Hulk Posted February 22 Report Share Posted February 22 Tiny tips one may have never seen, read, or heard 'bout before. Flexible metal rib, ideal (almost) for moving insects on the surface of water/glaze/liquid to outside the Studio. Tiny spiders, gnats, et cetera land on the surface tension - timely removal can prevent a tiny insectoid blob (and the bug can live on!). The rib's edge, just on the surface, allows the bug to change footing without wetting, nor harming them. Step outside, blow the bug gently off the rib, onto a rock, plant, or somewhat. Note the tiny antennae nod of thanks. Using actual real chamois leather chamois*? Is it floppy - stretched out - slimy and soft? When next you pour hot water into your throwing bucket, note that your chamois, when exposed to hot water, will shrink and "tighten up" considerably! ...maybe too tight? Don't worry, it will loosen up after while... It's not rainy today! *We have an actual leather chamois that was a gift promotion from an auto parts store, decades ago. I've been trimming strips off of it for pottery use over the last six+ years... neilestrick, Kelly in AK, Pres and 3 others 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Min Posted February 22 Report Share Posted February 22 Another thing that works for rims instead of a piece of chamois is the microfibre cleaning cloth that comes with eye glasses. They last a long time and don't go slimy at all. Wire coat hanger corners to make callipers. Roberta12, Kelly in AK, Pres and 3 others 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Callie Beller Diesel Posted February 26 Report Share Posted February 26 If you can’t get proper pottery plaster for a reclaim slab, you can lay an old sheet over wire racking and lay thick slurry out on that to dry. Min, Kelly in AK and Rae Reich 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rae Reich Posted February 27 Report Share Posted February 27 Old credit cards make good bench-scrapers and ribs. They can be cut into any profile needed for shaping and trimming pots, smoothing seams and surfaces. Notching the edges of the card will give you many kinds of texture possibilities. Babs, Hulk, Min and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly in AK Posted February 28 Report Share Posted February 28 A credit card, pinking shears, and some nice gloopy slip did this. Rae Reich, Babs, Hulk and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pres Posted February 28 Report Share Posted February 28 I've taken to using the web between the pointer finger and the next finger to compress lips. No extra reaching! best, Pres Min, Hulk, Marcia Selsor and 3 others 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Callie Beller Diesel Posted February 28 Report Share Posted February 28 This one from my students. If you manage to wear the skin off your pinky, vet wrap is a good way to protect it. Kelly in AK, Min, Hulk and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Min Posted March 1 Report Share Posted March 1 Bendy foam hair roller from the dollar store, I use them for supporting the rims of slab pots etc and also around the handles of the glaze tongs. I slit them up the side then tape them on, saves rubbing the skin sore between my thumb and index finger on a long glaze day. Kelly in AK, Callie Beller Diesel, Rae Reich and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hulk Posted March 4 Author Report Share Posted March 4 (edited) Here I'm using side light whilst touching up right after glaze (dipping, upside down). Light from the side casts shadow in the/any tiny holes*! There's a spot to touch up, center (almost) in the image above. I've an old desk lamp set in the roll around stand, that's the lamp's metal shade on the left. There's another spot, same mug. These little holes might just close up during firing, ooorrr maybe not. Easy enough to put a drop of glaze on the spot with a small brush, then, when the drop is still wet but the edges of it have lost sheen, smooth with a damp finger, but check later to ensure the hole hasn't persisted! Recent thread(s) about tiny holes, I'd forgotten about application issues, like this, where a bubble forms during glazing. In my quests against glaze defects, inspecting the damp glaze, and rechecking once thoroughly dry seems to help! *I'd learned to drag a droplight around with me while looking for defects when I worked as a house painter; the side light really helps. At this point, I'm working with "sunglasses" on all the time, early cataracts. ...also, I don't wear the latest prescription in the Studio. Edited March 4 by Hulk when for while Kelly in AK, Rae Reich and Min 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pres Posted March 6 Report Share Posted March 6 When pulling mugs or cups or any cylindrical piece off of the hump make a pancake larger than the defined bottom of the piece then draw up the sides to form the walls of the pot. This keeps the alignment of clay particles even as opposed to pulling the walls up as in a normal piece thrown off of the wheel head or bat. The difference is that you are unable to compress the floor of the pot sufficiently off the hump leading to unaligned particles where the wall meets the floor, best, Pres Rae Reich 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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