Hulk

Hi Llama, Welcome to the Forum! I'm curious if the Artista has a brushed motor, and if so, are the commutator and brushes clean and in good condition? ...I like Neil's idea better tho'.

Favorite needle tool is a small screwdriver that my Dad had ground down to a point. I like the handle - it's shorter than the typical pointer/needle tool - and larger in diameter. The entire tool is also rather short, which I prefer (except when a long one is needed). It's also easy to find and doesn't roll far when dropped. Taking inspiration from some of Hsinchuen Lin's early video clips (afore he began marketing his own line of stainless tools), I've an assortment of trimming and chattering tools made from hack saw blades. I've ground off the teeth, heated and bent the blade, then ground the profile. From there, I touch them up with a file. Some of the tools have been repurposed, as the original profile is long gone via sharpening. I don't mind the few moments it takes to resharpen them*. My favorite (and only) cut-off wire was just the right length (it had been shortened several times!), then it was too short after the last break. I'd tried several replacement wires, bah! Now I'm using the core of a bike derailleur cable, which is holding out great. It's very slim, yet resilient. Derailleur cables (the type I've been using for some time, by Jagwire) have filaments of metal wound around a core cable; I'm unwinding the outer filaments to reveal the core, boom! Repurposed! Another use for replaced bike cabling! They're also handy for picture frame hanging wires - be sure to completely remove any grease first tho'. A frosting spatula is so handy! At first I just used it to lever off batts, however, the small arc at the end is just right for mug lip recurve smoothing. I'm trimming strips off the (automobile) chamois for lip smoothing. Less often used, I've: several twist drill bits I use for making holes and dressing the holes' edges; a few small kitchen knives for cutting clay; a razor knife that's especially handy for trimming spouts; a few wooden knives/turning tools; a few wooden spoons for extending the inside hand when the hand won't fit; trimmed brushes for slip, glaze, and other stuff too. At glazing time, there's a few soup ladles (one is a favorite), turkey baster, ear syringe, inexpensive electronic scale, masking tape**, kitchen whisks (one is fitted with a rod, which chucks up to the drill), blade tools for mixing in that bottom bucket edge ...and more, I'll have to take a look, it's been a long slog with no Studio time since October last! *It's easier to keep them sharp then to re-sharpen when totally blunted. Side note, dressing off the sharpened edges of frequently used metal ribs also doesn't take long; a square-ish edge can also cut, however, the honed razor thin/sharp by clay edge is so much more dangerous! **plain half or three quarter inch tape makes a sharp clean straight line. For curvy, I cut the tape into strips. The pinstriping tape is nice, however, heh, masking tape is inexpensive, and works just fine, given it is cut with a sharp tool.

I've just over sixty pounds of Gerstley Borate to work with whilst figuring out replacement(s)...

Where there's more than one part, I still almost always make extra parts*. Handles, I'll typically pull an extra one or two, then recycle the extras. There isn't always a "worst" one, nor always an oops, but when there is, the extras come in handy. Lids, I'll make several extra, then check for fit, profile, feel, etc. after bisque and match them up - a matching mark in underglaze helps me keep them together. The extras pile up, but so handy for oops, broken; yes, we might have a lid that fits that; I don't like any of these, maybe there's a fit in the boneyaaaard; etc. When the lid and piece are formed similarly - same thicknesses, similar arc/profile, similar amount of "working" - they have a good chance of fitting together. A good chance, heh. Put togethers - like teapots, also towers, extended vases and pitchers, fountains - I'll make more add on bits than bodies, then pick at assemble time, and recycle the extras. Early on, I'd seen Bill van Gilder's video clip on lids, where he advocates standard sizes. I started out on the half inch, then switched to millimeters; I do 80mm for cups, jars, teapots; 100mm for larger mugs and jars; 120mm for jars; 140 and 180mm for jars and bowls. Standard sizing helps! *Here's some extra lids I'm throwing the knobs, then torch them to leather hard just afore needling them off to attach. Having tried a few (not all) lid styles, I'm doing almost all lids this way now - no gallery required, fully glazed container, lid and piece fired separately (not touching). The lid is thrown upside down, trimmed upright. The cylinder knob provides width and height with uniform thickness - without bulk. The underside of the lids gets liner glaze.

For firing and glazing, driven by what fits in the kiln, which, happy accident, I had just enough counterspace for a kiln load with leaving room for a glaze bucket, some tools, a cleanup water bucket and sponge, and splash room*. In making, from one up to forty or so. When in a flow, there's just thrown, ready or almost ready to trim, and another batch in between. The weather makes a difference in how fast things move along. Controlling and/or suspending drying is key, as Shawnhar points out. *The new Studio space will have to have the same or more counterspace! ...while seven cubic feet of kiln space seemed much too big, starting out, I'm used to it now, so looking forward to getting back to it.

Hi JLay, I'm seeing an earlier request for the same info got no replies, however, in this thread a Forum member posted a diagram they had authored, same/similar kiln, about halfway down the first page Kiln taking longer and longer to fire - Equipment Use and Repair - Ceramic Arts Daily Community Perhaps that will help?

