neilestrick

@Blossomhousepottery.com Thank you! I always use wax resist for etching, and do it at the dry side of leather hard.

Treadle wheels are amazing pieces of machinery, but they only appeal to a very, very small group of potters. Compared to electric wheels, they are big and bulky, physically demanding, and they slow down the throwing process. One must be of a particular mindset about making pots to use one. Most people learn on electric wheels, because that's what most community studios have (they can fit a lot more electric wheels in a studio than kick or treadle wheels), and folks tend to stick with what they know. So I don't think there's much of a market for them. I think most people who want one are happy to build their own.

So learning how to trim without a Giffin Grip is no longer a useful skill? I should require every student to buy a Giffin Grip if they want to learn how to trim in my classes?

That was probably from me! I'm not a big fan of tools like the Giffin Grip if they're being used in place of learning a skill. I don't allow them in my studio because it causes too many problems between the advanced students and the beginners, and my studio is supposed to be a place for learning, not just doing. I really push mastering the foundation skills, including centering for trimming. But if you've learned how to center and trim well without one, and it makes your life easier, then go for it. Personally, I've found that there are too many limitations with the Giffin Grip to make me feel like I need one.

Also check that the belt isn't slipping. Typically wheels in the US and Europe that only go one way run counter clockwise. Does it have a reversable plug somewhere on the control box, or a reversing switch on the motor? No clue on the 122. I wouldn't necessarily go spending a lot of money on that wheel though. You can't get parts for them any more.

@Jo Reid Most likely the problem is that the JR just can't handle centering 20 pounds of clay. If it's running fine with smaller amounts of clay, that's the problem. Usually if there's an issue with a wheel it will appear regardless of the amount of clay. The horsepower should be listed on the serial plate of the motor.

Even better than lineman's pliers, get some mini bolt cutters. I use them for element pigtails and they are sweet.

Some of the larger shows charge a $35 jury fee, and get over 1,000 entries. It does not cost $35,000+ to jury a show, especially when using online systems like ZAPP, that require very little labor, and when you're an established show that doesn't have to advertise beyond ZAPP to get applications. So that money is either extra profit for the show organizer, or it's subsidizing the booth fees. If I get into the show, the $35 was worth it. If I don't get in, it was a ripoff! I think a lot of shows use jury fees as a way to boost their profits since there are limits to what they can charge for a booth fee. I've seen jury fees as high as $45, which I refuse to pay. The show is either greedy or poorly organized if they need to charge that much. Some years I spend $1000 just on jury fees, which I think is ridiculous considering I only end up doing half of those shows. But to get into 20 shows I have to apply to 30-40. Jury fees have gradually crept up over the last decade. It used to be that $25 was the high end. Now $25-30 is average.

I think it's great that these shows are attempting to do some sort of online event in lieu of a real show, because any advertising and opportunity to sell work is good. But it's ridiculous to think that the online sales would come anywhere close to what would be sold at the real show, so expecting people to pay a full booth fee to participate is ludicrous. If they want me to put my jury fee toward it that would be fine. But using my $300-400 booth fee is not going to happen. There's no way I'm going to sell $2000 in pots in their online sale.

The only one I'm somewhat confident about is the studio tour in October, only because it's later in the year and way up north in Wisconsin where there's not much virus action. I'm not holding my breath for any of them, though.

All of my shows through July and some into August have officially cancelled. I didn't even bother to apply to any September shows except one small local show. I've got one May show that rescheduled for August, and one October studio tour show that I was invited to be a part of up north. That's my show schedule for the year-2, maybe 3 shows instead of 15-20. Total bummer. On the plus side, I've gotten back about $1500 in booth fees, and I was finally able to apply for unemployment this week.

Madison Art Fair on the Square, one of the largest shows in the midwest, just cancelled. It was scheduled for July 11 & 12, but they said the county will be under restrictions for large groups until at least July 15. Kohler Art Fair, also held in July, sent out a notice yesterday that they will decide in the next couple of days whether or not to cancel. I think Madison will help them make that decision. I'm still undecided as to whether or not I would attend if they don't cancel it. But probably not.

