Pres

Go to my blog site, as I have posted the CM article that I co-authored with Madeleine Coomey there , February 18, 2019. It makes minor changes to a Ryobi battery powered caulking gun by using available plumbing pieces.
 
best,
Pres

Oh yeah, I use a hand held power extruder for handles and other small pieces. Have used glaze calc software for years, as I really hated doing the paper work in college. Also have a recipe spread sheet to automatically figure batch weights. 
 
best,
Pres

Glazing a large jar or vase I spray,  if I am making a set of dishes I dip.   The last few years I was making coiled, smoothed pots with Mimbres designs on them with a lot of naked clay on the pots.  I brushed the designs on with very small brushes.   I am starting on a sculptural mural,  I am planning on using under glaze, clear glaze, mat glaze and naked areas.  I haven't got that part totally put together,  the glaze will be brushed on.    Denice

I always add new colors every so often. I reacently repalaced a robin egg blue with another blue that easier to work with.
Colors keep me involved-either better colors or easier more dependable colors-either way its always on my mind
currently using about 12-15 glazes as a standard.
I have soemthat like hot and cool spots and get into those in the gas kilns so they are optimum looking

will be using glazes that i made many years ago and have not used, just tested.  they will cover the empty bowls i need to make and i will be combining several of them by layering.   not my usual kind of thing and i am not sure whether they will work together. 
there are several 5 gallon buckets with dry mixed ingredients, one is apparently a popular glaze called  "Varigated blue" which i have tested as a base, nice white, almost matte.  there are lots of others,  Nutmeg,  Randy's red, Sapphire, Licorice base which takes colors beautifully, and Luster Green.   more are hiding behind the first row.
anyone with suggestions of how to combine?  any history working with them?   i just want to do simple bowls this year, lots of other things in the way.  

My challenge is to be more attentive to constructing an intentional palette in the first place. I gravitate to favorite combos and then sometimes just get spontaneous with whatever strikes my fancy at the moment. I make plans to develop a couple of palette schemes, and cut out glaze swatches from catalogues or print them out from web sites and tack them up on my inspiration board...and usually never look at them again. 

I still make my own clay body.
I rarely wedge anymore. I figure thats what a pugmill is for.
Giffin grip is used on almost every piece made.

I guess where on the continuum you are looking at things from makes it old or new school? New school isn't really new any more for kiln controllers but they have gotten more bells and whistles since the first ones came out. I'm new school there I guess, I love my Genesis controller. Glaze calculation software, is that new school, I'm not sure but it beats the old pencil and paper way of doing calculations. Silicone ribs, maybe those are new school? Clay in boxes, new school? Can't imagine processing my clay from the ground like in the old Isac Button videos. Combination mixer pugger, yup, I'll tick that box too, relatively new school there for studio potters. Electric drill with a mixer attachment vs the old wooden stick to mix up glazes. Using the internet to connect with other potters, is that new school? Reading books, old school I guess but nothing better. Paper and pencil note taking just in case my computer crashes and I loose all my notes because I'm bad at backing things up and not everything is stored in the cloud, old school. I guess I try and take the best from both ends of the spectrum.

Hi folks, no new suggestions for a new QotW topic in the pool or elsewhere. So I will pose another question once again.
Lately, I have been thinking about the direction the new kiln is taking me, and what that means. I also have realized that maybe my age is showing because I still like to do some things in old ways. 
As far as the new kiln goes, the process of calibrating the thermocouples is pretty much completed. Only the next glaze firing will tell. I find the ease of firing with the Genesis controller mixed, as even though I do not worry over the setting for a firing,  I do have a tendency to double check color against the firing graph. I guess the kiln controller if my step into the future.
Things that I do that are old school will include the use of a triple beam balance to weigh out glaze chemicals, wedging clay, and reclaiming scraps. Setting the weights on the triple beam balance makes me think about what I am doing. . . kind of a second check, as is marking the chemicals with grease pencil on my plastic sleeved recipe charts. Keeps me focused.  Wedging, actually helps my back believe it or not. The pushing down while rotating the clay and body eases back strain for me, and is one other reason I reclaim scraps.
QotW: What things do you do that would be Old School, and what do you do that would be considered Embracing the Future?
 
