LeeU

I do like water.
A few years ago I tried for a fountain, driven by a small pond pump.
Credit the FDR Memorial (Washington, DC) fountains, in part, for positive inspiration, a neighbor's drop-in pool kit for negative inspiration.
The former, a variety of water sounds, each fountain different, each pleasing; the latter, a solid stream, not so pleasing.
I wanted a soft drip, hence, the water flows over the inverted cone shape, falls a short distance (.8 to 1.2") to the tower base, then another inch or so to the reservoir, producing a gentle gurgling murmur.
The pump is concealed between the base and tower, wrapped in foam to dull the humming.

Speaking of Books there is one being made now that is all about the place I learned the most in Ceramics. I wrote a piece for that books which is in the editing stages now.
It was called the Laundry 
In the 50's-60s it was a commercial Laundry. In the late 60s it was bought by the Humboldt State University and turned into a pot shop. It has floor drains (wood covered cement troughs that drain out). They added a kiln room off the back. The builing is one huge barrel arch roof. A really great pottery setup for teaching.
Back then my mentor Reese Bullen  (who started the Art Dept there) hired a new instructor to help him teach ceramics from Alfreds as a recent gradute Lou Marak -it was 1969. I came a few years later to that program.
They hired another Alfred grad the year I came as well  (1972). It was the heyday of ceramics for this school. It was after the war and it was ahuge open learningtyransition time in ceramics-from Volkus to Arneson clay was expanding. Thes e recenty Alfreds guys where on fire from leaning from the greats who taught and wrote at Alfreds. Rhodes and the like passed what they knew down to my teachers who passed that to us. It was a solid 5 years in immersion in all things clay and kilns for me.Many a teacher and potter came out the other side of that Laundry .
In my time I learned slip casting, low fire ,high fire , kiln firing, hand building ,slab work,clay and glaze formulation just to name a few. I Worked in work study program for years as kiln and glaze room tec.( Back then tec was not used) loading and firing kilns of all types.Salt to low fire electrics-with redution cone 10 gas as the standard .
The program slowly after many deacdes switched as did many programs to  around the country  in schools to sculture and making art-mostly low fire. This slowy in my view turned the ceramics program into a lesser one than the one I was in at that time. I have heard lots of feedback on this from students over the past 30 years
Now the University recently became Cal Poly Humboldt and humanities is at the botton of the pile now. They now have funding to build in massive science expansion 3 new parking structures and you gues it the Laundry will be scraped to put in a parking lot as Joni Mitchell once said in a song. The last 10 yeared ceramics professor retires this year (JUNE) and no one is fighting this stupid mistake. For me the university long ago lost the community support as they do not care about that.
Two of the old ceramic teachers is compiling this book on 50 years of the Laundry-its history and students. I am just one of those and one of the few that choose the production pottery route over teaching and also stayed local and am still producing . In my. time we once had over 20 full timers in this small area making funtional wares now its me. Last man standing full time. The laundry is a special place for me in my brain  as well as the people who shared what they knew way back in the early 70s with me. When folks  are buying and using my pottery they really are using pottery that came from my years at the Laundry and those who taught there at that time.
Ps this book is being complied and underwritten by a gallery In Davis Ca called the John Natsoulas Gallery. John is footing the bill
He has a press at gallery and has had a 30 year ceramic realationship with HSU ceramics and did a book on the UC Davis ceramics lab already
its a great thing he is doing for our local clay history-if you are ever in Davis Ca stop by that gallery its worth the trip-just look for the 15 foot  high ceramic cat you walk to enter the gallery. You cannot miss it.
https://www.natsoulas.com
 

What
Attachments (in my experience, err, limited experience), almost always one piece is damper than the other.
The drier bit, I'll pick up half a drop of water with my finger and wet the attachment point - not enough to run, enough to impart a sheen that dissipates as the water is absorbed - add another half drop, as required (credit Ingleton potter Dick Unsworth's teapot process video).
The wetter bit, I might dampen just enough to bring up a sheen, then score it in two crosses* (like UK flag), pile on a blob of slip, score the pre-dampened landing spot (in no particular pattern), dampen it a touch more, then get to attaching. I don't mind if it slides a bit at first, for it tightens up considerably as the moisture dissipates into the surrounding (dryer) clay.
For shallow angles, like the top portion of a mug handle's lower attachment, I roll a small coil (2-3 mm, if that), cut to length, wet it, set it aside. After all ends are attached, I'm brushing a bit of slip in there, placing the coil, then smooshing it in. The edge of a loop tool fits in there. A damp brush can help. I don't remember where I saw this, perhaps a Pinnell video clip.
...now I do the same on the top attachment as well.


