Pres

This week, we have another question from the pool for QotW. This one comes from @Babs as an aside from a discussion of @Mark C.and his pottery business where a woman collected a large amount of pottery by him. Babs question is: QotW: When you buy a number of a potter's pieces do you feel the need to meet the maker? Over the years, I personally never collected pieces other than a few mugs here and there, At the time we really couldn't afford to collect pottery, and if we needed a piece. .. I made it. There just wasn't the room in a teachers budget for that. However, I did go to conferences with the specific reason of meeting a potter I had read about or seen their work in some magazine or book. John Glick was one of those. Another was Martha Clover. At the same time, I would wander the Penn State festival looking for potters and pots that I had seen examples of their work. In these later years, we have made purchases at the Penn State festival of work that I have seen or from potters that I have met digitally. It is interesting to see how the pots made seem to fit the personalities of the potters. best, Pres

So you folks seem to be saying we need a QotW about the mentality of potters? best, Pres

At the same time, check on the voltage of the kiln. Many school kilns were 208V , not the 220/240 V appliance most are used to. best, Pres

I like @Hulk thought that a gas kiln was my dream kiln. I would burn fuel, and like any fuel burning kiln would use up the oxygen thus being able to reduce the clay as in reduction. Fuel burning kilns could also do Oxidation, by making certain that plenty of oxygen was allowed into the kiln during firing. All of this could be done by adjusting the air coming in and going out. However, reality hit while teaching, electric was easier in a city/town situation. Further that with the cost of a gas line to the back of the house to the garage, and I caved for an electric kiln. I did make certain that the kiln could fire at least to the stoneware ranges so bought a kiln designed to be able to reach ^10. even though I wanted to fire to ^6 as that is the same as where I fired in the HS I taught at. The rest is history. In the beginning, firing at ^6 was difficult as many were not doing it, and even the glazes commercially available were limited. However, ^6 has become a very good area to be after the exploration of the 70's and 80's in the firing technique and with many esteemed potters making the switch to ^6 Oxidation, and others still doing reduction, but firing at the lower temp in their fuel burning kilns. best, Pres

Youuuuch! Send in the snow crew!!! best, Pres

This week we have another question from the pool for the QotW: This comes from two folks on the forum, @Min and @Kelly in AK . . . brought up an Issac Button video and just how much physical work was involved in his making pots. My suggestion for a QOTW comes from Kelly's thread and would be how has the physicality of making pots effected you? Positives and negatives. QotW: How has the physicality of making pots effected you? Please include Positives and Negatives. This is something I have often considered in my own life of teaching, and working with mostly clay while teaching and working at home. I am a small man, even more so than when younger weighing in at 180 at my heaviest for about 6 months. These days I weigh in at 150. I used to wedge 15-25# of clay at a time in the classroom, and at home. This would allow me to demonstrate the effectiveness of different wedging techniques, Kneading, Rams Head and Cone. It was because I worked with the clay so much that I was able to do this. However, the process of wedging, as much as it is maligned for its wear on wrists and joints, it was a blessing for me. I found that days when I was feeling large amounts of soreness in my back making it difficult to get out of bed that wedging would make me feel so much better.. I believe it was the rocking motion along with the shoulder pushing my torso upwards would stretch the spine. So a Positive. Negative, over the years the throwing has reshaped the joints in my hands, left hand fingers 1 and 2 now naturally bend to fit together as when pulling on the inside of a pot. They never straighten out unless forced. Right hand fingers want to always rest as if holding a sponge in the hand and making a pull. All of the work has made my hand strength surprise folks that shake with me, and others when they find that I can lift and move much more than they would have expected for my size and age. All good! best, Pres

Since getting the new kiln, I have worried over using wax with the downdraft system. My thinking is of residue from wax building up in the downdraft components. I used to dip the bottoms of chalices, mugs and smalls of all sorts, but now everything is hand wiped or using the felt pad on the wheel. best, Pres

Use those every time I glaze patens for the communion sets. Great tools along with a short wide storage bin for dipping. best, Pres

There are thin rubber pads with a felt like carpet on top that are used as inserts to entry way mats. These work very well attached to a bat cut to shape and dampened on a wheel head to spin and thus remove glaze on the bottom of functional ware. best, Pres

I used to teach that there was dipping, pouring, sponging(often overlooked), brushing, and spraying when applying glaze coats. Some cases such as really large pieces would require lots of thought, and usually lost of coats of glaze and in those cases sponging can work very well. best, Pres

The only solution I would have is to use 3 point pin setters upside down on the piece, then put a kiln post on top of that to force the piece down. This will leave setter marks, that can be ground and then polished out. Tough situation given your time frame. Firing on the side does not seem to be an option and it will probably not change the warping problem. Good Luck... Really! best, Pres

Consider a flat piece of metal, about 3" wide, maybe 8 " long. Bend the metal perpendicular to the length 1" from the end at 90 degrees. then on the other end, which will be the handle end cut an oval hole to create a handle. Wrap the handle with tape, cloth or foam to protect your fingers from the edges. Another alternative would be to take two hand dirt rakes, and cut the tines about 1" long from the bend, as the gripping edge, then modify the wooden handle to be able to lift the shelf comfortably. Hope this makes sense to you or you Hubby! best, Pres

If I were doing what you want to do, I would consider spraying the underglaze on from and angle so that it would pick up and edge of the texture leaving a bare area on the other edge. I have used this technique with 1, 2 and 3 colors from different directions to accent a texture. best, Pres

