------------------------------ Date: Thu, 5 Feb 2004 00:51:02 -0500 From: Ron Roy Subject: Re: To Ronroy Hi Barbara, First you wash any glaze - to make sure there is no oil on the surface - don't tough the cleaned surfave with you fingers as oil will get back on it. Using household vinegar - leave the test piece imersed in it for 14 hours at room temperature - best to leave part of the glaze above the vinegar so you have the original glaze to compare to. For realy bad glazes you will see a dulling of the surface - you must make sure the glaze is absolutly dry - towel off the rinsed glaze and dry it with some heat to be sure. This is only a test to show really bad glazes - you would need to have a lab test done to find out for sure just how durable the glaze is. You can also leave a slice of lemon on any glaze at room temp - sometime it will turn the glaze a different colour - try leaving it on the glaze for three days - replacing the lemon slice every day. Send me the recipe and what cone you are firing the glazes to - perhaps I can help you with this. Glad to help, RR ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 4 Nov 2003 21:58:42 -0800 From: Snail Scott Subject: Re: Engobe testing At 11:49 AM 11/4/03 EST, you wrote: >I work in a shared space with limited access to the kiln. It's not that I'm >opposed to systematic experimentation. it's that with my limited access it >could take a year -- or more -- to sort out how to do it on my own... Here's a way to start: Get hold of Chappell's 'Potter's Complete Book of Clay and Glaze". (I pick it only because it's widely available and ready to hand at this moment.) Chapter 15 is all engobes. Look for a recipe for your stage of finish (leather-hard, green or bisque). Pick one in a low-firing range (precision is not critical). Here's one for bisque, ^08-^1 (E-17): 5.5 kaolin 14.5 ball clay 19.0 calcined kaolin 16.0 frit 3134 15.0 talc 20.0 silica 5.0 tin oxide 5.0 borax + CMC I've never tried this recipe; I've just picked it totally at random, ONLY as an example. Any recipe that meets the joint criteria of firing range and application suitability will do. So: This is a white engobe, I can tell by the presence of the tin in the recipe. If I want another color, I'll leave out the tin and substitute oxides or stains. So, I'll probably figure that any engobe recipe will probably be good for something, since they're less fussy than glazes. I'll make up about 1000 grams (or thereabouts) _without_ the tin. Now, I want to put as many tests as I can into one firing, since (because I'm you for the moment) I can't fire as often as I'd like, and I want my best chance at a usable result. So, I'll measure out 100 gram batches of my dry mix into separate containers. Any leftovers that don't come out even, I'll save for the 'plain' test. Into some of those containers, I'll add a few oxides that may give me my desired color range. (Suggested percentages may be found in most standard texts, including Chappell.) I'll split these batches in half, keeping one part 'straight' and mixing the other halves together to try combinations. Into others, I might put a few stains in varying concentrations from 5% to 20% depending on how strong a color I want. I'll keep in mind that most stains are refractory, so I'll split each high- percentage color batch in half and add an extra 5 grams of 3134 to one of the halves of each color. (Since the batches are split, that'll really be an extra 10%.) In other containers, I'll use the basic untinted mix, but add varying amounts of added fluxes (the borax and/or the 3134). In others, I'll add more calcined kaolin, or texturing materials like sand, according to my intentions. Since I'll most likely be brushing the engobe on my test pieces AND on my final projects, and because precision is seldom critical with engobes, these very small test batches work fine. This way, I can do a dozen tests or more from the one basic recipe, easily, and do it all in one firing. I'd probably put the tests on a good-sized thrown or slab cylinder with a texture comparable to the actual projects I hope to use it on. I'll apply each mix thinly as a wash, and thickly, too. I'd label each area of my test with a code number using a little iron oxide or underglaze or such, corrsponding to the variations I've listed in my notebook. (Test tiles work fine for conventional firings, but for raku, you want to easily be able to lift the tests out and treat them in a manner comparable to the way you'll treat the final pieces. So, make test pieces of similar size, with multiple tests on each.) If I have more than one base recipe to test, I'd make a cylinder (or whatever) for each base. I'm not being obstructive in not just giving you the 'Perfect Recipe' - I don't know what's going to be perfect for you. No one else can know that. But even with limited firing access, you can do a lot of useful tests. If you test all the variations you can think of at once, you won't need as many firings to nail down a good result. Most likely, you'll find quite a lot of usable ones from just one round. Combine the color combos you like with the flux levels you like, and the application thickness you like when you do the final pieces. Especially with engobes, and for non-functional work, lots of 'tweaking' is seldom necessary, and any number of recipes may turn out to suit your intentions. -Snail ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 26 Oct 2003 12:00:53 -0500 From: clennell Subject: Size matters Holly wrote about how much value we get in a kiln load. i tell customers in our showroom that big pots are always the best deal. If I put a big bowl on a kiln shelf I get one- value $175, if i put 4 t-pots on that shelf value $125 each that is $500. I get more money outta that shelf. firings with lots of teapots, ewers, beakers etc give us a good payload. firings with big bowls, bigjugs and jars probably give us less of a payload. Granted there is more work in making teapots. We don't fire all the time with $$$ in mind. We need big bowls in the shop so we make them. At this time of year Sheila makes christmas ornaments that we give to customers as gifts and we sell to a local winery (retail $6). You laugh- we sold over 500 of them last November and they fill all the corners of the kiln shelves. Perfect for around bowls. Usually around 100/firing which would have been space gone to waste. Vernon Owens told me he had a woman make "critters" as kiln fillers to pay for the kiln load. Lots of "littles" add up big time. cheers, Tony Tony and Sheila Clennell Sour Cherry Pottery 4545 King Street Beamsville, Ontario CANADA L0R 1B1 http://www.sourcherrypottery.com clennell@vaxxine.com ------------------------------ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From Louis Katz, Take a 2 demitasse Turkish Coffee pot. Bring a pot full of spring water to a boil. Add 2 big tablespoons of unDutched powdered cocoa ( not some mix). Stir it in. Reheat until it foams. Add pich of alt and 1Tablespoon unsalted sweat cream butter. Don't drink before bed. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 14 Oct 2003 06:51:02 -0400 From: Edy Lynn Subject: Re: Preserving leaves According to Margaret C. Orphardt of Washington State University Cooperative Extension Office of Benton County you use 1 part glycerin to 2 parts water and submerge the leaves in a flat pan in one layer. They will have to be weighted down. Leave them for 2-6 days and then remove and wipe off the liquid. The will stay pliable indefinetly. The leaves in Ohio are just beginning to change. I may preserve just for the beauty of it. Thanks for the idea! Edy Lynn of Dayton - ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 13 Oct 2003 22:34:52 -0400 From: Christine Caswell Subject: Re: Preserving leaves The following comes from a local (local to Portland, Maine) paper. The cover article this week is about "leaf peepers." I've included the url in case you want to see more and to be fair to the paper. I hope this helps. Good luck with your sculpture. http://www.cascobayweekly.com/cbw2003/cover/cover10.09.03-2.stm "Make a solution of one part glycerine and two parts boiling water. Place the stems in the solution while it's still hot. Keep the leaves in the solution overnight. Remove and dry the next day. To press leaves, place them between sheets of newspaper and place them under something heavy, like a stack of books. You can also press leaves with a warm iron. Place leaves between tissue or wax paper first. The color will last longer if you keep leaves out of direct sunlight and away from the air." ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 13 Oct 2003 22:49:52 -0500 From: "Hendrix, Taylor J." Subject: Re: Making Underglaze Pencils... Annie, Here is the pertinent info from the article "Making Colorant Pencils, Crayons, Chalks and Watercolors" Ceramics Monthly=20 January 1988 (v.36 n.1) page 43 by Jeanne Otis Made from a porcelain slip based on 50% white ball clay,=20 such as the following: Custer Feldspar.........25% SPG #1 Ball clay.......50 Flint..................25 ------------------------- ......................100% Add: Macaloid...........3% Colorant (maximum).....15% Mix with approx. 35% water. Sodium silicate (1cc per 100=20 grams of dry mix) added to the water will slightly deflocculate the slip, improve green strength and help=20 intensify some colorants. Colorant additions should be 3 to 5 times the amount=20 normally used to color a slip. Adding over 15% colorants=20 will reduce the plasticity of the slip and make forming the=20 pencils difficult. Once slip is dried to workable state, load it into a small hand extruder and extrude the "pencil leads." Cut the=20 extrusions into 1 to 2 inch lengths. Dry and then fire=20 between 1500 and 1700 deg F depending on hardness desired. Crayons, chalks and watercolors made from the same colored=20 porcelain slip are used in the dry state. Chalks: form plastic slip into squares or rounds and let=20 them dry. Make them thick to resist breaking during use. Watercolor cakes: made by hand-forming squares. When dry,=20 they may be moistened on the surface and used like ordinary=20 artists' dry watercolors. Crayons: combine a dry batch of slip with commercial was=20 resist: do not add sodium silicate. Form crayons and air=20 dry. That is 99.9% of the article right there, Annie. Careful, you might get your hands dirty :) Taylor, in Waco ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 29 Sep 2003 17:26:32 -0400 From: Lily Krakowski Subject: Kinder gentler blues Someone asked how to make cobalt blues kinder, gentler. Derek Emms has a blue pigment which is 92 parts red clay, 4 parts Cobalt carb or oxide, 4 parts MnO2. This is a wonderful mix as a slip, and I expect a small amount in a glaze would produce a nice color. Then there is Michael Cardew’s blue, from his book. Cobalt 20 Manganese 10 Tin Ox. 20 Talc 10-15—the more talc, the grayer Red Clay 15 Kaolin 20 Fe203 5 Montreal former potter Katherine Scott had this recipe Fe203 25 Cobalt 15 Manganese 10 Chrome 5 Gerstley Borate 10 (I would use Frit 3124 here) This gives a very pleasant mouse grey over porcelain. I expect it would be as pretty over other clay. I would suggest that whoever is looking to recapture an old glaze would mix these in plenty of water, mix well, very well, let dry. Test in a glaze and then go from there. Please remember the complaint of older potters that today’s materials are over refined; too pure. In try to replicate old glazes it is an idea to try to ADD the stuff that refining or synthesizing takes out. Lili Krakowski Constableville, N.Y. Be of good courage.... ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2003 14:47:55 EDT From: Susan Setley Subject: Chinese handbuilding! We had the most amazing demonstration last night at Craft Alliance. A team of Chinese potters -- all handbuilders -- came to demonstrate how they work. It was absolutely fascinating. They come from the Xinging province and typically use the special clays from that region, but they used standard off-the-shelf earthenware last night. They had bars of clay, about 1" by 2" by perhaps a foot long. This clay was leather hard, and they subtly commented "we tend to use less water than you do..." this was the understatement of the century! The woman I watched most carefully would cut a slice about 1" wide off the clay bar, and then, using a specialized heavy wooden mallet, and rotating the piece quickly, pound it into a thin circle. She then took another piece of clay and pounded it into a VERY thin slab. She wrapped that around the disk, without slip (the disk was only for support) and joined the seams with only a drop or two of water -- no slip. It went on like that for a couple of hours, ending with the most exquisite teapot, out of clay that was already leather hard when she started. I will get their names tonight and post it, and get the website address. It was the most amazing demonstration of handbuilding I've ever seen -- using a paddle, she paddled the round column into a closed sphere. One of her teammates made much larger spheres, presumably the same way. First she paddled the sides in at the top of the column, then added a dry disk to fill it in, and paddled it and worked it with a bamboo rib to smooth it completely. Then it was removed from the supporting disk, and the bottom was closed in the same way. The whole process was just amazing. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 10 Aug 2003 10:21:26 -0400 From: Linda Arbuckle Subject: How do I put poetry onto pottery???? Stacey, See techniques - laser decal links for info. http://www.printandclay.net/ Students at Univ. of FL brought artist Denise Pelletier in for a workshop and she walked them through doing laser printer decals. Iron in the toner works for fired-on images. Images will be iron-colored. Denise will be teaching at Rhode Island School of Design this school year. If you're interested in contacting her for a workshop: Denise Pelletier (deepelletier@hotmail.com) Bel Decal in FL has laser-printer decal paper. They assume you will be doing room-temperature decals, but the paper works well for applying the laser-printed images (or text) for fired use and does not need the acrylic cover-coat that regular water-slide decal paper calls for. Just print and use as instructed below. Homepage: http://www.beldecal.com/ Laser decal paper page: http://www.beldecal.com/laser_paper.html Linda Arbuckle, Professor University of Florida School of Art and Art History P.O. Box 115801 Gainesville, FL 32611 http://www.arts.ufl.edu/artex02/html/ceramics/arbuckle.html (352) 392-0201 x 219 Short version of info from Denise's handout: Computer Decals for Ceramics info from Denise Pelletier Almost any glazed object works, also fired burnished terra sigillata and most vitreous slips. (Porous surfaces do not work. Terra-sigged pieces should be fired to at least c/04). Every glaze is different, so students should come with an attitude of testing and experimentation. Computer decals work over varying firing ranges, so the first try is always an experiment to find what temperature will work best with my given glaze. It's a good idea to have some small glazed test pieces or tiles if you want to experiment. You might also try decals on found glazed objects. How and why do laser printer decals work Black and white laser-printer toner is composed of tiny iron filings, other pigments, and tiny beads of plastic. When a laser printer prints an image, it establishes a static field on the piece of paper, the toner sticks to the field, then the whole thing goes through a heat element which melts the plastic bits, fixing the toner to the paper (in this case, decal paper). When a decal from a printer containing enough iron oxide is applied to a ceramic surface and fired, the iron oxide survives the firing. The resulting image on the ceramic surface is permanent and sepia-colored, ranging from tones of brown to reddish-purple or ochre. The exact color depends on the composition of the glaze underneath the decal, and the firing temperature of the decal. Not all laser printer cartridges contain iron or enough iron to work as a ceramic decal. All Apple black laser printers work, and so do Hewlett Packard black laser printers. Other brands of laser printers may work, but there is no guarantee unless you test them first. Bubble jet, inkjet, and all color printers do NOT work because they don't contain any or enough iron or other metallic oxides. The printing goes on the SHINY side of the paper. Make sure you cut the paper to a size that the printer is capable of. Many printers prefer an 8 1/2" x 11" piece of decal paper to be trimmed slightly B say, an 1/8"less on length and width. Test first and trim if needed. Same goes for 11" x 14" printers. Print your image on the decal paper! Print extras if a particular image is important, because sometimes a decal might tear or nun when you apply it, so it's best to have extras. Transferring the decal to the ceramic surface Apply the decals in the same way that you would apply a commercial or silkscreen decal. However, you should keep in mind that computer decals sometimes give you problems if the cover coat isn't right. If the cover coat is too thin, the image will tear or break apart-if it's too thick you may have trouble adhering it to your piece or incomplete adhesion (resulting in burning off part of your image) - 1. Clean the surface of your piece (where the decal will go) with alcohol and a clean cloth. 