught to throw dry and like to use a thin slurry starting with warm water.    Denice

I owned that model for 30 years I bought it used,  it was from a commercial studio and had been fire constantly so I had new elements and cord installed.   I used a Skutt dual digital pyrometer  set to do holds and downfire.  Getting old so I decided to get a smaller kiln,  I sold my old one  for 600 dollars.  It had a new lid and a couple of shelves,  posts, cones and new elements.  Make sure the lid isn't cracked.   The expansion of a lid can cause crumbs from the crack to fall on your pots ruining any glaze beneath it.  I sold it about year ago.   Denice

I owned that model for 30 years I bought it used,  it was from a commercial studio and had been fire constantly so I had new elements and cord installed.   I used a Skutt dual digital pyrometer  set to do holds and downfire.  Getting old so I decided to get a smaller kiln,  I sold my old one  for 600 dollars.  It had a new lid and a couple of shelves,  posts, cones and new elements.  Make sure the lid isn't cracked.   The expansion of a lid can cause crumbs from the crack to fall on your pots ruining any glaze beneath it.  I sold it about year ago.   Denice

There is two private pottery schools in Wichita when we decide to downsize again I will contact them to see if they are interested in any of my studio materials.   One private school is  fairly large  the other school  is in a large arts center building with other schools.   The pottery school was already growing out of its space and it hadn't been open that long.   It probably had 30 powered kickwheels  in the main room.    We have one large college and three small colleges that have a ceramics program.   There is hope that handmade pottery will survive if not future archeologist will be digging up our pots out of the dump.   Wondering who made them and why?  For now I plan to keep working in my studio until my hands turn into curled up pretzels.  Denice

You may not have the right foundation for your clay soil,  a pier and beam foundation is recommended for some types of clay.   Heaving of the clay can cause leaks and cracks in your foundation creating wood rot and mold in the frame of the house.   My house in built on clay soil and I am having cracking in my garage wall because of a drought the last few year.  I  don't have any odor's or moldy wood smell in my house.   Denice

There is two private pottery schools in Wichita when we decide to downsize again I will contact them to see if they are interested in any of my studio materials.   One private school is  fairly large  the other school  is in a large arts center building with other schools.   The pottery school was already growing out of its space and it hadn't been open that long.   It probably had 30 powered kickwheels  in the main room.    We have one large college and three small colleges that have a ceramics program.   There is hope that handmade pottery will survive if not future archeologist will be digging up our pots out of the dump.   Wondering who made them and why?  For now I plan to keep working in my studio until my hands turn into curled up pretzels.  Denice

You may not have the right foundation for your clay soil,  a pier and beam foundation is recommended for some types of clay.   Heaving of the clay can cause leaks and cracks in your foundation creating wood rot and mold in the frame of the house.   My house in built on clay soil and I am having cracking in my garage wall because of a drought the last few year.  I  don't have any odor's or moldy wood smell in my house.   Denice

We have everything taken care of with the help of our financial planner.  The only thing we have left is my studio and my husband has a lot of cars and tools.  If my son doesn't want to handle it I will find a charity like the Goodwill or DAV that will empty the house out and sell everything.  When my son moved to Costa Rica he said we need to clear everything out before we die he doesn't want to handle it.   I am hoping when I sell my equipment I might find a real potter who could use my chemicals,  they will go to hazardous waste otherwise.    We plan to move into a nice senior apartment when it is too hard to maintain our house.  Hoping we can handle the disbursement of our life.  Denice

We have everything taken care of with the help of our financial planner.  The only thing we have left is my studio and my husband has a lot of cars and tools.  If my son doesn't want to handle it I will find a charity like the Goodwill or DAV that will empty the house out and sell everything.  When my son moved to Costa Rica he said we need to clear everything out before we die he doesn't want to handle it.   I am hoping when I sell my equipment I might find a real potter who could use my chemicals,  they will go to hazardous waste otherwise.    We plan to move into a nice senior apartment when it is too hard to maintain our house.  Hoping we can handle the disbursement of our life.  Denice

