BlackDogPottery

I've also had problems with The Big Ceramics store. Ordering stuff and not finding out it was out of stock til only half of my package arrives. Bummer. I order supplies through The Ceramic Shop now, they're pretty good people. Its crazy to think I can place an order with shipping way cheaper from a shop in Pennsylvania than ordering from a supplier in my own state (Trinity ceramics).

I bet the market for ashtrays has fallen out as well. There's somewhat of a growing pocket (like all things) for planters. I'm sure not as big as in the 70's but people have really warmed up to purchasing handmade and fitting planters that match modern or industrial interiors. I guess it's all about knowing your audience and making it for them.

I think I've read somewhere that Dolomite in a tin glaze can also help with chrome blushing. It's noted that some dolomites make the pink color and some only lend to green.

Next time. After trimming I would run my finger over the footring while it was still turning to just get the hard corner off. Less inclined to chip while handling.

I have one of those Speedball Clay Boss wheels. Its held up alright for the most part. I've used it everyday now for 6 years doing production ware and only needed to changed out the ball bearings about 2 years ago which was super easy.

No, but I have been experimenting with some Xanthan Gum I found which oddly acts like it I think. It keeps stuff suspended and (I found this out after making this thread) makes it lay down way more smoothly. It's pretty handy stuff.

If you don't absolutely have to use sand. You can get Manganese in different mesh sizes. 20-40 mesh is similar to what I've seen in his work, plus it's still noticeable even without glaze and 60-80 mesh is a little finer. About 0.7% is all you would need for a heavy speckle but anything more than that you'll notice some bloating at ^6. I got mine at The Ceramic Shop for $3.00 a pound which will go a really long way.

@Ceallach It's brushing on greenware. Yes, at first I was going light towards the bottom but after while I could eyeball it and so far (knocking on wood) it hasn't ran even when I applied it thickly at 3 coats total. However it will run if you substitute the clay for Kaolin. Been there, done that and wouldn't anyone else having to grind it off their shelves. You can substitute the clay for Yellow Ochre though. The surface will be a flat black with slight sheen, it doesn't run but brush strokes will still show. If you get steel wool you can really polish the surface on all these variations after firing. The more you buff it the more it looks like graphite or super clean cast-iron.

Saving something new just in case I lose my notes. 100g water + 1% Xantham Gum 130g dry materials (50:80 mixture) = 2-3 coats for sufficient coverage Anything less will not allow the Manganese crystals to form and result in splotchy a brown glaze that is glossy.

Thanks for some input. So that's at ^10 right? I'd imagine it would only take a few more % to lower it to ^6. By the way if you are looking for a vitrified matte black to sgraffito, I have a thread started under "Red Clay" that I log in trials of different portions dark stoneware and Manganese slip. It works well for that kind of stuff. The reason I was looking for something else was I honestly couldn't bring myself to sell domestic/usable pottery to people that contained so much Manganese.

Aren't cookies just slabs of clay like mentioned above? Just kiln wash them and I'm sure you'll be good to go.

@Joseph F Still exploring but the vision is kind of a concrete look. The kind that has all those pebbles and aggregate.

Anyone have any remedies for keeping dust and specks of kiln brick from falling onto pots? I had a old kiln gifted to me which was almost like brand new. I've fired it so many times now and I'm starting to notice bits of lid falling onto any horizontal surface. It's not pretty and my other kiln does the same thing. The lid has thin crack running through the center. I was thinking of coating it with some kiln wash but I think I remember reading that was a horrible idea. Thanks!

Tupperware containers of glaze and slip, vintage mustard jar packed with brushes, trays of tools for throwing/trimming. Studio isn't sectioned off for different things but everything is in reach by the wheel.

Totally off topic but its funny you bring up creative masturbation. My friends and I would always joke around with what we called "artsy masturbation". Majority of art can be self absorbed and full of ego when you get down to the core.