In a Hurry to dry pots -let the sun do it

[Mark C.]

I needed to get a few more pots in the overnight bisque.

Fall sunny weather is upon us and the sun still has some drying to it so I put the am production in sun to quick dry it. most of this was no trimmers. I used about a 1/3 of this in load- this afternoon-the mugs without handles will get bisqued in AM after handles go on and sit the night covered.

The sun is your friend in the right climate this time of year.

Mark

[neilestrick]

The dumpster behind my shop is usually covered with my students pots ast they speed dry them in the sun. We try to remember not to do it on Thursday mornings when the truck comes.

[Guest JBaymore]

This does not work for all clay bodies. I've used a body in one pottery location in Japan that if you do this EVERYTHING will crack within about 15 minutes to 1/2 hour. 100% failure rate. (been there, done that, bought the T-shirt ).

 

 

best,

 

..........................john

[Mark C.]

The clays all Daves porcelain. I usually turn them once for even rays.Never had a cracking issue as sun here on coastal area is not that hot.

This body dries very fast even inside. Never had cracking issues with small stuff no matter how I dried it as long as its even drying.

You will need to test your body for best results.

Mark

[bciskepottery]

A friend of mine who attended a Pete Pinnell workshop said Pete has used a microwave oven to dry wares . . . mostly so he can add parts during construction. But, a rotating platter would get you a rather even dry.

 

 

[sawing]

I've wondered if this would cause my stuff to crack. My damp basement studio takes forever to dry things! I may just give this a try next week.

[Mark C.]

You need to test your clay body . What one needs to know ones clay body limits-I push mine and know what it can take or not-this is always good info to learn.

If you know the limits you can operate just under them. As a Studio Potter I need to getting pots dry and moved on.

 

Mark

[TJR]

Mark;

Is it the sun that causes the drying or the breeze?

I was in a second floor warehouse studio for 26 years. Never took my pots down the stairs-too much work.

I was at the Archie Bray as a visiting artist one summer.. Made a bunch of teapots with handles and left them uncovered and inside and everything cracked. I am a little leery to rush porcelain as well. I guess you know your clay.

Tom[TJR].

[Mark C.]

TJR

It all depends on the form-I NEVER rush teapots-

as well as large handled forms- or covered forms.

all small stuff does not matter-I usually go slow with mugs but they can go fast if all is handled at right times and dried even.

I gas heat dry pots in winter in shop-shop can be 80 degrees and all dries well.

I cover and slow dry teapots -to many connections .

My porcelain body can take a lot-thats why I picked it in the 80s.

Mark

[yedrow]

Beware of windy days.

 

Joel.

[SmartsyArtsy]

I've tested microwave drying with my white stoneware. I have found that the clay needs to be more than half way dry otherwise there is so much steam generated from the core that it bursts through the drier outer area. I tried to rush a test tile yesterday, and, thin and small as it is, it exploded. Even with mostly dry pieces, always use allow power-- no higher than 3.

 

This is really no different from putting ware out in the sun or breeze. You never want the outside of a piece to try too quickly, or want one side of a piece to dry more than the rest. It's all about balance, like most things in life!

 

 

 

[yedrow]

You can always put your pots in a wet closet with a heater. That drives the moisture out evenly by surrounding them with a protective barrier of humidity. I think you can dry them as fast as you wish this way. I got an old food warming booth (~6' x 2' x 3') to do this. I've yet to push it real hard though.

 

Joel.

[Guest JBaymore]

You can always put your pots in a wet closet with a heater. That drives the moisture out evenly by surrounding them with a protective barrier of humidity. I think you can dry them as fast as you wish this way. I got an old food warming booth (~6' x 2' x 3') to do this. I've yet to push it real hard though.

 

Industry often uses dryer units. They are temperature and humidity controlled. Raise the humidity up very high, hold it there, raise the temperature up pretty high, circulate lots of wet air, steadliy lower the air's humidity....... bingo... evenly dry wares in no time.

 

At one of the places I work in Japan there is a large room specifically for this purpose. If you go in there "mid-cycle to add in a few pieces... it is like walking into a steam bath.