Did you get them through Alpine or somewhere else?

Looks to be in pretty good condition. The red boxes contain the Fireye circuit boards, which are the heart of the automatic ignition and flame sensing safety system. Probably the most expensive part of the setup, too. I believe they're still available. As is, it's not entirely safe, and may not meet code, because it doesn't appear to have a high temp shutoff controller. It's not too difficult for someone to make that upgrade to the current system, though. That burner setup isn't ideal, but it will work, as that was the Alpine style for decades. Ideally the burners should be pulled back from the kiln, the burner tube extended, and a proper retention tip put on the end. The ceramic burner tips Alpine used are no longer available. Someone could buy a new burner setup for a couple thousand dollars, or build their own for half that. So if they get the kiln for free, that's a deal. The kiln shelf bag walls should be removed and replaced with stacked hard brick. As you can see, they are warping and cracking the door jambs. The radiants (curved grates) are not necessary and can be thrown out. Alpine stopped using the kiln shelf bag wall and radiants in 2003. Don't even try to take it apart. Everything is mortared together. Behind the brick is a mixture of vermiculite and cement if it was built in Illinois or Wisconsin. If it's so old that it was built in California, we don't know what's behind the brick and could possibly be asbestos. As long as the bricks are solid, the kiln should last for many more years. As Mark said, it's really pretty clean for an old Alpine. I bet if you run some ads you'll be able to find someone who would take it off your hands for free. They'll need to rent a fork lift if you don't have one.

https://www.paragonweb.com/files/manuals/LX_914_Duncan_Kiln_Owners_Manual.pdf

We just let ours go to seed. They get really tall and look like a fern. Apparently you're supposed to let them do that when you're done with harvesting (if you harvested at all), as the fern top collects sun energy and makes for stronger plants the next year. They'll also make little berries/seeds that can be planted. https://www.aveggieventure.com/2018/10/beauty-of-asparagus-berries.html

Growing up on the front range in Colorado, my grandma used to take me out to pick wild asparagus. I never liked to eat it, but hunting for it was wonderful, especially because I got to hang out with Grandma. I'm still not super fond of it, but I'll eat it. We've got a very small patch started in our garden, and there are currently 4 stalks coming up that are a nice thickness. It takes forever for it to get established and spread. This is the 3rd or 4th year in our garden, and we're finally seeing stalks that are good for eating. https://www.modern-forager.com/colorado-wild-asparagus/

@Babs thank you for the support! I just ordered a new hard drive and battery today for one of our old laptops so the kids can use it. Computers are awesome until they aren't. I really shouldn't complain. We're fine on money for now. It's just that it seems like everything is on hold and it would be nice if at least something would move forward. We filed our taxes more than a month ago, figuring that we would be able to get our refunds before everything went bad. It'll happen eventually, I'm just frustrated with waiting. Today I tried to figure out how to deal with my classes once the lockdown is over, and I realized there's no way to fit all my wheels in the studio with safe distancing, even if I take out the work tables. I've got options to make it work, though, so that gave me some peace of mind. And I know my students will be willing to do whatever it takes to make it work. They're good people. This will all get worked out eventually, and life will be good. I'm glad to have a place to vent my frustrations. Thanks, all!

