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Mark C.

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Everything posted by Mark C.

  1. You can can take it to shop that does restoration of ceramics (may have to send it ) goggle this to find one. Or I would use JB weld to glue it . Its water proof. I would pratcice on some othef broken ceramis to gain skill. You trim off the excess after it drys with a raxor blade .Its grey in color if white is better they have a marine white that trims white. I have done this for many decades but you need to learn how to use and cut it before doing the final piece.
  2. My 50 years experience (about 40 with Laguna most as a direct supplier) is the same story. This may sound weird but its only 1 bad ton. I have had it happen to more than a ton a time . My fellow potter friends (all full timers) have all had this happen over time. It never the suppliers fault-thats always the same story. The box of most clays lists this on the outside and say to test it. One had a ton with lots of inch silicone caulk chunks in it. They did know about iot and sent him another ton-they do not want the clay back ever I'm sorry for this but for me its been a lot more than a ton. Rawa materials are going thru some strange times now as well. If you want all my tips just check your PM and I will send you my # and lets talk a bit-I have some ideas Now on a great story about bad clay from the later 80s .I once got many tons of bad porcelain clay from laguna (these where elery days for them). It bloated a lot at my usual mcone 10 soft 11 gas fires . I had lost 3 35 cubic foot car kilns loads. They asaid I was niot bisquing hot enough and not drinking enough tea and rubbing my head to much and using to much water and whatever else you could make up. It was a crital point for me and I knew I could not get satisfaction from them so it dawed on me I needed to feel better. Now I had met the owner and knew his dad as well I should add. I got three huge color TV boxes (you know thw old large TUBE TV boxes. I loaded 2 kiln loads of fired pots in those three boxed and used no padding at all in boxes and really tappeed them up. They filled my 3.4 ton truck bed and took them to UPS and sent then directly to the owner of Laguna. It cost well over 100$ in 1980 money. I felt great afterr that.Decades later I was at a wood fire gallery opening and my old Laguna friend (clay body guy John Pacina was there and after decades of phone talking we meet face to face at the opening in Eureka Ca,) I told him my old story-little did I know UPS took those huge heavy boxes upstaire to the owners office and left them. He came to work next day and got really mad as he had to pack them all to the dumpsters downstairs . He said I was famous after that incident at Laguna.I felt it needed doing as a full time who knows how to bisque and rub my head while drinking tea. I later became pretty good friends again with him but I will add I always felt better after sending those bad clay pots.He did have better respect for me after that It made my point and they made some body changes and that fixed it for some more years I ordered some red clay for a friend in so-cal last year and it was fuba as well. Saved him as they only had a small amout =so he got shorted with only a smaller amout of the stuff. That said it can go sideways ina second.
  3. One other option instaen of sheet rock is what I covered my throwing room in was Laun panneling its super thin and lightweight. You can use small finish nails (air gun ) to tack it up. It comes in 4x8 sheets and paints well and is very cheap tp but.. It fast and you could still have the lovely wood under if you ever want to peel it off. Its about 1/8 inch thick or so
  4. Raes idea on the heat is spot on that way you have heat in both areas-just inside the slider would work for kiln The LED adjustable light temp on those pancake LED is great -we choose the more warm light in the house -The studio lights (fluorescent style LED) are no adjustable) I would stay away from the ones at costco as they make a humming noise.
  5. Laguna been out and low on many standard clay bodies the past year. Some materila have left (like talc and soon grestley borate). They also have had a turnover of oldtimes retiring to add to this disruption. I'm sure thats trickled down to smaller suppliers as well.