Some things get the hammer, and others my wife insists on having??? best, Pres

I folks, we have several new suggestions for QotW in the pool, so I will choose the first one from @Kelly in AK : I’ve seen it addressed in various ways and places on the forum, but with the holidays coming up lots of pots are being sold and it feels like a timely question. Absorption, crazing, pinholes, % of metallic oxides, barium, lithium... lead??? How about “S” cracks? Cutting to the meat of the question he asks: QotW: What’s the standard for work you’re sending out into the world? My answer to the question is the same as it always was: To produce the best work possible with my existing knowledge and skills. This meant even in the beginning, Ring True, No "S" cracks, use well for pouring, drinking eating for functional. Functional and Decorative well fitting glazes, good recipes, well fired. No cracks or loose areas in constructions, I always refer to my first statement about the quality, knowing that there have been variables that I did not know of, but once known corrected. Thanks to Kelly for the topic suggestion! best, Pres

Elaine, you can see some of mine on my blog site along with a teaching handout on teapots, and the use of embroidery hoops to change the angle of the lid opening for a little fun. best, Pres

I love to make teapots also, they are the considered ultimate form challenge for me as most potters. I wonder if you are putting your handles on with the lid on, and also what type of handles you are making, strap extruded or coil, over the top or down the side. . . etc. I usually do extruded handles down the side anymore, and attach them with the lid on the pot. I leave the lids on teapots all the time so as to assure the nothing causes warping of the rim of the pot. When you are handling teapots, as in putting on spouts, handles, or other things like simple ornamentation you can warp that top ring accidentally. Best to protect it with the lid. As to hole punches, I have a variety of hole punches that I use, many of them are simply made of thin pipe found at hobby or hardware stores. Another favorite of mine looks like a pipe that was cut to a point like a knife, but the curve and the cut allows you to make several different sized holes from the same tool, and they are all tapered. best, Pres

I use the same mixer all the time, spinning the glaze off of the end when out of the glaze. Of course these means having a taller bucket than needed to let the slop glaze spin off. Then a spinning rinse in the clean water bucket. No glaze really wasted as the clean water bucket stays relatively clean through the entire glazing time. best, Pres

When I was doing Penn State Festival, I would at times fire overnight, and unload the following morning. Pieces were too hot to do with out gloves, but all did survive. I did not have crazing on them, but the zinc glaze was matt. Most of my pieces were large jars and vases back then with some bowls and mugs. However, I would be hesitant about removing large flat platters because they cool so quickly in open air. .. . large surface areas disperse heat quickly. Back then I opened the kiln by feel, no thermometer, but again, most of what I did was by feel and sight when it came to firing. best, Pres

@oldlady all of the years I loaded shelves at the HS and at home I never used gloves. Had lots of little cuts from sharp glaze edges and such, but no major damage. However, now that I have the new kiln with the shelf kit which included gloves, I wear them all the time. They are great when loading and unloading the shelves. Most of the time I have the kiln cool enough I can easily hand touch everything, but on occasion have also used the gloves on warmer pots. My wife says I handle everything hotter than she could ever do, that goes for spicy food too! best, Pres

I was a HS teacher, and later in that career I taught college courses to supplement a HS teachers salary. I made more in two weeks of Summer college classes than I did for an entire Summer of shows. I still made pots, but stopped doing shows as my helper (wife) got tired of doing them with all of the hassle from March when the weather broke to end of October. In the long run it was tough on the family. One would think a teacher would have so much time off in the Summer that it would be easy to make pots and sell them. . . not so! best, Pres

Yeah, we had a nice conversation with you a few years ago, and my wife really loves her platter that sets out on the Dining room table all year round! Talking shop is always fun. best, Pres

I've told the story before about the guy carrying a bucket of water to the Penn State festival because he wanted to buy good teapots and used the water to test them. Then there are those that want to be certain they are buying stoneware, but don't know anything about what that means. All stoneware is brown, all porcelain is white, and low fire earthenware is red! I have also had the casserole passed up, because the last one they bought cracked all apart in the oven. Fix it the night before, and put it in the fridge then take it out and put it into a hot oven! Needless to say the lack of education for the public consuming functional ceramic is apparent, but there are bright spots as the day I sold 3 teapots to one customer! best, Pres

Hi folks, once again, no new topics in the pool for the question of the week. I will try one from a different angle. .. thinking about customers here! Over the years I have had several people that wanted to know more about pottery, others that just bought on impulse, and some the really knew about what they were getting when buying a pot of mine. I have wondered in the past where they got or missed exposure to pottery. When I was teaching HS, I believed that part of my job as a teacher was to get my students to realize that even though they might ever make a piece of art they should understand what good pieces of art or craft would entail. Often this would entail talking about aesthetics as another story, but more often in was about the craftsmanship. When talking about pottery as a consumer I reinforced the things that I taught about making a pot: smooth edges, tight joins, well designed functional ware, glaze technique, weight balance, and other things. I always would tell students during introductory talks that even though the may not make pots again, they might be consumers. QotW: How savvy are your customers about pottery? best, Pres

I suppose if you could center the shelf on the wheel and grind the edge with the wheel going slowly it would work. Any one have any better thoughts. Sticking the shelf to the wheel, maybe with a centered wet clay as in centering a bat on a wheel without pins. Just a thought. Another answer would be to make two hand tools shaped like and "L" bracket with a handle on one end to lower the shelf with thus saving your fingers. best, Pres