Spring Green still hasn't cancelled their art fair, which meets the last weekend in June. They say they'll make a decision by June 1. I think I'm going to drop out regardless, because I don't really feel comfortable doing a big travel show that soon. Staying in a hotel and being exposed to thousands of people just doesn't seem like the right thing to do this summer. Here in Illinois today a judge overturned the governor's stay at home order. A down-state rep claimed that the governor overstepped his authority by extending the stay at home, because his original disaster declaration expired on April 9th. The rep is from a rural part of the state in the middle of nowhere, with a small population, so they haven't seen many Covid cases. So he filed a lawsuit so his people can get back to work, without any consideration at all to what that would do to those of us in the Chicago area where we're seeing more than 2,000 new cases every day. I only hope that there will be a stay on the ruling and it works its way up to the state supreme court and the governor wins. It's really stressing me out, though. If the lockdown is lifted, then we all have to choose between opening back up and possibly getting sick, or staying closed and not being eligible for any unemployment funds because on paper there's no danger. I just can't believe how reckless people are willing to be with other's peoples lives. Also, the Illinois unemployment insurance system for the self-employed might not be up and running until May 11, so two more weeks of waiting there until I know if I'll be getting any financial help, and the IRS and the state are taking forever with our tax returns since they're so different than our 2018 returns because my wife opened a business last year. Sorry to unload on all of you, but I'm starting to feel the stress of all this uncertainty.

Finally getting some mugs ready to go into the kiln. Despite being in lockdown, I haven't spent nearly as much time in the studio as I thought I would. Seems there's plenty of other things to get done, and the kids are starting to feel stressed about being stuck at home so I'm spending more time with them. But anyway, firing this week! All that haze on the black will disappear in the glaze firing.

If there's a set screw, it should come apart there. These parts have been together for decades, though, so nothing is going to be simple.

To bring this thread back onto topic: With everything I've been reading lately about the current state of the virus spread, and the very possible/ fairly likely second wave in the fall, it would be best if we didn't have any activities with large groups until we have a vaccine, or can prove that we have acquired herd immunity (which may not be possible). I think about this every day and how it affects my business, income, and safety, and it's a hard thing to find the balance in my mind at this point. Not having income form shows is a big hit to my income, but at what point is it worth risking my health or community health?

Unless you're really set on building your own, I would keep a lookout for a decent used kiln. From a time and money standpoint it would be the best way to go, even if you have to drive a bit to get it. The most difficult part is cutting the grooves in the bricks. Brick dust chews up anything it gets into, so know that any power tools you use may be sacrificed. Build the controller box so it can be wall mounted, not mounted to the kiln. Have a jumper cord coming off the kiln that plugs into the control box. The boxes I've built run about $200 for a 50 amp kiln, including everything but the controller. For a 20 amp kiln you could drop $30-40 off of that since you'd only need a small relay, outlet, etc. You can get a good 3-button kiln controller for $200. The big questions are how much work do want to do, and how quickly do you want to be firing? Building your own electric kiln is about 10 times as much work as a small gas kiln. There are a lot of little parts needed to make it work. A control box alone uses about 20 different parts if you count wire as one part. There's also all the little terminal ends, screws, nuts and bolts, etc. I'm not trying to discourage you, I just want you to realize what you're getting into. I'm assuming you know enough about electrical systems to do it all safely? Start making a list of everything you need. It will be lengthy, and sourcing all those parts in small quantities can get expensive.

Illinois just cancelled the remainder of the school year.

My wife reads a lot of articles every day about Corona transmission since she's still working, and they're now finding more and more cases of people who are testing positive with no symptoms at all. For instance, 60% of the 600 sailors on the aircraft carrier that's been in the news that have tested positive have no symptoms. That means we really don't have a clue about infection rates. So until everyone can be tested for infection and antibodies, nothing should be opened up. If they don't do it that way we'll just have another wave of infection and fill up the hospitals again. Here in Illinois, we're adding over 1,000 cases a day, partly do to the fact that we're now testing over 7,000 people every day and that number is increasing. But as long as those infection rates stay high or keep increasing, we're in lockdown. The numbers need to get low and stay low for at least two weeks before we can open up, and everyone needs to get tested. So I know our lockdown will extend well into May, if not June. I don't expect the kids to go back to school. Once I'm able to open my shop back up, I expect we'll be wearing masks in the studio, especially since I have a fair number of seniors in my classes. I don't think there should be any art fairs or large public gatherings of any sort until August at the very earliest at this point, but I have a feeling that some of the July shows will still happen because people are hungry for money. I'll be wearing a mask if I do any shows this year, which will be really unpleasant in the warmer months.