karenkstudio

@Min It definitely reminds me of that banana taped to the wall that another performance artist came along and ate!

news.artnet.com/market/jeff-koons-balloon-dog-shattered-2258472  and someone is interested in buying the shards!

I fire flat tile pieces in a variety of sizes. Before loading each shelf, I sprinkle dry kiln wash on each shelf which helps the flat pieces slide on the shelf as the clay shrinks during firing.  I seldom have cracks in my bisque pieces, and where I place it on the shelf makes no difference.

Yes, pretty rare but little critters have a habit of causing havoc, especially gas pilots where they often crawl in and make folks wonder what’s wrong with my gas kiln? Only way to figure out is with real stepwise troubleshooting.  Good thing Bro was there!

I had a problem with wasps building a mud nest in my vent fan.  Cleaned it out and everything was fine!
 

It has happened to a few electrical boards and between the contacts on the back end of electrical components in my neck of the woods.  Anything that is outside with an electrical board that is not 100% sealed will get the issue at some point.
Thursday my brother told me his HVAC stopped working.  I went to his place after work finding the 3 amp fuse blown and lots of ohm testing we decided it was something in the outdoor unit.  It took me a few minutes of reading the electrical diagram to remember how the outside unit worked again.  After a bunch more testing the only odd stuff we could find was the defrost board and on the back side had a spider that had shorted out 3 different traces leaving some burn marks and a broken trace.  $98 for a new board, $35 for a new cap as his was testing weak, and $22 for a new contactor as his was badly pitted.  Should get the parts in the mail in a few days.

It's a bug!
"...it's a feature."
Nah, it's an actual bug!
Furnace control consoles (at the steel mill where I worked) had two large circuit boards inside (early 70s stuff, still in service, early 2000s).
Operators called us out for after hours support; the console at the entry pulpit wasn't working.
We found a mouse nest on the board, over the "history unit" (an early hard drive) where it was always snug and warm, and piles of sunflower seed shells.
"No food allowed" in the pulpits, heh.
We kept refurbished replacement boards at the ready; that particular board had an $6,000 price tag, that's if the "core" was rebuildable.

@Hulk, that reminds me of several years ago at my Dad's home the drier wouldn't dry the clothes. It would run, but not dry them on their automatic settings. Checked the vent to outside, no air coming through. Went to the basement and yanked the drier exhaust, found a mouse nest with 3 mice drowned in it. The duct had become blocked and moisture kept going in to fill with water, the weight of the water caused a pocket that trapped the mice in the nest and drowned them. Cleared it all out, re-supported the duct work, and replaced the outside flapper that kept the duct from getting visitors and things worked well.
 
best,
Pres 

Last time I wanted to fire my large electric kiln 2 sets of elements would not heat when turned to high. I have a paragon kiln with the "setter-timer" wired to the set of switches. Fortunately, my brother is a retired electrician and brought his testing equipment, at my request, when he visited. He has never worked on a kiln.  After some initial testing, and figuring out how all the wiring was configured, he removed the cover on the "setter-timer" box to examine those connections.  Upon close examination, he noticed a dead SPIDER blocking the connection to the 2 sets of elements that would not work.  He blew the dead spider out, reassembled everything and when we turned it on everything worked.  He said it isn't unusual for insects to cause electrical problems.
 

I know this topic has been discussed, however I came across information on an art center's web site which list fees for firing.  This might serve as a guide.

     Loaded and Fired by Staff                                                                            Loaded and Fired by the Artist     
                                                Low Fire      Mid-Range                                               Low Fire                 Mid Range
Large Oval Kiln                $80                    $100                                                            $40                       $60
Medium Kiln                      $60                    $80                                                               $30                       $40
Small Kiln                              $40                   $60                                                               $20                      $30
Test Kiln                                $15                    $20                                                               $10                      $15
 
For kilns loaded and fired by staff the turnaround time is usually within two weeks.
For kilns loaded and fired by the artist themselves they must first pass a skills check. If you have fired many times before, this is just a brief conversation between you and our Ceramics Center Manager. If you have only fired a few times or have never fired an electric kiln, our Ceramics Studio Manager will go through the firing process with you beforehand - this cost $35 for the 1 hour lesson. Kilns can only be loaded and unloaded during open studio hours or LUX business hours.

Here's what I've been up to in my free time.  Been making LED lamps.  Here's a few of the prototype designs. In greenware with crackle slip.
 

