oldlady

i think that once i can make something in any size i want, i am satisfied that i have learned that skill and can go back to the normal size for me.  yes, i can make a huge salad bowl for 20 people but would rather make 20 personal size salad bowls.

Was kind of busy last week with trying to bisque a lot of the stuff taking up space, I got a lot cleared out, some winners some losers.  Here are some of the winners, a new glaze combo I really like.  I call it rotten melon 
 
 

I made some new stuff for spring. 

i gave up using red clay because of the mess.   i could not get it out of my many wrinkles without bleach.   white clay is so much neater,   (unless you put the throwing water on top of the wheelhead and accidentally hit the pedal.)   do not ask how i know this.

really nice things, hulk, congrats!    i was taken back to the year 1961 by the first bowls.  the bottoms look exactly like the punch cards i used to work with to get the repairmen  paid when i worked at Michigan Bell.  

really nice things, hulk, congrats!    i was taken back to the year 1961 by the first bowls.  the bottoms look exactly like the punch cards i used to work with to get the repairmen  paid when i worked at Michigan Bell.  

Unloaded second glaze firing Sunday last, looking forward to th' third!
From top left, clockwise
  Some bmix bowls, teal blue, light blue gloss, variegated glazes; chattering highlighted with underglaze and/or glaze, clear over. Clear glazes crazed on every bmix piece except one, ; the other glazes behaved well, except the light blue crazed some over bmix
  Some red clay pieces, teal blue, variegated, white, faux celadon and clear glazes, chattering highlighted with underglazes
  bmix  bowls, light gloss blue over bmix
  Closeup of variegated over red clay; looks bluer over white clay. I love this one - from Bill van Gilder's book (the blue teal is from his book as well*)
  Closeup of faux celadon over bmix, same highlighted chattering; this is variation of Marcia's recipe
 
The lessons, so far, fairly typical
  sieve them glazes
  adjust sg and jellyness of glazes to hit thickness without running and dripping
  cone pack on each level
  be able to see the cones when approaching target temp
  be careful loading and unloading
  toss flawed pieces into recycle pile - don't let them take up time, nor space
  don' expect glaze that fits this clay ok to also fit that clay :|
  test test, learn learn, repeat
 
*I'll post recipes if anyone's interested

a few more
  variegated over bmix is bluer
  teal blue
  Lakeside Pottery clear blue really shows thickness differences - I've got some work to do here
  Aardvark light blue gloss
  variegated over red is greener
  faux celedon

i gave up using red clay because of the mess.   i could not get it out of my many wrinkles without bleach.   white clay is so much neater,   (unless you put the throwing water on top of the wheelhead and accidentally hit the pedal.)   do not ask how i know this.

Finally got the side bowls on, I'm pleased with myself.
Now to see if it survives drying and firing ha
 
I also made myself a new wedging table today, my old setup was a little too high for me and was making my back hurt.
 

i gave up using red clay because of the mess.   i could not get it out of my many wrinkles without bleach.   white clay is so much neater,   (unless you put the throwing water on top of the wheelhead and accidentally hit the pedal.)   do not ask how i know this.

Liambesaw recently posted a question in the question pool:   Is there some piece of equipment or tool that made such a huge difference to the quality of work, and quality of time, that you wished you had found out earlier?  Nice question, that I am sure will generate some traffic here. I'll get my bite in first, with something of a listing, and let folks comment.
Listing away, I have found that much of my work depends on the Griffin Grip, for trimming, and throwing. I use the GG to throw handles on lids quite often, just by centering up a ball of clay on a lid held in the GG, and then throwing a hollow ball or flared bell for the handle. I also have found when working with the GG, that parts from plumbing supply/hardware store come in really handy as chucks for trimming. These allow me to trim, and assemble pieces like chalices and honey jars with spoons really quickly and efficiently. 
Next would be a good spray gun for applying glazes, a curved throwing stick I bought at a conference years ago as it works well for shaping my mugs, small jars and pitchers, magic water (not a tool, but so much better than slip), A good adjustable stool, a trimming bed I have made to fit over the Brent CXC that allows much more space for trimming scraps and controls the mess, kitchen tools (modified for ribs to throw bowls, trim/shape bases, and as straight edges), diamond sanding plate (attached to a bat that is used on the wheel) makes bottoms smooth as glass and nicer on table tops, diamond pads  also work well for foot rings as the pot may be held in the GG while grinding, and never forget the good heavy banding wheel with the 14" head. The list could go on and on, but I'll let the rest of you fill in the spaces.
 
best,
Pres

For me its many things but one was my power slab roller-I knew about slab rollers but the speed my 30 inch power Baily puts out clat as well as makes any thginkness out of any firmness of clay is amazing really-just wished I got it a few decades earlier than 20 years ago
I think the extruder which I got after about 10 years really made for stronger and faster handles-after about 20 years I got another  one as well so I have two which saves lots of time messing with size dies.
Car kiln-well I built the 1st one in 79 and wish I had done it sooner-never looked back on that decision .To this day its saved my back loading its alight year ahead of a front loader and several light years ahead of any bend over electric kiln.
My fans-getting out of hauling pottery's to shows with a  truck vs a van -my knessa and back all where saved -this one tyhing I should have done decades earlier -I'm on my 20 year with vans now.Yes I still use two trucks, just not for finished pottery's hauling.