Why
Variations on what we were shown in Wheel I class.
There was talk of vinegar and "Magic Water" - I was curious; what is magic water**, how does it work, what are advantages & drawbacks?
I was curious, but not enough to dig into it, for my attachments were much less a problem (at that time) than so many other things!
Adding the tiny coil, well, the radius can be achieved by other means, shaping the end, for example (credit Simon Leach video clip).
 
* The slip squeezes out along the score lines.
Nah, but that was the idea, which is now habit.
**Here's an article and recipe:
Magic Water (ceramicartsnetwork.org)
 

I buy my clay in about 3 -6 ton lots minimum and order it made extra soft for bad wrists. I have a shed near the road witha canvas front facing north in the shade of my potshop. That shed stays cool year round. I then bring into shop about 750#s at a time and store under wedging tables on redwood floor boards.(2x12s are my floor in old shop-new addition is painted plywood floors ) Clay warms slightly in shop in winter with heat -summer heat is off and its cooler in shop
I order from Laguna clay and have it trucked the 13 hours north and supply a few other potters as well that Have been with me for many decades on clay buys-although many are now gone.I have been with Laguna since they bought out westwood clay in the med  80s before I was with westwood in the 70s also used to used  Robert Brent Clays  when they where in Healsburg and Quyle clay from the Sierra. They now are out of the clay business. Also usewd some Emory clays from Sacramento area -all those where stonewares-switched in mid 80s to all porcealin .From Laguna  just before they bought up Westwood.I drove down to LA in 185 to meet the Laguna owner and try there porcelains .He sold Laguna about 5 years ago to the new owner.
I also store some clay just outside shop door for slab roller use-I moved my two peter puggers last summer onto new kiln cement slab and have yet to. decide about where slab clay will live-it never ends.
Ok off to see the eclipse via some airplanes

My clay is indoors. It's a low production home hobby studio (I'm no longer doing retail in stores). It's tight at first, but I can fit two 25 lb sleeves in a 5 gal. painters bucket. Those sit on plant dollies. Works great! 

There are several potters who show their seams on mugs and bowls. I can't think of names off of the top of my head, but I follow a few on Instagram. Saying that you copied the seam is like saying that you copied the shape of a mug. 
Betty

Just heard this -The owner of Kemper Tools has sold the business. New owner has to move the factory as the property has sold as well. Not sure if this will stay  as a domestic business and what will be made  in terms of the tool line. They made so many I would not be surprized that that line is trimmed down . Pricing may change as well.. It's funny as I noticed Bailey has a sale going on Kemper now which is odd. My guess is there will be a time period that these tools will not be in production as well. The good news is Kemper will be around in some sense in the future. 

My clay is indoors. It's a low production home hobby studio (I'm no longer doing retail in stores). It's tight at first, but I can fit two 25 lb sleeves in a 5 gal. painters bucket. Those sit on plant dollies. Works great! 

Copying a design versus using the same technique while making a pot are two different things. Are there any new designs in functional ware that haven't been done before by someone somewhere, I don't know but I sort of doubt it.
I have noticed quite a few makers doing exactly what you describe; leaving the mark of the making process visible at the joins. I don't think you need to waste your energy trying to justify your work. Getting inspiration from others work is one way to challenge yourself into making new forms, and making them your own.  I'm sorry you are going through this, it must have been upsetting to you.

I have a fully functioning home studio and would like to "pass on" a lot of it now! But: (1) I'm emotionally obstructed-just can't do the sorting/labeling/organizing/marketing , even calling on helpers is just too much right now, and; (2) I have too much $ invested to just give it away (plus need some money soon for a pending family situation). So--maybe I'll get lucky and pass on before I fret too much over the current state of affairs LOL.
If that should be the case, I have dumped it, in my Will, in a friend's lap. He's instructed to either give it all to the NH Potter's Guild (they'd have to take everything, no cherry picking--if they want my L&L 23EZ & nice Brent wheel,  the tools, etc. they gotta take all the containers of dried clay trimmings & dried  glazes too) or he may sell everything  and keep the proceeds.  NH colleges/university have suffered the same down-turn for ceramics departments and even just scattered courses as other states have, so donating to a school is a non-starter. 

