Bethw13
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Posts posted by Bethw13
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Today at 9 am my wheel head replacement arrived from Skutt. It was only yesterday that I was told they were replacing it, so I was shocked when it was on my door-step this morning. Again I will say Skutt has the most amazing Customer Service I have ever experienced!
Can't throw today...other obligations, but will post tomorrow if this has fixed my problem.
That makes me happy. I have a brand NEW Skutt Kiln that has not been wired in as of yet. The electrician is coming tomorrow morning.
Knowing that excellent customer service is part of my new kiln purchase makes me do that happy dance!
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I took one of my dogs to obedience training. The instructor of the class told me I was a push over and it was no wonder my dogs don't listen to me.
I told one of the "friends" in an email that when I was having a show, I would let her know so she could bring her friend over. That way I didn't say NO but I did draw a line.
I will in the future tell people in no uncertain terms that the stuff in my house is MINE ALLLL MINE and not for sale.
That better work.
Thanks for the advice people!
Chris Campbell reacted to this -
Do you have friends, relatives and friends of friends that visit your house and demand to know how much pieces cost, that are NOT for sale? Pieces that you have adopted as your own and love? I make armadillos and spend tons of time on their expressions and postures. They are my babies.... I especially don't want to sell them. (Some of them.)
What about friends who want to sell your seconds that should have been smashed? I figure they are good for experimenting.
This keeps happening to me. I don't want to sell certain things and I sure as hell don't want to make up some arbitrary price to get rid of them.
One of them had a price tag on it for 65 bucks. (I could part with that one.) This woman at my house said I will give you 30 dollars out of my purse... I said NO. I finally sold it to her for 50 bucks but it really annoyed me. It annoyed me a whole lot less after she hand knitted a gorgeous sweater for me... I did trade her a lot of pottery though for the sweater.
I digress.
Saying, these things are NOT for sale doesn't seem to help. I don't want crappy pottery with my name on it out there in the public. I figure what I want to sell is my business.
Maybe those nasty mugs and stuff should be used to throw at people??
Can you tell this has happened very recently??
B
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What bothers me is the "Guilt Trip" feeling of it ... "Buy this from me because I worked so hard on it."
Also the drama ... "Every single piece I make is ripped from my soul."
I think a sign that said, "Do you know how long I had to push to get this thing out of me?" would also be effective.....
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Why use it at all? There are so many glazes, stains, etc, why use something that you know can be toxic to your customers??
Ok if you want to take the risk, but to subject other people to it?
I know most oxides are dangerous and toxic, make sure your glazes are able to contain the toxicity to use the chemicals. Research and test.
B
Tyler Miller reacted to this -
It is just like everything else in pottery, you just have to test and keep careful notes as you do it. Test and test some more.
I finally quit doing kiln loads of test tiles. Now I make my usual stuff and just have a shelf or two of test tiles.
It helps if you know what you want too. If not that makes it lots harder.
B
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My Book is supposed to be here by October 31. Cannot wait!!! (October 31 is also my black lab Hank's birthday.) Hank is sleeping on my feet and says "hi."
I went to a workshop taught by Mr. Britt last summer and it was amazing. I learned so darned much. I didn't know there was any room left in my brain,
If the book is as good as his workshop which it should be, your money was well spent,
There was so much information in the class, the book should fill in the stuff I missed.
Since getting home from his workshop, I've done 500 more test tiles.
How many glazes does a potter need??
Beth
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I thought that base glazes added up to 100 so 1% is 1
Yes that is true.
But remember those pesky decimals? .05 percent? Stuff like that. Now I multiply .05 % times 5000 with a calculator and no longer mess that up. I think there is an order of operations in there...
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At a recent glaze making seminar John Britt said "everything MATTERS!!"
I wrote it down and underlined it with a nice yellow high lighter.
Yesterday I was figuring out the amount of oxides and colorants for glazes. I was doing it wrong. I asked my husband who knows ALMOST everything, the guy is brilliant and he was doing it wrong!
My phone knows how to do it. I've been having trouble with glazes forever because I didn't figure out percentages correctly.
I put way too much colorants in them.
Use your calculator and make sure you are doing things right. I didn't do it wrong all the time but a lot of the time.
Can't wait until the next glaze load is fired. Soon.
B -
If I wrote something in a way that you took offense to I can assure you none was intended.
Min I guess I was a little touchy. Sorry for jumping on you. I am doing glaze testing and have already made over 350 ish test tiles. I changed from firing at cone 10 in gas to cone six electric. I want to get back to making "stuff" instead of glaze testing. I have just short of another 100 to go.TOOOOO many ideas out there.
BTW I am not talking about air pockets. I put holes in places where there are joints to keep things like legs and arms from blowing off. I use a needle tool and poke the hole right when I make them. I don't drill things full of holes like a collander. Once bisqued a little slip or glaze in the hole will cover it up.
Sorry but I do believe you need to place a hole where gas can escape when firing thicker objects. You all can believe what you want but just because someone else doesn't do it the same way doesn't mean it is wrong.
Oh and I just took a glaze class with John Britt. He says "it all matters." Sad but true. Every detail in pottery making matters.
Even Babs thought her piece was dry enough but it wasn't. Ya never know.
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Have you thought of drilling a hole or two in it?
If you do after the bisque you can fill the holes with some slip.
What makes pieces break is a buildup of steam and pressure. If the steam can escape it should be fine. You could also dry it in an over for a few days...
It is amazing what lengths you can go to to fire a piece. Good luck with it.
B
Um, hate to disagree with you on your first post but there is no need to drill holes in it. Even pots with enclosed air pockets will not explode if fired when dry, any form with a rolled rim or hollow handles for examples. It just takes longer to dry since there is a reduced surface area for the moisture to evaporate from.
Yes but how sure can you be that it is all the way dry. I've been making sculptures for years. The ones that blew never had any holes in them. Pieces can pick up enough moisture to blow up by sitting on a damp spot on the working surface.
Clay that has a lot of grog in it is not nearly as likely to explode.
Little Loafers is not a groggy clay.
BTW this is not my first post. My email account was hacked and every thing in it went to hell.
Could you be a little more condescending? I am not really good with subtlety.
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Have you thought of drilling a hole or two in it?
If you do after the bisque you can fill the holes with some slip.
What makes pieces break is a buildup of steam and pressure. If the steam can escape it should be fine. You could also dry it in an over for a few days...
It is amazing what lengths you can go to to fire a piece. Good luck with it.
B
Fish For Ideas-Indonesia Sea Creatures
in Studio Operations and Making Work
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Your pictures are amazing!! How deep were most of them taken? Wow just wow.