Mark C.
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Posts posted by Mark C.
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If you never move the kiln hardwiring takes all the loose connections out of the picture. No more heating up due to loose contacts. Plugs can get hot with lots of amps so yes hardwiring is easy and heat will no longer be a factor.If you use the kiln a lot this all takes a toll on pugs and sockets I have found.. I gave up on plugs in the 80s for electrics only melted and fried a few breakers since then.
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Is the plug a molded plug and cannot be taken apart? Or is it the kind with 4 screws on one of the flats and you can take it apart and see if the wires are cooked?
More info is needed-plug should NOT get toasty-it can also be the plug was not plugged in enough and this alone coild be the issue.Ant loose plug prongs or wire within the plug can make for excess heat and issues
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Babs The stoneware plates are made by me in the 70s-the bowl in the crab dinner shot is also made by me in the 80s (stoneware)
The tamale dinner plate is by me same story from the 70s (we have a whole 8 place sald and dinner set from then we use daily)
That is a glaze I worked on in school that was my favorite and still is.
The bowl is from my collage pottery girlfriend in the early 70s I have a few of those in the bowl stack still and the mug is a salt mug from a apprentice from the 90s. She is now a potter in Washington stste after taecking elementary school for a few decades first. I see her some years at a fair I do in Washington state-met her duaghter and husband last year-we did another mug trade as well.
I like to use other potters mugs dailey
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Lets see a wooden pointed stick either from Kemper or a beach find via a grinder for a point-a pro needle tool, sponge (I do not use ribs much anymore)
water bucket(mine is a bowl) I'm now down to simple basics-then of couse one trim tool (for me its custom Bison double ender thats small)
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A diver friend called with 4 fresh crabs for us a few days ago-ate them same day they came to surface,
Live backed them and slipped and really cut my palm badly--some antibiotic cream and super glue I was able to center and throw pots the next day. These guys are tasty served hot out of the steamer with hot melted butter
Last night it was tamales another treat. Potters need to eat well.
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Mold and clay is fine-aged clay can mold and it is a non issue.I have clay that is decades old a bit of mold is no problem .
Many other things to worry about (watch the news if you like to worry)
I alsways consider mold to be a sign that clay is aging well like myself as a potter.
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We do a fair amount of press mold handles on baking dishes (they are shell shaped ) and they get 90 degree bend-so press mold is a yes if that helps
They are from the same porcelain mix as the slab dishes are made from 3/4 porcealin and 1/4 wso
some are 100% porcelain as well (the smaller dishes)
On handles I handled 60 mugs yesterday in about 1 hour 45 minutes (taking my time includes extruding) these where 1# mugs -
today it will be 50 more mugs 30 are 1.5# mugs the other 20 are 1# mugs-the larger handles take more time.
all mugs have a thumb spot so that takes a bit more time.
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I never had any luck with bending slip wares-they do not like it
I think the extruded handle is your best option (its what I do with thousands of handles per year)
slip ware just does not bend well as it cracks . The way the particles line up is my thought as they tear easy with bends.-Your extruded handles will be 25 times stronger with all the compression.
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My glaze book from collage will keep me busy for whole life and then some- most from my glaze and clay body class-then 4 years of school in glaze room
I have added a few from friends-traded for some
as well as a few from magazines-its always the same test to see what it does/looks like in my kiln atmosphere .
- Callie Beller Diesel, Pres and Hulk
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We my list is maybe a bit more personal
That is people I knew or not who influenced me during the past 50 years either in collage or beyond-now beyond is since 1976
Some are still alive but most are not.
Some partied with back in the day when I did that some not
All influenced me to varying degrees
Some I have pieces in my Collection some not most where trades
Warren Mackenzie
John Glick
Robert Arneson-lived next to my sister in Davis long ago
Don Sprague
Richard Shaw
Robert Sperry
Howard Kottler
On a more personal level of influence
Michael Lucero-went to school with him
Resse Bullen –My mentor
Tom Coleman-log time friend from a workshop long ago
Patti Warashina- friend from the 70s-she could party with the best of them
Otto and Vivika Heino-great folks still sad they are gone
Eric Norstad-had clay named after him –we use a pot daily of his
Clayton Bailey-a real influencer for me personally
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Most of my life in clay I have been a start from scratch camp as far as glazes go. I have also been a re-formulator to some extent as well to others recipes .
I guess if I recall back in high school I used what they had for a less than a year (low fire) then same deal in 1st quarter at a JC (high fire) but it was during the next quarter I make my own scale (balance beam) and started making my own from that point on within a year I had a glaze calc class at Humboldt State (just changed their name last week To: Cal Poly Humboldt-big news for or small community here) its only the 3rd Cal Poly in state now
Never looked back-of course most of that is lost in my brain these days-I have more ideas than time these days
I got lazy a few decades ago and have Laguna clay make my rutile base by the ton in 50# bags-I make about 14 other working glazes year around.That glaze is one of my most popular glazes with customers -not with me but I'm ok with that.
I have an order in right now with them for more glaze.
I just got the quote -it used to be $45 a 50# bag now its $72 a bag-just like everything these days its costs more.
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When the snow blows in the deep dark of winter all potters roll up in a nice deep bed of Silica to keep cozy
wait this is not about that at all!
Ok I mowed the lawn today so no snow here.
