Pres
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Posts posted by Pres
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@Hulk I also shut off the vent fan at the end of the cycle when the kiln shuts off. On bisque and on glaze. I am doing a lot of patens (plates) and so don't get much chance to split level as It is more economic to use four patens to a level, splitting levels cuts the numbers especially since I don't have extra shelves yet.
best,
Pres
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I was cleaning out a kiln from a forced firing that was a disaster, and wondered about shelf settings. I have always believed that shelves should be spaced even on the same level, and at times would make certain to not have shelves on the same level staggering ware and shelves. Yet I have recently been using 4 stilts to a layer leaving only an 1/8 th of an inch in spacing. This also leaves me to wonder about the downdraft blower, and how gaps effect the movement of air in the kiln.
QotW: Gap or no gap in your shelf spacing and how do you believe this effects your firing if you use a downdraft blower/vent?
best,
Pres
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I used to be an Art teacher, but really got hung up on clay even though I usually taught 2-4 classes a day depending on enrollments. Started using shows to fund summer vacations, then when the wife said no more to me working til 2 and teaching to have enough stock, I quit the shows. However, now I have enough in the way of sales to keep the hobby going and equipment up to date. Keeps me limber and in shape too.
best,
Pres
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Used a similar kiln (Amaco) to this at the HS when I first started teaching in '73. It was a good little kiln of 06 earthenware. Two years later I talked the district into a new kiln as part of a building project the meant a new studio with more equipment and a kiln area. The new kiln was chosen by me to fire to ^6 and was an octagon sectional. The old kiln I saved for a few years, and used it for electric raku outside. We stored it just inside a doorway leading to a center courtyard. The kiln held up well for 3 years of this, but that was it. I could not imagine it firing to ^6 on a regular basis, but ^06 was fine.
best,
Pres
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IMHO, i think starting local is the best plan. Starting local and building a rep will let you slide into the wider radius of shipping. Often a gallery situation for a show will have resources to help you with transport of pieces especially if you have built a reputation for fine work. Shipping takes a lot of work, and unless the purchase is paying for the shipping the shipping costs of packing, mailing and time should be figured into the sale price even if in a separate category in the billing. Best of luck, and Welcome to the Forum!
best,
Pres
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Hi folks, I have been making chalices and patens the last few days, 9 patens setting out in the shop after Saturday afternoon of throwing. These are wet still, as we have rain here the last two days. I have to say, I am loving the new roller stamps that I bought of late to decorate with. I throw the cylinder for the cups, stamp it with the roller while the wheel is moving slow, single pass or multiple pass, gets me some texture. After that I enlarge the cylinder into a chalice bowl form, compress the rim with first/second finger web and under cut with a wooden rib and then cut it off with a spatula. Easy. Decorating the paten that is used for bread is just as easy with the roller stamp after throwing again while the wheel is turning. I have to say it is a "Pat on the back" process that I love doing and is pretty efficient. Doesn't take much to please me of late.
QotW: What is your latest "Pat on the back" process, idea, or tool purchase?
best,
Pres
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How many thermocouples in your kiln? Can you do a thermocouple offset?
As Babs says, 1-2 is not much, maybe try starting with a 5 minute to see what happens.
best,
Pres
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4 minutes ago, Mark C. said:
Lest see today I started picking up 5 tons of clay
Power loaded (forklift into trck) Hired a kid to unload truck
Lets see how many times I have to move it to sell it
1-bring it as needed into studio-usally 700-1,000#s at a. time
2-cut and weigh it put it on a bat to carry it to wheel
3-take to wheel and throw itStarts here
4 carry it on ware boards to sun or heat
5 pop it off plaster bats and put on larger ware bats back into shop
6 if it needs trimming nows the time (this step is a zero if its a no trimmer )
7 if its gets handles its now-mugs etc
8 after handles onto larger bats and covered with plastic to even out on shelves for the night As I finish handles I automatically put on larger bats-dropping this step
9 load into bisque fire-at this time I wet sponge or dry stick cracks or clean whats needed
10 unload bisque fire onto larger ware bats
11-wax either hand or hot dip I stopped waxing as not certain how that would work with my downdraft blower
12 glaze it and move to kiln area
12 load the glaze and fire it Wash here before putting in the kiln
13 unload the glaze fire and either price for show or pack and store for sale (wholesale-consignment-or gallery /shop order
14 pack it to sales event (show) or outlet /gallery order or a wholesale order
15 drop it off-a gallery /shop or sell it at a show (wrap and bag it)
16 does not sell at show box it into van and leave till next time
Pres I do not know how to get it to 12 steps
Honestly, I think I simplified the end steps, as I could put in packing for shipping, carrying to the post office. However, Mark, I can get it down a few steps by starting with the throwing making and removing step 8. It is the reason I asked the question, everyone has a different answer.
My point is in the end, there are chances for an accident to happen to a piece at every time you handle the pot. Then again to I wonder about how many times a shelf full of pots gets knocked off, or some other accident that takes out one or more pieces.
best,
Pres
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I like to also use clay slip over pieces. I have found that when I assemble the chalices, that a coat of contrasting slip over top is a great way to accent further decoration after the slip dries enough. Then I use a potato peeler to facet the stems, and trimming tools to add incised bands into the stem and cup. These show up under glaze as lighter darker areas that add and extra layer of decoration. I like to have a lot of depth to my glazes where layers of transparency will reveal other things underneath.
The slips I use are SC 630 and SC 211Hazelnut.
best,
Pres
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Hi folks,
QotW: After throwing/making: How many times do you handle a pot?
