JohnnyK

While it doesn't deal directly with or in the clay, I, and many others here, use a crockpot to keep throwing water warm in the colder days of winter...

I don't know about the white...but the dark looks like red iron oxide fired to at least ^6 if not ^10...If you wanted to make the glaze rough, you might try adding some grog.

I agree with Callie & Betty...Pres threw out the marketing idea...

Judging by the quality of the pieces and the amount of time to make them, and the randomness of the pick-up, I'd say that, off-hand, not the best marketing idea. However, if the artist gets a bunch of exposure through YouTube and makes a corresponding amount of sales, then it would have been a valuable move...

I had the same situation with a Cress B-23-H...mine was given to me by an 87 year old ceramist who wanted to get rid of it since it was a spare that she did not need anymore. I tried firing it to ^5 but found that it did not work for that. Fortunately, I came across another potter who was selling her ^10 with 3 shelves, furniture, and 300 pounds of dried out clay for $500. I bought a digital timer for the newer kiln and since it would only heat to ^2, sold the old kiln as a low-fire kiln for $200 to a restaurant owner who wanted to make his own unique dinnerware. If you're looking to do the ^5-6 thing, I would recommend upgrading to an appropriate kiln...new or used (if you can find one).

I've gotten a digital scale that will measure grams to 2 decimal places. It was relatively inexpensive compared to the cost of a triple beam scale and I don't do a whole lot of my own glaze mixing, yet...

I just reviewed the results of my ^5 test tiles of my repertoire of Amaco glazes and am totally disappointed with the outcomes on one hand and happy on the other hand. Disappointed because the results were less than I had hoped for to use on the Laguna black clay pots that I made. I had glazed 4 pieces of the black clay just to see how they would come out of a ^5 firing. The black clay was grogged and when they came out of the kiln, the result looked almost like a textured matte finish, even though the glaze was a gloss. The color was also more muted which was probably due to the base color of the black clay. Though, too, the colors on the test tiles, which were a grogged white clay, seemed more muted than the work I've done at ^6, but didn't have the texture of the black clay... Happy because I only have 10 more bisqued black clay pieces to glaze and fire and will probably just trash them to save the glaze and price of electricity for the firing. and just stay away from the black clay in the future as a result of these tests. I'll post photos of the finished pieces later...

Way to go! Isn't it great to be in total control, doing what you want to do? What kind of retail store is it and why only one shelf?

Something HAS changed, Kristina...Are you using clay that you have had for a while or is it from a new batch from your supplier? If your process and other materials haven't changed, I would look at the clay itself...

I've used both WSO and Soldate 60 for Raku with great success and have pretty much settled on the WSO because the Soldate 60 has a pinkish tinge to the final product while the WSO is more white...both are ^10 stoneware clays.

Depending on where the arthritis is surgery might be the best outcome. As with Mark, I've had both my thumbs operated on with great success and have had trigger fingers repaired on both hands, also with great success. My hands work better than they have for the 10 years prior to the surgeries. Full recovery on the thumbs took about 5 months each and the trigger fingers, about 2 months...A good hand orthopedist should be able to help you.

I have used DAS Air-Hardening Modeling Clay, 2.2 Lb. Block, White Color for repairs on plaster, clay and cement objet d'art with great success. Got it from Amazon...you can carve it to a limited extent before it hardens. You can work it after it hardens with files and grinders.

Thank you all for your input! I'll be spreading them out on 3 shelves with witness cones.

Hi Folks...As many of you know, I've been glazing almost exclusively with Amaco Potter's Choice glazes at ^6. I decided to try one of Laguna's black clays which can't be fired higher than ^5. Soooo...I'm going to fire about 3 dozen test tiles to ^5 and would like to get your input on where to place them in my electric kiln. Should they all go on one shelf or be spread over multiple shelves? If on one shelf, at the bottom, middle, or top of the kiln? All this is to find out if there is a difference in the look of the glazes between ^5 and ^6. I like my ^6 products but am open to experimentation and am looking forward to the ^5 outcome. What do you think?

A young friend of mine had seen one of my chip-n-dip bowls at a party and asked if I could make one for her to give as a gift...I made 2 since I was at it, and she wound up buying both of them. The most recent "custom" job was for one of my Forum friends who asked if I could replicate a tool that she had purchased 40 years ago but was worn out and was no longer available...I made 2 slightly different variations of the tool and was happy to hear that she was delighted with tools and was going to put them to work the day after receiving them. So, if it is within the realm of my capabilities, I am happy to do custom work. I've spent most of my life in various jobs and careers helping solve problems, and custom work in pottery and anything else is just an extension of the problem solving which I am good at!

I would leave it in the crate for the move if you don't plan on hooking it up at your current location...

My old CI has the same wheelhead that has split in one of the guide grooves, causing a slight surface offset, but not enough to cause real concern. I was contemplating having a machine shop fabricating a new aluminum wheelhead, but I like your suggestion of mounting a bat to the surface. I think I would go with 3/16 or 1/4 inch aluminum material with countersunk screw holes...I also have some 3/8" Corian that might also work.

If they will be acrylic, why would you want to glaze them at all?

If it's a small engine, it might be in a small car. Just depends on how old the car is!

Welcome to the forum, Sinnerman... My first question is "WHY"? Second: Is the entire BBQ ceramic? Third: How big? Fourth: What shape? Fifth: Is this a one-off?

...and, obviously, after you make the substitution, test, test, test!

It's probably the carburetor...if not that, check the engine's compression...

I would say that you are looking at 2 different mugs because the base color of the mugs is different and the gold highlights on the bows are in different places than the red spots and they are raised like they are attached nuggets...

I think that it's the glaze that makes the piece. No matter what you do the piece, it's the glaze and what you do with the glaze that gives the piece its life!