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Yes especially if they have a reputation behind them and thats over the decades
Not all companies make all things best
For example Brent makes great wheels that last a long time(they started with wheels only and where one of the 1st to make quaility wheels with all speeds) -they are not alone as there are others now doing the same now making great wheels
Brent slab rollers work but the cable system and boards for thickness are not as easy to use and require adusting alot compared to say a Bailey slab roller
Bailey makes great long lasting slab rollers that are easy to make any slab thickness (If I recall slab rollers where one of his 1st items)
Take North Star for example they knocked off many products and made slab rollers with plastic gears in the start which failed, now they are using metal gears-this example is a company changing for the better over time-if you had an early model you suffered
Soldner made great foot pedals and pretty good wheels and was one of the 1st in with a clay mixer that worked ok (back then schools used dough mixers)
Walker mixers came on the scene at around the same time. Soldners mixers worked great but are brutal on you body as you have to bend over to load it and scrape it out.
I have run a few tons thru one back in my prime and it killed me then
Peter Pugger was the 1st all around mixer and pug machine all in one (they where the 1st) and makes a Soldner mixer look like a stone Age tool
Petter Puggers added vacuums to the machines and they are a dream to use now
So yes Brands make a differeance but no one brand does it all the best
So you want to spend $200 on a wheel and those toy ones on Amazon from China look good and they are cheap ,well you will find out the hard way that Brand names make a difference
- HenryBurlingame, Pres and LeeU
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Most all my handbuilt is slabs in plaster forms with add on press molded shell handles or onto oval plastic platter forms ,
or fish forms which are my drawings on paper transfered to slab then cut out of slabs and draped over mushed up newsprint (not printed really)
for salt kiln dogs its thrown forms altered and built onto with handbuilt arms or legs
all this is less than 10% of my output which is all wheel thrown work
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(Correct Shimpo Aspire wheel wobble)(we discovered that all the Aspires in the shop had a similar wobble that they'd never noticed.)
I hate to be the one to say it but its seems that these low budget wheels seem to all have issues-The above post really points this out.
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Lumber is from a local yard store 4 miles away (the mill yard)-hardware store is 6 miles away. No lowes or Home Depots in this county.
I order most stainless fasteners from Mcmaster Carr on the net as its not China junk like our Ace store carries
We have a ceramic supply store which is open about 3 hours -5 days a week but I rarely need anything for I have more than a enough backstock of clay and materials
I do share truck shipping with our local ceramic store from Laguna Caly as its 12-14 hours from here and we get a better rate the more we can fill on a 40 foot flatbed truck. Trucking is getting harder into this podunk area as the years go by.I have my stuff fork lifted off at my friends Lumber yard 4 miles away (its specialty lumber store-one of the few on the west coast-Almquist Lumber that specializes in hardwoods and exotic woods)
We do have a Harbor freight store about 5 miles away but rarely use it. I tend to only buy that stuff for underwater work-they tools are the right quaility for salt water use as they rust up or get lost ands it no big deal-great for salvage/shipwreck work under the sea
I buy plenty over the web especially if it saves my time just not much ceramic stuff. I do get my honey sticks and salt cellar spoons from Amazon now as they are cheaper than ceramic supply places
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take some photos so we can see kiln and give you some ideas
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I bought a SS Peter pugger and an oxy probe here
There are other sites as well
a few on facebook
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For me its not a shortage issue -its more a wrist hands issue . I need them to last my whole life without to much pain. Clay work has taken its toll and I need to do less clay so that I can continue without giving up the ghost.
With three bones missing in right wrist (a prc) and one bone gone in left thumb clay has had some serious effects on my after 50 years. I really do not want a wrist fusion which is what is next-so I need to gauge clay /pain with giving up the ghost
My long term plan which is getting more short term every day less clay work-less outlets less sales -
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Looks like a very close subsitute.I have a test going in next month on a rutile glaze-will let you know but right now I'm betting no change in outcome
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19 hours ago, Min said:
Hi Mark, do you have the chem analysis for the new CimTalcs? (I couldn't find it when I did a search)
No I do not and I did ask about it. I'm in the process of ordering a ton of dry glaze along with a sample of that glaze made with CimTalc -I'll try again for the breakdown info next time i speack to Juan at Laguna (hes the clay and glaze tester )
The 1st link above has some info in it
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Yes the ceramic wire nuts are availabl. I still have some older ones with albany glaze on them from an older knob and tube removal job in the 80s
The newer ones are white
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Cim Talc will be a replacement for texas talc-see my pots about that. They have several types and the composition is close Juan atLaguna told me a few days ago.
QotW: What safety devices do you use in your shop?
in Int'l Ceramic Artists Network (ICAN) Operations and Benefits
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I have two GFI outlets near each outside door and all outlets in covered kin area are on a GFI downstream.I keep a fire extinguisher near the gas kilns in covered area (part of outside studio space ). My delta air filtration hepa filter is for my lung safety. same with my central vac dust vacuum system . I'm waiting on a new motor right now as I go thru them pretty fast-clay is killer on motors.Its a warranty claim.
My whole studio and kiln area has tons of LED 4 foot covered and non covered light fixtures (12-14 I think) so I have light everywhere when needed.Many are 4 and 3 bulb fixtures and a 3x6 window with non solar gain coatings in between the double glass and is facing south in throwing area. Studio is well insulated as well. Its toasty in winter with gas heater and cool in summer with no heat.My hot wax pan is outside so fumes are exterior ,as is all the kilns as they are all outside under a huge metal roofed area.