liambesaw

Changing elements in the big girl today. Last cone 6 firing took 13 hours, but it was pretty packed. No more Err1 for me for a while.

All the knob for "overglaze, ceramic, hi fire" does is set an intermittent timer. A super expensive timer to boot. I have helped two people get these working and both had a bad timer. Seems like people use the kiln until the timer fails, and then sell it on Craigslist and pretend it works. Anyway, think of that knob as firing rate, and from what I remember, duncan wants you to use the ceramic setting for bisque and stoneware glaze firings and the hifire one for porcelain glaze firings. The end temperature is determined by the kilnsitter. I wonder if what he meant is to use the same setting for bisque and glaze, not the same cone.

Maybe!! Its fun to watch old videos of japanese pottery villages, harvesting clay, milling it, burning rice husks, etc etc. It's hard not to romanticize the entire process. Would definitely do it in an instant if I was confident I could make a living doing it. But I can't even manage a living doing it with current technology and as a side gig so I have a ways to go. Maybe in the next life!

@Presunderstandable. There's no doubt I'd slow down if I had to dig clay, and I'd respect it and cherish it a whole hell of a lot more. Might not be a bad thing.

I'd go back to primitive everything if it meant I could still be a potter.

That's dang nice looking, especially with the crack

Ooo nice! I call them old school travel mugs just because I remember my grandpa having them in the RV back before cup holders were standard in cars lol. I had someone ask me if I've ever heard of sailing mugs before and thought it would be a fun project to make a couple dozen, as soon as I googled sailing mug I recognized it immediately. My grandpa switched to the flying J nylon travel mugs shortly after that, and I think I still have one of those too, hah. The neoprene sounds like a good idea for these if people are really gonna use them in a moving vehicle

Hahaha oh sheesh, you just described a typical weeknight for me. I need to unlearn how to read, all it does is get me in trouble.

I love my bat inserts, I have 60 of the inserts and I know the old schoolers see them as a crutch, but I have never enjoyed removing things from the wheelhead and don't have space for 60 full size bats or plaster bats (though I do have quite a few of each). They also take up the same amount of space on a ware board as cutting off the wheel so worth the investment to me!

This thread hasn't gotten much love recently. Right now on my workbench is a small load of "sailing mugs", old school travelers. Also been doing some water etching on porcelain with shellac. Just finished some Christmas orders, still have more to do unfortunately, and I need to replace my elements of course, something always happens when it's crunch time.

Maybe nobody cared to do it before

Technology for craft Ceramics may be defined as any practical evolutionary or revolutionary advancement of knowledge within a ceramic process that allows a more efficient method for traditional practices with the aid of a system, technique, tool or piece of equipment. I just thought it read a little more concise without changing the definition much.

Bill posted it earlier, and then there's the dictionary definition as well: the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes, especially in industry. "advances in computer technology" machinery and equipment developed from the application of scientific knowledge. "it will reduce the industry's ability to spend money on new technology" the branch of knowledge dealing with engineering or applied sciences.

But that fits the normal definition of technology. And it's also just a slight improvement on existing technology. It's not new, it's a new feature. 3d printers fits what I was saying much better due to the fact that there's been nothing like it before, and it fundamentally changes the process itself. Although it extrudes clay, it in no way resembles a wall mounted extruder, nor is it's application similar. I don't buy that its just an improvement on an extruder. I don't think the definition of technology changes based on the application or industry. But being overly concerned with the verbage used isn't really the bigger point to me. I think the qotw was maybe worded too broadly when the word "technology" was used, it is too easy to follow trails of technology back and try to find a point at where you believe it should have stopped. But it's all technology, right? Maybe we should focus on categorizing things into low or high tech, or finding the point where low tech may change into high tech. Or does it matter? @neilestricki get what you're saying, but I think that all falls more into jargon than it does definition (as far as new tech, old tech, this tech, that tech). So maybe the question should be, what is a good definition of high tech in pottery, and what is a good definition of low tech, what are our jargons, and what is the delineator. Since I think we all grasp the definition of technology now, thanks to everyone above.

Well high technology deals specifically with electronics, so a stick wheel would be low tech no matter the era. I don't think a pottery specific definition of technology is particularly useful or intriguing. The standard definition works well. The more interesting and useful discussion is the philosophy of the relationship between craftsman and tool. At what point on that spectrum do the craftsman and tool trade places? Less definition and more nuance.

I put ceramic blanket on the top of my lid and it caused a big crack in the middle, wouldn't recommend it lol

I actually saw yesterday a new type of 3d printing, it's 3d printing a silica based thermoplastic with a minimum tolerance of less than 1mm, once fired it's more like .1mm, so may see some super delicate stuff coming soon. I think it's more for printing industrial components but I'm sure once it's more affordable or commonplace, hobbyists will get their hands on some as well.

Hey there you go, lol

Hey, I do appreciate dc motor wheels after using a lockerbie and rk-2s until 2 years ago. But it's still just an improvement on established 5000 year old technology. The same for kiln controllers, giffin grip, etc. I've been trying to think of how 3D printing is analogous to any established pottery tool and I come up blank. I suppose there's a comparison maybe between jollying/jiggering, but to the extreme? It is the inverse of CNC milling, which has been around for my entire life, I suppose if we used a milling machine to trim our pots I'd probably have the same feelings towards it. I use both a milling machine and a 3d printer in my day job, works great for what we use them for!

Guess you think I'm old

I think 3D printers are the only real new technology to hit pottery since I was born, so maybe this is more a question for the older people here then?

Not as fast as a potter, no way. It's incredibly slow to 3d print anything, even with our projector based 3d printer at work that can print 30 things at a time, it still takes 2 hours to do so.

But do you consider a giffin grip technology? Or something that fundamentally changes the way pottery is made? I don't really think its analogous. The same for electric kilns or kick wheels or electric wheels. They're all improvements or changes to traditional pottery techniques and don't remove the craftsman from the crafting. Since I seem to be alone in my opinion, I feel like I need to clarify. I'm not a traditionalist or technophobe. There is definitely space for 3D printers in pottery, and I have examples of what I consider a proper use for them. But fully printing pots is not one of them. If you designed something, that does not mean you crafted it. You don't call an architect a builder. You don't call a fashion designer a seamstress. Of course they can be both, but being one doesn't make you the other. When you fully print a pot, it is outsourcing the labor to a machine. Just like a building developer would outsource design to an architect and the building to a carpenter.

No, you have a poor understanding of the design process if you believe this.

I think this quote from oliver van herpt speaks to what I'm saying. He is a 3d printed ceramics manufacturer: "The 3D Woven collection comprises of a weave pattern reminiscent of the days of artisans. 3D printing ceramics has the potential to bring back the unique and individualized objects that artisans make. But, this time it is a machine who manufactures the final product. Each unique vase in this collection shows us the potential of cutting edge technology while reminding us of the days of yore."