I have a fully functioning home studio and would like to "pass on" a lot of it now! But: (1) I'm emotionally obstructed-just can't do the sorting/labeling/organizing/marketing , even calling on helpers is just too much right now, and; (2) I have too much $ invested to just give it away (plus need some money soon for a pending family situation). So--maybe I'll get lucky and pass on before I fret too much over the current state of affairs LOL.
If that should be the case, I have dumped it, in my Will, in a friend's lap. He's instructed to either give it all to the NH Potter's Guild (they'd have to take everything, no cherry picking--if they want my L&L 23EZ & nice Brent wheel,  the tools, etc. they gotta take all the containers of dried clay trimmings & dried  glazes too) or he may sell everything  and keep the proceeds.  NH colleges/university have suffered the same down-turn for ceramics departments and even just scattered courses as other states have, so donating to a school is a non-starter. 

I’m not too worried about “the youth,” @Pres. I saw a young potter on the Great Canadian Throwdown describe the coil-building technique as “like a 3D printer.” .
Clay adapts to people and our needs.
I’m starting to look for inheritors for my stuff. There are also our collections of significant (to us) pots - I’ve begun to redistribute some.
 
 

What have you cleaned with this? Your floors? Your walls? I'm thoroughly confused about this. Sounds to me like you have a sewer gas leak. 

You may not have the right foundation for your clay soil,  a pier and beam foundation is recommended for some types of clay.   Heaving of the clay can cause leaks and cracks in your foundation creating wood rot and mold in the frame of the house.   My house in built on clay soil and I am having cracking in my garage wall because of a drought the last few year.  I  don't have any odor's or moldy wood smell in my house.   Denice

Oh the artist is well aware, I wouldn’t do anything without consulting her first. 

No--nope--not  chance--not worth it. Taking such high risk with any kiln (and especially someone else's with other people's stuff it) is just plain looking for trouble.

I am here to support the always interesting, always informative, always fun QotW and it's master Host.  As for surprizes in my clay---never, nada, nothin'.  Just here for support. 

I am here to support the always interesting, always informative, always fun QotW and it's master Host.  As for surprizes in my clay---never, nada, nothin'.  Just here for support. 

No--nope--not  chance--not worth it. Taking such high risk with any kiln (and especially someone else's with other people's stuff it) is just plain looking for trouble.

Since it is difficult to keep the iron particles in suspension, maybe it would be better to spray the glaze without the iron and then sprinkle the iron particles with a salt shaker onto your pot while the glaze is still wet...

gotta say--envy, envy--that's gorgeous! must be very satisfying to use

I threw my first  pots yesterday after a 8. week break. I had a tarsal tunnel surgery on right foot and out of cast now and in a boot for a month. I got off crutches  and knee scooter about 4 days ago and am taking baby steps towards walking again. Going to make some small stuff this am as well. Slowly getting back to it. Lots of PT and doing my PT 3 times a day then ICE and infrared light. Compression sleeve 99% on time as well . Wound is about 5 inchs long and coming along nicely. This surgery was a real setback for 8 weeks.
I have a large order to fill this spring and am just starting to get to it. I will be driving my self again within a day-ya hoo
PS tarsel tunnel is just like carpel tunnel on wrist only on the foot. Both by feet have it. I shosse the worst right foot to do this year -if it gets better in 3-6 months I will conside the other one. Right now  that sound really like a bad idea but once I;m healed up and if it works then I will think more about it on other foot.Surgery was a 4 hour trip away one way. Specialized doctor for this type of surgery of course.

Tannins (fermented organics) for well water quite often assumed as Iron. Common test often included in well water test kits.

This mallet. I make most of my tools, but this one was a long labor of love. Sculpted to fit my hand from a beetle killed spruce and a bone I found.
 I use it often, to pound out slabs before I roll them. 

I didn't have my own tools, other than the barest of the absolute basics, when I was getting into ceramics. I was on welfare, a Pell grant for art school, raising a child by myself, and, well duh, never had any money. My favorite tools were a few gismos I made from  1/2 to an inch & a half-thick live branches from some southern tree-like magnolia or crepe myrtle. I was into texture & sculptural curves (still am) so I crafted them to multi-task & to make interesting surfaces. They served like a potter's thumb, a throwing stick, and other variations  recognizable standard tools. Stopped claywork to go earn a living & packed them away in a lovely special box. But I lost them all in the shuffle, when I moved from VA to NH.  Now I've got just about every tool one could ever want, tho no high-end metals or master-favored designs, and no Griffin grip, which I guess isn't really a tool anyway LOL . My favorites these days are still those unintended for ceramics--the turkey quill, the drawer knobs, the pastry cutter, the dental tools, chop sticks, etc. etc. And, yeah, the fingers!