neilestrick

1. It depends on your location and advertising capability. Social media makes it a lot easier than it used to be, and right now there is high demand for pottery classes. The more you offer, the more work it is for you but the more money you'll make. A lot depends on your kiln capacity and shelving space. You need X amount of classes/students to cover your costs (rent, utilities, staff, etc) and you go from there. I would have to double or triple the number of classes I offer in order to make it truly profitable, because I have a small studio (I have other revenue streams so it's not my only focus). It takes a lot of shelving for students to store their in-progress work on, plus space for greenware, bisqueware, and finished work. 2. Totally depends. Lots of variables. 3. Depends on how much work you want to do yourself. To make classes profitable, you have to offer a lot of night and weekend classes, which can wear on you pretty quickly if you're also working during the day. Friday and Saturday night parties are a quick way to make a few hundred bucks, but it gets old working nights. I have two night classes a week, and it feels like I'm there 4 nights a week. 4. You can totally make a good living if you can fill enough classes. 5. Kiln element life depends on how hot you're firing. If you're doing bisque and cone 5/6, about 130-150 firings from a set of elements. If you're only doing low fire, then 250+. You should learn to change elements and maintain the kilns yourself as it'll save a lot of money and reduce down time. Wheels don't need much work at all. There are a ton of variables at play here, so answering these questions with any precision is impossible. Opening a studio in small town Indiana is going to be a completely different experience than opening a studio on the north side of Chicago.

I was just wondering why cone 03 when most low fire glazes are formulated for 06-04?

You can treat the underglaze like any other oxide wash. Water it down as needed. To show texture well, brush it over the entire area, then sponge it off the high points so it stays in the recesses.

I would measure the drying time with the slip at or near the specific gravity that you're going to be working with, since you won't be using it in a milk-like state.

Kaolin should reduce drying time quite a bit, but it will probably increase the porosity, too. Personally, I would be very interested in seeing a body that was all kaolin/no ball clay, to see how much the color of the body is affected. As a kiln tech guy, the most exciting part about this is the potential for really good element life and kiln lifespan while still making vitrified ware. It's something I've though about a lot, but never had the time to pursue. It would be really bad for my kiln sales and repair business, though! I used to fire at cone 8, and by dropping to cone 6, which is only a difference of about 50 degrees, my element life increased by 25-30%. By dropping from cone 6 to even cone 1 would make a huge difference. This is exactly what clay and glaze manufacturers should be working on as energy costs and kiln costs continue to rise. On that note, why cone 03? Is that the limit of your kiln? Have you though about taking one of your tests that is at around 2.5% absorption and going 1-2 cones hotter to see what happens? I'm also excited to see how glaze fit works in these bodies when you get to that point. I have to think you'll get a much better clay/glaze interface than with typical porous earthenware bodies.

Please make a post in the Community Marketplace section for this. Photos would also help. Thank you!

You cannot change the kiln to a 3 wire prong. It needs the 4th wire because that model runs each section of the kiln on 120 volts. Each section gets a hot, they share the neutral, and you have to have a ground wire. You would have to pull a 4th wire and change the outlet and the dryer plug to a 4 prong. The other solution would be to rewire the kiln so the elements run on 240 volts.

ypically when I see this problem it's because one of the sections is having a problem, usually due to a thermocouple or relay. One section is not firing properly, but the controller is still confident it's working well enough to keep trying for some reason. It could be a relay that's sticking. How many firings on those relays? It could also be a loose thermocouple connection. Make sure all connections are tight, and that the tC wire hasn't broken under a screw on the TC block. What type of controller do you have? If you have a Genesis controller, you can go into the last firing data and see which section was lagging. If you have a Dynatrol, you'll have to check each thermocouple as it's firing. Also, if you have a Genesis, do a firmware update.

That's crazy! Let us know how it goes.

Quartz inversion issues take a relatively quick drop to be a problem. You can leave 3 peeps out from the peak temp and you are still very unlikely to have anything crack. I open my kilns wide open at 350F on a regular basis without issues. I've pulled pieces out at 500F, but that makes me nervous. I'll often prop the lid and inch at 500F and it doesn't hurt anything.

Well protected from the elements?

Is the kiln 50 amps, or is it on a 50 amp breaker? Kilns must be on a breaker that is 25% greater than the draw. Either way, 50 amps on 240V 3P is under-powered by today's standards for a kiln of that size. Your kiln is approximately 18 cubic feet, and by comparison, a 16 cubic foot L&L front loader will pull 58 amps. The L&L is rated to cone 10, though, so you don't really need that much power for your situation. I think you'll have a difficult time finding a kiln of that size that will have that low a power draw, however you may be able to have the elements customized to work within your specific electrical needs. Delivery on a kiln of that size (depending on where it ships from) could be $1000 or more, so make sure you get a shipping quote. If you need someone to assist with setup then buy from your local ceramic supply shop if they offer that service. Generally you'll need a forklift to receive the kiln, and a pallet jack to move it into place. You'll need to check clearances through all doorways from the loading dock to the kiln room to make sure it'll fit. A lot of big kilns won't fit through standard doorways.