best,
Pres

I rarely use my triple bean over the newer digital scale-it weights more and is 10 times faster to make a `10,000 gram batch
I still fire old school gas kilns with only two cones in lower spy plug.New school is the oxy probes and digital pryros also is the older meter on kiln which works without a battery for rough temps. 
I gave up wet mop for central vac system in studio. It burns up a motor every two years but is worth it.
I still throw with very few tools-sponge and a stick.
Old school is my plaster bats for all things 8#s or less
old school is I use the material bags they came in-unless it smaller colorants
Old school I clean wheel every year not every day- less water use and better use of time
old school phone in studio covered with clay from western electric -bullet proof
old school banana bexes for transporting wares to and from shows, 70+ fit in van-easy to recycle at a show or to get more.
 

wheels under everything you will move, and you will move things if but to wash that floor.   Harbor Freight stores have lots of types.  avoid plastic wheels that are inexpensive.   buy full bags of the commonly used glaze ingredients.  the best containers i have used are the Rubbermaid totes but they do not seem to be in the big box stores anymore.  Sterilite is very brittle for holding large quantities of heavy ingredients.  rubbermaid might sag but sterilite cracks.   do not leave your purchases in the original bag!  store them in something strong enough and easy to open, preferably on wheels.  bags become dusty and there is no way to open them repeatedly that will not cause a dust storm under your nose.   buy a respirator first thing.
second purchase is a decent cut off wire that you can control.   fishing leader lines come in different lengths, i find a 12 inch very useful and a 9 inch is always in use.   attach round metal key rings to the ends.    take your key rings to a fishing supply place that is not too big so there will be an employee who can advise you.  these wires are already braided so they cut clay the first time and last for years.
label everything.  not on paper that is taped to a container, tape will  dry up and fall off.   use a sharpie directly on the container.  you can remove a label if you change things.  just use hairspray and a cotton ball to wipe all the sharpie off.   hairspray works better than acetone and smells better.
there are a number of posts about setting up a studio, i do not know how to retrieve them from this website but if you search, you will find some really great ideas.   i do have strong opinions on most things because my education has been the school of hard knocks.   trying to save you some pain.

Ergonomics. In other words, take care of your back. Make everything in your studio fit YOU. 

Hi folks, nothing new in the pool for QotW, so once again, I will pose a question.
A while back we asked: What studio habits do you have that others have warned against?  Asking just the opposite- QotW: What best habit would you recommend to a beginner setting up their studio?  My best suggestion would be to look at your storage, surfaces and flooring, in order to control dust. I would suggest sealed rubbermaid type bins for chemicals, sealed buckets for glazes, work surface easily cleaned, without dust gathering canvas or other materials. I would try to stay away from containers with deep recesses in their lids, as they gather dust, Stay away from low shelving as they will gather underneath. Use dolly's to move larger containers out from under shelving to be easier to clean areas. Then clean once a week at least. Limit your ceramics space to ceramics, no household tools, or other storage in the studio. Most of my mistakes are listed here! 
Asking once again! QotW: What best habit would you recommend to a beginner setting up their studio?
 
best,
Pres
 

When doing lighting, go LED, brighter, less shadows, easier to pay attention to detail.
 
best,
Pres

When doing lighting, go LED, brighter, less shadows, easier to pay attention to detail.
 
best,
Pres

When doing lighting, go LED, brighter, less shadows, easier to pay attention to detail.
 
best,
Pres

Make sure you have enough lighting, everything looks good in the dark.    Denice

Hi folks, nothing new in the pool for QotW, so once again, I will pose a question.
A while back we asked: What studio habits do you have that others have warned against?  Asking just the opposite- QotW: What best habit would you recommend to a beginner setting up their studio?  My best suggestion would be to look at your storage, surfaces and flooring, in order to control dust. I would suggest sealed rubbermaid type bins for chemicals, sealed buckets for glazes, work surface easily cleaned, without dust gathering canvas or other materials. I would try to stay away from containers with deep recesses in their lids, as they gather dust, Stay away from low shelving as they will gather underneath. Use dolly's to move larger containers out from under shelving to be easier to clean areas. Then clean once a week at least. Limit your ceramics space to ceramics, no household tools, or other storage in the studio. Most of my mistakes are listed here! 
Asking once again! QotW: What best habit would you recommend to a beginner setting up their studio?
 
