Mark C.

Today it extruded soap dishes sponge holders-butterdishes and mugs. Short day

Min I got tired of salt pigs taking so long-I worked on a copper pipe to cut my opening like a hole cutter. I like an oval opening but since yours  are round this will go easier for you.
I ovaled the larger copper pipe fitting and then ground the  inside down to a point with a Dremel tool . You could do this with platic pipe or fittings(these vary in size) Just find the size you want and sand or grind the edge to a point and t=now you have a fast punch. It works great then sponge smooth. Saves tons of time.
 

I think good music matters most when throwing .I know that is a little out of the box but for me its true.A nice large light  gathering window in front of me keeps me chipper as well
The other smaller things are speed control  and a good throwing seat.
The speed control needs to work well.
(The pedals on the shimpos at the time weren't nearly as sensitive.) I think Callie thats an understatement as all those old Shimpo's have teriable speed control .The foot pedal on the ring drives seem really outdated-even back in the day.Sure thay are cute but thats about it.
All 5 of my wheels spin only one way-never thrown the other way. No reason to.
 

I think good music matters most when throwing .I know that is a little out of the box but for me its true.A nice large light  gathering window in front of me keeps me chipper as well
The other smaller things are speed control  and a good throwing seat.
The speed control needs to work well.
(The pedals on the shimpos at the time weren't nearly as sensitive.) I think Callie thats an understatement as all those old Shimpo's have teriable speed control .The foot pedal on the ring drives seem really outdated-even back in the day.Sure thay are cute but thats about it.
All 5 of my wheels spin only one way-never thrown the other way. No reason to.
 

I think good music matters most when throwing .I know that is a little out of the box but for me its true.A nice large light  gathering window in front of me keeps me chipper as well
The other smaller things are speed control  and a good throwing seat.
The speed control needs to work well.
(The pedals on the shimpos at the time weren't nearly as sensitive.) I think Callie thats an understatement as all those old Shimpo's have teriable speed control .The foot pedal on the ring drives seem really outdated-even back in the day.Sure thay are cute but thats about it.
All 5 of my wheels spin only one way-never thrown the other way. No reason to.
 

I think good music matters most when throwing .I know that is a little out of the box but for me its true.A nice large light  gathering window in front of me keeps me chipper as well
The other smaller things are speed control  and a good throwing seat.
The speed control needs to work well.
(The pedals on the shimpos at the time weren't nearly as sensitive.) I think Callie thats an understatement as all those old Shimpo's have teriable speed control .The foot pedal on the ring drives seem really outdated-even back in the day.Sure thay are cute but thats about it.
All 5 of my wheels spin only one way-never thrown the other way. No reason to.
 

I think good music matters most when throwing .I know that is a little out of the box but for me its true.A nice large light  gathering window in front of me keeps me chipper as well
The other smaller things are speed control  and a good throwing seat.
The speed control needs to work well.
(The pedals on the shimpos at the time weren't nearly as sensitive.) I think Callie thats an understatement as all those old Shimpo's have teriable speed control .The foot pedal on the ring drives seem really outdated-even back in the day.Sure thay are cute but thats about it.
All 5 of my wheels spin only one way-never thrown the other way. No reason to.
 

That strange as I was just going thru my 2011 tax papers to shred (8 years back) to make room for the new 2018 papers I'm working on now.
One was a letter from Warren about the bowl he sent me as a trade (I paid shipping cost)I put it with bowl today-same day I read this thread.I had not heard the news-small world.

That strange as I was just going thru my 2011 tax papers to shred (8 years back) to make room for the new 2018 papers I'm working on now.
One was a letter from Warren about the bowl he sent me as a trade (I paid shipping cost)I put it with bowl today-same day I read this thread.I had not heard the news-small world.

