New studio set up

[Deborah Moon]

I'm fairly new to ceramics and just bought a kiln for my home studio.  I want to stock my studio with the basic equipment to begin doing my own glazing,  both using commercial glazes but experimenting with simple basic recipes. I am looking for a good checklist that includes things like best scale, mixers, etc that can guide me.  I would love any suggestions. Thanks!

[Hulk]

Good question! Just curious, are you throwing ware (do you have a wheel)?

For glazing, a partial/beginning list: cheap plastic 100 ml graduated cylinder (to measure specific gravity); a large and small wire whisk (aka french whip, piano whip) - stainless steel bein' preferred*; a decent scale - I spent ~$25 on a 2000 gram scale, by US Balance**; a good particle mask - this should be item one - a P100 that fits well and has replaceable filters; containers with good lids - I use 2.5 quart containers for test glaze batches, and 2 gallon buckets for proven glazes; a sieve - try searching "GP2-170" - I have a 100 and 80 mesh, however, the 80 is probably sufficient; some five gallon buckets and lids, because; maybe a mop bucket, ringer, and mop - I use mine several times/week; large sponges for clean up - big, like for car washin' or grout chasing; a square edged thing to get to the corners of buckets when stirring up - I have a long handled scraper my Dad made; something to scoop up and pour glaze with - has to be the "right" size, pour well, aand ...you'll see; something to suck up and squirt glaze with - I use an ear syringe and turkey baster - to put glaze in tricksy places; another sponge to cut up into smaller pieces - more cost effective than the cute little hockey puck round sponges; also get a cute little round sponge, because; wax resist; tape - 3/4 or one inch masking tape, if you can imagine using tape? I use tape quite a bit...; pyrometric cones; pyrometer; kiln glasses; studio shoes and clothing.

There's more, eh? May I suggest researching glazes, and try to pick a few to start with, then (and then/after) get the materials to make them up. Try to go with reputable sources, e.g. Tony Hansen, Hesselberth and Roy's book, etc. 

Consider setting up a dust handling system - I bought a 400 cfm fan to evacuate kiln heat/fumes, which doubles as a dust reducer, works good. My kiln is fitted with a kiln vent, however, there's still heat, and some fumes do still escape...

*I have three wire whisks; two I turn by hand, the third has a wooden handle, which I've fitted with a rod that chucks up into my drill motor. Sometimes I chuck it into my drill press - hands free! The steel and/or plated ones might rust.

** 2000 gram size, for 2 gallon bucket glaze batch, sometimes I'll have to measure twice - not too often tho'. If you are looking to get into large (over 4.4 pounds of clay) pieces and/or five gallon buckets o' glaze, maybe go bigger. I use the same scale to weight out clay balls - over precise, ya, but I only have one scale!

Hope that helps. Perhaps you'll get more responses...

[akilspots]

a good respirator for sure.

i like a toilet brush for stirring buckets of glaze and a handheld immersion blender for mixing test batches.

you'll want a scale that can measure 0.01 grams.

definitely some sieves i have a small 80 mesh test sieve and some large 80, 100, 120 mesh ones

whatever plastic containers/buckets make sense for the amount of glaze and work you make.  I've stored glazes in all kinds of things take out containers, buckets, old plastic bottles. depends on how much glaze and how im using it.

if you are going the completely self taught route some good books on glazes and glaze chemistry i like:

the complete guide to mid-range glazes by john britt

mastering cone 6 glazes by john hesselberth and ron roy

stoneware glazes a  systematic approach by ian currie

and val cushing's handbook

though i will say i was lucky the community studio i worked out of in nyc had a 4 week glaze making class that really helped me understand enough of the science behind glazes and making glazes that i felt much more comfortable testing glaze recipes.