Callie Beller Diesel
-
Posts
4,473 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Gallery
Posts posted by Callie Beller Diesel
-
-
13 hours ago, Kelly in AK said:
One of these days I’m going to learn to tap center
Practice with a coffee can/other round container that you can put a little weight into (some form of dry clay/grog) that mimics the weight of a pot.
-
I haven’t chimed in on this thread yet because we deal with sales tax VERY differently where I’m at. But as far as organizing future sales goes, I think a flat rate charge for anyone wanting to participate is usually the least complicated method for everyone involved. Based on no one making under $150, maybe a $25 rate to cover promotional material/space rental, your own labour, etc. This price could be based on your projected workshop rental fee divided by however many spots there are room for.
Organizing it like a small scale show/table rental scenario simplifies a lot of things, would allow the event as a whole to be profitable, give the studio a predictable income, and have everyone in charge of their own payments and tax remittance. If you have a number of people who don’t sell on the regular but wish to still take card payments, you could consider purchasing a few of the small tap readers and styluses for studio use, and rent them for a small ($5-10 maybe?) fee. They’re very easy to pair on the fly, and setting up a basic Square account can be done by occasional vendors the day before.
Edited to add: organizing it as a craft show could pull all your permits/licenses under one umbrella and simplify that as well.
-
4 hours ago, Nadrali said:
only appeared on that one shelf,
Can you tell if that shelf was hotter or cooler than the others? It could be as simple as that.
-
+1 for the Neoprene pad (the Xiem bat mate or a chamois/sham-wow). It’s a lot more stable than clay wads, and not as expensive as a GG. (Not hating on the GG, just not my thing.)
For trimming, the positioning is very similar to centring, but with a trimming tool. Firmly braced, both hands in contact whenever practical. Middle fingers of my non dominant hand are in the middle pressing gently down, dominant hand holds the tool. Dominant elbow is braced on the knee/torso. Clay is cut away with a sharp tool and a light touch.
-
I’ve had something similar happen in a glaze that had dry epsom salts added to the batch. The salt crystals didn’t dissolve fully, so the bits left almost identical white patches.
So my question is, was your glaze lumpy, and could this have been caused by chunks of something (maybe the soda frit?) that weren’t fully dispersed? Did someone brush the lumps off of the pieces on one layer and not the other?
-
-
Skutt has a video here on making cup head bats. https://skutt.com/pottery-wheels/pottery-wheel-accessories/the-cuphead-system/
The principle is similar to the keyed bats that Pye linked to, just a different shape. It looks like the keyed ones are adapted to a standard wheel head instead of a cup.
-
A few questions to help us troubleshoot: Is what you’re referring to as scumming pinholes/blisters, or is it some kind of solid crystal in the glaze? The image isn’t super clear. If you experienced it in an entire kiln load previously, do you know what caused it in that instance? Also, can you tell us if the firing may have been cooler/hotter on that shelf for any reason? And what is the glaze recipe if you have it? If you don’t, please provide the brand name and we can look up details.
-
I pack my pots from my basement to my outdoor kiln. It’s not my favourite pastime, but I feel better about having my kiln outside than in my basement. It’s in a tin garden shed with no door, and the only things I keep in that shed are a folding table for loading, and a shelf for my kiln furniture and a lantern for loading in the dark. Going on 6 years, and so far, so good. My area is dry and cold, not humid at all. In the summer I wind up glazing outside, and that saves a LOT of work!
I find wind is an issue. Even in a sheltered area, leaves, dirt and debris collect under the kiln. You have to clean the area around the outlet pretty regularly if you don’t want to create fire hazards.
I would check into code about kiln sized outlets on external walls. I believe hot tubs that require a 240v service and a 40-60 amp breaker will have similar requirements. Or at least that’s what we went by.
If any of those windows are transoms that swing out, you’ll probably want to make sure the gasket seals aren’t letting any fumes back into the house. And keep an eye on them, because I can confirm what Neil says about the corrosion. I don’t have a vent fan, and the area around the peeps are getting a little rusty.
If you have concerns about neighbours sight lines, a metal privacy screen could be a good option.
-
On 5/9/2023 at 8:30 AM, mxdsa said:
Second, is considering the soak an appropriate priority for my situation?
I think it’s important to understand why you’re doing a soak at a given point in the firing. Why does the work need the heat, or the chance to even out the kiln’s temperature at the point you’re soaking at? Are you even having a problem with something and adding a soak will fix that problem, or are you just going by guidelines that someone else wrote down because it seems like a likely starting place? There’s nothing wrong with the latter, just understand that like the pirate code, they’re more like guidelines than actual rules.
On 5/9/2023 at 8:30 AM, mxdsa said:Ah, third question in this topic - can a manual sitter be upgraded on this kind of kiln?
Yes, and there are loads of how-to threads on changing your kiln from a manual to a digitally controlled one in the equipment use and repair threads. Neil is also a kiln tech, so he can advise you on how-to. It’s a bit of a project, and it depends on how comfortable you are with doing work with electronic components.
-
Things like lots of pet dander, pollen, heavy pollution or wildfire smoke can also cause this. It’s not necessarily allergies, just particulate.
-
As far as a clay being vitrified at cone 6, it depends on the clay you were using. A clay body that is sold as a cone 6-10 clay will be a lot more porous when fired at cone 6 than it is at cone 10. For food dishes, I find it’s best to aim for your porosity to be less than 1%. Even if your clay body is a true midfire clay, it’s always a good idea to do a porosity test to confirm against manufacturer’s specs. Your method of firing may be different than what the manufacturer used to supply that info.
