Benzine

Teaching in HS, I made the decision to transition from ^06 to ^6. Itw as a personal decision on my part, but in the long run I believe it benefited the program. That transition however made me aware of the fact that low/high fire clays and glazes would not mix. So I did not allow anything in the studio unless the clay came from the studio.
 
bst,
Pres

Low fire and high fire programs will always sooner or later have this diasater-its not if its when
If you are the teacher trying this approach of low and high fire you are sitting on a ready made disaster.It will ruin a lot of equipment and furniture and work-just will take some time no matter how you set up the checks and balances.
I had outlawed any low fire clay in my studio in the 70s-I had a few pugs outside of 06 clay -some tine in the 80s some found its way in the glaze fire-wahat a mess-threw out low fire clay and never looked back.
 

I remember the salt, and gas firing I did. I was a grad student at Penn State taking Summer classes. My firing partner and I used a small salt kiln outside that had no door, had to be bricked up. We loaded up ware from everyone including a lot of our own. All went well, until about 1am, when the bricked in door started bulging out about 1 1/2 f feet. We scrambled around to try and find a way of bracing it up and did so with some T supports that were somewhere nearby. We got to where we should put in the salt, did that right, but did not close the damper before hand. Really dry salt firing, but not a failure, if the door had collapsed I don't have any idea what would have happened. I don't think it would have been pretty!
 
best,
Pres

In school we had three different firings, 5 kilns.  We had lowfire/bisque, cone 6, and cone 10.  The lowfire and cone 6 were always done in big top loaders, and the cone 10 stuff was saved for the big walk-in gas kiln outside.  
Students would put their work to be fired on big rolling shelves clearly labeled with the firing temp, well one of the TAs grabbed two carts of porcelain and loaded them in the gas kiln, grabbed the stoneware and loaded it, and after the professor checked, gave it the go ahead to start the firing.  Well one of the porcelain carts was not porcelain, it was a bunch of another TAs lowfire slipware.  
They had to replace sections of the floor, and after that, no more lowfire clay, and all clays had to be purchased from the school.
 
I talked to a person who is currently going there and it sounds like they're down to two clays, cone 10 stoneware or cone 10 porcelain, and use a cone 10 stoneware for raku.  But now they also do 2 wood firings a year, which I'm very jealous of.
It wasn't the person loading being silly though, it was the other TA who was pretty much trying to run a business out of the school studio.  He got in trouble for making sinks and selling them as well.

how about the day when i was loading the kiln and i readjusted some items on a shelf and put the shelf down, loaded another one above it and continued to the top.   when i opened the kiln and removed the shelves, one had a vase stuck to the bottom of it.   there was no post next to the vase and it was about a quarter of an inch shorter than the other 2 posts across from the vase so i never realized i had put the shelf down on the vase and not a post.    
and i thought i had formed the habit in the beginning of putting the posts in first before loading anything.  

HI folks, nothing in the pool again. I have been loading the kiln today, and it reminded me of something that happened years ago that might make a good topic with a few laughs. Seems we may need a good laugh lately. So my newest contribution to the Question of the Week is:
QotW: What is the silliest thing you have done or seen done dealing with Ceramics? I was teaching Ceramics 1 at the HS, and someone asked me to come check out her small kiln. She said that the kiln setter was not working and that she had over fired her last load. I went to her house, the 6 cubic foot kiln was setting on the floor, and the lid was up on the kiln. It was obvious she had overfired, but had cleaned up pretty well as she used a shelf to protect the floor of the kiln. So I started checking out the setter to see what the problem might be. All seemed to be in order, but the drop tab would not swing down. I asked her if this was the first time firing, and she said no, that she had fired the kiln several times over the last few years. Hmmm. Did something happen to the kiln lately I asked. No, we had just finished cleaning up the area, and moved it back into place. I started looking around and noticed a handle on the floor near the kiln. Turns out they had left the dust pan on the floor, and as it was late at night they had placed one leg on the dust pan. Since she didn't have shelves other than the floor shelf she did not realize the kiln was not level.
 QotW: What is the silliest thing you have done or seen done dealing with Ceramics? 
 
best
Pres

Silly or stupid-its a toss up
lets see back in art school early 70s -well lets call him Ed (to protect the stupid) stacked the 36 cubic Alpine with bisque ware one late afternoon and started a candle falme on kiln and left-I was throwing late after after a few hours we all heard a huge Kabam sound and dust shot out of kiln room in huge clouds. What the heck we all slowly went it to see what that cpould have been???
Seems Ed did not know about lining up all the posts on top of each other on shelves-he just put them where he felt like and the whole load collapsed to the floor taking out all the greenware-all 26 cubic feet of it.Many people where not happy with Ed after that.
Lets move forward about 5 years and Ed was firing his 1st homemade catanary  arch kiln-it was propane-he had trouble lighting it-has the gas on and then turned it off and went for more matches-started the burners again and Kabam as the kiln had lots of heavy propane still trapped in foor area it went off like a bomb. The arch went up -he was crouched to the side  and was knocked away of front wall as both front and rear walls blew out and arch came down in pieces-a complete loss of wares and kiln. He was ok but shaken.I was about 25 feet away at the time.
Fast forward about two more years 
Ed called me to see if I was interested in buying all his stuff which I did at that time.I figure I saved many many  a pots from destruction getting Ed out of clay .
Never heard from Ed again but if you hear a huge Kabam sound he may  around still.

