Mark C.
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Posts posted by Mark C.
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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
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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
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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.
- Pyewackette, Rae Reich and LeeU
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Call Cress in NV
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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
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Dave can you post a few photos of your CK wheel topside and bottom,motor etc
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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.
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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
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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
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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???
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(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.
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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
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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.
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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?
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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
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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
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23 hours ago, Katie S said:
That's really good to know, I had no idea!
I've been trying to post a photo and it won't let me - but I imagine that's exactly what the problem is. Thanks so much for taking the time to respond!
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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2 hours ago, dhPotter said:
Its Florida so what can I say about that? ... Now what rumors are kicking around on EPK???? Is Florida banning the stuff??
It irks me to no end how some on this forum think they can take little political jabs at the expense of others. Old saying is, If you live in a glass house, don't throw stones. So much negativity can be said about a particular state on the Left Coast. But I will refrain as this forum is not a political website.
I agree with you on the jabs and removed them as this place is not for that -sorry as I degressed .I thank you for that reminder as well. Its all about clay nothing else .
Now on point Laguna has a 3 year supply at current consumption rates of Gretsly Borate. The mine is played out and this supply is all that will be ever.
In terms of The EPK shortage-yes it real and Laguna says it a weather supply mine/ chain issue. Its also happening to red clay and other materials this year due to wacky weather issues they said. Storms and rain he said are so bad its really affected many products they use (we use in clay). One can assume as weather is a changing in many spots on the planet this will only get worse.
The best policy is to stock up when you can.
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Edgars plastic clay from Florida as far as I know is still mining right along. You can always call them-they are really a nice outfit with a small museum-years ago I traded them a few mugs for their museum and they gave me some nice T shirts.
Now as far as the Grestly Borate well you already know the story from years back when it was going off the market. Laguna bouight the mine and had enough for a long time-my understanding is that time is now gone and supplies are running low and now the price is refecting that
A few of us bought up large quantities long ago when its was going to disappear and then it did not. I bought a ton at that time and was at one time giving bags away as party favors to my fellow potter friends. Now its crazy expensive even for us Laguna distribiutors
The trick is always to buy a lot of what you use and sit on it easpecially when the price is right.
I bought 3,000#s of Kingman Feldsapr in 1982 when it went away and am on the last bag right now. It cost me 300$ for that 3,000#s back then and I had to drive my pickup to Kingman AZ to get it.
Now what rumors are kicking around on EPK????
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I have sprayed ITC in a few electric back in the day-it goes on with a splatter looking surface and does not look like that on the elements. Looks like kiln wash to me
Once the itc is fired it turns white except say under the lid on top where therte is no heat and then its stays grey.
I think you have kiln wash. Why anyone would brush the elements is beyound me
I am assuming the kiln has been fire since doing this if not youcould still wet the wash and remove it . Unplug kiln and try to sponge a small area to see if it will rewet and turn into a cream that sponges off? If so let us know then we can tell you how to get off the walls lid and elements.
Do not fire it if its still able to rewet as firing it will make that impossible .
QotW: Have you found a tightening of suppliers in your area or a shortage of supplies at your GO-TO Ceramic supplier?
in Int'l Ceramic Artists Network (ICAN) Operations and Benefits
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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.