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Lucia Matos

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Posts posted by Lucia Matos

  2. Revisiting the pugmill decision

    in Equipment Use and Repair

    Posted

    On 3/2/2022 at 10:00 AM, Pyewackette said:

    I talked to the folks at Peter Pugger yesterday and what they say is, once you have mixed one batch, you can let it pug into the nose and then mix another batch.  You can just chain it until you're done mixing (I'm talking about mixing from dry).

    I swear, multiple people (I thought) insisted the Bailey is easier to clean, but now that I've looked at them both in detail, that just can't be true.  Especially with Min's report of a 2 hour cleanout process.

    What I found really helpful is that Peter Pugger has a cleaning breakdown for each model so you can SEE just exactly what comes apart when you have to clean.  You have to go to the individual model and there is actually a tab in the info section just for cleaning.

    I was told that the mixing (from powder) capacity for each machine is roughly half the hopper size due to the way the volume changes once you wet it down - you can put roughly half the amount by weight of the dry in and that fills the chamber.  Once you add water it mixes down in volume.  So for mixing from powder

    • 7SS -  14 lb hopper capacity = 350 lb/hour, 7 lb mixing = 100 lb/hour
    • 9SS -  25 lb hopper capacity = 500 lb/hour, 13 lbs mixing = 150 lb/hour
    • 20SS - 45 lb hopper capacity = 600 lb/hour, 23 lbs mixing = 180 lb/hour

    Honestly even the 7SS seems like plenty for me.  If it takes me an hour to mix up 100 lbs, that doesn't seem like that much to me.  I just can't see ever meeting the potential capacity from the 20SS.  I can see a pretty big jump in output between the 7SS and the 9SS but the jump to the 20SS seems very small given the hopper capacity is nearly doubled. 

    • 7SS - 1/2 HP motors for both pugging and vacuum 
    • 9SS - 3/4 HP motor pugging, 1/2 HP vacuum
    • 20SS - 1 HP motor pugging, 1/2 HP vacuum

    Apparently 240V is an option on any of these and I'd probably go for that - I have a 20A 240V circuit (well actually it is marked 220V in the electrical box, and my HVAC is marked 230V on the units) in the garage that I can't imagine ever having another use for, and these draw 4A, 6A, and 8A respectively (pugging motors) on 220V.  I'm a bit short on 120V circuits out there, rather save that capacity for other things.

    I'm not saying the 7SS is my best bet, but I don't see that the 20SS is a clear winner here, either.  Given the smaller motor and overall power available, I can see where the 7SS could be outgrown even by me (old decrepit neophyte that I am); but I don't see a clear advantage to going all the way to the 20SS either.

    Right now I'm inclined to stick with the 9SS.  The only advantage for me that I see with the 20SS is that the nose cone and the hopper are 2 separate pieces which should make clean out easier - with the 9SS, that is one piece and even though it weighs about the same as the 20SS nose cone alone, with clay in them, the 9SS would weigh less - BUT I would have to horse it off there without banging it into the augur.  On the 20SS, the nose cone comes off separately and then you take the (empty) hopper section off for cleaning.  Of course I could always just rig a sling to help with removal.

    I wish I could try one and see!  Anybody out there have the time to share your experience owning/using the smaller Peter Puggers?

    Pye

     

    Hi Pye,

    Which pugmill did you decide to get? And how do you feel about it a year later? I have some wrists issues and want to be able to do this for hopefully many years, so I am considering buying a pugmill. Thank you!

    Lucia

  6. Pole to hang lights inside a canopy.

    in Business, Marketing, and Accounting

    Posted

    1 hour ago, JohnnyK said:

    How mechanically inclined are you, Lucia? You could get a length of 1/2" black pipe at a big box or hardware store, have it cut to the length you need and threaded on the fresh cut end. Then you could thread elbows on each end, get additional pipe cut to height and threaded to fit the elbows at one end and flanges at the bottom end to mount to some sort of base or the floor itself. Then you could use shower curtain rings to hang your curtain or lights. You could paint it all to match your decor...

