Mark C.
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Posts posted by Mark C.
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Rub the bottom of pieces as we unload them with rubbing stones. Feel them and look at them for flaws. The more we handle them the more we can find. Put like forms on tables.
I grind any that need it during this unloading time. Brass wire wheel and flat forms that are made with 1/2 and 1/2 to smooth.
fill orders from the pots on table and put the rest in like forms boxes for later orders
If a show is involved I price and pack the boxes full and put in van
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You need the fines from the throwing buckets as much as you can get and the vinagar is also helpful.Adding dryer clay takes some time for all theloarticles to wet whuch means more mixing time.If you are addin g dry trimmings for example that takes longer and produced shorter clay. I as a professional only pug wet clay and toss all dry clay as I do not have time for it to grow legs to throw. If its still short let ot age in bags and rotate the stock.
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yes-many around here are using #6 tile in glazes one to one In a clay body it would also be the same
- RobinFlanders and Roberta12
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Tile #6 works just as well or Kentucky stone can work as well
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Ok my reduced gas line to new kiln was unable to fire the new kiln and it shut off at 2100. I fired the other two kilns. Today I fired that Geil kiln off in 8.5 hours to cone 10. Paul Geil expalned the pipe size issue and my 1 inch flex is on the way from Supplyhouse.com.
I will see those pots on friday as that kiln is super insulated and is a two day cool like all my kilns now.
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Well I spent 5 weeks this summer getting ready ,pouring a 2.5 yards concrete pad ,moving kilns around and bringing a new used 18 cubic foot Geil into the mix -got it all vented and organized did the 1st bisgue in the Geil a few days ago and today I have all three kilns glaze firing a 12 cubic and 18 cubic and a 35 cubic car kiln. I'm a bit worried the gas system may be streched to thin volume wise (all two inch supply) and we shall see later today.I have not had a new gas kiln here for about 4 decades. I have a few unresolved issues with the Geil like new 14x 28 advancers that I yet do not have. I'm firing 3 typrs of sheles in that geil thaty came with it.
The hollow core type -4 brand new and they will warp soon at cone 11,4 old style silicone carbide which will warp soon as well . (I fired this style alot in the 70s -80s but not since then have I used them and the cheap Chinese recystilized sic shelves which will warp soon as well.I need to order about 14 of the advancers which will cost as much as the kiln did (6K). I keep reminding myself I'm slowing down.
all this will equal 664 cubic feet of glaze wares-I hope the Geil helps with my rutile pitting issue I have been fighting with all year.
On the pitting issue many I know are struggling with the same rutile issues as well currently . I have used rutile for 50 years an seen alot of woes with it but nothing like now.
all three kilns have oxy probes and I can tell easy about reduction atmospheres in each.
I have my only art fair this year coming up this weekend (its my 49th annula show there) and am almost done packing up a huge wholesale order (20 banana boxes which will fill our Forester Subaru).
I'm working hard to get out of the country for 4 weeks of diving in Indonesia soon-I know tough life
- Rae Reich, Hulk, Pyewackette and 2 others
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I have been a full timer makin g full time income on pottery money for most of my 50 years. I have had some other interests also which brought in income but its minor (diving jobs ,underwater photo sales ,writing .My wife and I have had separate finances with a joint account to run the home/food. Clay can be a great gig but you have to be motivated more than most .
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For me its a peter Pugger all the way-the 20 VPM is best for classroom size wise
I own a SS VPM20 and an aluminum VPM30
If you are using low fire clay get the Stainless model as it will pit the aluminum model
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1-Make it bigger a lot bigger
2 -add lots of LED 4 foot fixtures and a central vac system
3 -wire in tons of outlets not all at floor level-heck I have a few on low celling inb glazs are for my mixer drills-outlets for electrics or at least one for me
since I'm a gas guy
4-some key windows next to wheel throwing area
5 -gas kiln area attached to studio can be open ona few sides away from prevailing winds
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True high firebricks are stamped with a name and the demensions are 2.5x 4.5x 9 inch or they have splits and soaps and 3 kinds of arch bricks (books like Olsens kiln building show all the sizes). Then there are chimney firebricks which are lesser temperature and not stamped and are a bit irregular for house chimmney building. They can take heat just not cone 10.Lumber stores often carry them.. These red ones are new to me-and I'm guessing they are chimney brick.
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ever heard of a red brick that was high fire??? Kiln bricks are more tan or light not red
can you show a photo of red brick?
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no photos
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On that note I just got a new to me Geil Kiln and shelve size is 14x28-baily has 5 in stock (I need more) They come from Germany and none are on order-so If say I bought 10 the wait is 2.5-3 months . Just another fly in the ointment.
since I live about as far away as both suppliers are the ship cost is a big deal.