The colour seems unusually vivid for mould growth, and usually there’s other colours involved as well. What it cleans off with will possibly also give you more info.
If it cleans off with hot soapy water, bleach or peroxide, that would indicate bacteria of some kind. Or maybe something it picked up from the counter? I have kids, so my mind goes to something like drink mix, or dye transfer from some kind of wet packaging.
If you need something like vinegar or CLR to remove it, that would mean it’s probably from the water.
-
5 hours ago, B.H said:
I had also seen on some pages that there is an ‘acute’ version which can occur after short periods of lots of inhalation
The data from those studies are largely from folks working in mines, or doing things like industrial sandblasting. Definitely more exposure than you’ve described here. Take a closer look at the concentration numbers in those cases and compare them to the ion meter readings in your house, and you’ll probably feel much better about your exposure levels.
If this one large sanding job is all you’ve really done, you’re probably fine. The housekeeping measures you describe are good general practice. Bear in mind the larger particles of clay, the ones that aren’t going to cause long term harm, are still lung irritants. There’s a lot more of those than there are of the superfine stuff. Give it a few days for your body to clear things out before you panic. If your weather has been exceptionally damp, a dehumidifier might help.
-
Unless you’re using a really expensive scientifically calibrated measuring device, there can be considerable variation in volume measurements. Not all 500 ml graduated cylinders are made equally. For things like commercial packaging, the acceptable variation is even more so.
If you go by weight, there’s still some variation, but as long as you’re using tap water to do your mixing, I can’t see it making a huge difference. Even allowing for hard vs soft water, the variance at 60 C/140F (most people’s highest hot water tank setting), the variable is pretty small. If you do have hard water, I’d be more concerned with any calcium carbonate concentrations affecting deflocculation than water SG differences.
-
I got no personal experiences around eye surgery, so I can’t offer anything on that one.
One of the best purchases I’ve made recently was the Maker’s Playbook photo course. I love it because it’s affordable, specifically for potters, and shows you how to create easy photography systems that are very friendly to my ADHD. It’s helping me break my posting paralysis on IG, which was no small thing! Taking good photos is something I’ve struggled with, despite the number of other workshops I’ve done. (Not trying to sound like an ad, but I found it really helpful.)
-
In addition to what Neil said, air dry clay will still be a bit porous, so if your spray paint requires a smooth surface to work (thinking of some of the metallic effects), you will want to apply some kind of primer or base layer first.
-
-
Most ceramic glazes, even ones meant for earthenware, will melt at much higher temperatures than stainless steel, so that alone will probably make them not compatible.
-
Makes sense. We think of plastic as totally impermeable, but it isn’t entirely.
With the recent addition of a cat to my life, I’m thinking of building a damp box out of one of my shelves, so she’s not climbing through wet pots to get to her favourite studio perch. I have some vapour barrier that I was going to use, which will be a change from my entirely too old stash of dry cleaner plastic. The vapour barrier I have is only 3 mil I think, so it might be a closer comparison than a heavier 6 mil.
-
As a 90’s kid who remembers hematite and rose quartz rings, there’s a reason they’re not making a comeback with all the other 90’s trends at the moment. They shatter easily with minimal impact and they’ll cut the heck out of you if it happens while you’re wearing it. I don’t know if that’s the most auspicious wedding band symbol ever.
-
Those are turning out amazing!
I wonder if you could build up more detail if you layer multiple images.
-
If it’s just a single hole like a flower pot or in a small area like a teapot strainer, blow sharply into it while the glaze is still dripping. Hold it over the bucket to minimize splatter. That should clear enough of it out to leave it glazed, but not have it clog. This method works less well if you’re making something like a luminary or berry bowl with a lot of intricate hole patterning.
+1 for not usually going under 1/4”. I like 3/8” for berry bowls.
-
On 4/23/2023 at 6:57 AM, kawaiidumpling said:
My local pottery webshop does have both liquid and solid porcelain from the same brand called witgert. But mixing the two is just not very common it seems.
This part stood out to me. Just because they come from the same manufacturer, that doesn’t mean it’s the same clay, or that they’re compatible. They may have similar shrinkage rates, but check to see if they have the same firing range. If it’s not common to mix them, ask why.
If you are excited about slipcasting and incorporating sculpted parts, I would suggest making yourself a flat plaster bat, and pour a layer of casting slip on that to create a slab. You can then use the slab to build hollow parts with, similar to the method Peter linked to. Or there are a LOT of slab building tutorials that could be modified. Look especially for online classes or workshops that mention soft slab techniques, as you will have to work efficiently. Cast slabs can soften quite a bit as you work with them.
If the casting slip slab is the same thickness as your other slipcast pieces, you can attach them fairly easily. This will work best to create relatively lightweight, hollow pieces.
-
It’s insurance, but IMO, not necessary if your slip is the same as your clay body. It’s an added ingredient, and best used if you’re experiencing a lot of shrinkage cracking. If you incorporate magic water into a slip, you shouldn’t add any rejected pieces to your reclaim.
Calcium borate frit subsitute
in Clay and Glaze Chemistry
Posted
@Clean Pottery if you know the brand of feldspar you plan to use, that could help us get a lot closer. Estimated analyses tend to vary pretty widely from actual on feldspars in particular, and the ratios of alumina and silica are important on this particular conversion.