Pres

Mark, Thank you for the kind words. . . means a lot coming from a real pro. I have found the electric extruder to be so easy to use, and I find that I use the clay a little stiffer than when pulling; it makes it easier to attach and shape without distortion. The honeycomb texture comes from an MKM rolling stamp or a simple silicone hot pad from Bed Bath and Beyond. I have found applying the textures before shaping and then using a throwing stick to shape is really pretty efficient. .. . looking like a lot more work than it is. best, Pres

Actually the rollers and stamps are applied before shaping right after the cylinder is thrown. This expands the textures, smooths them a bit, softens edges. No old lady, I am not getting rich, just a labor of love, wholesale, but not bad. teapots are higher return, but all in all I'll be fine. Hoping to save enough for a new L&L with controller!

Working on the next order for Savannah Bee, mugs, teapots and honey jars. About two thirds complete, all teapots, ready for glazing, 30 mugs and 25 honey jars in present load. On the workbench two days ago was this. . . . All extruded handles! best, Pres

Once again, I am trying to come up with a QothW, as there are no new ones posted in the question pool! Sooo as not too long ago someone posted about backfilling handles, and I have also posted in the studio about doing extruded handles, I will post here about the shape of the handle curve. I am certain that most of you have a preference in how the final curve of the handle looks. So here is the question: Are your handles the ear type, the D, droopy D or other shape? I have been doing handles on mugs this last few days, all extruded now with the electric extruder. What a time/effort saver. At any rate, once I put the handle on at the top, and drop the bottom and join both with magic water I add a center ball, impressed as a thumb rest, at the top and two smaller ones on either side pressed in with a rounded wooden rib to finish the handle lines into the mug. Then I arch the handle to a slightly drooping "D" and back fill the bottom. These usually fit well for two and 3 finger use depending on the mug size. So how do you do handles in regard to the final shape of the handle as it profiles on the mug. By the way, even my teapot handles have the droopy "D", but they droop a little more. best, Pres

Hi folks, no new posts for the QotW so I will resurrect one from a while back: What is your latest environmental companion in the studio? I stated this question with the addendum of latest, because just today I used my phone streaming Pandora via bluetooth to my hearing aids! Really cool, but I found that it used the batteries to the Comm Pilot that makes the connection. Only could use it for about 5 hrs. Maybe have to pick up a battery pack to plug into as it is rechargeable from USB. best, Pres

Teapots posted in my gallery. Part of an order for October. best, Pres

Yeah, forgot about changing clay colors. My original wedging table is concrete covered with canvas. It has been used for brown clays for years. Now I have built a 3/4 cover of plywood with vinyl covered edges to place over top. This cover has edge boards underneath to set very securely over the original wedging table that is very secure. I use this new board only for white clays that I have been using of late. The SC 553 I did not like, but seem to be able to work the SC 630 quite well, even though I miss the tooth of the brown clays. best, Pres

No sink in my studio, lots of big buckets for water. best, Pres

Hi folks, I really haven't seen anything new in the question pool for a new QotW, fo I will pose one once more. How often do you clean your studio, and in what manner? I ask this question as I have a small very crowded one car garage that I use for a studio. Presently it stores most of my regular tools: drills, circular saws, miter saw, hand tools including hammers, wrenches, and other tools gathered over the years as I found need keeping up the house. I also have two kilns presently, a Brent CXC, and a wedging table, with all of the other items I use like hand tools, the new extruder, and various trimming chucks for use with the Griffin Grip. Cleaning for me has become more of a cycle thing, throw a load, fire a kiln, and while firing clean up which means washing surfaces, sweeping floor, washing floor, and reorganizing tools, checking slop buckets for bag wrapping to recycle, wiping down areas with damp cloths to remove excess dust, and doing whatever else need done. Most of this is done with a full dust mask on, while wearing an apron, and lots of water and sponges. Troublesome, but for the small studio. . . needed. I have found over the years, that much of my mess comes from wiping hands on myself, not cleaning up an area while using it, and not being smart about what makes messes. This knowledge has made me more aware of saving from making a mess by using sponges in work areas, using aprons more often with attached hand towels, wiping tools up right after use, and finding ways to keep better organized. What tips do you have to pass on to folks in the way of timing your clean up and how you clean up? Best, Pres

Forgot to mention, that the professorship was for something completely out of art area, but related. Seems because of my computer animation background that the college thought I would be a good fit to teach teachers how to transition into using their computers to prepare classroom materials. So it was about creating good legible organized slide shows, overhead transparencies and handouts for the classroom. . . pre white board. best, Pres

