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Babs

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Everything posted by Babs

  1. Babs
    From your initial post, are you aware of cone labelling..08 is lower than cone05, like negative numbering . Just saying. I am reading that you thInk differently.
  2. Babs
    What controller do you have? Whenyou stopped it and restarted it, what ramp did u notice it was displaying? I am thinkinh like Bill, miutes instead of hours entered. Can you flick thro the ramps to see what u entered?
  3. Babs
    Can you get an old kiln brick and slice it to make a bag wall which will run along level with the bottom shellf? That's all you need. I didn't stagger shelves but space around them and down the middle I did have. Can you contact the prev owner, or put a shout out for anyone with experience with this type of kiln? Remembering, I also put the shelves smack against the outlet side of the kiln...my thinking was to not allow the flame to shoot down there and out of the kiln fast. Change one thing at a time I guess.
  4. Babs
    There's always a block and tackle!!! At least with top loader the weight is quite close to your body. I worked with a front loader at school, aside from the physical grunt I prefer looking down on my loading,so top loader it is. The feet come off the floor a bit as I shrink.
  5. Babs
    Well adjusting the air flow to produce reduction has made the air circulate to the outlet in a less direct path????less suck straight up the chimney so heat interior rises????? But requires more adjustment to bring about reduction????? Just thoughts from s.one missing their gas kiln:-) I guess you could put an old shelf over most of the floor to block off the suck????
  6. Babs
    I feel you need a bag wall along the kiln level with the lower shelf after you raise it a bit. It isn't weird that the temp goes up when you alter the air intake and close off the damper. Playing with this can be key to temp rise after other adjustments made. How high is your stack? Lots of years since i fired with gas but these points come back as pertinent.
  7. Babs
    Who are the makers? May not need an expensive test. Contact the owner or maker. Portakiln?? Should be a descriptive label s.where. That sag will worsen with age, dropping bits onto your ware, and you'll end up inhaling it. I ended up propping up the top of my kiln with an old shelf, mine was a top loader. Better to get a piece of ceramic fibre board as you may have to dismantle to realign or replace bricks. Is the first photo the door?it doesn't look too bad. Find out if you can paint or spray it with something to stabilize it.
  8. Babs
    Get it tested but looks like early ceramic fibre, asbestos not used like that for many decades. Ceramic fibre not to be used casually either, very bad if inhaled and irritates the skin. Can get a spray but better to replace with ceramic board. Use a mask near that puppy. What are the specis on your kiln? Date etc Manufacturer could give info you need. The asbestos/ ceramic fibre top looks like a home jobbie to replace a faulty top., the sag is greatly reducing your interior space. Check all other stuff needing work. Could get expensive.
  9. Babs
    Quality not what it was , for sure!! Buckets used to last for years. Not anymore. I have slit a bucket with an agitator attached to a drill but not with your methods. Disappointing, eh? I get cast offs from local bakery , used fir cream, sauce etc. Seem better quality than in the stores and much less costly.
  10. Babs
    Might have to work on your pouring action too, or place a finger over hole in lid to give a what do you call it effect...:-) Brings to memory a very old friend who dallied between cups without altering the angle of the pot, chatting sweetly away. That pot dripped!
  11. Babs
    I will end my cpntributions to this by saying a LOT of solutions to problems or questions in Ceramics are/ should be prefaced by the phrase " it depends" Not everything is or can be black or white, right or wrong. The slaked bentonite is one way to go. Wearing a mask and mixing it with the clay prior to wetting another. Because the chemical equation calls for 100mls of water, hmm I would sat It depends! I want a really mixed hydrated clay body so I would add lots more and give it the time it requires to get there. The moulds could be plasticisers!@ Be careful not to throw out the baby with the bathwater. Next batch of clay will be different. Enjoy the process.
  12. Babs
    Ok so you are adding 5% B onto a surface, small surface area. Sue had a BUCKET, I didn't read closely but as Benton. additions are usually 1 to 2% by weight, which could mean a very light sprinkling over the surface. With a mix , your last sample good to go. A Slake of 24hrs not uncommon. I would put your small amount of dry clay and Bentonite in a jar, shake it up, add it to an amount of water, more than you need. Give it a good mix or two. Slake overnight. Leave a day, drain off any clear water, spread on your drying board and go from there. Bentonite is extremely hygroscopic.
  13. Babs
    Your up loads did not work. Could try sitting your forms on fine grog. Get your pots off the bat and onto rims as soon as poss. Check bottoms not a lot thinner than walls. Are they footed?
  14. Babs
    It does!!!! Use another container and decant into tube after slaking overnight or till it reaches the state Sue describes. Many folk have a bentonite "slurry" premixed as Sue McLeod blogs about sitting near their reclaim bucket or in their glaze mixing area.
  15. Babs
    I'd dip that in water then put in plastic for a while.
  16. Babs
    Keep doing those side planks!
  17. Babs
    I order by the tonne. It comes on a pallet shrouded in ceram wrap, 100x 10kg plastic bags full. I double bag and seal the lot. Put half back on pallet, rewrap up, put in shaded side of shed. Cover the lot with thick plastic sheeting. The other half is put under the benches in my shed. Long hot sumers here. If anything gets too dried out, I put cup of water in bag , reseal and submerge in a bucket of water. I used to carry 3xbags full into the shed but now one at a time! Are 10kgs getting heavier these days? What's going on there??
  18. Babs
    Typo back a bit AmphoTERIC is what you need. What is Tina's source of water? Could be alkaline already?
  19. Babs
    Then it may well help Tina. Test and see
  20. Babs
    I think a pinch of Bentonite, your clay is almost there. Like some foods; a little tastes delicious, too much will kill you. I only mentioned vinegar because some very experienced potter mentioned it and I do use it in my throwing water, makes it creamy. I also use it when attaching handles , or slabs. The chemistry I leave to someone else. This is a caring community Tina, seen by the continued thought being given to trying to solve your problem.
  21. Babs
    Not me Callie, maybe @Bam2015 not a cat herder or kittens in basket keeper here either
  22. Babs
    Leave it to slake overnight , try adding a little vinegar, stir then put IN cloth to drain. Then wrap and leave. Wedge next day. May be different. If this is the clay which you wrapped around your finger, plasticity should not take much bentonite to sort. Worth a try.
  23. Babs
    1teaspoon aporox 30gms : 250 gms 12%. Quite a bit, was it mixed with water first? May need to rest it before wedging if you added the powder of bentonite.
  24. Babs
    Could dishwasher treatment have gradually affected the glazes?
  25. Babs
    https://www.instagram.com/p/CifWcsnugTo/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y= This guy says some where some clay he works with us up to 50% sand! Have to change expectations, he is adapting how andxwhat he makes to suit the clay body imo
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