A sugar jar, that looks like it's coated in sugary glaze!

A sugar jar from last fall, but playing with photo editing. 

I had a pair of cutters that work like vise grips, they cut very easily with my arthritic hands, but they were borrowed and not returned!
best,
Pres

For more consistent firings, switch over to bars for the setter. Don't break as easily, smaller, and no way to place them to high or to low. I do realize that you are only using for backup, but they are better.
 
best,
Pres

Ask them to order you some

One of the worst sounds, I've ever heard, was when I tried to sharpen an underglaze stick, in a hand sharpener.  Normally high pitched noises don't get me, but this one did...

One of the worst sounds, I've ever heard, was when I tried to sharpen an underglaze stick, in a hand sharpener.  Normally high pitched noises don't get me, but this one did...

Stop it, my teeth are screaming at me...

Love those @liambesaw !
 
My first thought was, that they looked industrial/ like something automotive related. 
In regards to the topic question, I think it is best to err on the side of caution.  Like many have pointed out, we don't know the actual numbers, due to the lack of testing. 
I live in a relatively rural State, and in a very tiny town, yet we still have cases.  My Father, initially thought this whole thing was overblown, and now the County he lives in, has one of the highest case numbers in the State. 
As a teacher, the repercussions are just tragic, especially for the Seniors, the retiring teachers, those in activities and athletics, and worst of all, those "At Risk" students who depend on School for structure and a sense of normalcy. 
My District is currently only doing "Voluntary Learning".   We provide optional resources for students, and don't have to make up the days.  We may yet go to "Required Learning", at least for High School, but that will obviously present even more obstacles.  My Three-Dimensional class, was half way through a project, with at least two left.  That class is mostly clay work, so obviously it will be difficult to give them the same experience, at home. 
I don't think a lot of it has set in yet.  I'm just kind of numb to it all, as this is indeed unprecedented.

Love those @liambesaw !
 
My first thought was, that they looked industrial/ like something automotive related. 
In regards to the topic question, I think it is best to err on the side of caution.  Like many have pointed out, we don't know the actual numbers, due to the lack of testing. 
I live in a relatively rural State, and in a very tiny town, yet we still have cases.  My Father, initially thought this whole thing was overblown, and now the County he lives in, has one of the highest case numbers in the State. 
As a teacher, the repercussions are just tragic, especially for the Seniors, the retiring teachers, those in activities and athletics, and worst of all, those "At Risk" students who depend on School for structure and a sense of normalcy. 
My District is currently only doing "Voluntary Learning".   We provide optional resources for students, and don't have to make up the days.  We may yet go to "Required Learning", at least for High School, but that will obviously present even more obstacles.  My Three-Dimensional class, was half way through a project, with at least two left.  That class is mostly clay work, so obviously it will be difficult to give them the same experience, at home. 
I don't think a lot of it has set in yet.  I'm just kind of numb to it all, as this is indeed unprecedented.

Love those @liambesaw !
 
My first thought was, that they looked industrial/ like something automotive related. 
In regards to the topic question, I think it is best to err on the side of caution.  Like many have pointed out, we don't know the actual numbers, due to the lack of testing. 
I live in a relatively rural State, and in a very tiny town, yet we still have cases.  My Father, initially thought this whole thing was overblown, and now the County he lives in, has one of the highest case numbers in the State. 
As a teacher, the repercussions are just tragic, especially for the Seniors, the retiring teachers, those in activities and athletics, and worst of all, those "At Risk" students who depend on School for structure and a sense of normalcy. 
My District is currently only doing "Voluntary Learning".   We provide optional resources for students, and don't have to make up the days.  We may yet go to "Required Learning", at least for High School, but that will obviously present even more obstacles.  My Three-Dimensional class, was half way through a project, with at least two left.  That class is mostly clay work, so obviously it will be difficult to give them the same experience, at home. 
I don't think a lot of it has set in yet.  I'm just kind of numb to it all, as this is indeed unprecedented.

Love those @liambesaw !
 
My first thought was, that they looked industrial/ like something automotive related. 
In regards to the topic question, I think it is best to err on the side of caution.  Like many have pointed out, we don't know the actual numbers, due to the lack of testing. 
I live in a relatively rural State, and in a very tiny town, yet we still have cases.  My Father, initially thought this whole thing was overblown, and now the County he lives in, has one of the highest case numbers in the State. 
As a teacher, the repercussions are just tragic, especially for the Seniors, the retiring teachers, those in activities and athletics, and worst of all, those "At Risk" students who depend on School for structure and a sense of normalcy. 
My District is currently only doing "Voluntary Learning".   We provide optional resources for students, and don't have to make up the days.  We may yet go to "Required Learning", at least for High School, but that will obviously present even more obstacles.  My Three-Dimensional class, was half way through a project, with at least two left.  That class is mostly clay work, so obviously it will be difficult to give them the same experience, at home. 
I don't think a lot of it has set in yet.  I'm just kind of numb to it all, as this is indeed unprecedented.

