shawnhar

I'm not an artist so functional for me. I do enjoy really pushing  a mug into art"ish" territory though, I make one or two whacky ones every time I make a batch of 30 or so.
I dabble a bit in art, but it's certainly not "fine", lol.
 

I'm not an artist so functional for me. I do enjoy really pushing  a mug into art"ish" territory though, I make one or two whacky ones every time I make a batch of 30 or so.
I dabble a bit in art, but it's certainly not "fine", lol.
 

It can be, depends on the clay. I never dip pots in water before glazing, they are always dry when I glaze.
@Pir, I'ld rub those pinholes over with a dry fingertip when the glaze is dry.

Yup. I missed driving a stick so I added one to my wheel's foot pedal.
Piece of redi rod attached to the side of the pedal with a small door knob threaded to the top.

Enjoying the studio pics, thanks for sharing!
Open Studios Art Tour just over, here the tables have been put away, some of remaining ware put away, the bikes, buckets, mop, vacuum, etc. that were cleared away brought back in.

Above, from the corner behind the kiln.
The wood shelving typically is encumbered with work in progress - raw clay and/or bisque awaiting next steps, glazed ware awaiting final inspection, polish, wash.
Putting that shelving up makes it easier to reach, and provides bucket, bag, etc. storage below.
Behind the person door is a large cabinet - glaze materials, tools, notebooks.
This space also serves as bike headquarters and general repair/puttering place, but it's mostly pottery.
The Cervelo is #1 bike.

Looking back from the person door.
The shelves behind the kiln are almost always for raw ware.
There's enough counterspace to deal with a full kiln load and still have room for glaze buckets, tools, and some other stuff.
The windows supply nice light. Even so, the two eight-foot bulbs and two four-foot bulbs aren't quite enough, hence the several spot type lights...
The Wilier is #2 bike.
In left corner there's more shelving, wedging area, and the sound equipment - amp, old laptop, subwoofer.
The surround speakers are up high.

Yes, @oldlady, the phones show pictures the same way your laptop does, just on a tiny screen. But we can zoom in, so it’s not bad at all.
And @LeeU thank you for sharing your space. As soon as Pres posted the question I had that feeling of “Be careful with you wish for, now you have to share too!
Two shots of the same space from different corners. My partner and I have a studio together, which for normal people would be a garage. It does serve some extra functions as a workshop and storage area, but it’s 90% clay studio. The utility sink was a later addition, and what a wonderful day that was. The two kilns are outdoors. 

Contact your local small business association and ask for help.
 We set up and still run ours as an LLC. The creation process is a pain but after that it's easy.
Taxes on the other hand, I was brought to tears trying to figure it out, we just pay someone to do it.

Contact your local small business association and ask for help.
 We set up and still run ours as an LLC. The creation process is a pain but after that it's easy.
Taxes on the other hand, I was brought to tears trying to figure it out, we just pay someone to do it.

The usual recommendation is to use a micaceous clay formulated for the purpose. 
I had  mentors who were making cone 10 stoneware work in the 80’s, and they made a lot of casseroles. They had to come with specific use instructions which run counter to how you’re actually supposed to prepare food. The casseroles would survive just fine if you put unheated food in them, and put the casserole into the oven before turning it on, and only put them down on a wooden or fabric covered surface. But if you didn’t do all of those things, it’d crack. My mentors would get a lot of customer complaints about it. 
So I’d do some thermal shock testing if you intend to use a stoneware. Contact your clay supplier and see if they have specific recommendations.
 

Grolleg porcelain (no ball clay) dries quickly, because it is not very tight in raw form. Porcelain bodies are only about 50% clay, so they don't hold as much water as stoneware bodies, and give up the water quickly. Fine grained white stoneware and other bodies that are high in ball clay dry quite slowly because ball clay is very fine grained and makes for a very dense body.

Yes, but heat work at 240F vs 180F (or 200F as the case may be) what's the difference insofar as benefits vs detriments, that was what I asked them about and if they could point me in the direction of testing results etc. 240F will also penetrate to the interior of the clay mass, if the rate of climb stays constant what we are looking at is how much of a time savings is there if the end result is the same, ie clay mass being dry enough to cease the candling and preheat segment and move the schedule along to the next segment?
I get that it seems logical to stay below 212F but it seems there are mitigating factors that come into play, perhaps the chemistry of the water within the clay, speed it evaporates off, how the clay platelettes are laying... don't know. There seems to be a lack of data concerning this. 
And another edit: It also makes sense that Bartlett is playing to the lowest common denominator here, keep the temp below 212F and customers can't complain if their pot explodes or cracks or whatever, their behind is covered. 