My workbench (all of them looked like this yesterday-today the kilns are glaze firing). Today benches are empty
One  and half handed glazing takes time
My new temporay cast can take a xxxl rubber glove over it now. 
Going to rain some it feels like.
 

Hey--this is some serious art here! This is the art of resilience and adaptability. It is the art of pleasing women who shop at gift boutiques and are obsessed with gnomes. It is the art of kicking Peter Voulkus out of one's head and replacing him with a big nosed little creature in a valentine hat. It is the art of survival.  And, truth be told, it is the art of having a bit of fun. But we shall not speak of this ever again.

Working  on found object texture tiles to be raku fired and assembled for a wall hanging.

I've searched for examples of 3-D  printed ceramics online.    Many were  delicate, aesthetically pleasing  extruded coil pieces arranged in every configuration the computer and printer will allow, and I think that's where 3-D printed ceramics is right now. 
I'm the type of person who likes leave a mark by swiping my finger across a frosted cake.  Perhaps some potters will  begin to manually alter these
as they have done with wheel thrown pieces.
 I could never build coil  pieces like these by hand.
 
 
 
 
 

All good arguments! I think true to the question though is where is your personal limit and perhaps why. As far as hand made? Don’t give up on human capability even without a computer and some exacting stepper motors. Lots of amazing things out there made / carved  / painted / thrown by masters of their craft that would make a printer blush. ( oh, out of magenta again $#@!)

I've searched for examples of 3-D  printed ceramics online.    Many were  delicate, aesthetically pleasing  extruded coil pieces arranged in every configuration the computer and printer will allow, and I think that's where 3-D printed ceramics is right now. 
I'm the type of person who likes leave a mark by swiping my finger across a frosted cake.  Perhaps some potters will  begin to manually alter these
as they have done with wheel thrown pieces.
 I could never build coil  pieces like these by hand.
 
 
 
 
 

I've searched for examples of 3-D  printed ceramics online.    Many were  delicate, aesthetically pleasing  extruded coil pieces arranged in every configuration the computer and printer will allow, and I think that's where 3-D printed ceramics is right now. 
I'm the type of person who likes leave a mark by swiping my finger across a frosted cake.  Perhaps some potters will  begin to manually alter these
as they have done with wheel thrown pieces.
 I could never build coil  pieces like these by hand.
 
 
 
 
 

After 45 years now throwing pots I think I'll order a 3 d printer and run it from the couch. No more getting hands wet and muddy.
I will also match it with one of the new Geil or Bailey auto fire car kilns. I'm just waiting for the auto glaze machine and then I can operate it all from my phone from a tropical Island while diving. Maybe an autonomous vehilce to  deliver the wares.  Just a few months away from the big investment of Ai stuff.
finally after 10,000 yaers of Manual ceramics I'll be free of actually touching the clay. No more dry cracked fingers -worn out bones, worn out cloths and shoes. No more aching back, no more dust . Just a few swipes on an I phone 18 small enough phone to fit thru an airline door.
No more pesky watching the kiln. Soon I will have to call the fire department to come and  flip me when I weigh 400#s on the couch and have run thru all of netflix content.
I can for once be free of that clay desease that invected me in 1969.Finally a cure
Somehow I'm wondering if this is  all linked to corona virus cure???

With only three shows on the fall schedule, I have time to do things that are outside of my usual inventory plans. The taller one is 14 inches tall. Both were thrown in two sections, about 9 lbs of clay in each vase.  

More from Labor Day glaze fire,
  Clockwise, from top left
  Covered dish, just over a quart.
  Same  Rutile Green.
  Five of fifteen small bowls in red clay (SRF).
 
Overall, am happy with this load! Still working on tossing pieces to reclaim that don't look and feel "right" - making progress there. Detailed notes are definitely helping! Looks like a longer bisque and a bit lower glaze fire target temp (plus slower cool to ~1850) has cleared up a few issues. Also looks like lower expansion clear is working on the cafe as well as the two white clays. Not decided yet on continuing to work in the red clay, perhaps just thin layer of slip over the better behavin' buff, and white (and somewhat behavin' cafe) clays. Can definitely see where calculated coe numbers could be deceptive - as a comparison/guide, where making limited adjustment to a glaze, helpful; for comparing glazes that have very different recipes, not as helpful.
 

another battery votive 

another battery votive 

another battery votive 

another battery votive