There are a few threads here on that/similar topic - shopping for a wheel, that's how I found this Forum! Pottery Wheel Advice/suggestion - Equipment Use and Repair - Ceramic Arts Daily Community Best Pottery Wheel for Beginners? - Studio Operations and Making Work - Ceramic Arts Daily Community https://community.ceramicartsdaily.org/topic/26802-any-tips-on-purchasing-a-wheel ...there's more; try some different search strings, particularly the brand/model you may be considering. If you can, take some wheels for test drives.

Antiprex, a dispersant, rheology modifier, per worldofchemicals.com Antiprex 461 is an aqueous solution of low molecular weight polyacrylic acid. It is an effective dispersant and rheology modifier for kaolin, gold processing slurries and other mineral suspensions. It functions as an efficient antiscalant for the prevention of scale deposits including calcium carbonate, calcium sulphate, strontium sulphate and barium sulphate in industrial systems. Alcospere, a dispersant, per manufacturer's website Alcosperse® 149 is a pale amber liquid acrylate-based dispersant designed for general use in kaolin, calcium carbonate, paints, paper coatings and a variety of pigment slurry applications. Just curious. Hi Alistair, Welcome to the Forum. What are the units for those two ingredients?

"...should be simple enough to trim the shelves using a wet saw (tile saw)." Just saying, on account of I've trimmed concrete pavers, 1'x1'x2" and the 1'x2'x2", did a tile countertop in 3'x3' porcelain, and three showers, all used some 1'x1' and 1'x2'; all cases I'd prefer the wet saw, although I'll admit the three foot tiles were a bear on account of the weight.

I had an old KM1027 (1988), 2.5" brick; we didn't bring it with us on our move North, however, the shelf set is only about five years old, so kept that. Haven't decided on a new kiln just yet. Most all are 3" brick now. To use my shelves (without cutting*) in a ~seven cubic foot kiln, looks like the choices are Skutt (there are 2.5" brick 1027 models out there), Bailey/ConeArt - looks like all the other choices are a bit smaller inside diameter. *should be simple enough to trim the shelves using a wet saw (tile saw).

Some info here: Sandstone Manufacturing? - Equipment Use and Repair - Ceramic Arts Daily Community Pottery Supply House still has this page up (Firecraft Kilns were made by Sandstone Manufacturing, it seems). Firecraft Kilns – The Pottery Supply House (psh.ca) You might try calling Skutt; they are typically very responsive. The condition of the kiln - bricks, elements, wiring, etc. - that's important. The temperature rating - what max temp can the kiln reliably and repeatedly achieve - that's important too. PHS and/or Skutt may be able to help with the second point. Another resource, try Euclid's Elements. They are in Canada and sell elements for all manner of electric kilns; they may be able to help.

I'd noted Spodumene, Petalite and Lithium Carbonate pricing 1-DEC-22 At that time, northern California supplier (that I frequent) had a better price than other vendors I've used. Same NorCal vendor, since then, Petalite has gone up 25%, Spodumene (substitute) is up a bit over one third! The spod is well over twice the cost per pound, but it doesn't have 2x the lithium. Their spodumene sub is 6.8% lithium. I'd already (somewhat arbitrarily) chosen petalite for a lithium source; the recipe in question has just a trace of lithium, so I believe petalite is appropriate... The lithium unity, percent by weight, and mole percent are 0.133, .88%, and 1.86%, respectively. Any road, if the percent lithium changed, for sure I'd revisit the formula/recipe, for lithium is powerful stuff!

Hi Estrata, Welcome to the forum! Likely the kiln tech experts will want to know specifics; does the kiln have a plate attached indicating the amps, phase, voltage, model number?

There's a clay company in Lincoln (California) ...aha! One goes right by the piles of clay, large building, stacks of clay pipe, etc. when passing through town. I'm not seeing where Gladding, McBean are in transition/difficulty, also not finding any reports about the clay changing. Another local (Northern CA) clay producer has a history of noting changes as the mine(s) deepen(s); I buy clay from them, IMCO. There are somewhat recent shows about Lincoln clay, PBS "Rob on the Road" (season 7, episode 2; Rob Stewart), "California's Gold with Huell Howser" (episode title "Terra Cotta"), John "Bartell's Backroads" (ABC 10 KXTV)...

No amount of lead is safe, so says the WHO, CDC, State agencies, etc.

Many of the images I'm finding indicate the fan is designed to blow (hence turn) in one direction. The fan label has a flow direction arrow. Lauren captured the three phase reversing instructions in the third image (the single phase instructions, however, are truncated). I'm not finding a matching doc; the one I did find addresses rotation direction thus:

Hi Merav, Welcome to the Forum! The current model features "... Convenient, 3-position, reversing switch comes standard..." The switch on your wheel has two positions only? I haven't found any documentation on the GT400 model without said three position switch; looks like it's been standard for a very long time. That model wheel has been around for many decades though... Does the cable from the control box to the motor have a reversable plug? One of the images I'd found indicates there's a plug, but I can't tell if it is easily reversible. Laguna is typically very responsive, try calling (have model and serial numbers ready)

"...fresh air into the house somewhere. A lot of it!" Indeed; what provision for makeup air?

