Pres

How about a large plastic storage tub with lid made into a Damp Box? Mix enough potters plaster to make about a 2" layer in the bottom and after it sets hard, add a cup of water to the tub. (I add about a cup of water every 4 to 6 months and as long as I keep the lid closed, that's all it seems to need to keep things moist.)  I checked mine today and I have a pair of bowls that I threw in 2013 and they are on the damp side of leather hard...too soft to trim. I want to see how long I can keep them there before they start to fall apart. Place the box on a dolly from Harbor Freight and it can be rolled anywhere!

rolling bakers' racks with drywall shelves.  self explanatory.   too bad there aren't very many old refrigerators with wire racks in them.  i have about 18 and have not seen any more of them for years.   they are wonderfully useful for carrying pots after hot waxing and glazing to the kiln.   cannot use when the work is fired because the metal marks the foot. or foots?

The first thing I thought of was a paint sieve that fits on a 5 gal bucket.   I had bought several of them when I painted the house and had a extra one.  I tried one out when I was mixing a 3 gal batch of glaze.   I sieved it through the paint mesh before I sieved it through my 100# mesh sieve.   Doing it this way seem to make the whole process easier and faster.   They are also very inexpensive,  about $3 each.   For people who work with slabs a seam roller for wallpaper can help mesh your seams together.    A vinyl layout pad with measurement marks for fabric  can also be helpful for slab,  both are also inexpensive.    Denice

Working with a coarser clay makes the smooth process  a little slower,  I got into coiling when I was in college.   I took a archeology class that was in a competition with other colleges to replicate  Anazai pottery.  It was held in the pottery studio and I was the only clay person in the class.  The professor taught the class how he thought they made the coiled pots,  I told him he was wrong  that the pots would crack and fall apart.   At the end of the semester we fired them in a trench firing,  my work come out fine the rest was broken shards.     I had a dozen pieces come out of the firing most of them quite large and thin walled.    The professor admitted I was right,  the archeology department  won the competition  with my work.   Denice

My studio is full of clay right now,  I have a off white speckled, Speckled buff. Standard red,   Death Valley red and yellow.   These are my clay's used for coiling ,  the  coils are smoothed and Indian designs usually Mimbres or Anazai  are applied using stains or glazes.   At least half of the pot is not glazed  so the color  of the clay and texture is important.  I also have a buff throwing clay that I have been using to improve my throwing skills.    I recycle my clay,  it is part of my process.   I went to college during the hippie era and was taught that all of mother earths offerings such as clay are precious and need to be recycled.   I was also taught to evaluate a piece before you fire it,  think about someone finding that pot hundreds of years from now.   Is it worthy of being around that long,  because it is fired it won't disintegrate and return to the earth.    Denice

I'll bite
Cone 10 porcelain mostly Daves from Laguna -fired in treduction atmosphere to soft cone 11. All homeamde glazes  dipped and some brushing. Aslo  use a bit of 50/50 porcelain and some Babu both from Laguna clay company. down to 6-8 tons per year now.95% thrown forms with minor slab work.I fire in two gas kilns-a small 12 cubic footer (fired my 18th laod yesrterday for the year in that kiln and my car kiln. (35 cubic feet) fired my 17th load yesterday for the year in that kiln.
I like porcelain as it tougher and shows the glazes off better than stoneware and chips less as well.

I use so very little cobalt, I'm not even sure anyone would care if I gave it up or not. I use it in increments of 1% or less, so I'm still working on the 250g package of carbonate I bought two years ago. 
I don't work in oranges or reds because I don't want to expose myself to cadmium, never mind anyone else. I don't care if they're stable enough for my use, someone had to expose themselves to keep me safe. To me, it's not worth it for a few pots. I bought the smallest package of red stain I could 5 years ago, and I can't bring myself to use it much. 
The yellow stain I do have is praseodymium based. Not sure how rare earth mining practices compare those of cadmium or cobalt. 

Rare earth refining is where you would draw concern I think.  I think all the lanthanides are mined together and separated via chemical process.  Since China is the dominant (only) producer of rare earth elements I'm sure they do it all safely and ethically.  But once again, the pottery world draws almost zero demand, so you aren't the driving force behind the mining and processing of the ore, you're a side concern of a side concern when it comes to praseodymium.

Every day I must make big and small decisions regarding ethics, safety, exploitation of adults and children, integrity, willful disregard or unavoidable look-the-truth-in-the-face.  Every day I wind up feeling unsatisfied with some of what I "had" to  choose, for my own well-being, survival, and reasonable comfort. I choose--for darn good personal reasons--to not be an activist against heavy-duty matters that violate people's safety, health, rights, reasonable living conditions. I choose, to the extent that I am aware of what I am choosing-to not participate when I can reasonably avoid participation (free shipping and reward points not withstanding-shame on me). 
I recently "rescued" a betta (Siamese Fighting Fish-betta splendens) from a little cup of water in a pet store, to give it a wonderful home in a naturally planted aquarium. And yet, am  I not just perpetuating the hostage breeding  of these creatures,  just for my own pleasure-same as we breed chickens/cows/pigs just to be killed because broccoli gets boring?   I hope my mainstream commercial glaze suppliers do use ethical sourcing, but I am unlikely to research that further myself. If I learn they do otherwise, I'll stop using their cobalts.  I do what I can, but, frankly, I feel that it ain't very much. 

