Roberta12

The linked video doesn't seem to work as video for me, it's just a few images that don't show the process of the image above. Brough was asked in a few posts how she does it but didn't answer. Doesn't look like a subtractive process. Perhaps slip trailing done on paper then pressed against the inside of the mold then the white porcelain poured in? Just a guess. I'm sure she spent a lot of work to achieve success with her process.

I have a Northstar table top slab roller which has been a workhorse for me for 9 years.  16"   Yes, I definitely can get the right thickness each time.  I would assume the Bailey would perform well also.  I use canvas for some things if I want the texture, but one of our members here on the forum told me about using printers blankets.  I like the smooth texture.  I just discovered that you can buy them on Amazon! And I have also used Slab Mat before.   But if you want a nice smooth texture you simply use a rib and smooth out any texture or wrinkles or whatever.  
Roberta

I have a Northstar table top slab roller which has been a workhorse for me for 9 years.  16"   Yes, I definitely can get the right thickness each time.  I would assume the Bailey would perform well also.  I use canvas for some things if I want the texture, but one of our members here on the forum told me about using printers blankets.  I like the smooth texture.  I just discovered that you can buy them on Amazon! And I have also used Slab Mat before.   But if you want a nice smooth texture you simply use a rib and smooth out any texture or wrinkles or whatever.  
Roberta

I have a Northstar table top slab roller which has been a workhorse for me for 9 years.  16"   Yes, I definitely can get the right thickness each time.  I would assume the Bailey would perform well also.  I use canvas for some things if I want the texture, but one of our members here on the forum told me about using printers blankets.  I like the smooth texture.  I just discovered that you can buy them on Amazon! And I have also used Slab Mat before.   But if you want a nice smooth texture you simply use a rib and smooth out any texture or wrinkles or whatever.  
Roberta

I have a Northstar table top slab roller which has been a workhorse for me for 9 years.  16"   Yes, I definitely can get the right thickness each time.  I would assume the Bailey would perform well also.  I use canvas for some things if I want the texture, but one of our members here on the forum told me about using printers blankets.  I like the smooth texture.  I just discovered that you can buy them on Amazon! And I have also used Slab Mat before.   But if you want a nice smooth texture you simply use a rib and smooth out any texture or wrinkles or whatever.  
Roberta

Hello! I have been rolling out my clay by hand for a couple years now but have had issues with wrinkles and uneven slabs so I am planning on buying the Bailey 16” Table Top Slab Roller. Does anyone have any experience using this? Any tips I should know? I need a very smooth surface with no texture. Is canvas best to use with this or is a slab mat better? I also need a pretty precise thickness for my work. Any suggestions for achieving the right thickness every time?

I have worked with a decal company with original logos and script etc.  They usually send a copy to be proofed.  They are also knowledgeable about their product.  Another suggestion for @Joe from Chagrin Falls is to have a potter create the plates and have a painter/watercolorist paint directly on the bisqued plates with underglaze.  Then the potter can clear glaze then fire.  I have a friend who has worked with me before.   Just a thought.

Callie, thank you for chiming in... I don't think it is 2 mm thick glass... I will measure it, but I do like the idea of using wood and trying this first with a torch.  Likely 1/32"  thickness or .80 mm. 
I need 4 windows slumped... 
I need to go to talk to the local guys about getting fuel for my glass blowing torch...   and will try to find a glass forum.
Tamra
 
 
 
 
 

Hamer suggests the gaze layer inside isthick, even thicker than base of pot.
Smash the pot to see if the turned base is thinner tgan rest of pot.
Body contracts more than glaze and so cracks.
Maybe wipe pots with indian ink when come out of kiln,may show the crack actually exists then,or it can happen later. 

Yeah, no, pottery plaster will break down in a kiln firing. Would be better to make a clay form and use that after bisque firing it.

@NancyE, sorry for the late reply, I was away for a bit.
Since the beginning of this year I've had problems with 2 different claybodies from 2 different manufacturers. First issue was bits of metal in the clay which doesn't sound like your issue. Second problem was with a claybody that included small chunks of rock which sounds like it might be the same issue you are finding. This clay was from Tacoma Clay Art Center and the clay tech and I had several productive emails back and forth about it. Image below of a couple of the small chunks of rock I dug out of the clay. Is this similar to what you found?
Rae (clay tech at Tacoma Clay Art Center) and I both ran sieve tests on it and found chunks like this. Rae let me know they are having troubles with all their claybodies that contain Lincoln 60, to the point that they are running QC tests on all the new batches of it. She ran samples through a 60 mesh sieve and 4% of it didn't pass through. I would ask Aardvark if the Black Mountain contains Lincoln 60, might be a place to start.

Wow, that's a lot! Equivalent to adding grog.