I have tried to cut down on the times I handle a pot, it used to be I would handle it when trimming; then when assembling or adding handles; then go over each piece on a ware bat to assure no rough spots, little nits, or sharp edges; loading the bisque; unloading the kiln; washing; glazing; washing the bottom before loading; unloading the glaze load; sanding the bottoms; taking pictures; and packing for shipping of storage these days. That's 12 times that I have handled the pot! 12 times that if it slipped out of my hands I could have lost it! Too much, so now I try to combine some steps by smoothing edges and such just as I put it on the ware board, but that is still 11!
best,
Pres
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Once demonstrated for a very good attentive group of students. The demonstration was wheel throwing 3# of clay. I told them it was all about touch. . . then proved it by having one of them blind fold me completely. They had seats enough to not get too antsy. I did the entire demo including shaping and trimming the base of a vase form about 8 inches tall with flared belly and narrow neck flaring to the rim. There were some giggles in the audience, but all seemed good until I removed the blindfold and there was my Vice Principal sitting in among the students. She told me afterwards that she would have never approved such a reckless lesson plan. However, she said she was amazed at how I had them enthralled with the demo, and that it was probably the best demo she had ever seen! That was my yearly observation, and afterward we seemed to have greater respect for each other.
best,
Pres
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Years ago I was involved in an overstock grouping for school districts and other gov. organizations. I got several useful things from them, but the most useful was a box of band saw blades that were 1/2 to 5/8 wide. I did not have a band saw that they fit, but found that they made excellent metal ribs for wheel thrown pot trimming and other uses. I cut the band saw blade into 4-6" lengths and rounded the corners. I also made some with angles and sharpened with grinder as in open trimming tools.
best,
Pres
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I used to do guided practice in the dark, my room was without any windows so complete darkness. I would walk around the room calling out the steps to a pinch pot, and they would work on their 1-2#ball of clay. This actually got much better results than the previous exercises, but then it was the third exercise at pinch pots. However almost every one of the students had thinner more consistent walls with better form. My reasoning for the exercise in the dark was tactile pinch control, and being able to trust the touch to the thickness of the walls. Sometimes other senses get in the way of touch.
best,
Pres
- LeeU, Magnolia Mud Research and Babs
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Hi folks, I am busy making chalices and patens for communion sets of late, and have been thinking of repurposed materials for throwing and trimming tools. I have wondered how many of you have repurposed another tool for throwing, or trimming pots in the shop. Yet I realize that many of you handbuild pottery.
QotW: Do you have a favorite tools for pottery production that you have repurposed or made?
I have a shaping rib for throwing that is a bamboo spoon with the handle cut off and rounded like some kidney ribs. However the curve of the spoon works even better than a flat rib of the same shape as the curve allows me to open up, and enlarge a form much easier.
My other favorite tool I used to day, and it is the trimming chuck that holds the chalice stems for trimming without messing up the form or any decoration on the form. This was made from common plastic plumbing parts and is really much better than any chuck that I have used for trimming these forms.
best,
Pres
- Hulk, Min and Callie Beller Diesel
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@mxdsaYou may find this link helpful to some degree.
Welcome to the forum!
When running searches you may find it helpful to do them from the home page, as the search will cover all of the departments/strands.
best,
Pres
- Bill Kielb and Rae Reich
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My power hand held putty gun extruder usually gets 4-5 14" extrusion out of one tube of clay. Works well as long as they don't dry out. I am still working on the perfect die, but have several that work for now.
best,
Pres
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Since I went to extruded handles, I have a tendency of extruding them on plastic sheet, then covering while I join pieces. I have found that the extra time adding bits and pieces for back filling, decorating and finishing makes them a little more personal and less machine like. I really miss pulling handles, but with a dead rt thumb joint, and a poorly trained left hand I just can't make them that way anymore.
best,
Pres
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Taught HS for years, even though in the end we had six wheels, I only had one student per wheel, and six on at a time. I wandered from wheel to wheel hands on correcting positions, explaining pressure points on clay and hand, would hand in hand use their fingers for a pull inside and outside so that they would understand it isn't about pulling up, but pinching together. So one wheel good pre demo, correct poor posture, hand positions and make certain they understand the steps in progression. Always demonstrate the 3 forms separately, but make certain they master the cylinder first.
best,
Pres
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I think you could properly cut the head from the neck, use a self supporting notch cut Then hollow out the head and the torso separately Rejoin together with a greenware mender and then fire. If done carefully you could finish it quite well, If the neck line cut shows to much camo it with a necklace or choker.
best,
Pres
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This is a one off slab construction based on an idea inspired by a bunch of weeds, Preliminary sketches were similar, but I made the thrown rim and lid a little larger than planned. Of greatest importance here was the texture in the slabs that wraps around the piece. Glazing was done by staining the piece with iron oxide and cobalt stains, with wash off. The inside was glazed after washing off the stains as was the top with and upside down dip. Them areas of the piece were glazed with brown, blue and off white glazes sponged and dry brushed on. Then an atomizer was used to spray a rutile green glaze over large areas emphasizing the natural landscape look of weeds in dark forest. I am very happy with the way the textures and the rest of the piece turned out. This was originally made as a demo/door prize piece two years ago, glazed this year. It was given away as a door prize along with some chalices, and vases to folks taking the adult Ceramics class a the HS I used to teach at.
best,
Pres
Extremely stupid and ignorant to hazards with working with clay
in Studio Operations and Making Work
Posted
I would still seek medical help just incase you do have another issue.
best,
Pres