I don't think potters drive enough of a demand for cobalt to be worried that they're the reason for bad mining practices.  I don't know the numbers but I'm going to guess that potters use less than a thousandth of a percent of the cobalt mined.  We use cobalt alloys at work and I know they're the metal of choice for prosthetics and implants because they're biocompatible.  Of course the electronics industry is the biggest consumer.  So as far as feeling guilty, I just can't.  Too far removed from the problem and not driving demand.  
Speaking of which, I guess demand has plumeted because cobalt is cheaper than I've seen in long while.  Last time I picked up a pound I was shocked to see it at like a quarter of it's usual price.

Recently, Min posted by way of @preeta : @preeta brought something up that I've been pondering for years. In this thread she asks "i wonder are potters now going to treat cobalt blue like blood diamonds? Whole ‘nother Subject."
I realize as potters there's a strong probability that the cobalt we use is from the DRC and child labour plus health and safety concerns is a very valid concern in the mining practices there. We are not the reason for the mining, battery market seems to be the big driver now, but how do we feel about using cobalt or for that matter do we look into the mining practices of any of the materials we use? Cadmium inclusion stains to my knowledge are only being made in China and India, now why is that? (rhetorical question)
For myself, even though I have been aware of the problem, I believe that much of the fix may be as much a problem for potters as the cure is for the children. Conditions in 20% or more of the mining operations use child labor in horrendous circumstances. However, as the demand for cobalt becomes more and more prevalent for car batteries, and other smaller modern batteries, the demand will climb, as will the need for more efficient methods of mining. This will mean mechanization, and other cost saving measures that will probably remove children from the equation. That said, it is rather certain by all predictors that the cost of cobalt will go up, and the welfare of the children will be in further jeopardy with this source of income. I will continue to buy cobalt, hoping that my suppliers buy from the 80%, but at the same time I use very little cobalt carbonate in my glazes, and no cobalt oxide.
 
Asking in another manner,  How will you treat the use of cobalt in your work?
 
best,
Pres
 

Hi folks, 
I have been doing some thinking about the white liner glaze that I have been dipping the hazelnut and the white clays in before spray glazing. So I decided to try a piece without glazing the whole piece in the white glaze, just the inside and neck. I think you can see the difference. Seems like to me, the white is bleaching out the cream rust glaze here, pieces I had sprayed with the cream rust, the variegated blue and the rutile green would always be more blue and green. Interestingly enough, the hazelnut pieces would have more browns in them. 

 
best,
Pres

Reposted as I had it in the wrong strand!  These are a few from the last load.
 
 

 
 

 
 
best, 
Pres

New mugs, and a commission for tiny display dishes for a spice shop. 

Indeed!! Even at the most modest venture, those prices are nuts! Not to get too philosphical, but such under-valuation may call into question the integrity of clay art everywhere! Raise 'em up, Liam, raise 'em up! 

@liambesaw.  Liam.  My friend. Those prices, man. We need to talk!

Hi folks, 
I have been doing some thinking about the white liner glaze that I have been dipping the hazelnut and the white clays in before spray glazing. So I decided to try a piece without glazing the whole piece in the white glaze, just the inside and neck. I think you can see the difference. Seems like to me, the white is bleaching out the cream rust glaze here, pieces I had sprayed with the cream rust, the variegated blue and the rutile green would always be more blue and green. Interestingly enough, the hazelnut pieces would have more browns in them. 

 
best,
Pres

Chilly recently posted in the QotW pool: How far back/deep do you feel compelled to go in your pursuit of pottery (or insert another craft/art here)?
As I am not what you would call a purist, I do not mix my own paints, or inks, but use limited palettes that are expanded greatly by my skill of mixing color, when using watercolor or acrylics. As an art teacher, it was what I used, and knew.
As an art teacher also, over the years I became pretty acquainted with ceramics, and became most inclined to continue work with it. However, I have never been interested in pursuing the digging of my own clay, let alone the refinement of it. In the long run, I do what I did lately, bought clay! As far as glazes, I started out using studio glazes from my college classes. We were given a Nelson text to purchase, read, understand, but at no point in undergrad did we actually mix glazes. When starting to teach ceramics, as the teacher before me had used commercial glazes, I continued. However, he used ^06 clays and glazes, which I did not like to work with. He also used the crappiest of the Amaco white clays on hand. Yuch! When I started teaching all of the Ceramics classes as he was too busy with the other classes he taught, I moved everything to ^6. I started with powdered glazes, large lots, then as I became more secure, following grad classes, started mixing some from books, then started modifying these, and moved slowly into mixing all of the studio glazes.
I really am not interested in mixing my own clays, as I really don't have the room for this type of studio, and I am also content with what I am and do.
 