2. Cut out your image as close to the edges as possible. Try to make curved rather than angled comers and edges. Sharp edges can cause the decal to lift up. 3. Fill a shallow bottomed pan or tray with warm water. Soak the decal for 30-60 seconds, or until the cover coat and image begin to separate from the paper. (Sometimes the paper will curl and flatten out again) 4. With a wet sponge moisten the ceramic surface where the decal will go. This helps you position your decal without wrinkling or tearing it. 5. GENTLY slide the decal into position on your piece, carefully smoothing it from the center outward, with a small sponge, soft rubber rib, or rubber brayer. This forces all the water and air bubbles out from beneath the decal. Check to make sure there are no air bubbles or edges that won't stick. If the decal is not in complete contact with the surface, it will disappear in the firing. If you need to reposition the decal, flood it with a little water first. 6. Let the decal dry overnight. Firing the decal The firing temperature for computer decals is quite variable, and depends on the glaze that the decal is on. Since every glaze is different, you must experiment to know what the optimum firing temperature will be for any given glaze. Success can be had from c/018 (maybe lower) all the way to c/9. Basically you should try to fire at the temperature where the glaze is just beginning to flux. This melts the iron into the glaze, preserving the image. If you fire too hot, the glaze will suck up all of the iron or distort your image. If you fire too low, the image will smudge or wipe off. These are some general firing ranges: On china paint: 4020 - c/018 On low-fire glaze: c/06 - c/010 On cone 6 glaze: c/04 - c/1 On cone 10 glaze: c/04 -c/6 On terra sigillata: fire at least to c/04, preferably a bit higher on burnished sigillata only ***Make sure your decals are stacked in the kiln with at least 2" of clearance between shelves. Fire slowly especially in the beginning to allow cover coat to bum off without lifting the decal or causing incomplete bumoff of cover coat. The lid or door of your kiln should be cracked until the cover coat is completely burned off. I like to leave the kiln cracked right through red heat EXPERIMENT! You will need to find the temperature that is right for your glaze. If your image burns out at a low temperature, your toner may not have any or enough iron. Even if you've found a temperature that works for a particular glaze, try firing hotter or cooler-sometimes a long firing range will work and give you different colors or shades of iron. ALSO: use what you know about glazes to help you... Clear glazes with lots of gerstley borate or nepheline syenite tend to "eat" or distort the image. Try firing the decal lower or bag that glaze! And remember, if what you need is a consistent undistorted image, it is easier to succeed with glazes c/6 or above. BIBLIOGRAPHY for Computer Decals Johnson, Garth, MFA Thesis, Technical Statement, NYSCC, Alfred University, 2000 Ross, Katherine, "Ceramic Decals from the Computer" (handout) School of the Art Institute of Chicago Scott, Paul Ceramics and Print ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 16 Jul 2003 08:15:25 -0400 From: Linda Arbuckle Subject: deflocculation/flocculation Hello Ababi, Sorry, I haven't been reading Clayart lately and missed your question when it was originally submitted. In the Penland book I demonstrated both flocculation and deflocculation. You would want to flocculate the majolica glaze for dipping. Sodium silicate will deflocculate your paper clay, which is the opposite condition. Deflocculation makes the clay particles align in parallel position (like a deck of cards) and slightly repel each other. This is helpful for brushing and making such liquids fluid w/less water - e.g. you want to use very thick slip like cake icing and want to prevent it cracking as it dries. Having less water will mean less drying shrinkage. Casting slip is deflocculated. You deflocculate terra sigillata so that all the particles are separated (the heavy particles will sink and you will siphon off the very light particles to make sig). Liquids that are deflocculated and settle in the bucket often form a dense lump in the bottom that is hard to get stirred up. Deflocculated glazes when used for dipped application tend to run off sharp edges. The parallel particles may pack onto the surface of the object and limit the absorption of further glaze. Deflocculants: soda ash, sodium silicate. Things that will deflocculate although not usually used as deflocculants per se: lithium carb, neph sy, wood ash, pearl ash. Flocculation makes the clay particles stick together end to middle like a house of cards in an open lattice structure. Flocculation makes such liquids thicken. Thickening glaze like this is helpful when re-glazing or if you have objects bisqued so high they are partially vitrified and not very absorbent. Helpful when you are dipping glaze in general (you would add water after flocculating to adjust the glaze thickness). Flocculated glazes may settle, but are easy to stir up again. Flocculants: Epsom salts (approx. 1-3 tbs per 5 gallon bucket), muriatic acid (caution: may cause burns), calcium sulphate. See the excellent discussion of flocculation and deflocculation in Frank Hamer's book "A Potter's Dictionary of Materials and Techniques". Linda Arbuckle, Professor University of Florida School of Art and Art History P.O. Box 115801 Gainesville, FL 32611 http://www.arts.ufl.edu/artex02/html/ceramics/arbuckle.html (352) 392-0201 x 219 Date: Sat, 21 Jun 2003 Reply-To: ababisha@shoval.org.il From: Ababi Hello Linda Arbuckle In the Penland book you demonstrate how should the majolica glaze be ( when I putmy hands in the pail). Can you give me a hint about how much deflocculant I should add? Will it be the same way of preparing slip? When I make slip ( mainly for paperclay) I use 2 gram of soda ash 1 of sodium silicate and 0.4-0.5 liter of water for one K"g of dry claybody. Is it the same with the majolica? Please do not offer me other deflocculant because these are the ones I can buy in my highly progressive country. Thank you very much Ababi Sharon Glaze addict Kibbutz Shoval Israel ababisha@shoval.org.il ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 15 Jul 2003 07:30:15 EDT From: Bobbruch1@AOL.COM Subject: camera - Bob (long) <<<< Bob, Can you share with the rest of us the method you use to get good low light pictures without special lighting? To start with, I was once told to shoot darker slides than I would have normally done because they project and reproduce better. And low light shooting tends to give one the ability to do that whether you want to or not. A tripod, a cable release, and experimenting with shooting at 1/2 or 1/4 or 1/8 of a second. Film I use is Fuji Provia F - 100 ASA. No direct sunlight. I share a studio with Bill Brouillard, who some people on this list may know, and it is his method. The work is set up on the North end of an East facing set of floor to ceiling windows, and shot after 11:00 AM so that there is no direct light. Not a large window of opportunity, as I need to finish by 2PM at the latest, and that is pushing it. No lights on in the studio. Professional backdrop. Hand held metering although I got some good shots using my new old Nikon's meter. Gray card for the meter settings. Bill uses an older meter with a ball on it, I think it's called a spot meter. I picked up well used Scout 2 for $20.00 which is "supposed" to be used for pointing back at the camera to see the light (sorry, I don't know the technical term for that) but I use it like I used the spot meter, directly on the gray card - much to the amazement (amusement?) of the camera shop. I compared the Scout to the spot meter directly on the card and on my pots and both meters and the Nikon's 30+ year old meter all gave the same readings. Sometimes I use an old projector to reflect the light, sometimes I forget .... doesn't seem to make any difference - that I can notice. I believe that Mel and Hank both mentioned shooting at F22 .... daylight non direct low light shooting probably won't allow that ...... but I usually manage to shoot at F11 to F16. I live in Cleveland, so "enough" light in the winter is sometimes an issue, though I have gotten decent slides on overcast days. But then you will be shooting at F2.8 to F5.6+. The reason that the range of F11 to F 22 is important is "depth of field." For those of you who think it is in a foreign language, that just means using the F stops which allow the least amount of light, i.e., those with the smallest openings. That forces one to compensate by having the lens stay open longer. That requires a tripod, since the camera is open for a longer time, and it needs to be very stable. Too stable for the camera to be hand held. So stable that you don't even push the button directly, but use a cable release to take the picture. That is also why you need a "manual camera" - at least one with a manual option, to set speed and F stops at non traditional levels. Luckily, those manual cameras are bargains right now. The depth of field issue is important is because magazines require strong depth of field to reproduce photos. I am not sure how that works in projecting slides, so maybe someone else could chime in on that. Good guess would be that if Mel et al. want to be shooting at F22, you want to be close to that - at least in the F11 to F16 range. In normal low light situations, you would tend to shoot at F2.8 or 5.6, so you have to make adjustments to get to F11 to F 16. It is not hard to do this. I use this method rather than using lighting because someone showed it to me and I liked the results better than the results I got using lights. I also felt that my slides made a marked improvement when I started using the Fuji Provia film. Started using it simply because the local camera shop suggested I try it. I never noticed the blue cast (of the background, not the pot) that I was getting, or at least never felt it was a problem. I actually liked it, thought it added something positive to my slides. Then Bill mentioned that he was having a problem with blue unless he shot at least at 1/30th of a second, a killer for depth of field. Same exact process and he was getting a lot more blue than I was. But he knows how to compensate, and fixed the issue. I would have had to switch to a different film if I thought it a problem. Depending on your lighting and type of work, you may have to experiment with different films. The camera store says it is the film lab and that another lab would get less blue, but I like the slides and have gotten into some juried shows and publications using it so I will continue with Provia F for the moment. This is not rocket science and anyone who can figure out how to make, glaze, and fire a pot can do this. Bob Bruch -------------------------- ---- Date: Thu, 10 Jul 2003 09:15:00 -0700 From: Stephani Stephenson Subject: Vsual Merchandising was "Is TC a Ceramic Snob/Sleepers- JK Janet wrote "people" (huge generalization) do not have time to fall in love with the unassuming little shy guys in most gallery/market/shop situations. They look, ignore, pass-by quickly onto the next... They come to the sexy fellows, like what they see, chose one, pack-and-fly. If there is nothing to "fancy" they are out of the door as quick as a flash... Off to look for the next party, more visual sex and drugs and rock and roll... No, there is no time for the casual viewer to get to know the hidden strengths of a quiet pot, let alone love it.. Janet, this is where you employ your secret weapon, your aesthetic wiles and savvy bag of tricks. . It is called 'VISUAL MERCHANDISING". i.e. you set the little brown pots within a 'display environment' that is enticing, visually appealing, something that sets a mood, Now before you recoil in horror, with visions of supermarket minions setting up POP (point of purchase) merchandising displays for seasonal goods take another look. I use to do displays for an independent store, including windows and inside displays. I was given free rein and was astounded at what creating a mood could do for the sales of ANY given item want to sell paperclips? ANIMATE the paper clips. create a little blizzard of them, make a scene with them, bend in all kinds of positions, dancing like the Rockettes, all colors ,all sizes, have them roping and corralling a stapler.... People will stop and look and marvel and if there is a box of paper clips they will buy one of each kind all remembering that back home, they are probably low on paperclips.... Got brown pots? don't make them work so hard, stand so alone! group them, set apart a defined space for them , even a small space use fabric, other props, lighting, decorative papers. think like an interior designer, go with soothing earth tones and textures, papers with imbedded fibers or rice hull, fabrics with texture and color which set off the pots, a tea set with some other related props. Throw in a poem printed on some mysterious paper, set up some potters tools, create the feeling of the romanticized potter's 'workbench' or go with contrast, set off the brown pots with some punch colors so the pot anchors the vibrant colors and so, still becomes the focal point. Or think like a showman! how about this... do a 'peep show' with the pots. Put them behind a wall or in a box , cut holes for the viewer to peep in, light the interior, inside , create a mini environment or a simple mood inside the box, put the pots in garter belts and top hats (just kidding, or am I?) anyway, you see there is no limit.... and it is your shop, you can use your imagination! I think 'animation' is key, even if that means simply animating the EYE of the viewer , or sparking the interest, emotion, or imagination of the viewer. I use to go through the store and pull items all within a fairly narrow spectrum of color ,for example or choose some stimulating color combo, and pull all kinds of unrelated items in those colors. then fill the display window, SATURATE the display window with the colors) . Or I would tell a story with the items in the window,,,, create a narrative OR create a scene, an environment. Incorporated humor, drama, anything. I tried to make the scene so homey, nostalgic, inviting, bold, exotic or exciting (choose your mood and change it regularly!) that people just HAD to stop and examine it. and they did, as they passed by the windows and displays in the store they examined them in detail, and paid attention to the items in the window or display, which translated into improved sales for the items. People would even tell people, 'o did you see that window down at such and such a store? you have to go see it!" In fact, as an aside, this type of display work can be a fabulous exercise in design, which can translate into other media Perhaps one thing to do is 'if they won't love the subtle pot till it is taken home' create a grouping or environment around the subtle pot which looks like or feels like 'home', which gives an 'opening' or 'invitation' for the viewer to really see the subtle magic of the subtle pot I guess the strategy is 1. Create an overall large effect, snazzy enough to catch someone's attention and draw them in, 2. Provide a good composition (as a good illustrator . painter or sculptor will do) to keep the eye roving over the entire thing, 3. Provide intriguing small details and focal areas within the display, to hold the eye there. SUMMARY: You want to attract that eye, move and stimulate that eye, and keep that eye interested!!!! take risks, have fun with it. Now, you may do this already, or you may go with the austere 'gallery' look. sometimes the gallery look; works because , put a pot on a pedestal and hit it with some light and (hopefully ) it will take on an importance, a presence. We have all seen how this presentation can transform the 'perception' of the pot, (though of course it doesn't change the pot itself) but it IS perception you are dealing with and it IS ';will the buyer give the pot 1 second of their time or will they stay long enough to have a second look, a third, then oh! They must take it home?'