    Thanks for the advice. I am terribly not mechanically inclined, but I hope to get better.

  7. Pole to hang lights inside a canopy.

    in Business, Marketing, and Accounting

    Posted

    1 minute ago, GEP said:

    I use telescoping crossbars similar to the ones you linked to. I bought them from a photo supply website too.

     The hooks on the ends are conduit straps, which I spray painted black, then attached them to the ends of the crossbars with some heavy duty wire.

    https://www.amazon.com/Morris-19405-Pipe-Strap-Steel/dp/B00VNJQLT6

    That's brilliant! Thank you very much!

    Lucia

  8. Pole to hang lights inside a canopy.

    in Business, Marketing, and Accounting

    Posted

    Hi everyone,

    Does anyone know where I can get a bar/ pole to hang up lights or a curtain inside a canopy? 

    I found this one, but it doesn't have hooks on the sides. It has holes instead: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1430637-REG/impact_bg_cb13b_hd_13_crossbar_black.html/?ap=y&smp=ba_f1_lar&lsft=BI%3A514&gclid=Cj0KCQjw3a2iBhCFARIsAD4jQB27MgQMfVTYnfMqo6QDCggNJV-vtjKSfC0wdMTChgE9AEQB4pauTSQaAp3KEALw_wcB

    I spent so much time trying to find one, with no success. 

    Thank you!

    Lucia

    p.s.: @GEPWhere did you buy yours, and what are they called? Thank you so much! And thank you for your super helpful blog articles.

  9. Photography critique

    in Business, Marketing, and Accounting

    Posted

    On 10/9/2022 at 10:12 PM, neilestrick said:

    Hi Lucia!

    I agree with everything said above, and will add that you want to increase the depth of filed to get the back edge of the lip in focus. Also crop them closer, and I wouldn't mind seeing them a little bit brighter (although that could be an issue with my monitor, not your photos). I tend to shoot a little bit lower on the pot, so the back edge is just showing a little bit. As you get higher above the pot the form can start to distort and look odd. Shoot at the highest resolution you can so that I can resize to whatever is needed. Always keep the original big file.

    You'll find that certain surfaces and colors make for better photos than others. Back when I had a much larger glaze pallet, I always used my matte glazes for show entries because they made for great photos.

    There's a lot more leeway nowadays for what's acceptable in show entry photos. You don't have use the old school gray fading to black, but it's always a safe bet. I have a hard time getting that type of image to look good with the very glossy pots I make now, so I've switched to a solid gray background with a natural wood foreground (so that my pots don't look like they're floating in a gray void). I get into just as many shows with that setup as I did with the gray-to-black fade. On instagram you'll see a lot of really nice images with a plain white background, shot in a light tent. Ultimately they just want something that shows the pot very well and doesn't distract from it.

    Hi Neil, 

    Thank you very much for your always on-point advice! So nice you wrote.

    It is good to know that there is more leeway nowadays.  You photos always look so beautiful! 

    Thanks again and please let me know when you have any workshop coming up in the Chicago area. I will for sure be there!!!

  10. Photography critique

    in Business, Marketing, and Accounting

    Posted

    9 hours ago, GEP said:

    If these are for jurying, they look “proper” to me. 

    My one suggestion, invest in a backdrop that gradates with more contrast. Whiter in the front/bottom and much darker in the back/top. It will give the photo more depth, and make the pot stand out more. I like the Flotone “Thunder Gray” backdrop. 

    Hi Mea,

    Thank you so much! I just ordered the background. 

    I just to tell you that I love your work and I also loved your online glaze courses.

    Thank you again!

    Lucia

     

  11. Photography critique

    in Business, Marketing, and Accounting

    Posted

    7 hours ago, Callie Beller Diesel said:

    Yep, the Thunder Grey is the go-to for jury backdrops. Plain white backgrounds are pretty unforgiving to shoot on. 