I think this is the answer. Every time I've actually heard pieces blow up, the kiln was around 500F. It takes a lot longer for the heat to penetrate and cause problems than we realize.
So why does Bartlett program their preheat to hold at 180F?  Probably because it makes their lives a lot easier. If it was set at 240F, or anything too close to 212F, they would have to educate their users on the subject, and they'd get blamed every time something blew up. They'd be dealing with phone calls and email on the subject every day. 180F works just fine, and it's far enough from the boiling point that if something blows up it's definitely not their fault.

Many folks leave them running. Adjusted correctly they only remove a tiny amount of actual kiln air. Turning it off early should save some energy, but 800c is likely too low as in bisque and even glaze things will not be entirely burned out. 1000c is probably more practical.
The key IMO is properly adjusted so mostly room air is extracted at the kiln pickup and only a small amount of kiln air is ever removed. This will save your fan from overheating and reduce the likely hood of thermal shock.
Glazes like oxygen, so having it on during the firing can brighten things up significantly and help preserve your elements from corrosive gasses.

Same for me.
I don't trim unless I have to, I give my pieces a visual foot while throwing and be done with it.

If you’ve ever worked in a clean as you go kitchen, if you have ADHD or you’re a primary care parent, you know that taking care of a small mess more often is  easier than cleaning up a big one later. But there’s a line between constantly wiping and being efficient with how you work. In kitchens, they tell you to clean up between tasks, with a good scrub (floor mopping) at the end of the night (work session).
I totally agree with Hulk, make it easy to do that cleanup regularly. Have a bucket and sponge handy to wipe surfaces with, and change your cleaning implement often. It’s easier to sponge out your splash pan while it’s still wet. It’s easier to keep your reclaim bucket next to your wheel when you trim, so you can empty the tray right into it. It’s easier to work in a way that trimmings or bits and blobs are gathered or wiped up easily, so they wind up in your reclaim and not on the floor. It’s easier to throw with only the water you need, so again you avoid spatter on the floor. 
 I usually wash my throwing towels and apron after they’ve been used for a session. Thrift store towels for the win!
***I have a pair of studio shoes that never leave the room. They go on my feet at the door, and get taken off at the door. Being really rigid with that is the big one. This keeps dust from getting tracked through your living space. I tend to clean my shoe soles when I mop, but I don’t wipe them otherwise.***
Mopping is the one that is a big job, and no avoiding it. I have a concrete floor, so I pour down about 5 gallons of water and wipe it up with my mop and wringer. BUT I have a system for that, a la KC Davis’s closing duties approach to cleaning.
Reclaim and trimming days, I mop immediately after, because usually I have more energy left. Glaze days, I know I’m exhausted after because it’s a longer and more draining day. Rather than leave myself a complete disaster though, I wipe the main surfaces,  put dirty glaze utensils/sieves/etc into a bucket of water so they don’t dry out, and I shut the door so that nothing is getting tracked out. When the kiln is firing/cooling the next morning, I go downstairs and do the thorough cleanup, including a mop.
Unless something gets really out of hand, I usually don’t mop after throwing sessions. My wheel area is set up so the spatter zone isn’t facing any pathways that I’d be tracking through while doing other tasks. I make very little spatter because of my throwing habits, so I don’t feel worried about leaving mopping for trimming day.
Edited to add: to avoid more spatter on reclaim day, I clamp a cloth over 2/3 of the opening to my clay bin. It makes for a LOT less wiping of walls due to the jiffy mixer. Again, just a piece of thrift store sheet.