. Many galleries are very austere and try to project the image of 'quality', of 'class'. (In another way, some galleries try to create the perception of ' prestige', which taps into a whole other range of buyer motivation. 'prestige' galleries, with 'prestige' artists, can spark greed or the self importance within the viewer .....which also improves sales.) Others are very wonderfully eclectic and dynamic, but still are able to project an image of not only high quality work but , original and unusual, or traditional work, or a combination . So the above comments are in no away commenting on your own situation Janet, as I have no real knowledge of it. Your post just reminded me of how important perception, and perceived value is. If you are in the business of selling and wanting to call attention to certain items or improve sales, this is one thing to consider, Retail stores, gift shops and marketing professionals have know for a long time how to 'sex up' their products so the consumer will 'lust' after them, to continue the analogy. You can do that too, but in a way that you can improve sales, have some creative fun with the displays and still respect yourself in the morning! best wishes Stephani Stephenson steph@alchemiestudio.com Carlsbad CA ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 8 Jul 2003 18:56:34 +1000 From: Roger Graham Subject: Re: Calculating Clay Shrinkage For Marcy, looking for the "magic formula" in the clay shrinkage calculation. The question was... how is it that if the clay shrinkage is 13%, one has to make the wet pot 15% bigger (not just 13%). Found this by experiment. Is there a magical easier way? Whip out your calculator. Work out (100 divided by 87) and get 1.149 Near enough, 1.15 There's the magic 15 percent. If you want to use the shrinkage figure 13.5 percent, the calculation becomes (100 divided by 86.5), which comes out 1.156 Near enough, 1.16, for the magic number. Went over all this a few days ago. Just work out the "magic number" for your particular clay, and write it down somewhere. Any time you need to work out the wet size for a replacement part, just multiply the measurement by your magic number. Roger Graham, near Gerringong, Australia http://members.optusnet.com.au/~rogergraham ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Jun 2003 20:23:42 +1000 From: Roger Graham Subject: Re: black stain For Susan, who was asking about a recipe for black stain. Here's a recipe I've used for years under the name "Grebanier's Black". I found it in Joseph Grebanier's book on Chinese Stoneware Glazes. The recipe: Black iron oxide = 43 Manganese dioxide = 18 Cobalt oxide = 15 Nickel oxide = 15 Chromic oxide = 9 Grind it thoroughly in a mortar for a long time. On its own, it's good for dense black brushwork, or for labelling on glaze sample tests More recently, I've been using this black mix as a surface wash over carved work, with the addition of 50 parts of Frit 3134 to make it stick, and 3 parts of bentonite to try and keep it in suspension. The result has been a delightful semi-matt dense black which doesn't obscure the details of a carving. Just mix it very thin and watery, and flood it on with a soft brush. Mostly it has been coming out exactly as I want it (cone 10 reduction), but just sometimes the surface has been rough and scratchy. Haven't resolved this problem yet, but a temporary fix has been to add a very light mist of a clear glaze, sprayed over the black, to make the surface a bit more fluid when hot. Worth a try. Roger Graham, near Gerringong, Australia http://members.optusnet.com.au/~rogergraham ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 29 Jun 2003 20:29:13 +0200 From: Alisa Clausen Subject: Re: Waxing Brown Glaze Recipe/Black Mix Behrens Black mix is 3.1 Cobalt oxide 0.7 Chrome ox. 3.7 RIO 1.2 Manganese Diox. 1.3 Nickel ox. lots of hazardous stuff, but nice and black. Like Snail says, I hardly mix these tiny percents. I make it more or less by the teaspoon full as follows down the list 3, 1/2, 4, 1 and 1. regards from Alisa > At 10:41 AM 6/28/03 EDT, you wrote: > >-can anyone tell me which oxide is the black? > > > You usually get a better black with a mixture of oxides. > Iron is cheap, so use some of that, but add a lot of > chrome, maybe some manganese, and spike it with a bit of > cobalt. Without the cobalt, you tend to get brownish > blacks. The exact proportion isn't critical, but Chappell > gives a few recipes: > > 64 Chrome oxide > 36 Red Iron Oxide > > OR > > 54 Chrome Oxide > 26 Red Iron Oxide > 15 Manganese Dioxide > 5 Cobalt Oxide > > That first recipe will almost certainly be a bit brown, > but easy and inexpensive. The second is likely to be > a truer black. > > -Snail > > --------------------------------------------------------- Hi all, I have used http://www.aceofspace.com/hosting_US.html for my own site for a couple of years, and place all my clients there if they don't have their own servers. The basic package, which is more than enough for most sites, and offers many extras like mySLQ, CGI access, etc, 50 email addresses, for $12.95. US/month, with NO setup fee. Their tech support by email is incredible ... 24 hours(nothing ever happens during office hours ), and solutions come within an hour or two. I don't think there is better VALUE out there. Be careful if you are going to be using a lot of images. It's probably not the storage space charge that will get you, but costs for transferring the files. The bottom end, few dollars a month plans, can be deadly if your site becomes popular and you get many visitors viewing a lot of images. Standard disclaimer: I have no affiliation with this company other than knowing the owner because I place so many of the sites I do there. Just a very demanding and happy customer. Wendy Great Web Typography: Techniques for great CSS and graphic text, with tips from top industry professionals. Just released. http://wpeck.com/type/ KISS: Keep It Simple ... Create effective, CSS-controlled menus and menu areas with Wendy Peck at http://productiongraphics.com Author: Menus with Beauty and Brains and Weekend Crash Course Dreamweaver MX and 4 (Amazon.com) ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 8 May 2003 22:10:29 -0600 From: Gary Ferguson Subject: Re: Who is a good web host for a pottery website? I use www.your-site.com which is $5.95 per year when paying 1 year at a time. I also register domains at www.godaddy.com for $8.95 a year. That comes to about $81 a year. You can see my sites with the links below. My gallery pages are set up with thumbnails on a summary page and then you can click on the picture for a full screen. This is pretty easy to do with FrontPage. Good luck, Gary Ferguson Raku Clay Artist Nampa, ID 83687 Visit my site at http://www.garyrferguson.com Subscribe to Just Raku Newsletter at http://www.JustRaku.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 7 May 2003 19:10:32 -0700 From: Susan Subject: Re: spray gun from heaven... i just got one too. You can get one for $69.99...saving $30 if you type in 44677-3-OVG...the "3" gives you the discount. > From: julie milazzo > Reply-To: Clayart > Date: Wed, 02 Apr 2003 13:51:25 -0800 > To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG > Subject: Re: spray gun from heaven... > > That's the one! It looks like it could be really big in the picture, but it's > really small. I hope you adore it as much as I do. Why can't all equipment be > this good? Oh, and I have no affiliation with this company at all; I'm just > used to being disappointed with equipment, especially if I bought something > really cheap, and I am just so happy, I want to take it out to dinner! Jules > Kristin wrote:Hi Julie - > > Just checking -- you're talking about #44677-0VGA, > right? I want to be as happy as you are with my > purchase! > > http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=44677 > > Thanks - Kristin > > > > ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 9 Apr 2003 22:37:11 -0000 From: sugilac Subject: Re: Stainless Trimming Needle Go to a bike shop and ask for scrap stainless bicycle spokes. These are drawn to finished diameter, hardening them up a bit, are springy, and if cut to a 4" length and the burr filed smooth, can be chucked in an electric drill and ground to a point on any hard brick, block of concrete, chunk of silicon carbide kiln shelf that is handy. If you point both ends you can drill a hole in a hardwood dowel or oak tree branch from the yard, dab a bit of epoxy in if you are worried about it coming loose, and drive it back into the hole. A great potter's party favor. Bob. ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 7 Apr 2003 03:23:20 -0400 From: Logan Oplinger Subject: Stainless Trimming Needle Acquire an old car radio antenna. The innermost segment (top) is solid stainless rod with a moderate hard temper. The diameter is about 3/32" Remove knob from top, and push the innermost segment out through the bottom, or just cut 3-1/2 to 4 inches off the top from which to make the needle. To increase the hardness of the needle, the piece of rod can be work hardend by hammering it on an anvil holding one end in a pair of ViceGrip (c) pliers. Uniformly hammer the entire length of rod except the end held in the ViceGrips. Rotate the rod while hammering, and do not allow the rod to bend. About 1-2 minutes of hammering is adequate. To form the needle, using either an electric bench grinding wheel (fine) or a good hand file, grind or file the rod into a long tappered needle. If grinding, finish the needle with a hand file, and then finer grades of sandpaper. A needle made this way will have some spring to it, and will bend if over stressed, but not break or snap off like needles made of hard tempered carbon steel. It also will not rust. The handle can be made of any suitable material (bamboo, hardwood, metal, ceramic or plastic). Logan Oplinger Another Pacific Island 13.28 N. Lat., 144.45 E. Long. ------------------------------ ----------------------------- Date: Tue, 1 Apr 2003 16:53:41 -0800 From: Stephani Stephenson Subject: Tile: lure of hygeine, lust for sanitation, v. plain baked earth This tile talk brings up some thoughts on the development of the modern 'tile' floor. Glazed floor tile became popular in the 18th and 19th century in Great Britain and N. Europe With advances in industrialization, understanding of disease and public health The glazed tile, which had always provided coolness and durability to surfaces in buildings in Southern Europe and the Middle East was now hailed as the new modern, hygienic ,sanitary surface of choice for dairies , hospitals, and the like! (There are some fabulous tiled dairies from this era.) Gleaming , washable , durable glazed tile! even into the 1920's and 1930's , the ideal modern home featured the allure of hygienic glazed -tile bathroom and kitchen: very attractive selling points in the 'modern ' household! In these homes from the 20s and 30s you see wood everywhere, possibly some decorative tile on the fireplace, but the kitchen and bath are not only tiled, they are usually done in stark white tile. The color white also reinforced the 'sanitary' aspects of glazed tile. It wasn't because they couldn't make other colors! Then materials changed , other hygienic, synthetic, easily cleaned floor, counter and wall surfaces became popular and were seen as even more 'modern' and easy to maintain, in industrialized countries. Part of what I do is recreate and renovate tile projects from the early part of the 2oth century there is a real difference both in feeling and in material in the tile found in the bath and kitchen and on the floor vs the tile used on fireplace , hearth, and in a decorative manner in these homes. fireplace and decorative tile could be anything: dark and moody ,rough, fanciful, escapist, bright, glossy, rough... anything including scenes from fairy tales, and exotic cultures to wild art glazes or carved relief tile. then the kitchen and bathroom tiles are smooth white or pastel,, glazed or porcelainous tiles. I have made floor tiles in the tradition of Mercer and the Moravian tile works, small hexagon shaped thick tiles about 2" across in earthy tones these are glazed tiles and have been put into patios, halls but mostly in hearths. And I have made glazed wall tile, which is also used as floor tile in standard sizes, also in patios, halls, baths, bedrooms, etc. , and these too are glazed tiles. Many of the tilemakers of that era made a wall tiles which were color coordinated but very different from their floor tiles. Basically for floor tiles many of them made pavers The pavers are solid color tiles which are often fired to a higher temperature and which have no glazed surface, the color runs throughout the tile , so that the tile will not change color with abrasion from foot traffic . For those of you who saw the Santa Fe Depot in San Diego, the floor tiles were made in 1915 by a San Diego Tile Company small unglazed floor tiles, fired to cone 12 . the company patented the word 'kaospar' , for this particular type of the clay floor tile This floor has shown little wear, and is the main floor throughout the train depot. so this seems to be the other tradition in flooring: the unglazed paver, derived from the earthen floors and unglazed clay and stone floors . some even similar to cement tiles of the day. many of the early tilemakers must have realized limitations in their glazes for floor applications Their glazed tiles were appropriate for wall, water fountains, stair risers, etc., but when it came to high traffic flooring they went the way of the paver. Of course there are lots of exceptions, such as the beautiful 'persian Carpet rug' tile floors made by Malibu pottery in the 20s I wonder how much boot grinding or traffic those can take Then again they might take it , as Rufus Keeler was a renowned glaze master! I think the techniques many of we studio tilemakers are working with are very similar to the techniques used by the 19th century and early to mid 20th century tilemakers So one can learn some things by studying their work many in fact were or employed trained engineers and chemists, or they came from ceramic and tilemaking families and backgrounds, One thing I see from looking at the different tilemakers is that they played to their strengths and developed products accordingly. OK mel, enough about tile for today from me!!!!! Stephani Stephenson steph@alchemiestudio.com http://www.alchemiestudio.com ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 1 Apr 2003 08:44:17 -0800 From: Stephani Stephenson Subject: tile specs, poured tile Poured tile I had great initial results by pouring tile with paperclay slip haven't pursued it much further , because of time and other directions beautiful surface, strong greenware, great glaze response, zero warping or cracking lightweight. Literally I cast some 10 X 19 relief tiles that were 1/8 thick Did NOT test for porosity only studio drawback was the paperclay 'slip' or 'slurry' took a long time to dry, so to do multiples you would need a number of molds to fill simultaneously. also the backs of the tiles were 'oatmeal-ey' which may not matter, it is the back of the tile . or could be dealt with.... also you can use grog in your regular casting slip... this helps.... Tile Specs the Tile Council of America (sorry, in a rush, no reference info at my fingertips) publishes some very VERY informative booklets describing all the tests the industry and tile manufacturers use. You can do some yourself, you can also have them test for you Eric Astrachan of the TCA says he is interested in making testing costs and testing more accessible to studio tilemakers it does help to get an idea of the standards, also they publish standards for tile installation and installers. handmade tile floors can really be a thing of beauty so far as I know they haven't been coded out of existence. Industrial and commercial products are developed with an amazing amount of research and development I'm sure they work hard for a litigation proof , non wearing, floor tile, as they must You need to know your tile will be appropriate for the use which it is intended (indoor , outdoor, climate, etc.) and it helps to read up on the TCA standards with regard to tile thickness, surface, durability, etc. floor tile especially is subject to wear Certainly you want your tile setter to know the standards, right? As installation is important ! That said, NO you do not have to have the tile tested to be installed (insert: "as far as I know") I have never heard of this. I have had floors installed by licensed contractors in very legal homes.... Professional contractors have installed many handmade tile floors , both in new homes and in renovation projects.