Hulk

Hey Jerry, Just wanted to echo Mark on setting cone packs - then you will see just what heat work was achieved; I put cones on each level*. Here are a few resources (of many) I've found helpful: first of all, this forum; The Art and Craft of Clay by Susan Peterson; Tony Hansen's website https://digitalfire.com/ (amazing collection of articles, recipes, descriptions, etc). This thread has some suggestions: https://community.ceramicartsdaily.org/topic/22858-a-beginner-looking-for-good-learning-resources ...including this link: https://community.ceramicartsdaily.org/topic/21849-fre

That Tricoya looks interesting (https://tricoya.com/performance/); I'd stay away from Okoume (plywood). Medex looks like a Roseburg product (West coast, USA), suggest looking at Medite (https://mdfosb.com/en/medite/products/medite-tricoya-extreme) - available in Europe. I have some powderboard bats, 1/2 and 3/4" thick; they're holding up ok. I applied as much oil stain as they would take, allowed them to dry thoroughly, then put 'em to work. That said, next set, if any will be Medex or something similar...

Am still working on: smooshing, drying, and re-throwing wet pieces; tossing dry pieces to reclaim (being sure to break'm); culling bisque to to the "experiment" stack, else the dustbin - as there's then more space for other stuff. Each glaze load has fewer "why/what/ugh" pieces in thar, however, still loads of room for improvements. As for repairs, have has some success filling seams at joins (non structural defect) with slip, using a wet brush. For functional ware, there's no substitute (imo) for extended usage trials (and thoughtful feedback from friends and acquaintances) - discov

Perhaps not silly - oooh, I got a smirk out o't though! At the local JC ceramic lab (a few years ago), deduction indicated that person was culprit - chipped bowls, locker full of broken pieces, a few other broken pieces - and, having noticed that person didn't care for heights and couldn't reach far (bein' close t'th' ground), ah moved alla my stuff to a high cubby. "Oh, you moved your stuff up..." "Yep (smirk)" <extra crimson flush>

Looks like the Prodigy can be had over there for just over £1000. I'm liking the built in cast pan; the Classic model (not finding availability where you are) might compare pricewise with the Brent C - both strong wheels. Any road, looks like good choices, all three. Any chance you could test drive them? ...might come down to fit/feel, the sound, etc.

Have found clean (very!) to be key - no oil or grease on the beaters, bowl, nor introduced some other way. I usually use the big stainless bowl for meringue, else the big ceramic bowl, as it seems difficult to get all the grease off of plastic. I'm not seeing any difference between a ceramic and glass bowl, all else (scratches, smoothness, clean-oh!) bein' even. While on the subject, separating each egg into a smaller bowl, then adding to the big bowl after a careful look for spots o' yolk has been helpful (have a few extra eggs on hand, and be open minded toward an omelet) , also chillin

More from Labor Day glaze fire, Clockwise, from top left Covered dish, just over a quart. Same Rutile Green. Five of fifteen small bowls in red clay (SRF). Overall, am happy with this load! Still working on tossing pieces to reclaim that don't look and feel "right" - making progress there. Detailed notes are definitely helping! Looks like a longer bisque and a bit lower glaze fire target temp (plus slower cool to ~1850) has cleared up a few issues. Also looks like lower expansion clear is working on the cafe as well as the two white clays. Not decided y

More from Labor Day glaze fire, Clockwise, from top left Tortilla warmer in Cassius. I took a closer look (with magnification), see now that the clear glaze that "clears" the bubbles fairly well over the black clay also crazes (my vision ain' great); have finished the one bag, may not buy more... Storage jar, ~7.5 inches tall, same Rutile Green The two mugs are same Celsor Faux Celedon, same white clay - the seven o'clock one is from previous bisque and glaze firing, the five o'clock one appears similar (the colours are actually about the same - camera settings, not),

From Labor Day's glaze firing Clockwise, top left, Test tiles for "waste" glaze (retained, settled, sieved and adjusted cleanup, wipe off, etc. - just over 1.5 gallons; it's "free!"), crazes over these clays, may fit buff and red clays better, tbd New lower expansion liner glaze (per recent entry to https://community.ceramicartsdaily.org/topic/19922-clay-composition-and-crazing), goes on well, looking good so far - more testing required. I'm not minding the specks, which may be from petalite, as all the other ingredients have been used in previous low expansion trials...

Hi Amelia! I ran a glaze fire on Labor Day - the smoke wasn't as bad then as now. Off peak electric rate until 5 p.m. on weekends and holidays, yeaah! Hadn't thought about postponing firing, good idea that. We're limiting our driving.

Hi Fred! Paragon has an archive of Duncan documentation here: https://paragonweb.com/support/instruction-manuals/

Hi BPA! Just gave clear glazed bowl away, Aardvark Clay buff (SRF) - looks a bit more yellow with this "kitten's clear" glaze; perhaps not exactly what you're looking for, but close? The second bowl (sold, also the SRF clay) has Bill Van Gilder's rutile green recipe on the outside, Wollastonite clear (the recipe I found is credited to Bethany Krull) liner.

AC does pull some some moisture, which is almost always helpful... fwiw, I'm no longer using fans (in the studio), as the air stream is more focused, hence kicks up more dust; there just isn't a place to point it where the air wash doesn't reach places that I'm not willing to clean regularly (behind material stores, under shelves ...my studio, err, studio/workshop/bike shop, is in a one car garage - not particularly large). I open the rollup door and the person door to get gentle air movement, which is almost always enough to speed drying, and kicks up less dust. When in a hurry (doesn't