Kilnsshelve.com is working up a quote as well on advancers-they foam smaller boxes and shipping is way less as it's UPS -Bailey is truck rate and 5 shelves shipped Truck is $485 to me. -So the lesson is not what they cost but also what the shipping and packing cost to see what the bottom line is.
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The cost posted would help a buyer decide?
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Here is start-if its not in any of the videos call amaco Brent and ask-We would need to see the photos of controller and what brent wheel it a ,B ,c D egg well you get it.
There are som many years and types more info. You sure the outlet is good and is live and is 110V? tester would be a start as well.The fuze is a special ampreage did you replace with same?
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They still are in business -ask them with a phone call. My Peter Pugger is all O,ring seals. The pumps can easily be replaces and I'm guess so is the sealsn that are bad.
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I like the Bailey Nitrate bonded shelves -they are as good as the advancers -I have tested them now with a over 80 cone 11 fires and they are in every way the same if not better as the corners are nicely rounded.
I always buy the best shelves that never warp.
In my 50 years at this I have a stacks of what was best at the time-thick mullit shelves-silicone carbide -the 70s and 80s) -then 1 inch heavy english dry pressed (mid 80s) and then advancers and Baileys Nitrate bonded (early to mid 90s to present). Once you buy these you never buy another shelve and they save so much space and are so light.
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No photos so its a bit of a guess as to what this is. You need to make your own kiln wash-use the search function to find formulas-commercial wash is crap and made with the scheapest materials . Mine is 1/2 alumina hydrate and 1/4 calcined EPK and 1/4 EPK
In terms of burning off yours we need to see it or know about whats in it to advise. I suggest wire wheeling it off as it may be a low flux prioduct and firing hotter could bind it more to shelves
are you a glass slumper? or using this in a ceramic kiln?
Is this your product?
(24 Oz. Hi Fire Primer is a formula of alumina and low-fluxing clays. It is designed to withstand the high kiln temperatures required for glass raking (sometimes called combing). It does contain a dye which burns off when firing and will not affect your fused glass. An excellent smooth finish between the glass and kiln shelf but it is also excellent for coating mandrels for beadmaking.)
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This is not mine but I have the info on Two 20 foot west coast updrafts for sale -super reasonable price as well.
They are in Red Bluff Ca, and thier is a forklift on site for loading
You can PM me for contact details and price which is really low
again they are not mine and I have never seen them but do know the owner for about 40 years.
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Big deals usually fall apart and one must be extra careful . Its got to be in writing and I would be very skeptical to begin with. I had a big deal with another potter for a slip cast deal with Frontier Herbs (national Company) in the 1994. They met us in my kitchen and it revolved around making aroma therapy lamps out of porcealin high fire (the ones they had from china where low fire and did not hold up to tea light candle heat). We had a contract to make so many the 1st year and so on.We agreed on a unit price for 1st order to see how it would go.
We made all kind of prototypes for them. I still have a few.
Both of us potters had car kilns and we each could fire about 575 lamps per glaze fire. At that time the place that frontier had bought was less than two hours awayI(one way) so we also had to deliver them in apple boxes. We hired two slip persons and had a master mold maker make the masters.-this business was a side business for both of us .This business location moved twice and was never at my studio. I bought out my partner after about 8 years and after 12 years the frontier got out of high fire lamps. .By then they had moved back to the midwest and I was shipping pallets of them far away which made little sense .I just found a box of these lamps last week after going thru old stuff-I never want to make anouther lamp in my life. I gave away the mixer and masters in the last few years.For years I could see my lamps in any frontier dispaly nation wide any natural food stores. That business name was Aura Cacia for them. They still are a large producer of herbs in markets. They are back to using China and electric aroma therapy lamps now.
In terms of big deals in my throwing world its like Mea dinnerware sets and soon I will give that up. I did sell over 1 k of mugs last month to a single customer who loves my mugs and realized he would not have anymore when I stop making them..I also never take deposits as I like the control of yes and no.
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QotW: What are the steps you take after glaze firing with each finished piece?
in Int'l Ceramic Artists Network (ICAN) Operations and Benefits
Posted · Edited by Mark C.
I use several types of rubbing stones -I have the 100 grit diamond pads like Min posted above from Tool city .com or Temu.com which has them for low cost
also like the pucks from clay Planet
https://shop.clay-planet.com/the-puck-hand-grinding-stone.aspx
These are easy to hold as well although not as feather light as the diamaond pads which I take to shows
I also use the 3 block white stones from tile shops (youbreak them off ) as there are three in a long shape.
I do to much production to take pots to a spinning wheel so I never did that.
We rub the bottoms as we pull them out of kiln