  6. LED lighting is the only way to go. You can buy led fluorescent looking lights. I have them with covers to keep dust off outside in gas kiln area and in all my out buildings. LED will save you $$ in long run. I have a mix of one room all white (throwing room and a darker room.) the white wins out about 100%. It a shame to paint notty pine but if th is your permanent studio for life I'd break out the roller and paint it all white. The pancake lights in above post are what we have in most house rooms and are on a dimmer thay really can put out the light put 4 led 4 foot fluorescent looking fixtures are far brighter and less of them nned for a studio . I converted all my fluorescent fixtures to LED about 15 years ago. Never looked back.You can put that kiln in the middle area with a long downdraft vent or a hooded vent and just take it long to an exterior wall. Since I can see two at least its not an issue-you need a foreced draft system with blower but most come with that. I personly like a wheel with a view and built my throwing room with that in mind. But that a personal design decision. Things on rollers is good idea are you planning on production work or something else as that will change the layout as well
  7. The best way to think about this is clay comes in and flows thru the work system and out the door in a loop. That is the most efficient flow. I do not like the glaze table (which glazing is the most messy ( other than throwing) next to desk and pack table in yiour layout I would store clay insdie the door on left working to wedging ,throwing then drying. Then on to glazing and last packing. The kiln can be central in an indoors space. Glaze areas are not clean space . The pack space and desk is a clean space. kiln space is also a clean space.I would put them all in the right hand space and Keep thge circle idea in whole layout. clay is finished work out. The wheel is not in a good spot either for me
  8. I have been a free weebly user for a really LONG time. many many years now. I also was with square as soon as they started. That all said Square bought out Weebly and now have only a fee based system for weebly square . I will add that Mea also turned me on to Weebly long ago. The flat rate for a simple pay for a year site was 110$ paid up front. I have yet to be forced into that as my free site is still running (i'm not looking ever for e-commerce). When it does go away I'll pay up. I'm near the end of wanting much of a website . It does drive my long time customers spread over the west my way and does pay for itself in spades when I have to pay for it.I'm getting to not want more work and my wholsale is plenty . I did just send out 42 mugs to one customer who realized I will be dead and he will run out of my mugs so he bought a lifetime supply he said.Now thats a weird thought for me.
  9. Your CK is looking like a 1/2 hp original brent blue motor . I had that motor on my model C in 1970. The controller is not the earlier model in a cheaper metal electrical 4 square box so it a bit more modern than the 1969 models.The front is also a give away on the control panel If the deck is 1/4 steel and weight a ton my guess is this whell is 1974-1976-The other stand out is the more modern foot pedal-they changed to that in 72-73 if I recall It has the 12 inch head as well. I wore my bearing out on the head in about 30 years of hard use (full time) swicthed to 14 inch head
  10. Dave can you post a few photos of your CK wheel topside and bottom,motor etc
  11. Less is better these days-I have lived in/on same propery 50 years this last May and that is a double edged sword. I sold a wood stove today for a shop and gave them a free rolling Fairbanks scale that does up to 1,000# with extra counterweights (3x whats needed) . Felt great to see it all go away down the road. The stove I used for my thanksgiving studio sale in kiln area. The last one was 30 years ago.I had home studio sales for 19 years witha 1,000 person bulk mailing permit. Gave it up in 1992 when I started doing lots of out of state art shows instead. I'm closing up studio for few weeks soon to move a few gas kilns and pour a big concrete slab and bring in a new to me Geil 18 cubic foot brick kiln. I have to get my 12 cubic gas kiln out of the way (its on dirt under shed) and pour a large enough slab under kiln shed to house two gas kilns and two peter puggers. I should have done this decades ago.. Today I ran a 1 inch gas line from out of the slab area-its was tapped to my 2 inch main line. I like plumbing but digging is less fun these days.. Big job and its a dirty one . Slab is maybe 9x13 or maybe a bit larger.May have a pump truck as well to make that concrete job go easy. By the time its all done I may be too.
  12. I've been downsizing my ceramic book library for years now. Same with everything really for us at this stage in life..
