1515art

Mark, I agree... in Calif. where everything is quickly becoming over regulated seems to me most of the time unattached structures fall under much less restrictive building codes and when you don't need any permits I think you can do pretty much what you want as long as it doesn't change the occupancy classification. I'd have to reread but I thought the building she was talking about delivered by the Amish fell under those rules of not requiring permits.

I got to throw a little with the workers in the factory China, they were making pieces up to 20 feet tall in thrown 3 foot sections...no one taught them to cone, course China being upside down and gravity... a few have tried hanging a wheel upside down and Michal Frimkess work seemed to defy gravity (Frimkess threw very dry no water).

Building Code here where I live would not allow that. 5/8" drywall for fire rating over insulation and wood studs. best, ..................john might depend if the fire rating was required in the first place, I don't know your area but many detached structures fall under different requirements depending on where and what size.

Let me start by saying I think all the work on here is amazing and there are so many folks on this forum that know so much more than me about many subjects discussed here on these pages, this one topic I feel from my experience to agree with LT. LT, I have to agree with you about the conning of clay while centering, it has its place...wheel wedging, but not needed except to get the clay properly mixed for working with on the wheel, although many find conning gets them in a grove to throw(warmed up). I may bring the clay up and down once or several times depending on the amount of clay I'm working with or other factors (slightly loose bat, distractions...) but once the clay is centered no mater how many times I take it up and down as long as I wedge properly it throws the same taking into account other factors outside of the obvious. My first lesson throwing on the wheel was in 1969 and I was taught to "cone the clay 3 times up and down before centering" that worked well, everyone did the same...it was a rule set in stone I'd guess long before I ever got any clay under my fingernails as a kid. I too followed that rule, but that didn't mean centering was a snap...not by any means and without perfect centering you fight little issues till the end when throwing. The difference came for me when I understood the importance in several things, position, timing and feel (finding the wave). Centering; You need to be in as solid a position as possible, if the clay can push you around even a little centering will be frustrating, timing, throwning requires force and sometimes you need to time when to apply that force in a short steady burst and feel, when you take control of the clay it responds in a way that feels like you just got up on water skis, only your hands are the ones riding the wave...not fighting it like the boat drags you through the water. My personal opinion is whatever teacher dreamed up the 3 time rule was geanus, perfect way to get through to a student the need for a lot of things teaching something very difficult to learn, somehow though imo it was chiseled in stone and became one of those things. Another thing about centering is a lot of beginners don't understand using the wheel as a multiplier of force, to center easily one needs to direct the force (pressure from your hands) not just into the clay sideways, but down into the wheel head as well at a 45% angle down and in starting at the top taking control of only as much surface area as you can while remaining steady, then working down while staying in control...riding the wave. Clark

i spent a long time getting people out of what was I thinking moments, one of the first was a kid about 12 years old who thought it was a good idea to sand a little wood box he was making with a belt sander while holding the box in his lap (to make things worse he was a little chubby). He got about 3 inches of that tender inner thigh meat into the rollers of the sander with his shorts before he could get his finger off the trigger, but that's not exactly what you were asking... my ceramic what was I thinking revolve around taking commission work, took one for a large ikebana vase one time...by the time it was over I felt like the kid trapped in the belt sander.

There is a technique taught by David Middlebrook that would also allow great flexibility in making large hand built forms. The technique uses vermiculite held in a cloth container as an interior support for the hand building form. One cloth container that works well is a nylon stocking filled with vermiculite the size of the form you want to make. Take a slab of clay and wrap the vermiculite form in the clay slab keeping track of the knot in the stocking that is keeping the vermiculite in. Paddle and shape the form to anything you like and when the clay firms but before enough shrinkage occurs to cause any stress cracks, undo the knot in the stocking (or cut a new hole) and pour out the vermiculite.

One of my students just ordered one for a small ceramic studio on her property from Tough Shed. She first wanted to order a large building, they have a large piece of property but found out the wait with permits would be over a year, she lives in a town with very strict regulations. The largest building she could have installed in her area without permit delays was a 10 x 10 structure with a glass front so it doesn't feel so tiny at around $6000.00. If she continues to like ceramics then she will need something larger and she will use the 10 x 10 for kiln and ware. She will be putting in everything for a small studio, the building arrives end of January, I'll keep you posted on what she does and how things go if you like.

Do it very slowly so you don't wind up with an excess of oil reaching its ignition temperature all at once and causing an issue just in case there is a lot of oil trapped in the brick.

I'm not much help as I've just started playing with some mason stains that were given to me, what I have been doing is mixing stain just by eye for color to grolleg porcelain slip out of my slop bucket thinning as needed with water. Paints smooth and no bad reactions firing even when mixed dark, the last couple of pieces were done this way. I've also done second fire on top of high fire with stain mixed with low fire clear, goes on great the results look like poster paint. I also cover some pots completely with grolleg Slip (learned the hard way) when adding a layer of slip vitrify the slip so it bonds to the clay surface of the pot, I've had some glaze almost pop off the whole pot taking the slip with it if just going low fire glaze first after firing as the piece cools and adjusts.

Garden... all my broken pots or just ones that did not live up to the dream become garden decorations. They look very nice among the plants and rocks and you can still admire the work you put into carving or whatever. Just avoid making mosquito hotels.

Yea, the name Sue doesn't narrow things down much, it was just that she has been selling since the late 1960's and last time about 8 years ago when I saw her at a show in los altos she was living in Northern California. I've seen her at shows all over the state, but don't know if she did much in sales back east. Just thought you might have seen her at some of the shows, you have both been hitting the same areas for a long time.

Tough for someone who isn't familiar with you area and what's available as far as shops and galleries, if I was doing the same thing in the San Francisco Bay Area where I live it would be fun to try depending on the shop, but I don't see most art of any kind flying off the shelf, although as you said not much risk. It's a tough business when you start figuring your time, materials, firing and then commissions of up to 35% and/or show fees, my hat goes off to everyone who has honed their craft to the degree it's profitable. Taking Mark's very valid points espically the reagonal differences with popularity of ceramics and sales in your area could be really good. Are there other ceramic guilds locally? If so, what shops and galleries do the various members sell at?

Mark, do you know a potter lady named "Sue" I think she lives up your way and has been doing the pottery circuit a long time. She was Sue Fox back when I knew her in college we were good friends, haven't seen her for a long time...know her last isn't fox anymore not sure what it changed to. He work was always top notch.