( I have never sold tile flooring for a commercial space...have no idea if this matters.) there is a line for me, and certain projects where I would test , large scale or public projects possibly. It is kind of nerve-wracking to see all those specs, then look at your own tile...makes the tile feel downright inadequate! Especially when you are starting, you don't have the benefit of KNOWING that your tile has held up well in floors put in 10, 25, 40 years ago so all you can do is educate yourself, make a good clay tile and put your best foot forward with it, or ON it! I am sure your tile would be harder , more durable than Mexican Saltillo however Mexican Saltillo is unglazed and though soft, will take wear and can SHOW that wear with 'character' Glazed floor tile needs more scrutiny than glazed wall tile, but it doesn't have to be bulletproof to serve well use common sense and learn about tile. look at other handmade tile on the market. Another alternative is to find a source of tested floor tile and work with glazes on that tile. let me see, wasn't it too long ago that the technology was to pour oxblood and/or oil onto a tamped earthen / clay floor???? Stephani Stephenson steph@alchemiestudio.com ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 1 Apr 2003 09:12:41 -0700 From: Donalson Subject: Re: floor tile, contractor's requirements Linda is correct.. There are no building codes when it comes to = ceramic tile, to be used on the floor. The tile store people are simply = covering their respective arse, and discouraging any future competition. = There may however, be some issue of liability, down the line if your = product happens to crack or chip. You may have a problem finding a = contractor to install your tile, at least until he/she is sure of the = dimensional conformity of your handmade tile. Tile installers move = fast... and are well paid...tile that are not truly square can really = slow em down. That is likely the source of their reticense to install. =20 In over twenty years of residential construction in California and = New Mexico, I have seen many problems associated with tile floors.. = Most often these problems were a direct result of installing tile over a = wooden subfloor, that was underpinned with dimensional lumber joisting. = Wood has a tendency to move, for years sometimes, and this expansion and = contraction can actually cause till to crack. One solution that a tile = contractor friend of mine came up with was to install perforated, = tempered, masonite (pegboard) on top of the wood subfloor, before = installing the tile. Never did have a problem when this procedure was = followed.=20 =20 If your install is on a concrete slab, you must pay close attention = to any cracks that appear in the slab. There are fiberglass roll = products that you can apply over the cracks before the tile go down. = Left unattended, a crack in the slab will eventually lead to a cracked = tile, or a series of cracked tile. Grouting can also crack frequently. There are a number of grout = additives that you can add in the wet state that will give the grout = some ability to move slightly...without cracking. Well worth the extra = few bucks. Make at least 20% more tile than you have carefully figured you will = use... you will likely need em all. Good Luck, Craig AZ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 31 Mar 2003 14:43:05 -0800 From: Stephani Stephenson Subject: Re: bisqued, porcelain, 12 X 12 tiles. Also , tile prices Julie if you have promised a client these tiles, on such a short deadline , without a clue as to how you will get them or make them you have made a numero uno, mucho grande size boo boo, in both a business sense and a technical sense. Of course, this is your choice, and if high drama is your elixir of choice, you have certainly uncorked a good size jug of it here! So here's my personal opinion: first: few places provide true porcelain bisque. Many places provide white earthenware bisque. (Most of the commercial tile industry works with lower fired ware, many studio tilemakers work either in lo fire or lo to medium stoneware temps). I think it is possible that there are a few suppliers such as H and H (I don't have the contact info) that supply cone 5 clay tile, bisqued . I don't know of anyone who supplies bisqued porcelain. That isn't saying it doesn't exist...but if I was you and I could not find a commercial supplier, I would eject myself out of this job at once. I probably would eject anyway as there is just no room for any profit whatsoever here. If you can't find a large scale , dust pressing supplier , you will need to rely on a studio tilemaker using a wet clay method and this will certainly be more costly than your bid allows. second. If you WERE to find a source, chances are they will not have the bisque in 12 X 12 size, but in smaller sizes. want to know why? Problems with warping and cracking are MUCH more significant with this size tile and in porcelain. Have you ever made a 12 X 12 porcelain tile? have you ever shipped a 12 X 12 porcelain tile which has only been bisqued? try it , this will answer your question, especially at the .....price third. Price. Try this. Make 100 12 X12 porcelain tiles (remember they will actually need to be larger than 12 X12 to account for shrinkage) take them through the drying, firing, glazing and shipping process. how many first quality , un warped, un cracked , un broken 12 X 12 porcelain tiles do you end up with? Especially the first time through? You will likely have to make at least 1200 12 X 12 tiles to get 600 good ones, as you may loose 1 in 2 , or even 2 in 3. I'd say you should have bid $60,000 instead of $2,000, or at least $30,000 anyway., and even if experienced you should give yourself 4-6 months lead time for this project in a small studio. Oh what am I saying... 4-6 years is more like it.... fourth : PORCELAIN. porcelain is 'demanding', to say the least. tile clay usually requires a good amount of grog to reduce warping, shrinkage, cracking. So most hi fire tile is made from a good grogged stoneware body. If you are truly experienced with working porcelain, maybe you can pull it off. If not, in the words of Bette Davis in "All About Eve", "Fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy ride" Pricing : first quality studio made field tile sells from $20 to over $100 per square foot. $ 20 is quite low I think, and usually the tilemaker moves up from this rather quickly. And this is just rough and ready terra cotta or stoneware tile . Ours sells for $40 per square foot for ram pressed, glazed terra Cotta 4X4 tile, and $80 per square foot for certain kinds of handpressed field tile ( the kind aged 100 years in honey and sprinkled with fresh nymph milk every morning... kidding!) That may sound lucrative.... but if you get into tile production you will discover the story is, er, complex.......R and D... R and D...... Motawi tile, for example, is at the high end, but look at their glazes and quality of each individual tile. Look at the marketing and the glaze development, etc. etc. , the staff required to pull it off.....all of that goes into the pricing of that field tile. many tile artists sell work by glazing and painting on commercial tile. But they spend a good deal of time developing their glazing and painting with glazes skills. And they tend to find their source of tile first, try different sources, then go from there. none of it is an overnight sensation..... we all take on jobs we aren't ready for the one's we lost money on the ones that make for funny stories.... after a few years have passed..... but this one has OUCH written all over it. Stephani Stephenson steph@alchemiestudio.com ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 23 Jan 2003 15:09:20 -0800 From: Diane Winters Subject: Re: fountain Jan wrote: >If you can find this adhesive, please post source. I haven't seen a glass >aquarium in ages not any of the adhesives used to seal them. The ones I see >are made of Plexiglas because it is lighter, stronger, and not prone to >shatter. Well, I have to admit my glass aquarium must be 25 years old now, so I just called East Bay Vivarium, local source for my armadillo lizard's food, and they say you can readily get either glass or plexiglas aquariums. (They even offered to provide distributor info if you want glass and can't find one). Meanwhile, the product I referred to is called Aquarium Sealant - after a little research on the internet, I've discovered that Dow Corning has sold that product line to DAP, so some tubes of the stuff now out in stores are labelled with both brand names, but the newer ones have just the DAP brand. As I said it's available in stores with well stocked tropical fish supplies. Here's the description taken from a website: 100% silicone sealant for building and repairing aquariums. Sealant stays flexible and will not crack or shrink. Nontoxic to fresh and saltwater fish when cured. Tack free in one hour and is fully cured and bonded in approximately 24 hours. Adheres to most surfaces including glass, nonoily woods, metal, porcelain, ceramic, painted surfaces, many plastics and rubbers. Regards, Diane Winters in grey, damp, [relatively] cool (64 degrees F) Oakland/Berkeley, Calif. ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 20 Jan 2003 16:18:35 -0800 From: Ann Brink Subject: Re: Glazing Large Pieces Brian, and Lyn (who started this thread)....I avoid finger marks by using a tool I made, a disc that fits under my hand. The disc has 3 pointed bolts through it, which keep it off the interior of your plate or bowl. I have these in several sizes. I don't have a "snow saucer", but use a large stainless steel bowl that I bent into an oval. It can accommodate larger pieces that way. Ann Brink in Lompoc CA ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 21 Jan 2003 11:03:31 +0100 From: Alisa Liskin Clausen Subject: Re: Desert Rock glaze Dear Glenn, This is a surface that I use with many variations. The basic slip or glaze is one called Desert Slip, gleaned from Clayart posted by Stephanie Stephensen, if I am correct. 50% Zircopax 50% Borax Frit I have made many variations of this slip, keeping the Borax frit constant at 50% and adding the following: Ball Clay 50% Tin Ox. 50% Tin Ox. 40%, 10% Rutile Kaolin 50% very dry, I like it a lot Dolomite 50% and combinations of all the above in varying amounts, but I have always kept the Borax Frit at 50%. I have also colored it with Rutile, Ochre, RIO, Yellow Iron Oxide and Cobalt. The addition of Zinc made a glossy glaze so that I only tried once in the test group. Anyway, brush it on thickly, you will see the brush strokes in the fired surface. These tests are in the archives under either Desert Wash or Desert Slip. good luck, regards from Alisa ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 6 Jan 2003 17:59:52 -0500 From: LindaBlossom Subject: Re: Absorptive vs. porous Wanda, There is a formula in the Val Cushing handbook. You determine the absorbency by weighing a dry sample and then soaking it for 24 hours. Subtract the dry weight from the wet weight and divide this result by the wet weight. Now put the sample into water again and boil for 2 hours. Dry and weigh again. I used to drop it in cold water to cool it so that it was easier to handle. Subtract the wet weight from the boiled weight and divide the result by the boiled weight. Now take this last resulting percentage and divide it into the first percentage. The ratio should be less than .78 to be a clay with enough porosity or room in the pores for expansion of water as it freezes. The idea is that water will get in and as it freezes, needs an escape route. This is why more open bodies are better than tight bodies for freeze thaw. This applies to stoneware as earthenware lacks the fusion between particles to have the strength to hold up to freezing water. Linda Ithaca, NY ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 2 Jan 2003 20:58:15 +1100 From: Roger Graham Subject: Re: making hydrometers Further to Carol's post from Dubai, re construction of a home-made hydrometer. If you want to use the calibration chart offered with the "Australian" version from Des Howard's website, the hydrometer must be a simple straight-sided cylindrical shape (like a drinking straw, or a wooden dowel if need be). Any extra weights added must be inside, not bumpy bits sticking out from the bottom, like sinkers or steel screws etc. Not that the hydrometer will work any better, one way or the other. Just that the calibration chart was made up for a straight cylindrical shape, or at least for a shape which has constant cross-section area all the way down. No bumps. No fat bits.. The actual specific gravity figures from the chart won't be accurate otherwise. The original version was built around a McDonald's straw, but there's nothing special about these (except that they're common, and robust). A thinner straw works just as well, of course, but you'd need less weight in the bottom. Just fiddle with the amount of lead until the straw sinks a bit over half way in plain water. Everything else is the same Roger Graham, near Gerringong, Australia http://members.optusnet.com.au/~rogergraham ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 6 Dec 2002 06:59:22 -0800 From: Hannah Brehmer Subject: Great Way to Make Plates + Releasing plaster Dear Friends in Clay- First, many thanks for the suggestions for releasing my stuck plaster = bats. (Love this list!) The first one I tried worked. Instead of = putting them under a heat lamp for an hour, I used a heat gun for 5 = minutes, and they popped out. Saved my glass pie pans. And I didn't = have to try the high pressure water hose in 35 degree temperatures! =20 Now here's an idea I'm excited about and I've never heard of before. = Of course, with 1000's of potters out there, no doubt somebody is doing = it. Center a plaster bat on the wheel (I held mine in place with the = Giffin Grip) and carve a circular trough in the size and position you = want a foot ring. Then just throw your plate and there is no trimming = needed. Footring in place! Can't wait to try mine, but