Hi SaeChoi, Welcome to the Forum! Two suggestions: i) if you can get samples from the Studio, fire side by side, just to confirm the clays are the same ii) place a cone pack on each level, to confirm the heat work Your new kiln may be running hot? A small kiln will likely cool much faster. You might program a slow cool to emulate the slower cooldown of a larger kiln. I tried a bag of Laguna's Speckled Buff clay last year. It was labelled Cone 5. I hadn't tried firing it hotter than Cone 5; the pieces on the shelf that was closer to Cone 5.5 were a bit more toasted looking. I really liked the clay and will definitely buy more! It was easy to work, takes my glazes well, and there were less defects. Some clays tolerate overfiring better than others. Some of the red, black and dark brown clays I've tried misbehaved (bubbling, bumps, fizzing) when overfired.

Well fitted dust mask (P100 by 3M in size medium), kiln glasses*, safety glasses. OptiVisor (magnification), adjustable/desk lamps, spot lamps, and area lighting. New studio will have a heat pump! !! The weather here is significantly hotter and colder than where we were afore. Insulation against cold floor/slab and alloy castings (foot control) - rubber mats, bubble wrap. Shelving, pegboard, countertop/work surfaces... Drill bits (twist), calipers (cheap plastic ones), ball point pens, many buckets (2.5 quart, 1 gallon, 2 gallon, 5 gallon), large sponges (big!), notebooks. Home made trimming tools (from hacksaw blades), repurposed items as ribs, stick tools, pointer tools... "Ditto" everything already mentioned, with extra nods to music/sound, mop bucket, dremel, diamond dust discs, clean rags/cloths, closed container for dirty cloths (anything with even the Smallest Amount of dried clay on't, in there, else wetted). *protection against harmful rays when looking into the kiln via peeps, and, And, protection against any superheated flying bits. Welding glasses of proper darkness/tint, with side shields, that's what I'm using, hence, not strictly a pottery tool...

Hi K, Welcome to the Forum! Edit/Add: the spots are not craters, they are bumps/lumps! Scroll down to agglomeration... Are the white spots "craters" - where the center of the spot is bare clay? If so, could be that there are particles in the clay that are off-gassing. Helpful in clearing up fine bubbles (fizzing), cratering, and pinholes: Adjusting peak glaze fire temp Drop and hold after peak Bisque fire adjustments (hotter, longer, with oxygen) 1260 C may be a bit too hot*? Some clays are sensitive to over firing, others are more forgiving. If the clay will fully vitrify at a lower temperature, that may help. A smaller drop, ~55C, then a longer hold - try 30 minutes - may allow the glaze to "heal over" the craters. Bisque fire with oxygen, extended hold at 815 C may also help, especially if the defects are more prevalent where the clay is thicker. I'm not finding shrinkage and absorption details on that clay body. The linked page indicates max 1300 C - not sure what "max" means in that context - could be the point where the clay begins to slump? The hottest sample is labelled 1240 C (1260 C is much hotter than that!) Technical data sheet here: Ready-made plastic bodies - Arno Witgert seit 1820 (witgert-tonbergbau.de) Any road, consider placing cone packs on each shelf (a half a cone hotter/cooler can make a big difference), keep detailed notes. Please do post updates! *Looking at the "Water Absorption %" numbers, the 2040A clay, for example, is is 11.1% at 1100 C, 1.5% at 1200 C, 1.4% at 1300 C In that case, likely not worthwhile to fire over 1200 C The 11 (plastic body) is 2.8% at 1200 C, .6% at 1300 C In that case, firing to ~1260 C may be about right.

I'm seeing two columns on the Forum/Browse page, where the first column is the subforums, the second column has the Topics and Recent Updates. That wide subforum column lists each subforum where the entries include the name, a description, the Moderator, post count, and a link to the most recently updated thread. Is it the links (red arrow) that you are referring to Lee?

Hi Meral! Welcome to the Forum! If the kiln has a medallion/sticker/nameplate indicating the model, volts, and amperage, please post a closeup image. = via Google Translate English->Turkish Merhaba Meral! Foruma hoş geldiniz! Fırında modeli, voltu ve amperajı gösteren bir madalyon/etiket/isim levhası varsa, lütfen yakından bir resim gö Particularly important: volts amps or amperage phase *** Meral's post, as translated by Google Translate: Hello,! I am a ceramic artist and bought a used kiln. I just came to the US from the EU. I will use it in my garage. The oven is a bit old. Its name is Sitter Kiln Model-k 10. Have you used it before? I am looking for a plug, do I need to install a plug system or can I use a changer? I'm a little confused. I haven't tried either. I need to try to see if this works. Do you have such a plug? If you can help me, I will be very happy. Thanks!

How much does the surface of the wheel (at the outer edge) run out? IOW, how much vertical movement is there? If the wobble is horizontal only, that shouldn't shake up the work, excepting for the visual - a large diameter bat can help there! If there is a significant up and down wobble, I've found that hard to work with.