best,
Pres
 

Hi folks, nothing new in the pool for QotW, so once again, I will pose a question.
A while back we asked: What studio habits do you have that others have warned against?  Asking just the opposite- QotW: What best habit would you recommend to a beginner setting up their studio?  My best suggestion would be to look at your storage, surfaces and flooring, in order to control dust. I would suggest sealed rubbermaid type bins for chemicals, sealed buckets for glazes, work surface easily cleaned, without dust gathering canvas or other materials. I would try to stay away from containers with deep recesses in their lids, as they gather dust, Stay away from low shelving as they will gather underneath. Use dolly's to move larger containers out from under shelving to be easier to clean areas. Then clean once a week at least. Limit your ceramics space to ceramics, no household tools, or other storage in the studio. Most of my mistakes are listed here! 
Asking once again! QotW: What best habit would you recommend to a beginner setting up their studio?
 
best,
Pres
 

Hi folks, nothing new in the pool for QotW, so once again, I will pose a question.
A while back we asked: What studio habits do you have that others have warned against?  Asking just the opposite- QotW: What best habit would you recommend to a beginner setting up their studio?  My best suggestion would be to look at your storage, surfaces and flooring, in order to control dust. I would suggest sealed rubbermaid type bins for chemicals, sealed buckets for glazes, work surface easily cleaned, without dust gathering canvas or other materials. I would try to stay away from containers with deep recesses in their lids, as they gather dust, Stay away from low shelving as they will gather underneath. Use dolly's to move larger containers out from under shelving to be easier to clean areas. Then clean once a week at least. Limit your ceramics space to ceramics, no household tools, or other storage in the studio. Most of my mistakes are listed here! 
Asking once again! QotW: What best habit would you recommend to a beginner setting up their studio?
 
best,
Pres
 

Hi folks, nothing new in the pool for QotW, so once again, I will pose a question.
A while back we asked: What studio habits do you have that others have warned against?  Asking just the opposite- QotW: What best habit would you recommend to a beginner setting up their studio?  My best suggestion would be to look at your storage, surfaces and flooring, in order to control dust. I would suggest sealed rubbermaid type bins for chemicals, sealed buckets for glazes, work surface easily cleaned, without dust gathering canvas or other materials. I would try to stay away from containers with deep recesses in their lids, as they gather dust, Stay away from low shelving as they will gather underneath. Use dolly's to move larger containers out from under shelving to be easier to clean areas. Then clean once a week at least. Limit your ceramics space to ceramics, no household tools, or other storage in the studio. Most of my mistakes are listed here! 
Asking once again! QotW: What best habit would you recommend to a beginner setting up their studio?
 
best,
Pres
 

Invest in a good mop and mop bucket and use it frequently. Your lungs will thank you.

@Pres Thank you very much for creating this post! it is so inspiring and educational to go through everyone's list and discover these masters. 

A friend of mine is having a rough day today, and wanted me to pass on some information that might not be as widely known as it ought to be.
She sells a round, dome style butter dish as part of her regular offerings on Etsy. This morning she was given a trademark infringement notice and had the listing pulled because she had tagged it as a butter bell.
A little research turned up that the name “Butter Bell” is trademarked, and if I’m reading things right, has been since the late 90’s. It got renewed in the last couple of years. They even sued Paula Deen in 2010 for intellectual property infringement when both entities were selling on QVC. It’s a trademark name, not a patent, so it doesn’t appear to apply to a specific form, although Butter Bell sells what I would have called a French butter dish under that name. The upside down kind you’re supposed to put the water in. The ads in my browser for this search showed similar forms from assorted retailers and Etsy, but all called “butter keepers” or some other name.
So if anyone has similar listing names or tags on websites or online marketplaces, you might want to edit your names to save yourself this hassle. This company is obviously willing to use a lawyer. Any of us selling in person might want to educate our customers on the names if there’s the opportunity, because I’m sure lots of people are using butter bell as a search term online.

French butterdish is what I call them-no lawyers yet after 40 years. But wait there is still time  for them to line up out front.  Well they have to see them at a show or a shop. No online sales for me.