the bats = need to dry for a week or so, since I just poured them. I would be = curious to know if anybody else has discovered this method. No need to = cut the plate off a bat - it will pop off with a bottom as smooth as a = baby's. What a time saver!! Love to all, Hannah Date: Mon, 30 Dec 2002 18:51:51 +0000 From: Steve Mills Subject: Re: Glaze hydrometers... the case for the defence. I used a home made Hydrometer for years when I was in full time production; a vital piece of kit. My trick was to wet it before use. So long as I ALWAYS did that it was consistent (and so were my glazed wares). It was made out of a test tube, weighted with fishing shot held in place with wax, with a home made (arbitrary) scale super-glued inside, and sealed with a cork Steve Bath UK ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Dec 2002 07:24:57 -0000 From: Martin Howard Subject: Glaze hydrometers. For those in the UK, this is an easy method of creating a hydrometer. Get a specimen bottle from the chemist. Cut off the plastic ring which enables the bottle to sit vertically. This leaves a cone shape bottom to the bottle. Find a really large screw, just less than the diameter of the bottle. Cut four or five rings off it. Place the cut off part in the bottle. Pour in a little melted wax. Screw top back on. Calibrate to your own needs. i.e. mark where your really good glaze or slip comes to and use that level each time. Got several different ones? so mark with different colours. So, it might not be really accurate for the most fussy of us, but it will not break when you drop it on the floor or tread on it (as I have done to three bought, glass ones!) It will be at least as good as the hand and finger method! Martin Howard Webbs Cottage Pottery Woolpits Road, Great Saling BRAINTREE, Essex CM7 5DZ 01371 850 423 martin@webbscottage.co.uk http://www.webbscottage.co.uk Updated 8th December 2002 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 24 Dec 2002 23:55:49 +1100 From: Des & Jan Howard Subject: Re: Wood kiln plans request (this may interest you) June Steve Harrison & Janine King, the authors of "Layed Back Wood Firing", live in Oz (20+ years at the below address). Hot & Sticky Pty Ltd Kiln & Clay Technology Old School Railway Parade Balmoral Village via Picton NSW 2571 Australia Ph/Fax 02 4889 8479 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 26 Nov 2002 10:50:56 -0500 From: Lily Krakowski Subject: molds and such like A long time ago someone suggested, I think in CM, that one should mix those styrofoam chips used for packaging, with white glue, and then use the mix to line boxes for shipping. Plastic wrapping was used to protect the pots, and the mix had to be allowed to dry. I adapted that idea to making supports for drying free form and other molded stuff. Plastic bags packed with chips work well to support work in progress, but cloth (absorbent) sacks filled with mix above and allowed to dry are wonderful. Make a FEMALE mold of what you need to support, i.e. take the pot made on a hump mold and INVERT it, place your bag of chips and glue in it, and allow to dry. You now have a hump "mold" over which you can drape your drying pots as you take them off the plaster/bisque hump mold. As now is the gifts-by-mail season and we all have more chips than we can use.... Lili Krakowski P.O. Box #1 Constableville, N.Y. (315) 942-5916/ 397-2389 Be of good courage.... ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 14 Nov 2002 17:37:46 -0500 From: Dan Saultman Subject: Matting a gloss 04 I use a cone 04 (1985F) base glaze fired in oxidation that produces a glossy finish. I am spraying it on whiteware with an airbrush. Could someone suggest how I might make this glaze totally matte but still maintain good adhesion & fit? Cone 04 Glossy Glaze 39 grams frit 3134 39 grams frit 3195 2 grams flint 6 grams pioneer kaolin I add 4g cobalt ox for a dark blue. I use a "spray on wipe off" technique. By the way, here is an excellent white opaque glossy glaze that will even cover over terracotta. Cone 04 White Glossy Opaque (oxidation) 10 g talc 39 g frit 3134 39 g frit 3195 8 g EPK (Edgar plastic koalin) 4 g flint Add 12 g zircopax Dan Saultman in rainy Detroit. ------------------------------ ----------------------------- Date: Fri, 8 Nov 2002 09:51:52 -0600 From: Dannon Rhudy Subject: Re: Clay and glazes..Dry mixing opinions Tom said: > Whenever I use bentonite in a glaze, I've found dry mixing to be an > advantage; one can avoid the lumping that otherwise occurs....... I was taught initially that dry-mixing bentonite was the way to add it to a glaze. However, since that time I've learned a different way, and I believe that it works better. I mix any bentonite (or any hard-to-mix ingredient) with some water in the studio blender. Bentonite does not really work, anyway, until it is thoroughly wetted. So, I take some of the water intended for the glaze, mix the bentonite (sometimes it takes two batches, the bentonite will jell immediately and become very thick). Then I add it to the glaze. Another method is just to keep a gallon bucket of mixed bentonite to hand, if you've room. If you know the water/bentonite ratio, then you can add the mixture to your glaze, no problem, and it will work much, much better for it's intended purpose. That is also how I add bentonite to a clay body when needed. regards Dannon Rhudy ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 26 Oct 2002 11:35:18 EDT From: Dinah Collopy Subject: For Vince/Mason stain underglaze This recipe was given to me by the lab at Mason Color Works Inc. This should be helpful to those other clayfolk who want to mix their own underglazes. Personally I dislike small jars and prefer to mix up large quantities that I can get my brushes into without feeling that I have to look in the jar to see how much is left with every dip of the brush. It has worked well for me in my initial testing. For those high fire folks: I haven't tried the Liquid with oxides yet but it might work better than glycerine and would not brush off as easily. Mason Color Works has used this recipe for 50 years. Glaze Type: Underglaze formula (measured in parts) Components: F-4 Soda Spar 20 Kaolin 10 Ball Clay 5 Frit (3124) 10 Stain 40 Liquid 75 Liquid Components: Anti-freeze 1000cc Water 1000cc CMC Liquid 500cc CMC Liquid(30 gms CMC to 1 qt. water) and let sit for 2 days to break down. Antifreeze is Ethylene-Glycol and is toxic. For a non-Toxic substitution use Proplyene-Glycol as a direct substitution. This mixture allows you to use a brush and paint directly on greenware without your brush dragging. Notes: Stain can be a mixture of Stain and Opacifier if a paler shade is desired. Further Note: I have substituted frit 3195 for 3124 in my own underglaze mix and it works well. Mason Color Works has used this recipe for 50 years. Regards, Harold Deeley Labrador, Canada It's a crisp -35 C. and the Northern Lights are spectacular this morning! ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 8 Nov 2002 00:26:30 +0000 From: Steve Mills Subject: Re: pyrometer vs. cones Absolutely. Also if you're intending to be consistent; keep a graph of each firing, and keep the graph of your best firing on a piece of Acetate, and overlay it on the current firing graph, so's you can reproduce it as near as possible. Steve Bath UK Steve Mills Bath UK ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 8 Nov 2002 09:51:37 +0100 From: May Luk Subject: Re: OT: Changing image format Hiya; If you have adobe photoshop, you can open (rasterize) pdf directly from photoshop: 1-fire up photoshop 2-File:Open--the pdf file 3-In the "Rasterized generic pdf format" dialogue box: Resolution: 72 dpi Mode: RGB Anti-aliased--on Constrain proportion--on 4-Now you can save the file as a jpeg or any file format you desire. It may take some time if the file is a big layout for the rasterizing. You can try the anti-aliased option on or off and it depends how you like your image. (slightly fuzzy edges or sharp edges, the "on" option is better for photographs) If you like, you can send me the pdf file and I can convert it for you. (I do computer graphics to pay for my mud :-) Regards May ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 12 Oct 2002 01:16:43 -0500 From: Tommy Humphries Subject: Re: what's glycerin for? while most of the other suggestions are right on the money as to adding glycerin to underglazes and such to make brushing easier, you can also make your own "pottery watercolors" with underglazes and glycerin...mix a bit of underglaze with just enough glycerin to SLIGHTLY moisten it...pack it tightly into a small container, bottle tops make dandy ones...let sit overnight to let it harden up a bit and you will have a good pat of pottery watercolor, just dip your brush in water and dab it on the underglaze patty and off you go! Tommy ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 9 Oct 2002 14:42:44 -0400 From: Lily Krakowski Subject: cheap thrills Someone asked about glaze colorants, and commenting on the monotony, the déja vu of glazes in local shows. Well, you can always try what I call "cheap thrills" which students tend to love. After you have glazed your pot--and try this on the inside of a bowl or plate first, paint a design with thinned Karo or other corn syrup. Yes, yes, you can use sorghhum or thinned molasses--just something that works in a brush and dries sticky. When this has dried to a sticky surface put on your mask/respirator and safety goggles and using a spice shaker--i.e a jar in which commercial spices come, because these have bigger holes than salt shakers--sprinkle on some: rutile, or woodash, or coffee grounds, small tea leaves; weak colorants like manganese or iron. You also can soak butcher's twine or crochet cotton in a colorant solution, and lay it on the glaze when it (glaze) still damp. You also can try epsom salts, borax, washing soda, baking soda. These will noit provide color by modify the glaze. THERE WILL BE EXCESS DUST FROM THE COLORANTS YOU SPRINKLE ON. DO NOT BRUSH THEM OFF (DUST) BUT GENTLY SHAKE THEM OFF INTO A BASIN OF WATER. DO NOT REMOVE MASK AND GOGGLES TILL ALL IS ALL CLEAR. You can produce really amusing designs this way. I expect if one works at it one can control it quite well. This needs a shiny glaze that melts enough to absorb the ash created by tea leaves etc. ALSO; IF YOU ARE WITHIN THE RANGE OF CHILDREN, DO LAY IN SOME COOKIES WHEN YOU FIRE. THE KARO SYRUP WILL GIVE OFF A YUMMY SMELL AT THE BEGINNING AND ATTRACT EAGER KIDDIES YOU WOULD NOT WANT TO DISAPPOINT. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 12 Aug 2002 05:04:29 -0700 From: Tom's E-mail Subject: Re: waxing feet Bob, You wrote: Here's a trick that may solve your problem in a slightly different way. Instead of using wax, try WATER. Set your piece in a shallow container of water and allow it to sit for a few seconds, absorbing the water, before taking it out. Then quickly dip it into your glaze. The glaze will not adhere to the saturated surfaces. I tried this today worked great; never heard this before - great idea. Thanks Tom Sawyer tsawyer@cfl.rr.com ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 12 Aug 2002 15:47:14 -0400 From: Ted Whittemore Subject: Re: waxing bottoms follow up question Try a very stiff sponge. This allows you to use the bottom of the pot or the foot ring to press against and align the sponge for a line that parallels the bottom of the pot and not have to try to get an even line by sight. You can make a stiff sponge for waxing by cutting a cellulose sponge into small triangular wedges, like a piece of pie but taller, and soaking the triangular end about half an inch deep in wax. I like green Aftosa wax. And I like the triangular shape 'cause it lets me control the long (line-making) edge better, while gripping the top and pointed end opposite the long edge. Let the wax stiffen up on the sponge, and wash it out in warm water. and soak it again in wax, etc., a couple of times. The unsoaked end remains pliable for a good grip, and the wax soaked end gets hard enough to make an even line when braced against the pot bottom, but still absorbent enough to hold the wax you need. Ted Whittemore ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 29 Jul 2002 10:47:02 EDT From: Chris Campbell Subject: Anyone Need inspiration? I monitor several arts discussion groups. On one there were complaints by bored customers asking why there was nothing 'new' and exciting going on with pottery. Why did they walk through shows just seeing the same old stuff? Why did potters play it so safe and only change their glaze colors from time to time? Where were the innovators? Penny H. who is a bead artist posted her wish list of ideas for pottery. She is definitely thinking new and exciting ... take a minute to read her post .......... >From Penny : What excites me lately in dinnerware is new shapes in plates and bowls. I'm very fond of rectangles and squares, anything that looks good with chopsticks laying across a corner. I recently bought rectangular trays and use them as plates. Then there were tiny sauce dishes to go with them, about 2 and a half inches across. I got one round set and one square set. Wish I'd gotten square salad plates. I also like interesting shapes in serving bowls. I'd like to see square tops on bowls, and maybe a turned out edge. I like the new flat edge look also. And maybe an added roll of clay inside the plate, to keep the sloppy sauce from spilling out? Or divided plates but divided by a simple rope of clay down the middle? To keep meat juice separate from salad dressing? Or, half of the outer rim with one texture and the other half with a different one? Perhaps corrugated lines, then circles, then nothing? Another idea, how about a plate with a napkin ring built in along the top? Triangle plates always look exciting, and they are great around a round table. And if the salad plate was a smaller triangle, it could nest right next to the dinner plate. Which gives me another idea. How about the dishes all being pieces of an interlocking puzzle. Each place setting could be a different interlocking pair. I see the plates as fairly flat with minimal rim edge and a high base. Oh, another one. A rectangular plate with a one-inch-high base. The salad plate would be at a different height and the coffee cup would be at still a different height. And for soup bowls, why not borrow from the glass sphere guys and set a round bottom bowl into a "rubber ring" base only made out of clay. My first idea was to have the ring be part the bowl but then I thought to have them separate, which would allow the bowl to tilt at different angles in the ring. So if you were serving a very pretty soup you could fill the bowl only half full and tilt it toward the diner to show off the surface. The bottom of the bowl would have to be engineered to rest smoothly on the ring of course. Maybe even some stopper pins in the bowl to keep it from sliding too far down? And more. I want butter dishes to go with my dinner service. Two or three choices for all the ways butter is sold now. And who says plates have to be entirely flat? Why couldn't one edge have a ruffle, but not all the way around. If the salad plate had this thing I'm seeing as a short wavy wall on one edge, it could be advertised as a block to push food against, ending that "embarrassing problem of food sliding off the plate." The storage problem could be resolved by providing a white wire rack to stack the plates on an angle, like "v"'s. If we can find a way to stack chairs--which are far from flat, then plates shouldn't be too hard. I also like the idea of big bowls used for small servings. Like putting breakfast cereal in a bowl twice as big as usual, but not a mixing bowl size or shape. Something unusual, maybe kidney shaped? Or back to my square idea. If the bowl is a solid color, say red, with a lime green trim and three short blue lines and it is bigger than usual, wouldn't it be lots of fun to eat breakfast out of that? Or to serve clear soup with a lemon floating on top, but only half filled so the bowl color becomes part of the visual feast? Some of my favorite coffee mugs are two different textures. They could have knobs on both sides for handles. I prefer to drink with two hands anyway, or once the cup has cooled down a bit, to hold it by the rim and drink that way, sort of like a short drinking glass. I like my mugs to be sophisticated shapes and thin walled. Chris Campbell - in North Carolina - if this lady came into your booth and tried to give you ideas, would you listen ?? Or would you send her away with a snappy comeback? Chris Campbell Pottery, LLC 9417 Koupela Drive Raleigh NC 27615-2233 e-mail : ccpottery@aol.com website : www.wholesalecrafts.com ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 26 Jun 2002 23:06:07 -0700 From: Tony Ferguson Subject: Re: Booth design and advice Lois, Many options depending on the color and feel of your work. If you are going to just buy it, check out: 1. Porta Panels (hang your flatter work I have seen people also hook shelving into them, promo pictures, etc) & use formica covered and sealed on the bottom pedistals on the floor. 