I've attached a PDF with simple instructions for mixing casting slip. It's a good starting point. Every clay body behaves differently when deflocculating, so you'll have to make adjustments to get the specific gravity you want. Laguna Clay also has good instructions HERE. Slip Mixing Instructions.pdf

Yes, just test at the element ends where the wires connect to them. If it's a 240 volt kiln, the top and bottom sections should read 13.6, the middle section 16.3. They should be replaced if they're off by 10% or more.

Doing workshops and teaching classes are two different animals. Workshops are a good way to make some extra money, but you don't get the chance to do them until you're fairly famous because it's your name that's the draw. There may be others out there who make work that is just as nice but no one is going to pay money to go to a workshop if they haven't heard of them. It's also not something that you can do every week all year long. There's just not that kind of opportunity, and it'll eat into your studio time. One of the nice things about the internet age is that you can do online workshops, however you still need the name recognition to get people to sign up. The vast majority of potters do not do workshops on a regular basis, but they're great when you do get to do them. You can make a few hundred bucks for a day's work, plus sell some pots and meet a bunch of other potters. They're a great ego boost, too! Teaching pottery classes does not pay much. Many people who teach are paid in studio use, kiln use, clay, etc. If they are paid actual money it's not usually very much because they're paid for contact hours, and classes are usually only 2-3 hours once a week. Even as a studio owner you have to offer a lot of classes for it to be profitable. My classes cover my monthly expenses plus a little more. It would not be profitable on its own to a degree that was worthwhile unless I offered 3 times as many classes as I do (I currently have 4). That many classes would require hiring a couple of helpers, and working all day on Saturday, which is why it's never been the sole focus of my business. College level teaching is a sweet gig if it's an environment you enjoy. Time off, benefits, etc. Personally, I would love a college job, but when I got out of grad school I was burned out on the academic world and didn't pursue it. After a time is was simply too late to start that career. Most college jobs will require you to move, because there are only a handful available each year and chances are they're not in your town. My business survives because I have 3 income streams- teaching, selling my work, and kiln sales/repair. It was the best way for me to get the business going and now I'm settled into it. With some changes I could make a go at any one of them on its own, but I really don't want to. It fits the way I like to work, and works really well with my home life. The downside is that kiln repair and studio time can fluctuate a lot. Repair work has been crazy lately, so studio time has been virtually non-existent for the past few months. Financially it all works out just fine- money is money- but I do wish I had more time to make pots.

Did you buy one, or use one that was in the studio? Any packaging that indicates what type is is? Post a pic of it, and the old one if you still have it. What model is the controller on the kiln? Kiln companies don't typically make their own, so you may be able to find a manual for it that shows a setting for thermocouple type.

Did you install the correct type of thermocouple? What type did you put in? What type was the old one? The controller has to be set for the correct type.

Try THIS. Same controller.

Most underglazes will remain matte and chalky unless they are covered with a clear glaze. Typical underglazes do no melt out and go glossy like a glaze does. There are exceptions, like the Mayco Stroke 'n' Coat products, but they are more of a wide-firing-range glaze than an underglaze (although they can be used like an underglaze in many cases). Most underglazes are formulated for low fire work, but many will fire to cone 6 just fine, some colors will distort at cone 6, and some colors will burn out completely. If your pink glaze is now white, I think it's one of those that burns out, which is not entirely surprising since warm colors are often very sensitive to higher temps. First thing to do is to try it again on a fresh piece, and use a clear glaze. If it still burns out white then you need to find a different brand that has a pink you like. When you find one, look at that brands resources and see if it will work at cone 6. I know from experience that Speedball's pink will work at cone 6, however I don't love that color- it's a little too salmon. So I mix it 50/50 with white to get a good pink. Underglazes of the same brand can be mixed to get new colors, however you have to test fire them because the color you see before firing may not be the same after firing since different colorants have different strengths. An 80/20 blend of two colors may look perfect before firing, but after firing you actually need a 30/70 blend. I run a line blend when testing- 90/10, 80/20, 70/30....10/90 so I get the full range to select from.

I think they're talking about the Vent-Sure since they specified L&L. @MCB If you're concerned, you could always mount the ductwork with a hanger that is slightly offset from the wall.

I've installed many vent ducts against studs, walls, etc. It doesn't get hot enough to be a fire hazard.

Lots of questionably safe pots out there. Lots of unsafe practices out there in ceramics in general. It's frustrating for sure. There was a FB group that I tried out for about a week before I gave up because I was so overwhelmed with horribly unsafe information being accepted by newbies just because the person saying it made pretty pots and had been doing it that way for 20 years. The last straw for me was the discussion about using a 40 foot long 60 amp extension cord across the back yard from the house to the kiln, and more people saying yes than no.

Very interesting! Thank you for sharing. I'd shoot for below 1.5%. 3% will probably still weep. I agree, try some kaolin. It should speed up drying and increase whiteness. Have you done any tests to figure out how low you'll have to bisque fire in order to get suitable porosity for glazing?

I know there are places that can use printers for ceramic decals, but I don't know of anyone who does underglazes transfers that way.

Are the narrow white things metal or ceramic? What shape are they? I can't enlarge the photo clearly. Do they fit into the holes in either of the larger piece?