    It looks to me like you have your light source slightly above your subject and to the right. Did you use a bounce card to get more light onto the side of the pots opposite your light source, or is your source just angled really nicely? If not, a piece of white foamcore angled to reflect some light back in to that side would be the only other nice to have I can think of. 

    Hi Callie, 

    Yes, I will get the Thunder Grey background. Thank you! And you are absolutely right. I have one light above to the right of the subject. I didn't think of adding a cardstock  or foam core to the other side to bounce the light. That's a great suggestion. Thank you!

  12. Photography critique

    in Business, Marketing, and Accounting

    Posted

    5 hours ago, Callie Beller Diesel said:

    The definition of proper really depends on how you intend to use them. Photos for juries have a very different set of best practice recommendations than something you’d use in a marketing email, which are different from your website or social media feed. The best practices for those situations are almost polar opposites. If you could tell us what you need them for, it’ll help narrow the field of advice a LOT. 

    I can tell you a couple general things before you answer that though.

    The one thing that will apply across all photo needs though, is to adjust your white balance in post production. Your images look a bit on the green side on my screen, and its unclear if the shallow bowl in the second image is a brownish black, or if it has a bit of copper in the glaze mix. The thing that helps most people’s photography most is figuring out white balance. 

    When you say this is “only” a 500 KB image, that’s actually the top recommended size for a website image. Optimal suggestions for websites are 200KB, and even smaller for things like email marketing. Slow download times due to overlarge images will cause website bounces and can affect your SEO rank in google. People might not open emails that require a lot of data to download, and social media platforms shrink the heck out of file sizes automatically. Computer screens only have so many pixels they can light up, so past a certain point the extra data is a hinderance. Unless your photos are going into a print publication, shooting RAW is overkill. For a lot of current practices, a few cheap props, tissue paper for diffusing window light, a good cell phone camera and Snapseed or Lightroom are sufficient equipment. And maybe an appropriate tripod/gorilla pod. 

     

     

     

    Thank you so much for your comprehensive answer. I forgot to include that this is for art fair applications.  I am not selling my work yet, but I am learning how to do it and getting ready for starting applying for next year shows. Thank you again!

  13. Photography critique

    in Business, Marketing, and Accounting

    Posted · Edited by Lucia Matos
    I forgot to mention the purpose of these photos.

    I like photography, but I am just now starting to learn how to take proper photos of ceramics. Would you be so kind to give me  some critique on how I can improve these? My aperture was 9, ISO 100, and I used one light and a tripod.

    The purpose of these photos is to start applying for next year's art fair shows. 

    Thank you  so much!

    Lucia

    @luciamatosceramics (Instagram)

     

    P.S.: These are only 500KB photos. They had to be very compressed to be uploaded here.

     

    _AQ16636-1.jpg

    _AQ16547-22.jpg

  16. QotW: What things do you do that would be Old School, and what do you do that would be considered Embracing the Future?

    in Int'l Ceramic Artists Network (ICAN) Operations and Benefits

    Posted

    On 9/5/2021 at 10:19 PM, Pres said:

    Oh yeah, I use a hand held power extruder for handles and other small pieces. Have used glaze calc software for years, as I really hated doing the paper work in college. Also have a recipe spread sheet to automatically figure batch weights. 

     

    best,

    Pres

    Hi Pres, What hand held power extruder do you use? Thank you so much!

  17. QotW: What best habit would you recommend to a beginner setting up their studio?

    in Int'l Ceramic Artists Network (ICAN) Operations and Benefits

    Posted · Edited by Lucia Matos

    Very good advice. Thank you @Pres @Russ @oldlady @LeeU. 

    @Callie Beller Diesel that is a big one. It is good to read it, as I am here reading the forum, delaying a little going to practice at the wheel, with fear that nothing will work today. Going there right now! Thank you.

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