Sauerkraut pots are another interesting pot to make.
Was a time when I made terracotta markers for herb and veg. rows .
"Houses" to trap snails in.
Toadstools and mushrooms to stick into planters to indicate moisture in soil. 
Thinking garden centres.

I'm thinking that it would be wise to plan for a year without shows. Maybe next summer. 
In the meantime, online shopping appeals to many customers, possibly potters can create online co-ops to get away from etsy distractions. 
Also, in the short term, consider marketing hand sanitizer bottles - if you know a sewist, see about selling masks and bottles together. 
Right now, Nurseries are open (because they sell food plants) so think about placing wares there - vases, planters, wall art, garden themed mugs and platters.
Stay safe.
 

I listened to a Hidden Brain podcast about the 1918 flu.  The historian that was interviewed was Nancy Bristow.  Quite interesting.  One of the important pieces of info about that virus was that they did "socially distance" for a time, and then as the virus appeared to recede, the businesses and public places opened up again.  Bringing about another wave of illness.  Evidently there were 3 waves of the virus..... that's why it makes so much sense to me, to keep things closed as much as possible until there is widespread testing and vaccines on the horizon.  so, to tie in with the topic, if there are holiday shows,  putting distance between vendors, wearing masks, having hand sanitizer available,  will all be realistic expectations.   

Having worked in allied health, peripheral to public health, for state government, for many decades in two states, I know way too much about the disregard and misunderstandings of how to interpret and apply  valid data for populations.  Collecting and analyzing the best valid data and massive testing needed. It is more about trends and regional containment strategies than about single positives/negatives of us as individuals.  I ain't budging until Sir Fauci tells me it's worth taking a chance. And then I'll wait a few weeks after that to see what's happening out there! 

I live in a small rural county with about 110,000 pop. We have 51 cases with 3 in hospital 43 of those cases are from contact from international travel and or travelers.
The rest are contact spread in community. Testing is just barley scratched the surface so nobody knows whats really going on. I think this is the case almost everywhere (yes that aircraft carrier and Iceland got to test everyone) so thats a good sample to see whats going on.
So many unknowns -until testing is really widespread its all just a guess really-its testing that will get us back to some sort of norm.Without testing we will be in limbo forever.
At 67 myself I do not want to immerse into a large crowd  at this time for obvious reasons. The data is just not there yet to say when is good  time to get back to shows.
I'm doubt our state will allow it for a long time (gatherings which shows are really) Our governor has been ahead on the curve in terms closeures of a lot of  states (I was told on the 15th of March to stay home)-schools are out for the year and our local JC and local state collage are going into predicted severe financial times for next two years-a 20 million dollar setback for just the state collage alone . 
I'm fine with the no art fairs on the financial side for this year. I like the living longer side of life anyway. I will add that the galleries will most likey reopen again by summer on a limited customer in and out basis or maybe in the fall. As I have written about before I have 3 streams of ceramic income and behold in this crisis I still have one left-the super markets and am still taking in wares early am during senior hours weekly as things are slower but still moving along.
This will be a huge financial depression -no way out of that reality. just look at China's GPD realeased this week.
I miss the art shows (there is a zoom meeting of us vendors at a canceled fair this weekend in lieu of the show)
I believe our state and the other two (Oregon and Washington) in the coalition together will slowly get the testing thing together (not the Feds) and move forward with a solid plan on a slow reopening.Califonia has a huge rainy day surplus that Govenor Brown got together the past 8 years. its at a all time high so we have the $$ to spend to get the testing and PPE stuff  to get it going. This state is the 5th largest in the world economy (nation state) and has the resources and talent to ghet thru this.(ok I'm a native son)
I said on another thread I thought shows would not happen this year and am sticking by that until some more movement with testing appears and we all feel we are getting a handle on it. I do not yet see this anywhere except on an aircraft carrier in Guam and Iceland (we had to cancel our June Iceland trip a few weeks back)At this time all gatherings(shows sports whatever) seem a long ways off.Next year maybe
All this said I need to have enough stock to handle a big show if it happens (and I choose to go-doubtfull at this time)and still think they might happen also doubtful.I have paid up on all but one event for the year now anyway. I still need stock for my wholesale orders (still an unknown) and still need stock for my wholesale super market sales that are on going and still have stock for my consignment galleries when they reopen (still an unknown)-that all adds up to make and stockpile pots.  They unlike bread do not go bad and having way to many pots sounds about righ right now.Its like my own stimulus pile of potterty for when things get better. Also its like later I can play more as well so really its a win win to make them now.

Pennsylvania public schools and colleges have been. 
 
best,
Pres