I tend to work thru a new item by making some 1st and using them. Next batch I improve them and so on-usually I get to what I think is the best  in term of functionality and weight and form and function by the 3rd go round.Then I make many hundreds in my line. I can change the form over time like my tumblers which used to flare at the lip more 10 years ago now they are almost straight -just a little for your lip.
I have added a few forms over the years if I'm asked a hundred  times about it. Thats how I came back to making french butterdishes (butterballs for some)
I was doing southwest desert shows and got asked for a decade about them before caving and offering them.I did make them in the 90os but they had yet to catch on then so I stopped .
I tend to standardize forms with the same metric measurements so lids will always fit bottoms if I need more-I have done this since the early 80s before that every lid was a different size to fit that particular bottom.I was green  out of school and it was learned skill that made life easier but requires some discipline .
I also from the start weighed all clay to have standard forms-I can do this without a scaling all the pieces but cutting the pug in so many pieces. It saves lots of time as well.
The trick is cutting one handle off your cut off wire and you can drag it thru the pug on end and pull the wire out at bottom of cut.Its the little tricks really that save energy and time. also no need to make clay balls the wheel will round them out in a second unless the clay is over about 6#s then a ball shape will aide you.
In terms of exact forms like Pres. said above -on a batter bowl or what I call a whip bowl. I make mine with extra thick beefy handle and a pour spout and sell them with wire whips included. I have yet to break a  handle on one.
I make a handled whip pitcher with sprout that has a small handle on side that holds the  small whip-cute as a bug but its my least favorite form due to the fragile side handle. I was recruited to make them buy a gallery in Mendocino and they sold very well for 18 years until the closed two years ago. I have about 50 more whips and when they run out I'm done making them as I know folks break off the side handles.
I tend to like strong forms that last. I make thousands of sponge holders and they are a bit fragile but I know they work very well(we use two ourselves )
I do not like them to thick even though they would last longer and hold up to falls better.Its form weight function trade off.My sponge bottom keeps then from moving on counters.

I tend to work thru a new item by making some 1st and using them. Next batch I improve them and so on-usually I get to what I think is the best  in term of functionality and weight and form and function by the 3rd go round.Then I make many hundreds in my line. I can change the form over time like my tumblers which used to flare at the lip more 10 years ago now they are almost straight -just a little for your lip.
I have added a few forms over the years if I'm asked a hundred  times about it. Thats how I came back to making french butterdishes (butterballs for some)
I was doing southwest desert shows and got asked for a decade about them before caving and offering them.I did make them in the 90os but they had yet to catch on then so I stopped .
I tend to standardize forms with the same metric measurements so lids will always fit bottoms if I need more-I have done this since the early 80s before that every lid was a different size to fit that particular bottom.I was green  out of school and it was learned skill that made life easier but requires some discipline .
I also from the start weighed all clay to have standard forms-I can do this without a scaling all the pieces but cutting the pug in so many pieces. It saves lots of time as well.
The trick is cutting one handle off your cut off wire and you can drag it thru the pug on end and pull the wire out at bottom of cut.Its the little tricks really that save energy and time. also no need to make clay balls the wheel will round them out in a second unless the clay is over about 6#s then a ball shape will aide you.
In terms of exact forms like Pres. said above -on a batter bowl or what I call a whip bowl. I make mine with extra thick beefy handle and a pour spout and sell them with wire whips included. I have yet to break a  handle on one.
I make a handled whip pitcher with sprout that has a small handle on side that holds the  small whip-cute as a bug but its my least favorite form due to the fragile side handle. I was recruited to make them buy a gallery in Mendocino and they sold very well for 18 years until the closed two years ago. I have about 50 more whips and when they run out I'm done making them as I know folks break off the side handles.
I tend to like strong forms that last. I make thousands of sponge holders and they are a bit fragile but I know they work very well(we use two ourselves )
I do not like them to thick even though they would last longer and hold up to falls better.Its form weight function trade off.My sponge bottom keeps then from moving on counters.

I tend to work thru a new item by making some 1st and using them. Next batch I improve them and so on-usually I get to what I think is the best  in term of functionality and weight and form and function by the 3rd go round.Then I make many hundreds in my line. I can change the form over time like my tumblers which used to flare at the lip more 10 years ago now they are almost straight -just a little for your lip.
I have added a few forms over the years if I'm asked a hundred  times about it. Thats how I came back to making french butterdishes (butterballs for some)
I was doing southwest desert shows and got asked for a decade about them before caving and offering them.I did make them in the 90os but they had yet to catch on then so I stopped .
I tend to standardize forms with the same metric measurements so lids will always fit bottoms if I need more-I have done this since the early 80s before that every lid was a different size to fit that particular bottom.I was green  out of school and it was learned skill that made life easier but requires some discipline .
I also from the start weighed all clay to have standard forms-I can do this without a scaling all the pieces but cutting the pug in so many pieces. It saves lots of time as well.
The trick is cutting one handle off your cut off wire and you can drag it thru the pug on end and pull the wire out at bottom of cut.Its the little tricks really that save energy and time. also no need to make clay balls the wheel will round them out in a second unless the clay is over about 6#s then a ball shape will aide you.
In terms of exact forms like Pres. said above -on a batter bowl or what I call a whip bowl. I make mine with extra thick beefy handle and a pour spout and sell them with wire whips included. I have yet to break a  handle on one.
I make a handled whip pitcher with sprout that has a small handle on side that holds the  small whip-cute as a bug but its my least favorite form due to the fragile side handle. I was recruited to make them buy a gallery in Mendocino and they sold very well for 18 years until the closed two years ago. I have about 50 more whips and when they run out I'm done making them as I know folks break off the side handles.
I tend to like strong forms that last. I make thousands of sponge holders and they are a bit fragile but I know they work very well(we use two ourselves )
I do not like them to thick even though they would last longer and hold up to falls better.Its form weight function trade off.My sponge bottom keeps then from moving on counters.