  13. These wheels are really just junk. Super low cost from China. I suggest not throwing any money towards it. If its a fuze thats easy. Many before have asked about these cheap wheels and the answer is always avoid them. Sorry you ended up with one. Hopefully the auction price was really LOW
  14. All Sold except the ladels I have some new in bag anchor hangers-they are $10 new will sell for 40% off and include the bag https://www.propanels.com/product/anchor-hanger/ as well as 3-4 tent hooks in a bag-will sell for 40% off with bag https://www.propanels.com/product/tent-hook/ would like to ship these parts all to one buyer I also have a new quick shelve somewhere in darker color never used as well Also a dozen really nice wooden New soup Tureen Ladels-I need them gone make offer
  15. Paul is your best source of advice. Funny thing is I'm moving this very kiln myself this summer to my place. Its a 16 cubic soft brick Geil. Its only got the older DD system that holds whatever temp you set asa hold themp, not the auto damper or the reduction control. Much less auto controls and I'm converting it back to natural gas-maybe I could get your orfices for Natural gas???
  16. (Olympic recommends 5/64ths.) In Michigan these bits are common at any hardware store. I have been a round a few of these and even converted one to a =downdraft salt kiln (short life). Start slow with gas and as Bill said small adjustments on the flue are critical .6 burners should fire this easy to cone 10. Digital pyro is also key to use.
  17. To much gas is often whats going on. Open the air flaps on the burner all the way if there are any. The only adjustment I would do is the exit shelve on top.-You need a digital pyrometer to see what really going on. The 6 burners are better than the 4 burners. 6 burners is a lot for that size kilns so turn the gas down. When the climb is good leave it alone
  18. I have after a lifetime of art show/fairs retired from them except my one local show which I am a board member on and this fall will be its and my 49th annual North Counrty Fair. in September.I still have a few shows that want me but I turned them down at this point in life. its been 50 years now of selling pots. Other than that show I still have my local outlets which still sell an amazing amount of work. Two are wholesale (orgainic food markets) all within 15 minutes of home. My work is on a high traffic end cap in each. They order via email when needed about every 4-6 weeks. Orders are usually average $800 or more I still sell to a few gallery /gift shops wholesale as well and I still have after many decades a few consignment shops that send checks monthly . These are many decades old and well trusted. These are a 50/50 shop and a 40/60 shop I also have a large pottery gallery that only sells pottery that is 10 hours away that buys an huge amount of wholesale twice a year.He is my best costomer and best business person I have ever dealt with.I drop that order off at his brothers about 4.5 hours away. I have a 100$ minimum on my web site to slow mail order down (which worked well during covid buying craze) . I still ship a fair amount of pots to customers all over the USA via Pirate ship UPS via my web site. One customer I just finished making for ordered 41 mugs (well over 1k order) so when I'm dead and gone he still could have a morning coffee from his favorite my mug as his teens break about 3-4 a year. This order he will pick up later in summer in SFO area from my partner when she visits her brother in SFO area. That way the packing is loose and easy like a fair packup. So far in life the new Etsy and other sites have not even been a thought for me which is great as I can focus on sellin g larger amounts at a time. I would develop your local sales over any internet sales site first as these tend to last a lifetime or at least for me they have. If you live in the middle of nowhere than the net is your only option unless you travel with the work. Art fair shows are good if you like people and are good with them.-Not for everyone. In 50 years of shows I have a few stories to tell for sure.
  19. Is your new curcuit board for the older wheels like the one listed above???? You also mention a switch is this a new or older one. The Brent curcuit board youi need is for the older wheels as all As are really old. If I recall the old switches are all two wire?
  20. Most building codes in a garage require GFI or GFICs but thats the 110v curcuits (never put a frezzer or Refer on one) . 22OV CURCUITS usually do not apply.
  21. I would not put a kiln on a GFCI if I had a choice. If it trips durin g a fire you lost all that power/heat and have to start over
  22. Two stand out 35 cubic foot car kiln load fell over with greenware rolling it in.-lost most of it. in the 90s 35 cubic foot car kiln fell over during a cone 10 moment wioth 7.0 earthquake -lost most of it in the 80s small errors -10 cubic foot electric way overfired bisque load threw the whole load in trash bin-not so bad really,5 years ago
  23. Buy a kiln shelve (mulite-the tan ones)and cut it down to whatever size you need on a diamond wet saw-this is easier than any other option
  24. Make the photo smaller pixel wise-read the header on posting photos- Here I run mine thru my mac I photo to meduim size mail them to myself and post from there-PC is another animal. They are to big most times so make them smaller
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