Gabby recently asked in the question pool. . . . Recognizing that some days are obviously different from others, and some here have studios that are available only in warmer weather or not in really hot weather, what is the typical day, hour block by hour block, during a time of year you are at your ceramic work? The interesting thing in these is the variety in the time of day people spend at their creative work, some starting in the morning and ending at 4, say, others starting at 4 and going into the night, some working at a stretch and others doing a couple of shifts, and so forth. There is also variety in how they spend the times they are not working. Some have a habit, like a walk. The choreographer Twla Tharpe, I believe, takes a cab to the gym every morning for a couple of hour workout. Some people have time specifically dedicated to reading (most of the writers do) or to family/spouse time. In reply to this of late it has been problematic getting into the shop, and once in, a problem getting out of the shop. I will often go to breakfast with my wife around 7:30, come back to the house around 8:30, check the forum here, check email, check news, while putting in laundry, waiting for the drier, folding clothes and getting other things done. About 10 am, I may get into the shop, but sometimes not until 12:30, then I may work until 6 or 7 pm, and sometimes back at it until 8pm after some dinner. Weekends are the same, Sundays hardly ever unless pressed, Thursday no afternoon, as I bowl, and if the weather is nice I kayak at least once a week. . . . this Summer none yet. Hey! I'm retired! Now if you had asked me that question in the mid to late 90's, I was in the shop earliest of Spring every night after school from nearly 4 til dinner, 7 til ???? Then back to school the next day at 7am. I did Saturdays all day, and some on Sunday if needed. Once school was out it was in the shop before breakfast, then breakfast, then lunch, and dinner. . . the only breaks in the day til 10 or 11 every night. No in the long run, not fun, and doing shows did not pay well. When offered a itinerant professorship at a local college with me in full control of the curriculum, teaching for two weeks to make more than I made in the entire Summer, I relaxed and made pots when I wanted. best, Pres

Folks, lets give credit where credit is due. I am only a facilitator on the this Qotw thing, as I try to choose questions from the question bank that is in the ICAN forum section. LeeU posted this question just last week, and so here it is. . . thank her. Thank you LeeU! best, Pres

Yeah, I am on medicare, and have T2 diabetes. I would not want to be looking for insurance at this point as the premiums for T2 are through the roof. I am controlled, and don't have to take meds, but anyone that knows me knows that I am very strict on my diet. I don't test, unless feeling ill, but have had an A1C below 6 since 2010. Diagnosed in 2009 just 3 months before retirement. Yappy, sorry to hear of your condition, but you seem to be handling things well, and still learning. . . thats a good thing. Keep on keeping on as much as you can. Loved the Oregon coast, lived in Seattle for 7 years. great times. best, Pres

I'll be looking for it! thanks, Pres

LT, Good thought, I had already considered that, and also had thought of using the housing/crank of a meat grinder with a lead threaded rod to push clay through the barrel of the extruder I already have, just haven't got it all figured in my head yet. Threading on the two tubes is the same diameter, but different thread. If I could find a coupling that would attach the one to the other I would be nearly there. best, Pres

Today I was extruding handles with the hand extruder. Really wish I could find an old time Wad box or Dod box, as the screw crank on that would be a lot easier on the hands. However, by the time I invest in one probably cost as much as a Bailey 4 or 5" extruder. Still adapting the die to exactly what I want, design them in Corel draw, print out templates and cut with a zip saw, very carefully. best, Pres

Many potters throw standing up. John Glick was one who went to great measures to stand trowing, and actually used a back brace connected to the wall to help him. https://objectiveclay.com/blog/2016/2/7/its-hard-to-be-a-potter-with-a-hurt-back https://objectiveclay.com/blog/2016/2/7/its-hard-to-be-a-potter-with-a-hurt-back http://www.johnglick.com/articles/Sciatica.pdf These links should help yo out Gabby with your back problems and throwing. best, Pres

LeeU, recently in the question pool, asked: I've been thinking a while about those of us who have spoken about various limitations, challenges, health impairments, disabilities, and so forth. Some folks have had to leave the Forums and reduce their work because of certain conditions of body and/or mind (tho I believe they are integrated, not two separate issues). There is no Forum particularly suited or appropriate for discussion about one's aches and pains, or serious impediments that affect our ability to work in, and enjoy working in, clay, or work-arounds that help make it easier to function and hang in there. So, my question is: Either generally or specifically, what do you think, feel, and/or do when confronted with moderate to serious/severe limitations of some aspect of health that alters how you work in clay? I guess I have been complaining quite a bit over the last few years, hate to be whiner, but I have had to make some adjustments as the hands especially have gotten older. I used to abuse them, using the back of the hand to compress bread thickness slabs into a block when wedging, slamming the back hard into the block then adding another piece of clay. Then later I had a cyst and bone spur on my rt thumb, and had the cyst removed, and the dr. removed some of the bone spur. The joint deteriorated, and now I have a bone spur on both sides of the thumb. This has made things more difficult in one studio area. . . pulling handles. I have covered most of this else where, but short of the long is that now my mug handles and teapot handles are extruded. Still apply them like I used to, but the handle is now using a putty gun type of extruder. I have found that much of the pain from arthritis as I get older is actually alleviated by moving. If I use my hands, especially in the studio, they don't hurt nearly as much as if I have pampered them. So I try to get into the shop as much as possible, do the total gym thing and get plenty of exercise. It really does help. best, Pres