best,
Pres

Table vase from recent firing. This one used a white glaze on the entire piece inside and out. As compared to the one before you can see how the white glaze bleaches browns on the SS 630

Table vase from recent firing. This one used a white glaze on the entire piece inside and out. As compared to the one before you can see how the white glaze bleaches browns on the SS 630

From day one we busted open 50 lb. sacks of clay, feldspar, and grog to make stoneware, earthenware, porcelain, and raku clay. Same as per glazes, engobes, lustres, slips, terra sig.  In fact, the clay I’m using is mostly Kentucky Stone, about cone 8. Digging my own clay? It’s interesting but it rarely gets beyond bisque. On the other hand, I do make my own ash glazes, and  I usually have a few pounds of new ash annually for this. It’s a by product of fireplace, firepit

I follow the rabbit holes as I go.  If something interests me further I pursue it until it doesn't interest me anymore.  So recently my pursuit of DIY lustres came with a lot of research.  I figured there had to be a cheaper option out there that I could make myself.  There is and there isn't, but I'm still on it and still making them, mainly because I like the way the bright oil-like sheen looks on my pots.  It's subtle so I doubt anyone would really notice until I pointed it out, but they're cool!
Anyway, I don't mix my own clay for several reasons, the main one being there's very little cost savings and I have local access to beautiful pugged clays for dirt cheap.  I do mix my own glazes and make my own tools, but that's out of cost savings and control and not about returning to the roots or honoring my ancestors or whatnot.  
I like this hobby because you CAN go down these rabbit holes and come out understanding just a weeeee bit more about the different processes and how they interact.  But it's also awesome because everything is now set up to where you don't even NEED to know anything so just about anyone can hop on into the hobby with just a few hours of reading.
 

Oh MY! Questions in the question bank, glad to know folks are getting tired of me presenting my questions! LeeU recently posed the following: What is your most unapologetic, shamelessly proud, pat-yourself-on-the-back accomplishment of any type in your ceramics life (a terrific piece, a  great sale, a sharp business strategy, a fine friend made, a good deed done, a land traveled, a discovery---etc. etc.)?  
Wow! that is a mouthful, but a thoughtful question. I can't say that there has been any one thing that stands out for me.  There have been times I have won awards at a local juried show, or even been shown in a State wide juried show. There have also been the times when I had thrown very large forms, even for most of the other students around me at PSU. Then there was being elected chapter president for the Blair County Guild of Craftsmen, or more recently elected to the board of the Potters Council by members. All of these, are of note, but in the long run do not last very long.
One of my most recent pats on the back came in the form of a letter from the church next door.  Last year one of the church members, an older woman, requested that I make a pair of chalices and a long french loaf paten for the church in memory of her daughter that had passed recently. I told her I would be happy to do it, but that it would take me probably a year as I was in the middle of orders and would be into Winter when I could not get things done. She accepted that, and had been patient. Order delivered not too long ago, she was very pleased. The church letter came a week later stating that the Communion set had been used blessed and used for the congregation communion. The letter stated that they were so blessed to have such a great talent in their midst! If they only knew how so little of it was talent, but more trial and error, and making the paten 3 times! But I still pat myself on the back. . . softly!
 
best,
Pres

Finally settling on a single glaze for all of my work.

My answer may be a little different, because it concerns someone else’s ceramics... but I was his HS teacher.  Many years ago, I had an extremely gifted student who was enrolled in each of my art classes throughout  his 4 years of high school.  I needed to be a Jack of All Trades, as the only art teacher in a rural high school... taught First Year Studio, Drawing and Painting, Printmaking, Photography, Sculpture and of course, Ceramics. His 3rd year, after Studio, and Drawing and Painting, he enrolled in Ceramics.  However, he always seemed to gravitate right back to his easel... he really was getting better and better at painting, BUT he was ignoring his Ceramics.  I knew he had a bright future, and was trying to help him get a scholarship to college... BUT did not want to mess up his chances with a low grade in Ceramics... so we made a bargain.  I would sustain his 4.0, but he had to put in double time after school or whenever, to get his Ceramics done.  Well, he did it. Then went on to win  a scholarship to the Boston Museum School (affiliate Tufts U, at Boston Museum of Fine Arts.). His first year in Boston, he excelled in Ceramics and became a fantastic, prolific, creative  potter. (but still painted :-) That young man went on to work at the Guggenheim, then the Smithsonian.  Now in his forties, he just completed a book, and has created an exhibit comparing Matisse’ inspiration to the work of native Alaskan indigenous peoples.  He has made me proud. :-)