 

best,

 

.........................john

[TJR]

TJR

It all depends on the form-I NEVER rush teapots-

as well as large handled forms- or covered forms.

all small stuff does not matter-I usually go slow with mugs but they can go fast if all is handled at right times and dried even.

I gas heat dry pots in winter in shop-shop can be 80 degrees and all dries well.

I cover and slow dry teapots -to many connections .

My porcelain body can take a lot-thats why I picked it in the 80s.

Mark

 

 

Mark;

I guess I didn't realize how dry Montana was until the end of the summer. It had not rained once. I remember being at a party,[they had them there], and I looked up at the host's house. I said;"You have no eavestroughs."

He said;"Huh?"

I said "eavestroughs! You have no eavestroughs." Then I said gutters. Just too dry for words there. They didn't need them. Do you use the word eavestrough? Anyone?

TJR.

[bciskepottery]

When I put things out in the sun/outside to dry, I use a timer to remind me to check how fast they are drying . . . 15 minute intervals.

[neilestrick]

I find that speed drying bowls, especially larger ones, just doesn't work well. The lip gets crispy and the middle is still soggy. Love it for cylinder forms, though.

[weeble]

We end up grabbing a hairdryer for quick drying here at the northern edge of that redwood rainforest... I'm just jealous that you get enough sun to actually dry anything on a regular basis!

[Mark McCombs]

And here I am placing plastic bags over my wet and damp green-ware to extend the drying process an extra two or three days.

 

But then again I am not a production potter.

 

I think I will throw a couple bowls and put them in the sun for a bit to see what happens. Rotate them every 15 minutes or so.

[DAY]

My first drying system was flea market electric blankets. Now I use drywall panels with heating wires. Works great on open forms and tiles.

[metal and mud]

My first drying system was flea market electric blankets. Now I use drywall panels with heating wires. Works great on open forms and tiles.

 

 

 

Nice bowls, lovely leaves! Can you tell us how you did that?

[Brian Reed]

I do the sun drying only one certain pots, large thin things like shallow bowls seem to form a small crack on the rim when I do this because of the faster rim drying I am sure. The thing about it usually does not fully separate until bisque firing. I did see a potter talk about this recently and his assessment was that air flow is more important than heat in the drying process. So even in a basement if you had air flow and someplace for the moist air to go you should have a similar fast drying.

 

 

 

my 2 cents.

[sawing]

Eavestroughs are on your house, gutters are in the street. Just depends who you ask around here.

[yedrow]

And here I am placing plastic bags over my wet and damp green-ware to extend the drying process an extra two or three days.

 

But then again I am not a production potter.

 

I think I will throw a couple bowls and put them in the sun for a bit to see what happens. Rotate them every 15 minutes or so.

 

Mark,

 

I'll keep stuff under plastic for two or three weeks. If it gets too dry I just dip it in water. You can really get away with a lot with stoneware, at least in my experience. I've rewetted mugs that were so dry that were changing color, let them sit a bit, maybe wet 'em a couple more times, then stick a wet-clay handle on them. I guess I just use the honey badger approach. That being said, a good even drying is always best, it just never seems to happen in my world.

 

Joel.

[Mark C.]

I have been sun drying pots since the 70s around here. I started with stoneware which for me compared to porcelain could take just about anything. Now with over 25 years of outside drying of porcelain in the drier months (may- early october) I have had enough experience to recommend trying it on whatever body you happen to have. I would again start with small forms without much in the way of attachments to get a feel for what's happening. On a side note we used to put a electric wheel outside with a pallet on it and put pots on it with a slow spin to even the drying.

Now I do not bother with that as I know what I can and cannot do with my clay body.

Mark

[Lucille Oka]

I guess I didn't realize how dry Montana was until the end of the summer. It had not rained once. I remember being at a party,[they had them there], and I looked up at the host's house. I said;"You have no eavestroughs."

He said;"Huh?"

I said "eavestroughs! You have no eavestroughs." Then I said gutters. Just too dry for words there. They didn't need them. Do you use the word eavestrough? Anyone?

TJR.

 

 

Most times in the US we say 'eaves' which is a building overhang. Gutters are usually metal channels which are placed around the edge of the roof to redirect rain away from the house; oftentimes into a rain barrel. Gutters are also located in the street at the curb to direct rainwater to sewer systems.