liambesaw

Finally got the side bowls on, I'm pleased with myself.
Now to see if it survives drying and firing ha
 
I also made myself a new wedging table today, my old setup was a little too high for me and was making my back hurt.
 

But... But... My carefully honed tap centering skills and multitude of trimming Chucks would have their feelings hurt... Don't hurt Chuck. 

Finally got the side bowls on, I'm pleased with myself.
Now to see if it survives drying and firing ha
 
I also made myself a new wedging table today, my old setup was a little too high for me and was making my back hurt.
 

Finally got the side bowls on, I'm pleased with myself.
Now to see if it survives drying and firing ha
 
I also made myself a new wedging table today, my old setup was a little too high for me and was making my back hurt.
 

My goodness it's so easy, lift up the wheelhead and pick up the pan like a bucket and dump straight into the reclaim.  Before I had to haul a bucket over and scoop everything out one handful at a time.  
Now I'm self conscious about my splash pan hygiene haha, I thought everyone's looked that bad after a session! 

Well I only finished 15 bowls, but I got distracted.  A co-workers wife wanted to know if I could make a strawberry planter so I am giving it a shot.  I think I should have used more clay, I used 15lbs but it seems small to me, I'm gonna be throwing the bowls for the side tonight and attaching them and see how it goes.  Might be able to get some of that Microsoft money I've heard so much about around here! Hah
 
I will say, I wouldn't have been able to do this on my old wheel, I had to stand up to pull on this one, it was 2 feet tall at one point!  Loving my new wheel

Welp, I've been on the lookout for a decent deal on a wheel and I found a brand new Skutt prodigy for 650.  Couldn't pass it up.  Got it set up tonight and wow what a difference.  Anyway, threw another 9 bowls, I think I've got it now!  I think I'll have enough for a kiln load by the weekend haha.

Round 1
 

Today I mixed up a couple new glazes and sacrificed a few pots to see what they'll look like.  Doing a glaze firing now, it should be cool enough to open up and take a look tomorrow night!
This week I will go back to trying to throw repeat bowls.  I need to step up my bowl game, I'm pretty decent at mugs now. I just need to finish putting handles on all of last week's mugs and then it's bowls bowls bowls.  Gonna force myself to figure out getting them to the gauge every time.
Oh yeah, and I have to finish editing my latest YouTube video.  Hah.  I don't think people realize how difficult editing video is until they're neck deep in it.  Kudos to any YouTubers out there

I did forget to mention the power hand extruder that I have posted about this last year. It has really made handle making easier for me, and as others have said it seems like the handles are stronger.
 
best,
Pres

My pug /mixer is a 30 vpm Peter pugger
used and shipped was 1/2 price
i have seen a few come and go around the country since I got mine
it fits as I wish I had it decades earlier
i now only throw soft clay and recycle much of my scrap 

Reclycling/wedging from dried clay is awful for me. I am saving up for the smallest cheapest pug mill I can find and Advancers (can't lift shelves so good anymore).  My favored equiptment is my tabletop Bailey slab roller, followed by the heavy Shimpo banding wheel.  I gave myself the gift of fully outfitting my studio from the git-go, upon retiring from my "day job", so there is nothing I wish I'd done sooner. Having my kiln right here is beyond awesome--there is no public-access kiln anwhere close by, plus the over-time, ongoing, expense and restrictions of having to use their clay/glaze/firing programs etc. would not suit me long term. So, I guess it is my L& L Easy-Fire that is really the winner! 

Waiting for a cheap or broken one to show up on craigslist haha, probably will never happen

For me it was my mixer pugmill. It was a big chunk of money and in my mind I couldn't justify buying one for many years. Then I tore off the long head of my bicep in my right arm (turns out you shouldn't try and outdo your niece while tubing) and I fully realized how much wear and tear making pots for years can do on your body. My shoulder and arm healed up, bicep is as strong as ever but having a machine to do some of the grunt work is something I wish I'ld been able to buy much earlier on.