I have no tricks, tips,  tools, or time frames that are  not already mentioned. The only thing I will add is just a reinforcement, a repeat, of what 
I clean as I go along, almost fanatically-as long as it doesn't disrupt the technical production process and/or my creative flow. I subscribe to the "a place for everything and everything in its place" mantra of my dad, even when that "place" is a jumble of "everything" in a bin or a basket--at least I know where it is and it is contained. Cleaning up when done and then revisiting it yet again the next time I enter the studio,before I get to to work, is well worth the double-check. 

my long bailey slab roller has become my work table of choice.  when i had it set up, it went onto a very thick all solid wood door.  several inches overhang in the back to the wall holds quart, pint and half pint plastic tubs on the left of the roller. they come from a chinese restaurant which sells them to me for fifty cents each.  i would buy from a restaurant supply house but they are all at least 30 miles away.
the right half space next to the wall holds very thick foam rubber cushion innards.  most of my things are flat and i use wood for the forms, cover them with pantyhose and press into clay and the rubber "pillows".   the foam comes up around the wood and forms the item.  the bottom is flat and when i transfer it to the shelf made of  5/8  inch drywall, the pantyhose knot is the handle allowing me to support it.
since the front side of the slab roller has about 3 inches of the table top, i have a space at each end, 8 feet apart, to put a box right next to the slab roller's flat surface.   and tiny bits go straight into the plastic box and is held there until i eventually vacuum the box clean.  since the box is screwed down, i do not have to worry about knocking it over in error. a slightly damp sponge slides the bits right over the edge and into the box.
the boxes are only 4 inches long so there is room left for long sticks to measure thicknesses.  they stack onto a single finish nail and run across the support side of the slab roller.  tools hang on nails all along the side of the slab roller table giving me about 6-7 feet of hanging tools used at the slab roller.  there are wallpaper scrapers to smooth freshly made slabs and cut long pieces of clay,  putty knives of various sizes, a pizza roller on each half and a ruler, cheese cutters and old kitchen towel at each end.  each tool is hanging under the edge of the tabletop and not sticking out to catch my jeans as i move along the table.  i can  "see" the tools easily because i have big black sharpie marks directly above each item.  so it is just reach under and pull out what i need and  put it back so the tabletop is always clear of tools.
if i keep the top clean, there is nothing more to do at the end of a session than put the last drywall shelf into the rack, pull out the damp sponge and wipe the tabletop.  BTW,  a thrift shop find of a metal butter dish top makes a wonderful damp sponge holder without smearing wet clay anywhere.

Thanks @Hulk, you've got a lot of great practices and some I do as well! And yes, I am Kathy, hence she. No biggie, though. I'm kinda shy and don't share too much about myself!  
I change into my pottery shoes and clothes when I go down to my studio, and take them off before going back up. Having known someone with silicosis got me super paranoid about letting clay dust get into the rest of my house. The laundry is down there too, so it's very convenient to toss all my stuff in the wash. 
I also do sort of a triage system for my clean up water as well. It seems to make it easier than always filling and dumping out dirty water. One big sponge is only for clay surfaces like the wheel, slab roller, wedging table or bats. The other is for gross things like the floor, where dust blobs and dead bugs mix in with the clay bits.  When I spill glaze drops on the floor, I use a paint scraper to get it off and slide it into the dustpan. It's then easier to wipe the remains and not get my cleaning water dirty so fast. Otherwise, I feel like I'm just spreading it all over.  
I get overwhelmed by seeing large piles of things that need attention. Tons of tools and bats covered in clay that need clean up stresses me out, so I try to mostly clean those as I work, like wiping down my bats around my piece before taking them off the wheel. 
I'm afraid I have bad work associations with those industrial wringer mops, Hulk! I had a regular sponge mop, but it broke and I haven't gotten around to replacing it. I've got weird tight spaces and actually the big sponge seems to be just right for getting the floor cleaned up.  If I'm cleaning up a lot at the end of working, I wear my respirator and turn on the HEPA filter. I set it to turn off after two hours.
I'm taking a break from a large glaze session right now to drink more coffee. I've got to run two glaze loads before Friday, cutting it close for sure...

Good question!
Tools:
  Big sponges; buckets for yucky, cloudy, and clear water; commercial mop bucket, wringer, and mop; shop vac; mask; supply of clothing and rags.