I had very long hair until the early 80s-Being raised in turbulent times(60's)We set out to change the world-my part is with clay.I have had a beard since 18-only have shaved twice in my life.Not much of a hippy since 81-more a worker bee-my midwestern parents work drive kicked in as I grew up.
My Long Beach years where 53-71 minus almost one year in Nashua New Hampshire when I was 15 (ran away with a girl-long story but I have a New Hampshire soc security number from my 1st job working for 6 months in a cemetery .Brutal outside labor job from frozen to beyond  humid.That climate is like a rath much of the year.
 

I had very long hair until the early 80s-Being raised in turbulent times(60's)We set out to change the world-my part is with clay.I have had a beard since 18-only have shaved twice in my life.Not much of a hippy since 81-more a worker bee-my midwestern parents work drive kicked in as I grew up.
My Long Beach years where 53-71 minus almost one year in Nashua New Hampshire when I was 15 (ran away with a girl-long story but I have a New Hampshire soc security number from my 1st job working for 6 months in a cemetery .Brutal outside labor job from frozen to beyond  humid.That climate is like a rath much of the year.
 

Rae
I see the drug ads with pottery as a hobby thats mainstream these days.I'm going to pass on any comment as I was taught to be quiet if you had nothing nice to say.I do not believe in magic so that must be it.
I was introduced to clay in high school-well sort of. Back in my day we had a dress code and it was not to have long hair or sideburns extended. Well that did not fly with me so I spent lots of time in the deans office in late 11th grade discussing hair length and side burns-Thinking back on this its just insane. sort story now- My mother was in the teaching system and suggested I check out the continuation school taught at the Business and technology  junior collage campus-I did and I finished high school early there(my 12th grade) as you could work as much as you wanted. Here they had a small clay studio that was used during the day sessions when I was there. Since I was not a troubled discipline problem (b average all thru school)I could work in there with a friend.
Hence I was exposed to clay then. My friend suggested we take some private night  lessons taught by a potter in nearby Seal Beach at the same time so we did.My family was mostly all teachers and art was a common theme in our home.Before graduating I was taking flying lessons and stopped after soloing and spent my savings on a wheel and was throwing at home. I moved to the Northern part of the state (from Long Beach)to go to Junior collage  to study forestry and art then on to Humboldt state to finish my art degree. I landed at the JC in the right time as they where building kilns as it was new school. I knew how to throw and learned kiln building-went on the HSU and learned glaze making and ALL other aspects of ceramics from recent Alfred graduates who where all new hires and very much on fire to teach what they learned from the greats.I was at the right places at the right times it turned out. Went full time in 1976 the year of graduating from there. I never left my area of education (still a sleepy spot in this busy state)I bought some property in 73 and started building kilns while in school-still here 45 years later.
I caught the clay bug without realizing it-never viewed this as a job or thought of it as work or a living until late 30s.
I went thru some very tough $ years first 10 years then it slowly took off. The rest is history.
 
Looking back you could say growing long hair and side burns got me into clay.
PS: they dropped the dress code two years after I graduated .
 

40 soap dishes 200 sponge holders a few hundred mugs-20 small miso bowls 4 oval platters and A partridge in a pear tree.

I cannot wait until ghost is gone in all customers memories-Its been a sore spot with unrealistic pottery talk in my booth for decades.The romance of pottery-ya right-getting dirty-living heavy things- sure it romantic
Johnny we have a different take on that.I cannot count the comments on that move years ago but they are now very much fading.

