Jump to content

Chilly

Members
  • Posts

    2,288
  • Joined

  • Last visited

About Chilly

  • Birthday March 24

Contact Methods

  • Website URL
    http://www.readypedalgo.co.uk/pottery.html

Profile Information

  • Location
    : Langdon Hills, Essex, UK
  • Interests
    Pottery, gardening, cycling, scouting, outdoors, spinning, weaving, knitting, sewing.

Recent Profile Visitors

18,797 profile views

Chilly's Achievements

Advanced Member

Advanced Member (3/3)

1.2k

Reputation

  1. You will probably need a "release agent." For plastic press moulds I use either talcum powder or WD40. Both will prevent the clay from sticking to the mould. You might need to remove the clay before it's leather hard, as by then it will start to shrink and can get caught. I made a whole batch in one two hour class, dusting mould with talc, pressing the clay in, dropping it out, dusting mould with talc................. repeat
  2. Agree with @Jeff Longtin. Clay masters should either be wet or bisque. Only issue with bisqueing is the shrinkage, so if that will be a problem, you can add a skim coat of clay after bisque, to make up for lost volume.
  3. Between myself and my partner who is a mechanical engineer, we do OK. I did pay to have a proper power cable socket installed, but everything else we do. For my kiln. A different story for the kiln at the community centre. All I do is batt wash/scrape/vacuum. They pay for an annual "service/electrical check".
  4. If you are mixing your plaster by hand..... Line a bucket with a plastic bag and mix the plaster in that. When you have poured the plaster out you can just throw the bag and any leftover bits of plaster. And not have to mess about cleaning off the dried out plaster. This was an absolute game-changer for me.
  5. The answer is "it depends". On what you might ask? The weather. This time of year, things dry slowly - often too slowly, so they get covered with dry cloth to help absorb some moisture. When it's hot or even just sunny, the greenhouse can warm up quickly, even in winter. Either way, they come indoors and sit on a shelf over the bath - bathroom is not used and is north-facing. It's a balancing/juggling act. Don't let things dry too quickly, or so slowly I can't refine them, and miss the next kiln firing at the community centre.
  6. Cambridge, UK? Have you tried Anglian Potters? They have a website and a Facebook chat page. https://www.anglianpotters.org.uk/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/anglianpotters
  7. Creative activities? Oh, there's a list. Gardening is my outdoor creation, placing leaves and colours together to combine and contrast. The challenge of getting seeds to germinate, cuttings to strike, flowers to flower, veg to eat. Sewing, mainly household stuff like curtains, but lots of dressmaking too. Fibre stuff - spinning, dyeing, weaving, knitting and crochet, mainly with sheep wool, but also silk, flax and alpaca. Glass - fusing and copper foiling and leading.
  8. Not sure if the rest of the world can see this, but now it's not on the BBC, maybe you can. https://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-great-pottery-throw-down/on-demand/74088-001 First of the series was on a week ago, haven't watched yesterday's programme yet - so no spoilers please - but they were one of the best groups of potters so far - and this is series 7. They could at least, all throw reasonably well.
  9. @Fire it upplease let us know how you get on with sourcing the bisque or mould. @PeterHhas gone to a fair bit of effort to help, and I'm sure he would love to know too.
  10. Hi @IvanLane Can't help much with your question, except to ask more questions, but you might get more responses if you re-word the title. As for hollow, probably yes. What diameter are you thinking? I'm imagining something like a kiln post or smaller. Clay shouldn't really be much thicker than your thumb. And , I believe, tubes are stronger than rods of the same diameter.
  11. Put a drinking straw into the opening as you pour the slip out. It prevents all the liquid trying to get out at once, and allows air in.
  12. Further to the technical explanation in the link, I put it like this to my group. Underglazes (usually) don't move or mix during firing. They sit/stand still. When clear overglaze is applied to fired underglaze it (usually) doesn't cause the underglazes to move or mix. And (usually) the colour is WYSIWYG. So, underglazes are good for painterly pictures, drawing, writing. Glazes can/will move or mix during firing, particularly on vertical surfaces. And (usually) they are not WYSIWYG. So, if you want defined colour areas, use underglaze, if you don't mind if they mingle use glazes. Apart from all the other options, like matt, textured, crystals.........
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.