Practices:
  Keep it clean; clear the floor to make cleaning it easy.
I'm trying to keep the dust under control because I
a) don't want to breathe it, and
b) don't want to track it into the house
Generally, dry clay is "bad," on account of how easily it becomes airborne dust (wet clay is, therefore, good); clay on the floor gets stepped on - bad!
Clean floors and studio shoes, that's a great start.
Dedicated (slip on) studio shoes, good idea.
Clean clothes and rags - change'm out when there's any clay on them.
Tips*:
Keep it clean - a few minutes before and after each session - becomes a habit.
Hit the work areas and the floor each time, and cycle through the shelves, and et cetera that collect dust as necessary - weekly, monthly, ?ly.
Wipe down all the dry clay (excepting, of course, the actual wares) - better yet, wipe it down afore it dries.
Use big sponges (big! e.g. grout sponge, car cleaning sponge) and big buckets.
I use one and two gallon buckets for throwing and clean up water.
Wipe down the work surfaces, routinely. You'll see where the dust is coming from - at the clay prep/wedging area, where the clay bags are opened and closed, where the clay is being worked, particularly trimming.
Get and use a commercial roll around mop bucket, ringer, and mop.
I pour off clear water and re-use it for cleanup.
The cloudy portion goes in the yard; the heartier plants can take it.
The wrung-out mop head makes a great foot wiper**.
Keep it ready and use it often.
Consider getting and using and use a shop vac, particularly if you have spiders, heh.
The vac exhaust will blow dust around, so put on your mask, open the doors and windows, run the vac, then wait on everything settling down afore breathing***.
Move storage off the floor, less things to move about for cleaning.
This may be challenging!
I have wall mounted shelves almost everywhere now.
Rags are bad, on account of they puff dust clouds, however, how else is one to dry their hands?
Hold the rag up next to a bright light; squeeze it - see the dust cloud? Put that in the wash and get a clean one, pronto.
Use the rag on rinsed clean hands only.
I do use towel rags in some of my processes - they get clay on them, so I start with a clean one and cycle them out afore they become dust spewers.
 
*Many of my (evolving) ideas and practices I came up with on my own, however, all my ideas (and more!) are not unique - see archived threads...
**Any time a job can be done without bending at the waist, let alone getting down on hands and knees, go with it! The wet mop is a super tool, sees lots of use in my studio. Wring it out, lay in on the floor, wipe feet, go. Run it around the wheel area, boom, done. Take a pass around the counter area when glazing, done.
...etc. etc.
***Dust and air movement = airborne dust. Be aware of air movement and plan accordingly.
Note: I looked, the "k" very likely represents Kathy, hence her post.

If you're not set up with a good mixer, pugger, and appropriate ventilation, then don't mess with mixing clay. And even if you are set up, it's not worth the time and hassle. If you don't have a good de-airing pugger, then don't even think about it, because the quality will not be good if you plan to throw with it. Leave mixing to the people who do it for a living, and spend your time making pots instead. The cost of clay is cheap in the big picture, and your time is worth a lot more than whatever you'd save.

I suggest unless you have power mixing equipment say like a peter pugger you forget the whole dry thing.
The factor you never spoke about (gas .travel, dry vs wet costs) was your time and a quaility clay product at the end of your labors . Clay makers mix the clay ,take the air out of the clay and pug and bag and box your clay-you cannot even ever come close to doing this yourself and think you are saving a thing. Especially money
now if you have a lot of power equipment  for clay making and tons of FREE time then lets talk more
Now its it dry slip casting clay thats another story but you never mentioned slip.
 
PS I have bought dry clay in 50# sacks to add to anothrer clay body (custom blend) and what a pain-I donated most of that dry clay to an art center as a tax write off decades later

In the hope that someone else may benefit from this:
Not sure where I saw this idea but it has helped me a lot in putting handles on cups.  (I dont "pull handles", I make them out of a small coil).  It lets me concentrate on the attachment without having to worry about holding the cup and it gives me a firm foundation on to which I press the handle connections.  I threw and bisqued the bullet shape with a hole at the bottom into which a rod goes.  The other end of the rod is stuck into a hole drilled into the table edge.  Put a sock over it for softness.  The cup to be "handled" goes over the bullet and is held conveniently in place while I attach the handle.

@shawnhar, Well done, great to see another success story, especially with Covid and the resulting downturns.
 
best,
Pres

was wondering what you were doing.  kind of quiet for some time, now i see why.   congrats on building all this just from your idea of how you want to live and work.  very nice studio space, too.   you will discover that being happy is a good thing.  corp america can do without you.  keep those kilns hot!

I mentioned a couple of months ago that I was working on this blog post. This is my response to those artists who express confusion or bother when they see my nearly (or completely) empty booth at the end of a show. I am happy to explain exactly what I’m doing. I also point out common mistakes I see other artists making. Buckle in, this is a long post. I tried to be as thorough and honest as possible. This went up yesterday and I’m getting tons of traffic and lots of good reaction to it.
https://www.goodelephant.com/blog/ill-tell-you-exactly-how-i-did-it