Roberta12

Sewing, crocheting, jewelry making (with pieces I have made from clay) swimming, and I am teaching myself Tarot cards right now. Always something.

I took a workshop where they had a "drying room" All of our pieces (we were using porcelain) went into this room which was outside of the studios. It was sort of cobbled together plywood walls with lots of shelves and fans and heaters. The interns educated us about the importance of air flow surrounding the drying pots. We did not have one piece that broke, cracked or anything. I have used that here at my house. Admittedly I live in a very dry climate, but I put all the drying pots in the spare bedroom, turn on the fan, if necessary add a heater to the mix and close the door. If you could find a way to do that, close off the drying pots so the fans aren't blowing clay dust everywhere. However, I only do that if I am crunched for time. No sense in using extra resources. Roberta

@Bam2015 I like what @GEP said about stylistically original, and what @Kelly in AK said about making pots that are beautiful and interesting to the artist and what is pleasing to hold and touch. @Mark C. comments about changing up what was pleasing to his eye and what actually was selling. I will add that you have to know your venue and customer base. I live in an area where function is the key. I have had people pick up a bowl and ask what they could use it for. It's not that they don't know what a bowl is used for, it's that they wonder if there is a specific function for a handmade bowl. I always try to have an answer for that. (mashed potatoes, oatmeal, applesauce), but my customers like color and pattern. Maybe that's because what I like to make. Circling back to what @Kelly in AK said. You have to have your heart in what you make.

I took a 3 day in person workshop in 2022 from Matt Katz in Denver. He explained the UMF and Stull chart. That was an eye opener for me. I will admit I barely have a grasp on the 0.3 R20:0.7 RO But I did immediately sign up with Glazy and I do turn to it when I am either trying a new glaze or looking at my standby glazes with a fresh eye. I try to find the sweet spot on the UMF chart depending on the glaze I am looking at. I would like to take a deeper look at glazes either with Sue Mcloed or Matt and Rose Katz, but my time for that has been limited the last few years with family stuff. It's still on the docket for me, perhaps this year it will happen. But to go back to the original question from @Min I do look at the UMF. And if a glaze is not where I would like to see it on that chart, but I still want to try it, I do a fair amount of testing. Freeze, boil, lemon, dishwasher, micro, all those things, just to see. One example was a glaze called Ayumi Aqua. We used it at a workshop. I really loved it. Nice feel, soft color, I mixed a small batch. It was in the "crazed" part of the chart. I have not been able to make it craze on any clay, but it does not perform well on any clay. Pitting, bubbling etc. So, there you are. I should have "listened" to the chart. Roberta

@HulkWhat is the advantage of a hold on a bisque firing?

If you choose to use a garden pot from the center, perhaps putting it on a LARGE waster slab or cookie would be in order. You probably don't want a melted mess on your shelf. Like @Kelly in AK pointed out, you only need to get to 1200 degrees for calcine. When I calcine epk, I put it in the bisque load simply for ease and convenience. If I am reading correctly, you could even roast it, which is 1000 degrees F.

Would your terracotta pot be able to withstand bisque temperatures?

What about this clear? Credit Naomi Clement Minspar 200 40.00 Gerstley Borate 35.00 Kentucky OM4 Ball clay 15.00 Silica 10.00

I actually thought about that also. And if you buy in bulk, it might not be so much for shipping. Who knows.

I know there are those who sharpen their own tungsten tools, I have just been concerned about breaking it. I really do love my Bison tool. Not only is it a good trimmer but it fits my hand so nicely. I have a number of woodworkers in my family, I could probably get someone to make a handle for the trimmer part from China. I will let you know if I go this route. r.

@Morgan Florian Gadsby had a post on IG about Phil and the Bison tools. Check it out. That is so strange that he did respond but not actually. Roberta

I hope this worked. A new phone, new learning curve. r.

telephone 702-388-2085 I will post a pic of the box that my tool came in. As soon as I can get it off my phone. That's for Bison Tools @Morgan So sorry for delayed response. It's December

full. My shelves are full. There is a purge that happens once a year, then mysteriously they fill again. The wooden shelves, metal shelves. All of them.

I have been using Kentucky Mudworks Kota. They call it a porcelain but it is the easiest throwing porcelain I have ever used. And it is more white than Laguna 16 (which I think is Miller 16 on the east coast) I have not used any of Kentucky Mudworks other clays but I am hearing great things about all of them. Roberta

I love my Bison tool. I haven't found another I like as well. Mine is about 10 years old. I sent it to Phil to have it sharpened a few years ago. Which he did and returned it. I do know he is a "one man show" and I am wondering if it is his health. @Morgan Have you tried calling him? I talked to him on the phone when I was trying to choose my "perfect" tool. He likes birds. I found that out! Roberta

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077583GZD/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I use these. I can fill them with whatever underglaze I choose. I do a lot of drawing on both greenware and bisque with them. Roberta

I throw sitting but I am going to have to make some adjustments. It's my butt and hips that are complaining. And probably the piriformis that @Min mentioned. I throw a few pieces and then stand to move pots or something so I am not sitting for so long. I have thrown like @Kelly in AK described, at some workshops but when I come home, I am back in a sitting position. I priced the extension legs for a Brent and they are OUTRAGEOUS in $$. I will find some cinderblocks and start there. And then try to find the "perfect" chair or stool. Roberta

And focus!! It improves ones focus. Yes, math, yes, chemistry (practical application) yes physics. For me it requires focus! In these times of recognition of increasing depression among teens, clay, (functional or non functional) can be a valuable tool! I worked for the school district for 23 years. If staff recognized a need or problem that should be addressed, we did not get very far. (depended on the administrator at the time) but....if PARENTS brought up the topic and went to the administrator and possibly even the school board, often that need was addressed. Do you have some parents/guardians who would be willing to talk to your principal/superintendent/school board?? Roberta

Mark Cortright's article about tumble stacking a kiln is in Ceramics Monthly on Instagram! Great article. I read it a couple of years ago, but always helpful to have a reread! Thanks for valuable advice @Mark C. Roberta

I did test tiles of black underglaze with brighter colors of underglaze over the black. I was pleasantly surprised to see the bright colors stayed bright. I thought the black underglaze would "swallow" the brighter colors. It did not. However, black porcelain is different that painting a test tile with black underglaze. It really will be something you have to test. I was using Amaco Velvets.

I get it from my clay supply house. I have seen it listed at different clay supplies online. Check with your clay supplier.

@Min I have heard tales of mixing matte and gloss to achieve the look you want, but I have been reluctant to try that. Thanks for the great link!

This one is my favorite on buff clay. Or light brown clay. I am still in the semi testing phase. Off White Semi Matte (you can find it on Glazy.) FF3134 28.0 Silica 16.0 Talc 15.0 EPK 14.0 Ravenscrag Slip 13.0 Ravenscrag Slip Roasted 13.0 Zircopax 7.0

skutt and L&L are correct. I ran into a similar situation when I got my kiln. And because the building it was going into was new construction and we had to upgrade our electrical, and the inspector didn't have experience with kilns.....we ended up hardwiring my kiln at the inspector's command. And we went with the 60 amp breaker. I talked to Steven Lewecki at L&L and he was proper upset with our inspector, but....there it was. The upside of hardwiring it was that my insurance company was very happy about the hardwiring. So I guess there is that. Would hardwiring it make a difference to your inspector? Roberta