Rae
I see the drug ads with pottery as a hobby thats mainstream these days.I'm going to pass on any comment as I was taught to be quiet if you had nothing nice to say.I do not believe in magic so that must be it.
I was introduced to clay in high school-well sort of. Back in my day we had a dress code and it was not to have long hair or sideburns extended. Well that did not fly with me so I spent lots of time in the deans office in late 11th grade discussing hair length and side burns-Thinking back on this its just insane. sort story now- My mother was in the teaching system and suggested I check out the continuation school taught at the Business and technology  junior collage campus-I did and I finished high school early there(my 12th grade) as you could work as much as you wanted. Here they had a small clay studio that was used during the day sessions when I was there. Since I was not a troubled discipline problem (b average all thru school)I could work in there with a friend.
Hence I was exposed to clay then. My friend suggested we take some private night  lessons taught by a potter in nearby Seal Beach at the same time so we did.My family was mostly all teachers and art was a common theme in our home.Before graduating I was taking flying lessons and stopped after soloing and spent my savings on a wheel and was throwing at home. I moved to the Northern part of the state (from Long Beach)to go to Junior collage  to study forestry and art then on to Humboldt state to finish my art degree. I landed at the JC in the right time as they where building kilns as it was new school. I knew how to throw and learned kiln building-went on the HSU and learned glaze making and ALL other aspects of ceramics from recent Alfred graduates who where all new hires and very much on fire to teach what they learned from the greats.I was at the right places at the right times it turned out. Went full time in 1976 the year of graduating from there. I never left my area of education (still a sleepy spot in this busy state)I bought some property in 73 and started building kilns while in school-still here 45 years later.
I caught the clay bug without realizing it-never viewed this as a job or thought of it as work or a living until late 30s.
I went thru some very tough $ years first 10 years then it slowly took off. The rest is history.
 
Looking back you could say growing long hair and side burns got me into clay.
PS: they dropped the dress code two years after I graduated .
 

Here's that last load that came out last week.This is the kiln load in above post
It was a loose load -what I call a year end clean up fire.
Now its a everyday selling pots  at my pottery booth and dropping pots off at my 9 outlets in this county. Xmas is go time in my world.
The 25th is time to put my feet up. Then its stock up the outlets for the slow winter months.
 
 

Here's that last load that came out last week.This is the kiln load in above post
It was a loose load -what I call a year end clean up fire.
Now its a everyday selling pots  at my pottery booth and dropping pots off at my 9 outlets in this county. Xmas is go time in my world.
The 25th is time to put my feet up. Then its stock up the outlets for the slow winter months.
 
 

Here's that last load that came out last week.This is the kiln load in above post
It was a loose load -what I call a year end clean up fire.
Now its a everyday selling pots  at my pottery booth and dropping pots off at my 9 outlets in this county. Xmas is go time in my world.
The 25th is time to put my feet up. Then its stock up the outlets for the slow winter months.
 
 

Here's that last load that came out last week.This is the kiln load in above post
It was a loose load -what I call a year end clean up fire.
Now its a everyday selling pots  at my pottery booth and dropping pots off at my 9 outlets in this county. Xmas is go time in my world.
The 25th is time to put my feet up. Then its stock up the outlets for the slow winter months.
 
 

Here's that last load that came out last week.This is the kiln load in above post
It was a loose load -what I call a year end clean up fire.
Now its a everyday selling pots  at my pottery booth and dropping pots off at my 9 outlets in this county. Xmas is go time in my world.
The 25th is time to put my feet up. Then its stock up the outlets for the slow winter months.
 
 

This was on my workbench this AM it did not fit the bench and spilled onto many surfaces.At the end of day (5 pm it looked like next post all glazed and loaded in two kiln loads -see next post)
I throw a bunch of bowls and size them in groups by measure after bisqued-thats whats going on with these piles of bowls-they where just sized with a ruler.
We(my studio assistant and myself) waxed and glazed and I loaded two kilns today-all this bisque ware processed today. Glaze fires in am.
She does the hot dip waxing I do the hand waxing on footed forms
This is my last two fire this year. see next post on that
 

When I ran two color bodies-stoneware and porcelain -I used two wheels two wedging areas and two separate piles of bats.
(toss a few where the lids weren't quite matched up.)
just use a chuck and trim the lids to fit.If its a wider jar well then you need to throw a larger lid.I always write inside with wet finger on lids the metric CM
that way I know what it was.