Bunnybaer

If I use a plastic form I usually take a sponge and dip it into a little bit of babyoil. I rub it into the form and then I lay the clay on it. It works fantastic, also in forms wich have structure. The oil never matters because it is too less on the clay,I burns away (like cold wax) during the hours in the kiln.

To make a perfect glaze needs more than a few times of testing. If you got the right flood ( mostly feels like liquid cream or thin joghurt) then it gets well. Red is difficult. I always let it dry for one day, then I glaze it for the 2nd time before I make the glazeburning. Red loves it hot and thick. I never do it in the middle of my kiln - always on the sides. My experience with glazes are different. Some glazes hate it to be older than a few days. I always make them freshly. I mostly use glazes for lowfire = until 1080°C. because these glazes have the nicest colors ( I thinks so). And they don´t run so much. I sometimes use brushes. Not so much, because youmust be very careful withbrushing. I you take not enough glaze ore the pressure on the brush is too much, then you only get cristalclear glaze without enough color. It gets too thin an the particles go away. That is why I mostly dunk it into the glaze or I sprinkle it with a soup ladle. If you use terracotta-clay, maybe the natural glaze is the best. If you use white clay then it could be very nice if you use mangan. You can work with a bit water on a sponge and make fantastic patterns. Try it! I use a glaze called tigereye. It is brown with black spots in it. Very nice for terracotta! You must tell the person who burns for you, for wich Temparature your glazes is made. Important. Good luck!

Thanks a lot for all your helpful advises, very much! I think it would help....I is good to know that e.else has the same problems, too as I have (sometimes). So I try to make cylinders, For the last tiem I made a salad bowl it was great. So I think I change between throwing-days and handmaking-days. Kind regards, andrea

Thank you very much. I always take clay with chamotte (do you call it so? In germany we do..) this clay is very smoothy. Maybe I give toomuch pressure onit. But the up-pulling of the clay ist not what I prefer.... maybe I find some videos here. I think my problem is - one of it - take not enough water! I´ve seen in some videos that everyone takes so much water on it and me...hmm..much too less water...hehe...ok I hop I´m getting better.-

I don´t know what happened - I made a break over 2 Weeks working with my wheel. AN this weekend was so horrable - nothing was perfekt. Whateber I did, the clay was runnig opu., I could´t centrate good enough, the clay was swinging, the thickness was not correct, I have thrown 8 kg up and away!! I´m sober...it is so baaad.... please, can anybody tell me, how long does it take to be a very good wheel-throwner....??? I do it 5 Months and at the first time it was fantastic, I learned quickly I had success but now.... I am just an bad bad beginner....so sad...

looks overfired...maybe it stood too far an the heating. I know this too. I take a soft brush after glazing. Whe the glöaze is dry enough then I clean the glaze with an brush. Then it gets more thin. Maybe you´ll better stand the Mug in the middle of your kiln. O you try to reduce the temparature at holding time for maybe 5-10 min. It works.

looks beautiful......

Do you mean the powder to sieve? Of course you ca do it. If the spots are big enough you´ll be successful. Although -maybe it´s getting interesting if you leave it so or is it too much? The problem with white getting green shined, yes I nknow that, too. Sometimes it happens on clay wich is colored like sand. Don´t know how it is called in english, we call it creme in german. or lederfarben. liek leather. Then sometimes I have a light shine of green or yellow. If I heat up the oven, push the temparture higher, then it´s gettin better. But the flood is horrable....

Edwardss...it still looks wonderful, your pottery...the bowls are fantastic and the idea with the figures....EXELLENT !!!

I had the same idea bevore,too.... but I didn´t realize it....It´s because my oven is still sooo BIG and I´m searching for an idea to use the head of it after glazing economical... But heating it up only for pizza? Wouldn´t that be very expensive? Recently I don´t use it for making Pizza, I´m using the heat for drying my leatherhard things. I put them into the oven and close the door. The things stay there until I stick the oven up with my new things. So I have a clear mind....and my things dry quicklier...

Yes so as I thought..hmmm... maybe I make it thinner becuase it is a so fantastic brilliance...

Hi everone... I have a question: is it right that EVERY glaze is more running when I push the temparatur? I never did this bevor,but....yeah, the last times I did it, because the red was not as good as I wanted it. SO, I pushed it till 1100°C and it got wunderful. But: all glazes are more runnig than bevor.... Is that true? But this brilliance...I is so fantastic! I am a little bit scared because I don´t want to make mistakes....hmmm....maybe more trying... or makeing the glazes thinner? Who cantell me what to do? Thnx al lot....andrea

aaaaah, very nice pics,I love it... I made this mistake befor, too...cutting too much clay out of the wall of my bowl, I love spirals so much. Today I am waiting much longer, till the clay is leatherhard (we tell it in germany lederhart) the the cuttings are easier... I love the glaces... wonderful! Here in germany we only use cones, if we are not sure, that the oven temparature is right...I don´t have cones here. I mostly try it, When I have much red glaces the I push the temparature to 1100°C. Most times I glaze by 1050°C.

Thank you very much, John......I am happy to be here!