We have everything taken care of with the help of our financial planner.  The only thing we have left is my studio and my husband has a lot of cars and tools.  If my son doesn't want to handle it I will find a charity like the Goodwill or DAV that will empty the house out and sell everything.  When my son moved to Costa Rica he said we need to clear everything out before we die he doesn't want to handle it.   I am hoping when I sell my equipment I might find a real potter who could use my chemicals,  they will go to hazardous waste otherwise.    We plan to move into a nice senior apartment when it is too hard to maintain our house.  Hoping we can handle the disbursement of our life.  Denice

I see that there are some cracks running from one lump to another.  I make a lot of tile,   a thicker area next to a thinner slab can cause cracks to form.   She might try removing the clay from the back of the tile in the thick areas  and try to keep the clay a even thickness.  Denice

I see that there are some cracks running from one lump to another.  I make a lot of tile,   a thicker area next to a thinner slab can cause cracks to form.   She might try removing the clay from the back of the tile in the thick areas  and try to keep the clay a even thickness.  Denice

I did a little research and found that old plaster sets up fast,  a bag that is 4 to 6 months may to old.   And the big hard lumps are from adding to much plaster at one time and not getting well mixed.  The plastic bag might have made it harder to mix,  I use a pretty old bucket and pop off the cured plaster and wash it.   When it gets to the point it won't clean up anymore I find another old bucket.     To make sure my water is really cold I put ice cubes in my water,  when they are melted I am ready to mix.    I never slake my plaster slab plaster,  I haven't had trouble with bubbles.  I set the edge of the bucket in the bottom of the mold and pour it out letting the plaster fill in the corners.  Sometimes I need two buckets of plaster so I find a friend to help mix a second bucket  while I empty the first one.   I made two to four piece molds for a while,  and used the finger flip method on ornate pieces to eliminate bubbles.   I was train dental lab technician and spent the first couple of years making plaster molds off the forms the dentist sent us.  You should be alright on you next slab,  just one of those days.    Denice

Firing two glaze fires today still trying to appease the pit monster.I can now work 1/2 days before foot say no more.Spent many 1/2 days glazzing and loading up till todays firing. Spring mini heat wave yesterday (81 was the high and the low was 37) it's a 3 day deal.

I see that there are some cracks running from one lump to another.  I make a lot of tile,   a thicker area next to a thinner slab can cause cracks to form.   She might try removing the clay from the back of the tile in the thick areas  and try to keep the clay a even thickness.  Denice

I am glad you are getting better,  I know that eight weeks is a long break for you.   I finished my radiation therapy on my skin cancer a month ago and it has finally healed.   I need to go buy a big straw hat for the summer.   Don't overdo it.      Denice

I am glad you are getting better,  I know that eight weeks is a long break for you.   I finished my radiation therapy on my skin cancer a month ago and it has finally healed.   I need to go buy a big straw hat for the summer.   Don't overdo it.      Denice

Are you firing a electric kiln?  A lot of kilns won't make it to cone 10  if it does it will shorten the life of your elements.   I had a friend who thought she made some dishes out of a  Cone 10 porcelain.  she put them in the last firing of the year at the university.    When they unbricked the kiln they found out her dishes had melted all over the kiln and  the rest of the work.  I don't have any low fire clay in my studio or fire another persons work,  this type of accident happens a lot.   Denice

Workbench has some recently glazed wares waiting on foot polishing, inspection, and washing; and some just handled raw wares as well.

The test tiles are IMCO's new "Terry" clay.

I am glad you are getting better,  I know that eight weeks is a long break for you.   I finished my radiation therapy on my skin cancer a month ago and it has finally healed.   I need to go buy a big straw hat for the summer.   Don't overdo it.      Denice

My husband also used calipers in his job as a technical writer, illustrator and drafter fifty years ago and then the  evolution to computers happened .  He still uses to calipers when he is restoring a car but they are digital.   He tries to give them to me when they are broken,  I don't think he has figured out my measurements need to be as accurate as his.    Denice

I found what looked like a broken pugger tip in a bag of purchased clay.   In my own recycled clay I am always finding elephant ear sponges.    Denice

I found what looked like a broken pugger tip in a bag of purchased clay.   In my own recycled clay I am always finding elephant ear sponges.    Denice