Mine isn't powered but I am with Marc on the  Bailey slab roller and my extruder is second place.  I made my own extruder from directions in a Ceramics Monthly magazine.  It was only suppose to be temporary to see if I really needed a extruder.  I liked it so well I redesigned it to make it stronger and a made a bunch of dies for it,  Both pieces of equipment save me a lot of production time  and I am able to do projects that would be nearly impossible to do with out them.  Denice
 

For me it was my mixer pugmill. It was a big chunk of money and in my mind I couldn't justify buying one for many years. Then I tore off the long head of my bicep in my right arm (turns out you shouldn't try and outdo your niece while tubing) and I fully realized how much wear and tear making pots for years can do on your body. My shoulder and arm healed up, bicep is as strong as ever but having a machine to do some of the grunt work is something I wish I'ld been able to buy much earlier on.

I”m also going to say pugmill. I like to recycle my clay trimmings and there’s no way I could wedge it all by hand. 
Even if I weren’t a recycler, spending 20 minutes at the beginning of a throwing day making sure all of your clay is soft, homogenous, de-aired, and in round pieces, means you don’t spend the next four hours fighting with uneven, bubbly, or hard clay. Makes the whole day much easier. 
@liambesaw I got mine second hand for $1200. Keep your eyes peeled!

My pug /mixer is a 30 vpm Peter pugger
used and shipped was 1/2 price
i have seen a few come and go around the country since I got mine
it fits as I wish I had it decades earlier
i now only throw soft clay and recycle much of my scrap 

Reclycling/wedging from dried clay is awful for me. I am saving up for the smallest cheapest pug mill I can find and Advancers (can't lift shelves so good anymore).  My favored equiptment is my tabletop Bailey slab roller, followed by the heavy Shimpo banding wheel.  I gave myself the gift of fully outfitting my studio from the git-go, upon retiring from my "day job", so there is nothing I wish I'd done sooner. Having my kiln right here is beyond awesome--there is no public-access kiln anwhere close by, plus the over-time, ongoing, expense and restrictions of having to use their clay/glaze/firing programs etc. would not suit me long term. So, I guess it is my L& L Easy-Fire that is really the winner! 

i gave up using red clay because of the mess.   i could not get it out of my many wrinkles without bleach.   white clay is so much neater,   (unless you put the throwing water on top of the wheelhead and accidentally hit the pedal.)   do not ask how i know this.

i gave up using red clay because of the mess.   i could not get it out of my many wrinkles without bleach.   white clay is so much neater,   (unless you put the throwing water on top of the wheelhead and accidentally hit the pedal.)   do not ask how i know this.

i gave up using red clay because of the mess.   i could not get it out of my many wrinkles without bleach.   white clay is so much neater,   (unless you put the throwing water on top of the wheelhead and accidentally hit the pedal.)   do not ask how i know this.

Round 1
 

Today I mixed up a couple new glazes and sacrificed a few pots to see what they'll look like.  Doing a glaze firing now, it should be cool enough to open up and take a look tomorrow night!
This week I will go back to trying to throw repeat bowls.  I need to step up my bowl game, I'm pretty decent at mugs now. I just need to finish putting handles on all of last week's mugs and then it's bowls bowls bowls.  Gonna force myself to figure out getting them to the gauge every time.
Oh yeah, and I have to finish editing my latest YouTube video.  Hah.  I don't think people realize how difficult editing video is until they're neck deep in it.  Kudos to any YouTubers out there

A four point star.  I have a mock up piece floating around here some place. It has some design issues, which I will have to overcome with a special clay blend to prevent warping.
T

I throw forms to practice and to test crystalline: the bowls mostly go to family members- 0 profit margin. The shows and shops around here are stuffed with $10 mugs, no need to even attempt competing.
i still make geometric tile: I rarely sell jobs; but when I do $$$$$. It works for me at the moment. I am currently working on a geometric pattern consisting of 12, 8, and 4" interlocking circles. The added bonus of having a professional CAD system, with a 24 x 36 printer- I can create  precise cut sheets.  One of my favorite patterns - makes for a beautiful shower.