2. The easiest, least expensive, modular do it your self (or hire someone handy with wood) is cut a perfect square out of 1/2 or 3/8 plywood from the center cutting the same width as the wood down to the edge, essientially cutting the square half way--with two of these you put them together and they lock. Take another square and put it on top--now you have a table and you can stack these in any number of formations as well as utilize different sizes to create different levels. You can also put in triangular shelves on all for sides of the squares too. 3. Go with combination pedistals and tables with fabric. 4. Door panels from any Home Depot or Mendards like store--you can paint them, they are light, and you can use them to create walls with shelves on them--like the porta panels. Good luck, this is not an easy one to figure out so quickly. Thank you. Tony Ferguson Stoneware, Porcelain, Raku www.aquariusartgallery.com 218-727-6339 315 N. Lake Ave Apt 312 Duluth, MN 55806 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 11 Jun 2002 00:13:07 -0500 From: David Hendley Subject: G-strings Speaking of guitar strings, I use old ones for all sorts of things. Plain steel strings are perfect for slicing clay. .015 to .020 inch strings (the thickest plain steel strings) make good cutting wires for wedging boards. .010 to .015 inch are good for small slicing tools, and for replacing the wire on your cheese cutter when it breaks. A coping saw frame strung with a guitar string makes a good large size slicer. Now, here is a cool thing to do with the bronze wrapped bass strings: "Unwind" the brass wrapping from the steel core by cutting the string with wire cutters and then grabbing the end of the bronze wire with needle-nose vice grip pliers. Now, pull with the pliers and the bronze wrapping and core will come apart, and you will have a cut-off wire that looks like a stretched-out spring, which will leave a cut mark similar to, but more pronounced than, a twisted cut-off wire. Use short pieces of plain steel guitar strings to clean out syringe needles and small decorating tips on overglaze bottles. Insert an inch or two halfway into the opening and bend it over into an "L" shape. David Hendley Maydelle, Texas hendley@tyler.net http://www.farmpots.com ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 5 Jun 2002 07:45:15 -0400 From: Valerie Hawkins Subject: lid making method I've been meaning to share this for sometime. But what is new to me, is mostly likely old hat to most of those on the list. Anyway, I attended a workshop led by Mart Peters, a young and talented North Carolina potter. He has a very loose and fluid style. He makes lids in keeping with this style by throwing a slab on the wheel then cutting it off and moving it to newspaper to 'set-up' a bit. He has a large selection of bisqued forms that are basically upside down bowl shapes in a variety of sizes. He selects the form that best fits the piece he's making a lid for. He centers the slab on top of the form and then drops them onto the table top. The lid is then checked for fit and trimmed where needed. This resulted in a beautifully soft and fluid looking lid, perfectly matching the style of the base. Avoids the hard look of a trimmed lid. I hope someone can use this! And by the way, what a talented, friendly and unassuming young guy! Very generous in sharing of his methods. I would highly recommend him as a workshop presenter. Valerie Charlotte ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 4 Jun 2002 18:13:55 -0500 From: Martin Rice Subject: A tip about web site pic effeciency Hi, All: Hope some of you are interested in this. Probably lots of you know this = already, but I just learned it and am sure some of you might be able to = use it. When doing a web site with Front Page -- as I know several of you do -- = there's a built-in way to compress pic size that I find absolutely = fantastic. I work on maintaining three different sites. I've always been = conscious of the relationship between .jpg size and performance -- = duh... who hasn't? -- and consequently have used a great number of .jpg = compressing utilities. Eventually found my favorite to be advanced jpeg = compressor. However, recently, one of the guys I'm doing a web site for gave me some = .jpgs that were humongous -- 2.5 to 4.5 megs each. I tried everything to = get them down to really manageable size. They had to be resized because = they were huge in format as well as kbytes. To make a long story short, = I decided to try the following: Load the monster pic into Front Page. Click the absolute positioning = button. Resize the pic by using the drag handles. Then -- this is the = punch line -- click the resample button. Absolutely phenomenal. 2.5 meg = .jpg reduced to about 10K with highly acceptable quality. Lord it's a = miracle!!!! Hope this helps some of you. Best regards, Martin Lagunas de Bar=FA, Costa Rica PS It's also a great way to reduce pics that you just want to attach to = emails to send friends if you have Front Page. ------------------------------ Tired of cracked mugs and teapots, and being the last one packed up at the end of the craft fair? Over the years I have developed a system of packing my wares to protect them during transport to and from craft fairs and to make packing and unpacking a breeze. Take an ordinary stackable bread tray (borrow them from your local wholesale bakery supplier) and line the bottom with a 1/2" piece of foam carpet underlay. Then take a piece of 4" thick foam, and cut it to fit snugly inside the bread tray. Next we need to cut holes in the foam. The best way to do this is to find a clean tin can of the desired diameter with one end removed. Then, drill a small 1/4" hole in the exact center of the other end. Fit a 1/4"x1 1/2" bolt through the hole from the inside of the can and secure with washers top and bottom and two nuts (one will tighten on the other, stopping them from becoming undone). Leave enough of the bolt sticking through the outside of the can to attach to a drill. Now, using a bench grinder or similar tool, create a serrated edge on the open end of the can. This can act as a saw to cut the necessary holes in the foam. Once you have sawed (drilled ) your holes, leaving enough space between them to ensure your mugs won't bang together, cut a slit on the inside of each hole perpendicular to the circumference of it. This is for the handles of the mugs. Each bread tray should hold about 25 mugs or similar size items, and they can be stacked up to six high. There are many different thickness' and densities of foam, and they can be cut and stacked in an endless variety of ways and shapes. You may want to make your own taller containers rather than use bread trays, and create layers of foam packing in them, i.e. Rubber Maid plastic tote boxes. Another tip: since most foam comes in 4'x8' sheets, it is best to leave it intact, draw your patterns, drill your holes, and then cut the sheet into smaller pieces. This makes drilling the holes much easier and safer, as the foam tends to become unruly in smaller pieces. Bryan Hannis Just Earth Pottery Valemount, BC ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 3 Jun 2002 20:14:06 -0400 From: Nancy R Chestnut Subject: Re: Inflated Pottery I once watched someone stick a small balloon into a handbuilt vase/bottle shape and blow the balloon up slowly and gently to push the sides out and make it nicely rounded. Worked like a charm. If you want to leave a larger opening or are making a larger piece, this would work better than blowing directly into the piece itself. Nancy in Cincinnati ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 19 May 2002 02:48:46 -0600 From: Klyf Brown Subject: Re: Talisman Sieves Bonnie, I consider my sieves to be the easiest to make and long lasting. Large sieve area makes them fast to use. Most all of us five gallon plastic buckets. Most all of them stack together. This sieve requires two of them. Take one of the buckets, if you have a wheel place it on the wheel and while spinning mark it with a magic marker about an inch below the last rib (where the bail attaches). Use a wood hand saw and cut the bucket off at your marking. The cut does not have to be perfectly flat or even, but it helps. A jig saw could also be used. Cut off the burrs with a sharp knife. Use a one square foot piece of screne (hardare cloth). Place the screne so that it covers the entire bottom of the cut off bucket (short piece with handle). Use a soldering iron on high heat, I use a stained glass iron as it is heavy and hot enough. Place it on the screne at one point and hold it down until the plastic melts and the screne is pressed into the molten plastic. when you release the iron, the plastic will solidify quickly and the screne will be embeded in it. Go to a point 180 degrees from the original tack and repeat the process while holding the screne tightly. Repeat at 90 degrees, both sides. You now have a tightly streched screne attached at four points. Go back to your starting point, press in the iron till the plastic melts, as you press down slide the iron the width of it's head, hold, repeat untill you have gone around the whole thing and have a continous weld all around the bucket and the screne is embeded in it. Now thke a sharp knife or sizzors and cut off the extending screne and overlaping weld material till the cut off bucket is round again. This screne fits perfectly into a five gallon bucket with no spilling out possible and has a large area of screne to sieve with. It also holds a lot of material and the weight of the material helps push it through. Many different brushes or paddles will help to keep material flowing (see other recent posts for tips on these). After use, flip it upside down over another bucket and hose it off, collecting the residue for OSHA and EPA approved disposal methods. HARRR. I have used many screnes of varrying mesh sizes to sieve hundreds of gallons of material with this design. The handle is also handy to hang this screne on the wall to keep it out of the way or you can stack several of them together, or you can stack it in another bucket. I otta patten this method. Then I could spend the rest of my life with lawyers. Price, $2 to $10 per sieve depending on mesh size. Klyf in New Mexico usa >> I see that Axner sells them for $119 fo rthe 80 mesh sieve. Does anyoneknow >> where I might find a better deal? >> Any comments on them before I send away my money? >> TIA >> Bonnie ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 14 May 2002 16:58:48 EDT From: "Imzadi ." Subject: Re: NUMBER ONE TIP for Doing your first big show Yes! THE ABSOLUTE NUMBER ONE RULE: LOAD INTO YOUR CAR: YOUR BOX WITH ALL YOUR SHOW ESSENTIALS FIRST!!! By show essentials, I mean receipt book, pens, business cards, tape, sissors, signs describing the food safety of your products, etc. All those essentials you need just to make your show RUN! Make sure the box is in a differently colored, or brightly colored box, quite recogniseable from the rest of the boxes so you know you've packed it. Or separate the stuff among many boxes so loosing any one box will not cause such a problem. Ugh! I learned this the hard way at 7am two Sunday mornings ago when unpacking, on-site for my show. I didn't have time to drive home to retrieve that one box, and it soon became apparent how much I needed it. I ended up calling my neighbor (who works until 3 am and was quite dead to the world. After also calling my landlord (waking him up, too) to open my house to let my neighbor in to get the box, my neighbor graciously brought me my box. Yes, I had created a checklist of all the things to PACK. I packed the nite before. But once packed, I didn't think that at 5am, I'd overlook LOADING a box into my car. PACKING and LOADING are quite different things. Also, in hot weather, pack a spray bottle of plain water and two battery powered portable fans, and extra bottled water. This past week, we suddenly got hit with a heatwave, and even in the shade, I got overheated. Our booths were set up on steaming concrete. Misting myself would have kept my temperature down. I have an ez-up tent that is super easy to take down by myself - 3 minutes total, but for some darn reason, I can't lift up the canopy on each pole by myself (although a stronger man can do it by himself). I have always been able to find a friendly neighboring booth person who was able to help me put it up. Make friends with your neighborboring booths. We have always volunteered to watch out for each other when needing to go to the bathroom, get or give water to each other, loan out that spare battery powered fan, etc. They are in the same situation as you if alone, and if there are two of them, they usually understand you need that extra eye to watch your booth while you are gone. If you have dark colored tablecloths, also pack or think of changing to a lighter cloth to drape over your tables. At two indoor fairs, I was unable to control the lack of lighting, and found my lovely rutiley glazes which fabulously pop out against a dark background, looked dull and lifeless in darker ambient light. The table cloth, instead of reflecting what little available light there was, sucked all color around it. I KNOW this affected my sales. I'm thinking of packing a couple of portable Coleman camping table lamps or floodlamps (or something) in lieu of a full lighting system with portable generator (which I can't afford) when I just need a little more light. Unless you are super strapped for money and need every cent, know that most other vendors, if approached in a friendly, open manner, WILL be willing to do trades, provided they like your stuff too and aren't so strapped for cash themselves. This "old time money system" among vendors is the way of the road I've found at many a show. Just don't go overboard! We all know we mark our stuff up with a retail price. To be able to trade for something for only what it costs to make our pots, is sometimes a great bargain. (This probably wouldn't work for pottery with carving, or was time and labor consuming to make.) I bring $50 in start-up cash to make change. Four $5 bills plus thirty $1 bills. It is always those odd sales like $6 that eat up those $1s way too quickly early in the day. I have bitched out way too many a NYC cabdriver at 8am, who did not keep enough dollars on him from his shift the day before to make change, for me to not do it myself. I get plenty of clear packing tape from the dollar store, a stack of old newspapers and overwrap the hell out of purchases, paying particular attention to wadding & cushioning rims, handles, etc. YOU made it, YOU had better know the stress, bumping points to protect on the way home. Customers really appreciate that their pottery has been made bomb-proof to take home and have never complained that it isn't in a fancy packing box or bag instead of the plastic obviously labeled grocery bags I've been saving (folded neatly not crumpled) for the past six months. They realize the savings of fancy wrappings is reflected in my prices. And also, by that time, the sale is already made! Hope this helps. I'm looking forward to reading what other people post to this thread. ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 29 Apr 2002 13:20:18 -0700 From: Rowdy Dragon Pottery Subject: Re: Dividing a Circle A twist on the other folded paper suggestions is based on the fact that two times any odd number is an even number. So it you want to divide into fifths, fold into tenths and use every other point of division. ><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>< Neil Berkowitz The Rowdy Dragon Pottery Seattle WA http://rowdy-dragon-pottery.home.attbi.com ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 29 Apr 2002 00:57:21 EDT From: "Imzadi ." Subject: Re: Show Checklist lcrimp@SHAW.CA writes: << Some time ago, someone posted a checklist of things not to forget when going to do a show. Would it be possible to have this posted again as I misplaced the copy I printed off. >> Not sure if this is what you wanted, but here are a couple of links of articles published (and on the web) by The Crafts Report: http://www.craftsreport.com/august99/businesswise.html http://www.craftsreport.com/may01/boothbusiness.html Imzadi ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 21 Apr 2002 08:19:37 -0700 From: Roger Korn Subject: Re: how to make porcelain slip out of clay? I can't give you an exact recipe, but here's a procedure that will work. Mix clay and water into a slip that has a specific gravity between 1.7 and 1.8. Measure the water you added and record it. This means that a liter of slip should weigh between 1700 grams and 1800 grams or, using English units, a pint of slip should weigh between 27.2 oz and 28.8 oz. The slip will probably be too thick to pour. It should be like really thick cream. To change the thickness (viscosity), stir in a defloculent made of equal weights of sodium silicate and soda ash drop by drop until the consistency is right. It won't take much, maybe half a teaspoon, so add it carefully, drop-by-drop, until the desired consistency is achieved. Record the amount of defloculent required. Try a test cast to make sure the consistency is right, then make up your large batch, using the proportions you recorded when making the test batch. This should work well. I've done this many times when making slip-cast parts to be added to hand-built or wheel-thrown objects. Good luck, and don't hesitate to ask if anything is unclear. Roger Mercy Langford wrote: > hi- does any body know if it's possible to make porcelain slip out of > porcelain clay??? I have 25lbs of clay aand a blender and I need to slipcast > a couple of molds. How much water? any extra chemicals that I would need? > thanks alot in advance-Mercy > > ______________________________________________________________________________ ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 21 Apr 2002 11:45:08 -0600 From: Ceramic Design Group Subject: Re: how to make porcelain slip out of clay? Roger Korn has some useful and relevant points about slip making from a plastic porcelain body. I'll add some general things. While it is possible to make a slip casting body from a plastic clay body, the best ratio for casting bodies are 50 parts of non-plastic materials to 50 parts of plastic materials. This proportion will provide a high ratio of solids relative to the amount of water needed to deffloculate it. It is important to keep the water content as low as possible and this is why deffloculants are used. It is possible to use other ratios but the casting properties are severely compromised. Sodium silicate and soda ash are very powerful deffloculants and have a very narrow working range and it is very easy to overuse them and render your slip thixoid. My suggestion is to use Darvan 811 as it is makes more stable slips with a wider working range. The best range for specific gravities is 1.75 to 1.80 but note that each slip has its own unique and best SG. Each slip will also have its own and unique viscosity . We have recently been using a #2 Zahn cup to monitor viscosity and a Pyknometer for very accurate SG readings. Good luck Jonathan ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 6 Apr 2002 08:14:25 +0100 From: Martin Howard Subject: glaze analysis In the UK go to CERAM Queens Road, Penkhull, Stoke-on-Trent ST4 7LQ Tel +44 (0) 1782 76444 fax +44 (0) 1782 412331 e-mail info@ceram.co.uk www.ceram.co.uk Ask for a XRF UNQUANT SEMIQUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS Cost around 35 English pounds. They will need a small amount of the dried material. Check the amount with them first. If there is any lead in it, then the cost is higher, because of the effect lead has on their equipment. Another good reason to pot leadless! Martin Howard Webbs Cottage Pottery Woolpits Road, Great Saling BRAINTREE, Essex CM7 5DZ 01371 850 423 martin@webbscottage.co.uk http://www.webbscottage.co.uk Updated 3rd March 2002 ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 24 Mar 2002 08:28:39 -0800 From: Karen Shapiro Subject: Re: Postcard - another use Hi all, Just thought I'd pass on a tip from another potter who uses Modern Postcard (I also have used them and they are great for the price). She does a 4 quadrant set-up with different images to make business cards -- puts her "info" on each quad and cuts each postcard up into 4 cards. They look great and are SOOO cheap! I've been too lazy to do them but plan to do it. Karen in Gualala --------------------------------- Hank replies; I leave about 1/4" of clay in the bottom of the plate, and cut off the plate from the batt with a twisted wire, without touching it further. Then, after it has dried very uniformly to the right stage (hard cheese), I turn it over onto a dense foam batt and apply the roller perpendicular to the bottom surface and at the edge. This will create an accumulation of clay in a vertical 'wall' just above the bottom of the plate. Then I turn the roller tool in, to flatten this 'wall' to form the foot ring. If all goes right, you get a nice symetrical footring about 1/8" higher than the bottom of the plate. If the ring is bigger on one side, it's an indication that the pot was not dried evenly.....somewhat of an art, this drying. It helps if your studio is heated with infra-red instead of blown hot air. After the bisque, I wax the footring and place a 3/4" price sticker in the middle of the bottom for a resist. After glazing the plate, I peel off the price sticker and wad this spot with a small amount of wadding clay to prevent the rather thin bottom from sinking down onto the setter tile. Try it.......and credit the author. Hank's Roller Trim. Cheers, Hank ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 6 Jan 2002 10:35:39 -0800 From: Snail Scott Subject: Re: Trace/transfer line drawing I once watched Jim Romberg do one of his raku pieces. All that spontaneous-looking brushwork was actually executed on sheets of newsprint...lots of iterations. He then picked the best-looking glaze strokes and cut them out of the newsprint sheet, and transferred them to the bisque surface by moistening the back of the newsprint until the glaze came off onto the bisque. It looked just as though the brushstrokes had been made directly on the clay, but no danger of an 'oops'! It worked almost like the decals that used to come with plastic model kits when I was a kid. -Snail ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 4 Jan 2002 11:34:52 -0800 From: Fredrick Paget Subject: Re: Trace/transfer line drawing Here it is slightly edited: Kurt, A modification of the release paper transfer of laser printed image 9 see archives under my email name): Obtain release paper and print the image on the treated side with a laser printer . Spray the glazed surface with Elmer's glue and place the image paper on it image side down and asure good contact. Let it dry for a couple of days and pull off the paper, leaving the image on the glaze. The white glue should not bother the glaze in the firing. Release paper comes as the waste paper that is thrown away after the sticky labels that come on it are used up. Avery labels, etc. Maybe you will have to mix glue in the glaze when you put it on, I have not tried this on unfired glaze but it works on fired glaze-guaranteed. The biggest uncertainty is if it will possibly pull off the glaze when you try to pull off the paper. You are going to have to get that glue soaked into the glaze good and dried to prevent that. By the way that laser image is about 40 percent iron oxide so that it will fire into the glaze and make a sepia image that is part of the glaze. Happy experimenting and let me know if it works, Fred Paget >Respond to Kurt at his personal address, but please respond to the group as >well. I'd like to see the responses to this one. >Thanks, Wanda@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG]On >> >>I'm looking for a way to trace/transfer a line drawing onto a glazed but >>unfired surface. The glaze is mixed with VeeGum Cer so it is not as >>powdery a surface as one would expect. Any ideas? Please, send only ideas >>with relatively positive potential. >>Kurt From Fred Paget, Marin County, California, USA ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 1 Jan 2002 12:38:48 -0800 From: David Hendley Subject: Re: Easy Money vs. Hard Money A little more about advertising. I second Cheryl's recommendation for 'The Guerilla Marketing Handbook'. As with most things, there are different approaches to advertising, and there are ways to create successful advertising that rely more on creativity than money. There are also lots of ways to get free advertising. A little ad in the newspaper the week before your open house will produce little, if any, result. I think there are 2 ways to go to make the advertising effective: lots of ads, as Cheryl advises, or a few overwhelming ads. I like the latter, because it allows you space to really tell your story, and differentiate yourself from just another business. My most effective advertising has been to buy a separate 4-page section in the newspaper. I create my own newspaper-within-a- newspaper, 'The Old Farmhouse Glaz-ette', that can't be overlooked. I make sure it is included with the paper on a day when there are no other advertising sections from Penney's or Lowe's. Is it expensive? Yes, it is, and it would be prohibitive in a big city, but I have 4 pages to educate, impress, and create desire among the readers. After 3 years of the 'Glaz-ette', almost everyone in 2 counties has at least heard of the pottery shop in Maydelle. Another amazing phenomenon is that people can't tell the difference between news and advertising. Every week I hear people tell me that they read about me in the paper. Another benefit: the people AT the newspaper will read your advertising, become interested, and want to write a feature story about you (free advertising). David Hendley Maydelle, Texas hendley@tyler.net http://www.farmpots.com ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 20 Dec 2001 10:15:23 -0600 From: Pete Pinnell Subject: clay body strength For the final project in my Clay and Glaze class this semester, we mixed about 50 clay bodies for testing, including red and white earthenwares, stoneware, porcelain, and sculpture bodies. Besides other tests, we extruded numerous bars of each body and broke them to measure MOR (Modulus Of Rupture, which is a measure of the bending strength). There are other strength tests that can be done (chipping tests, for instance), but MOR is a quick and easy way to predict how well a body will hold up to the bumps of everyday use. Out of all these tests, there were a number of interesting trends: 1. Any amount of grog weakens clay bodies, especially in sculpture bodies that are essentially underfired. Some of the sculpture clays were so weak at cone 04 that we couldn=92t measure them- the bars broke at initial contact before any stress was applied. Any texture in the clay tended to have the same result, though the texture from using 50 mesh fireclay seemed to have only a minimal effect. Really fine grogs- those less than 80 mesh- also had little effect. 2. Glaze made a huge difference in strength. Crazed glazes lowered results 50% or more from the strength of the same bar unglazed. Uncrazed glazes raised the strength of the bars from 50 to 100 %. I had read this before, and assumed that it was mostly related to the lack of surface flaws on a smooth glaze (cracks like to start at a flaw- take away the flaws and it=92s more difficult for a crack to start). What I found interesting is that the amount of compression also mattered. We glazed the porcelain bars with three different versions of my Pete=92s Clear glaze, which ranged from mild compression for the original version to a very low expansion version that places the clay in a very high compression. Consistently, the higher compression versions produced higher MOR results. 3. Clays have to be fired to maturity to get good strength. Even firing porcelain bodies to cone 9 rather than 10 lowered strengths a good deal. As an aside, I define maturity as the point at which a body achieves its best strength and glaze fit, and no longer suffers from marked moisture expansion. Absorption, in my opinion, is not a good indicator except within one clay body group (such as =93high fire porcelain=94). Porcelain= s may need to have less than 1% absorption to avoid moisture expansion problems, while mature white earthenwares can have upwards of 20% absorption (which is why those cheap white tiles on our shower walls don=92t develop delayed crazing). 4. =93Smooth=94 counts for more than =93glassy=94, which seems to contrad= ict one bit of standard wisdom I=92ve heard in the past. 5. Quartz seems to be a problem- at least in a minor way. Porcelain bodies that used a combination of pyrophyllite and quartz were stronger than those which used only quartz as a filler. It=92s a bit of a mixed bag, though, because glazes on pyrophyllite bodies tended to craze more. What were the strongest clays? This will surprise you- it certainly did me. The strongest clays, consistently, were (drum roll, please) red earthenware clays fired to a full cone 04. Yep, that=92s right. Plain old Redart based, smooth red earthenwares. The= y were stronger than smooth, brown or gray stonewares, and even stronger (over all) than porcelain, which I had assumed would be best. Yes, it was very important to fire them to a full cone 04: cone 06 didn=92t hack it. Surprisingly, taking them to cone 1 did not increase MOR, though they certainly were denser and felt more solid and chip resistant. Within red earthenwares, we got consistently higher strength from those using wollastonite as a secondary flux (5 to 10%), rather than talc. It seemed best to use red clay in amounts of 50 to 70%, and while Redart alone (for the red clay portion of the body) gave the best strength, we got much better workability (and only a tiny bit less strength) by using a mixture of red clays, such as Redart mixed with Ranger Red (from Texas) and Apache Red (from Colorado). As with porcelain, the clay was made much stronger with glazes that fit, and higher compression glazes were strongest of all. Our all-time champion (for strength, NOT workability) was the following recipe, glazed with Linda Arbuckle=92s Majolica and fired to a full cone 04. Redart, 60% KT 1-4 Ball Clay, 30% Wollastonite, 10% I thought you might find this interesting. I only teach a Clay and Glaze class one semester every three years, so while I plan to do some follow up tests (these tests raised as many questions as they answered), don't look for those results any time soon! Pete Pinnell University of Nebraska at Lincoln ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 19 Dec 2001 21:01:39 -0800 From: David Hendley Subject: LLOOOOOOONG Line Blends Dear Logan, I admit it; I didn't really read all your '40% A + 60%B', and on and on. Sorry, my eyes just glazed over. A couple of comments about your methodology: First, apply the tests the same way you will be applying your actual glazes. If you dip your glazes, don't brush on the glazes for the tests, as it won't give you an accurate idea of how the