That glaze does not have any Gerstley Borate. There is no way it would look like that unless you under-fired it. The fact that you can put another glaze on top of it and it is still mostly on the test tile means there is definitely no GB, unless that other glaze on top has absolutely no frit in it?
So if you wanted to replicate that glaze and figure out what it is, I would do this.
1. Since you said you had a few unlabeled bags, I would mix up that exact glaze but missing the 50% GB.
2. Figure out how many cups you want to use, so say its 10 attempts to figure this out. Measure out 100ml of glaze with the mystery recipe but don't include the Gerstley Borate. Instead leave that out. But use the same amount of water you would have used if it was in there.
3. Measure out 10ml with a syringe into each cup, making sure you stir well before each one. I use a milk frother for this...
4. Take your 10 mystery attempt materials that look similar to Gerstley Borate that you might have used instead. Put 50% weight(the missing GB amount) of the mystery chances into each cup. You will have to do the math on this to figure out what this should be, but it isn't difficult at all.
5. Glaze a test tile or a little test dish or whatever you want in the 10 mystery glazes and make sure to record everything.
6. Fire it all on the exact same schedule with the same load mass that you did for the first tile.
7. Pull out the results and keep any of them that look similar to the original tile, go from there.

I use stencil paper, what I would call a thin cardboard like binder dividers. I cut the image or pattern with exact knife

thank you roberta and wildflower!  
i knew for a long time there was something worthwhile in pomona but did not know what it was.  thought it was a clay supplier, don't know why.  good info, sent to my friend jan who lives nearby.  we traveled all over britain back in 2002 visiting potteries and had a great time.  thanks.  (i drove, she shifted gears.)
craft contemporary  sounds like a good place to visit as well.   i hope it works for jan.   looking forward to a great time.  thank you.
 

Most glazes I’ve used benefit from slaking overnight before sieving. Given Tony says that Tile 6 “is relatively impermeable to water compared to other kaolins, it is thus the last choice for casting bodies,” I’m curious what the comparison is between the glazes a week later.  
Side by side, there seems to be a few more impurities in EPK than Tile 6. While the flux comparisons have some variation that might need watching in a glaze formula, the silica and alumina balances are close enough that part might not matter. 
Tile 6  is known for its plasticity in clay bodies, which I can confirm from personal use. The plasticity may have an effect on some high clay glazes where shrinkage could affect application, but that’s theory on my part, and if someone knows better, speak up. 
As to why a material might be washed and another isn’t: we have to remember that potters are a secondary market for almost all of the materials we use. EPK I think gets used to make glossy magazine paper. If tile 6 is mined for something else, the washing may not be necessary. 
Edited to add:
Links to Digitalfire materials pages for comparison. 
Tile 6 writeup
EPK writeup

to simplify even more,  use a mirror or clear flat glass to determine the amount of moisture still in the kiln.  whatever degree of temperature you guess at, the glass tells moisture level accurately no matter how heavy or closely packed your kiln is each time.  each firing is different so temp reading alone is not as accurate.
hold a clean glass horizontally above the top opening.   if the glass steams up, wait for awhile and try it again.  my kiln is clear at about 1000 degrees F.  do not know C.
do wear a glove or use a potholder so you do not lead the heat to your fingers and burn them.  my glass is from the dollar tree and is in a metal picture frame so it is big.
 

I have worked with a decal company with original logos and script etc.  They usually send a copy to be proofed.  They are also knowledgeable about their product.  Another suggestion for @Joe from Chagrin Falls is to have a potter create the plates and have a painter/watercolorist paint directly on the bisqued plates with underglaze.  Then the potter can clear glaze then fire.  I have a friend who has worked with me before.   Just a thought.

As long as none of your ingredients are wet there should be zero problems with this.  Ive done this for years with -20f temps.

Shelves for my new kiln,  I  could use at least two more.  I make a lot of tile you can't have enough shelves.   The last two I bought were  $50 each and $50 shipping and handling.  $150  would  cover the cost nicely.    Denice

oooooo.....you pushed my "back in the day" larceny button (gone, but not forgotten)! I'd take the $150, tell you I bought such & such, and go spend a night at the beach off season. Actually, since I indulged myself when I set up my studio, I have all the tools I need & then some.  

Example of cobalt concentration vs depth of colour
Cone 6 Ultramarine Cobalt Blue Glaze (Glossy Clear plus Cobalt Carbonate)
https://www.thestudiomanager.com/posts/cone-6-ultramarine-cobalt-blue-glaze-glossy-clear-plus-cobalt-carbonate

Tst
... but it doesn't have the cyan-ish tinge.

don't know what the glaze is but i think you could probably get pretty close in recreating it doing progression line blends with cobalt in a glossy base. looks like these pieces have a white slip on top of the body clay also. good thing is you dont need much cobalt to make a very blue glaze...bad thing is cobalt is pretty expensive these days.

Do you have access to a glaze library?  It is helpful for me to look at photos to begin with and then branch out.  John Britt's book for midfire has lots of photos and information.  Linda Bloomfield, Gabriel Kline, Michael Bailey all have lots of information as well as good photos.  Sometimes those books are in library or you can borrow from someone?  If you follow Joe Thompson on instagram @oldforgecreations is a wonderful resource.  If you find something you like, then you can go from there!
Roberta

@CeramicHugs hi and welcome!
The finish on those Shein pots is probably some kind of metallic spray paint, given the price point. Automotive spray paint would also fit the bill the OP was asking about. I didn’t think of it at the time. 
It should be noted that it would be a good option for ashtrays or vases, but not on any wares that would be used to hold food.