Liambesaw recently posted a question in the question pool:   Is there some piece of equipment or tool that made such a huge difference to the quality of work, and quality of time, that you wished you had found out earlier?  Nice question, that I am sure will generate some traffic here. I'll get my bite in first, with something of a listing, and let folks comment.
Listing away, I have found that much of my work depends on the Griffin Grip, for trimming, and throwing. I use the GG to throw handles on lids quite often, just by centering up a ball of clay on a lid held in the GG, and then throwing a hollow ball or flared bell for the handle. I also have found when working with the GG, that parts from plumbing supply/hardware store come in really handy as chucks for trimming. These allow me to trim, and assemble pieces like chalices and honey jars with spoons really quickly and efficiently. 
Next would be a good spray gun for applying glazes, a curved throwing stick I bought at a conference years ago as it works well for shaping my mugs, small jars and pitchers, magic water (not a tool, but so much better than slip), A good adjustable stool, a trimming bed I have made to fit over the Brent CXC that allows much more space for trimming scraps and controls the mess, kitchen tools (modified for ribs to throw bowls, trim/shape bases, and as straight edges), diamond sanding plate (attached to a bat that is used on the wheel) makes bottoms smooth as glass and nicer on table tops, diamond pads  also work well for foot rings as the pot may be held in the GG while grinding, and never forget the good heavy banding wheel with the 14" head. The list could go on and on, but I'll let the rest of you fill in the spaces.
 
best,
Pres

For me its many things but one was my power slab roller-I knew about slab rollers but the speed my 30 inch power Baily puts out clat as well as makes any thginkness out of any firmness of clay is amazing really-just wished I got it a few decades earlier than 20 years ago
I think the extruder which I got after about 10 years really made for stronger and faster handles-after about 20 years I got another  one as well so I have two which saves lots of time messing with size dies.
Car kiln-well I built the 1st one in 79 and wish I had done it sooner-never looked back on that decision .To this day its saved my back loading its alight year ahead of a front loader and several light years ahead of any bend over electric kiln.
My fans-getting out of hauling pottery's to shows with a  truck vs a van -my knessa and back all where saved -this one tyhing I should have done decades earlier -I'm on my 20 year with vans now.Yes I still use two trucks, just not for finished pottery's hauling.

Mine isn't powered but I am with Marc on the  Bailey slab roller and my extruder is second place.  I made my own extruder from directions in a Ceramics Monthly magazine.  It was only suppose to be temporary to see if I really needed a extruder.  I liked it so well I redesigned it to make it stronger and a made a bunch of dies for it,  Both pieces of equipment save me a lot of production time  and I am able to do projects that would be nearly impossible to do with out them.  Denice
 

glaze software
I've only been mixing glazes for 10 years or so but the moment I downloaded my desktop copy of Insight my life changed.
I resisted the molar math because I could melt and see my way through most issues. Local materials also don't necessarily fit well into neat categories.
I still rely on results but my adjustments and forays are more precise and less wasteful.

Finally got the side bowls on, I'm pleased with myself.
Now to see if it survives drying and firing ha
 
I also made myself a new wedging table today, my old setup was a little too high for me and was making my back hurt.
 

Well I only finished 15 bowls, but I got distracted.  A co-workers wife wanted to know if I could make a strawberry planter so I am giving it a shot.  I think I should have used more clay, I used 15lbs but it seems small to me, I'm gonna be throwing the bowls for the side tonight and attaching them and see how it goes.  Might be able to get some of that Microsoft money I've heard so much about around here! Hah
 
I will say, I wouldn't have been able to do this on my old wheel, I had to stand up to pull on this one, it was 2 feet tall at one point!  Loving my new wheel

It's like night and day, no more fighting the ring and cone drive... Feels like heaven.
It has a small splash pan but it's so easy to clean

My goodness it's so easy, lift up the wheelhead and pick up the pan like a bucket and dump straight into the reclaim.  Before I had to haul a bucket over and scoop everything out one handful at a time.  
Now I'm self conscious about my splash pan hygiene haha, I thought everyone's looked that bad after a session! 

Well I only finished 15 bowls, but I got distracted.  A co-workers wife wanted to know if I could make a strawberry planter so I am giving it a shot.  I think I should have used more clay, I used 15lbs but it seems small to me, I'm gonna be throwing the bowls for the side tonight and attaching them and see how it goes.  Might be able to get some of that Microsoft money I've heard so much about around here! Hah
 
I will say, I wouldn't have been able to do this on my old wheel, I had to stand up to pull on this one, it was 2 feet tall at one point!  Loving my new wheel

Well I only finished 15 bowls, but I got distracted.  A co-workers wife wanted to know if I could make a strawberry planter so I am giving it a shot.  I think I should have used more clay, I used 15lbs but it seems small to me, I'm gonna be throwing the bowls for the side tonight and attaching them and see how it goes.  Might be able to get some of that Microsoft money I've heard so much about around here! Hah
 
I will say, I wouldn't have been able to do this on my old wheel, I had to stand up to pull on this one, it was 2 feet tall at one point!  Loving my new wheel

It's like night and day, no more fighting the ring and cone drive... Feels like heaven.
It has a small splash pan but it's so easy to clean