glaze will really look. Second, don't try to add water to tiny 20 gram batches of glaze. Make up wet glazes for each end of the blend, and then measure by volume, not weight. It's too easy to add too much or too little water in such small amounts, and this can significantly affect the look of your fired test. Third, since your supply is limited, there is reason to make a test of 100% of an ingredient unless you just went to see what the material does. For instance, you already know that 100% glass cullet will be too fluid to make a viable glaze, and 100% of a white clay will be to refractory to make a glaze. Here's how I do it, and, in fact, I have also been doing tests with glass cullet, wood ash, and local clay. I call the resulting glazes my 'free glazes', and enjoy showing them to other potters. I have everything from a dry matt, to textured satins, to a lovely blue-tinged clear that looks like water droplets. I do all tri-axial blends, which means there are three ingredients. Each corner, A, B, and C has a name, in my case, Ash (A), Bottle (B), and Clay (C). But each corner does not start with 100% of its ingredient. Using experience as a guide, I decide what could be the highest amount of an ingredient in a mixture that would still make a glaze, and then add a little more. So my C (Clay) corner, for instance, is only 80% clay, and 10% each of A and B. I mix up 200 gram batches of each corner glaze (although there is always some left over, and 150 g. or so would be enough) in small margarine containers and place then in a large triangle. Then I set out 12 liquid detergent caps so there are 3 on a line between each corner, and fill in the middle. You end up with the pattern for bowling pins, with an added row of 5 behind one of the sides. The caps, used for measuring detergent, are perfect for dipping test tiles, without requiring much glaze. To fill in each cup, I add four 12cc syringe-fulls of glaze, in varying amounts. Using the bowling pin analogy, the 1 pin would be my A glaze in the margarine tub. The 2 pin would be 3 parts A and 1 part B. The 3 pin would be 3 parts A and 1 part C. The 4 pin would be 2 parts A and 2 parts B. The 5 pin would be 2 parts A, 1 part b, and 1 part C. etc. Minimal mixing is required in the caps, just a good stir. Using this system, you will end up with unusual proportions when you do the arithmetic to convert promising tests into glaze recipes. You add up the recipes and divide by 4 to get percentages, and they often come out to odd numbers like '56.6%'. If it's something you like, you can fine tune it on the next test, trying, say, 55% and 60%, to see if there's any difference. Date: Wed, 19 Dec 2001 16:32:12 +1000 From: LOGAN OPLINGER Subject: Line Blends - LLOOOONG Hello All, Holiday Greetings! I have recently embarked on the journey of "using local materials", more specifically, testing glazes ^6 to ^ 10 made from clays, glass cullet, volcanic ash, and plant ash. I have been spending a good deal of time processing these materials (collecting, grinding, burning etc.), and in the case of plant ashes, for small amounts of material. As such, I want to conserve these materials when making up test glazes wherever I can. One place I have been able to do this is in the way I make up my line blends. My test tiles usually only require about 20g of test glaze. This includes single & double dipping and brushing. So, in looking for a way to avoid having to make up 100g or 50g test batches for just 20g of test glaze, I have found a way to make up 20g test glaze blends from just 110g each of two materials or base glazes ( A & B ). As an added bonus once I have weighed out the ingredients to make up 110g each of A & B, the only weighings I have to make are in 10g or 20g units, easier than trying to weigh out to tenths of a gram on a tripple beam balance. I have searched the archives, and gone back over my ceramics books to see if anyone else uses or recommends this method. I have not found a reference yet, but if any members of CLAYART know of such a reference, I would like to give credit where it is due. Any comments, criticisims as to appropriateness of this method are welcome. The Method - First, all ingredients must be finely ground as the process involves making successive dilutions (in dry form), and thorough distribution of materials in each test blend is essential, and second, once each material addition is made, thorough mixing is necessary. For a line blend that increases/decreases between 100% to 0% in 10% increments, 11 test points will be made. The 1st. and 11th. are 100% each of A & B and are used as controls to compare the intermediate points to. Test # 1-----2-----3-----4-----5-----6-----7-----8-----9-----10----11 % A = 100 - 90 - 80 - 70 - 60 - 50 - 40 - 30 - 20 - 10 - 00. % B = 00 - 10 - 20 - 30 - 40 - 50 - 60 - 70 - 80 - 90 - 100. Weigh out 110g of B, and take 20g for test # 11 (100%). Remainder is 90g. Divide remainder into nine 10g sub units and set each of thes aside. Weigh out 110g of A, and take 20g for test # 1 (100%). Remainder is 90g. For the following 10 part ratios will be used rather than simple ratios (5:5 = 1:1, 6:4 = 3:2). 90g A + 10g B = 100g AB, 90% A + 10%B or a ratio of 9:1A&B. Mix well. Take 20g for test # 2. Rem. = 80g AB @ 9:1 or 72g A + 8g B. 80g AB + 10g B = 90g AB or 72g A + 8g B + 10g B = 72g A + 18g B or 8:2 A&B. Mix well. Take 20g for test # 3. Rem. = 70g AB @ 8:2 or 56g A + 14g B. 70g AB + 10g B = 80g AB or 56g A + 14g B + 10g B = 56g A + 24g B or 7:3 A&B. Mix well. Take 20g for test # 4. Rem. = 60g AB @ 7:3 or 42g A + 18g B. 60g AB + 10g B = 70g AB or 42g A + 18g B + 10g B = 42g A + 28g B or 6:4 A&B. Mix well. Take 20g for test # 5. Rem. = 50g AB @ 6:4 or 30g A + 20g B. 50g AB + 10g B = 60g AB or 30g A + 20g B + 10g B = 30g A + 30g B or 5:5 A&B. Mix well. Take 20g for test # 6. Rem. = 40g AB @ 5:5 or 20g A + 20g B. 40g AB + 10g B = 50g AB or 20g A + 20g B + 10g B = 20g A + 30g B or 4:6 A&B. Mix well. Take 20g for test # 7. Rem. = 30g AB @ 4:6 or 12g A + 18g B. 30g AB + 10g B = 40g AB or 12g A + 18g B + 10g B = 12g A + 28g B or 3:7 A&B. Mix well. Take 20g for test # 8. Rem. = 20g AB @ 3:7 or 6g A + 14g B. 20g AB + 10g B = 30g AB or 6g A + 14g B + 10g B = 6g A + 24g B or 2:8 A&B. Mix well. Take 20g for test # 9. Rem. = 10g AB @ 2:8 or 2g A + 8g B. 10g AB + 10g B = 20g AB or 2g A + 8g B + 10g B = 2g A + 18g B or 1:9 A&B. Mix well. Take 20g for test # 10. There is no remainder. The blending process is done. Now all that is necessary is to add enough water to each 20g test blend to make up each glaze to apply to a tile. If more than 20g is necessary for each test blend, doubling the amount of each material (220g) A and B, doubling the sub units of B (20g), and taking 40g from each blend will give 40g test blends. Good luck, best wishes, Logan Oplinger -- _ ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 28 Oct 2001 09:22:39 -0500 From: Jennifer F Boyer Subject: Re: LIght Box/back issues of CT, CM I'm using a REALLY easy light box set up now: It can be done without carpentry! You get flourescent 2 grow light holders(you could probably use an old 4 bulb one too if you find one that plugs in) , buy 4 full spectrum bulbs for them(expensive, but can be used with daylight film) and hang them over a table. Then buy sheets of mylar from your art supply store and suspend it below the lights and above the table to make a diffuser. I'm using a double layer stapled to either side of a big picture frame. I bet a big canvas stretcher would also work well. You could also rig up a frame of card board and tape the mylar to that. Then all you need is some kind of drape background material. If the table is next to a wall, you can tack the background material to the wall and drape it onto the table. This is all do-able with the duct tape and string approach. I've got my lights rigged to pulleys in the ceiling so I can pull them up out of the way when not in use. This all allows you to move the lights and the mylar diffuser up and down to get the look you want. This is all SO much easier than the whole tungsten set up with hot lights that you can't leave on between shots. I got the idea for using full spetrum flourescent with day light film(or digital camera) from Jan Cannon who does nice photographs of his pots. Check out his website: http://www.jancannonpottery.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 4 Oct 2001 00:19:47 EDT From: Imzadi Donelli Subject: Re: trimming with chucks These are two rechniques I use: I trim a lot of my pots right-side up. I just rewet the bottoms a little bit, slide the pot around on the wheelhead a little until the pot sticks (centered) to the wheelhead, then trim away. I create a small indent for a 'false" foot and glaze stop, at the very bottom. When I wire the pot off, I simply take a sponge to smooth out the bottom, (no foot), or take a bottom of round soup spoon, gently tap the bottom to create a rounded, inverted, indent in the center of the pot. The other way I trim, is to get a four inch thick piece of foam rubber, cut to fit the top of the wheel head. Cut a small hole in the center -- using the foam as a chuck instead of a ceramic chuck. When you place your piece in this foam chuck, the foam is forgiving enough that it conforms to odd rims and irregularly shaped pots. Hold the pot down in the center with your left hand, gently, while it is turning, to keep it in place and level while you are trimming. (Assuming you trim right handed.) It takes some practice, figuring out how much pressure to use so the pots don't trampoline off the foam when you let up on pressure! You actually don't need much pressure, just to keep the pot still while applying the trim tool. You may loose the first few pots to bad trimming until you get the hang of it. But keep at it! Soon the rest of your pots will be evenly and cleanly trimmed. Imzadi ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 29 Sep 2001 05:11:02 +0930 From: iandol Subject: Criticism... KISS Dear Doug Gray, Ask them the three simple questions you would ask yourself. 1 What have you learned from making or doing this thing? 2 What were the choices that you ignored or discarded as you did this = work, or have become apparent since you completed this task. 3 Given an opportunity to repeat the exercise, how would you apply these = lessons. Given your premise, "an honest critique is invaluable", is valid, what = do you see as its purpose? How do you feel about the suggestion that = academic teaching ignores the value of failure but invariably rewards = conformity? Yes, a good thing to get away from the "Anti's". Also, remember = "K.I.S.S" Best regards, Ivor Lewis. Redhill, South Australia. ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 4 Sep 2001 05:06:36 -0700 From: Michael Wendt Subject: Re: Throwing Porcelain Ron Roy mentioned Helmer Kaolin as a possible white porcelain additive and I have some interesting news I learned about it while doing experiments for the local geologist who works for Alchemy Ventures. You can remove the colloidal iron magnetically and the whiteness goes way up! I bought a bunch of the retrieving magnets sold in Harbor Freight and ran the thinned Helmer slip over them several times. Each time I got more fine black powder. When no more powder was seen, I made the porcelain as follows: Helmer 42 custer 22.5 neph sy 7.5 silica 28 The body fires reasonably white at cone 10 and throws very well. drying shrinkage runs about 3.5- 4%. Total shrinkage is between 11 & 12 %. Hope this helps, Regards, Michael Wendt wendtpot@lewiston.com Ron Roy Wrote:Normally - cone 10 porcelain is about half kaolin - the kind of kaolin has a big effect on workability. Most of the Kaolins we use are processed - heated, dried and floated - this has an effect on workability - especially if the heating part is not done carefully. You might inquire how Helmer Kaolin is processed if you need to go that route - check the iron content at the same time - no point in trying to get white if the iron content is too much - fired samples will tell you. If you replace half the Kaolin with ball clay (find a ball clay with low iron) you will have much better workability. I recommend a ball clay with a fair amount of carbon present - helps plasticity - add 2% bentonite and some epson salts and away you go. If you need to know where to buy such a body let me know. RR ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 23 Aug 2001 22:21:38 -0700 From: primalmommy@IVILLAGE.COM Subject: scheduling: stephani Stephani said: I have often wondered how other potters/clay artists structure their >work time...... ....>answering email, invoicing, discussing projects with clients, designing, >packing, printing, etc.. ...... sculpting, modeling, mixing glazes, >loading and firing, testing, laying out projects, mold making, etc. etc. I am not anywhere near the league of the "doing it for a living" potters on this list, but I'll chime in anyway-- especially since more than one clayart mom-potter has corresponded with me about juggling kids/home and clay. I am homeschooling 3 little ones, and have had to do some odd things to make time for clay. I teach my one handed wheel student and a new-agey women's clay class/encounter group on weeknights after dinner, when hubby can hold down the fort. If I do classes for homeschooled kids during the day, I always offer one mom reduced tuition if she'll stay with my kids for that hour a week. I also make coins marked "studio hour" and "studio half hour" to pay teen babysitters who then cash them in for some personal instruction/studio time. I sell a few pots from my website, and to local folks once in a while for weddings or christmas. I do very small time shows maybe once a year. With those things combined I cover my expenses and pay for a workshop every year. I don't dare commit myself too deeply to filling orders, because you never know when I have to take a week off to can peaches, paint the house, or handle some emergency like everybody getting the flu. But I feel like I'm moving forward, learning, becoming a better potter -- one step at a time. I moved the linens out of a very small hall closet in the house and moved my little brent in there. My studio is out by the garden and my youngest is too small to be alone in the house, so I had to improvise. I put boards on the closet shelves, stuck a mirror and light on the wall. There's just room for me, a drywall bucket I use as both a scrap bucket and throwing water, and a row of nails on the wall to hang my tools. I can shut the door to keep dust confined. I get up early, before the kids do, and make pots. A night once the kids are tucked in bed and my husband heads for TV, I go back to my closet. (I haven't watched TV in years; if he rents a movie "for us', I pull the piano bench in front of the couch and make gargoyle whistles while we watch.) When Jeff turns in I get on line until midnight or so and read clayart. I grab time wherever I can. On long trips when I am not driving, I take a box of clay, a small pine board, and some tools, and make whistles, pendants, bisque stamps, whatever. I carry a babyfood jar full of vinegar for joining clay, and a wet washcloth in a ziploc bag to clean up my hands when I'm done. I wrap the finished work in bubble wrap and put them in a diaper wipes box. If we go for two days or more to my mom and dad's (or any relative that will watch the kids), I put my brent in the van, set up outside somewhere, and throw. I put wet pots on a board where they stick, cover them, and take them home leather hard still stuck to the board to trim later. (they won't tip over in the van that way.) I work at the kitchen table handbuilding while the kids do math or handwriting practice. I take them out to the studio and give them paints or clay at one table while i work at another. On nice days when everybody's outside I work at the kickwheel on the deck. I ship pots on wednesdays or fridays, while my boys are in piano lessons. I take clay books and mags along to read during their art classes, science club, gymnastics, swim lessons, etc. During naptime I buy all my materials on line or over the phone (axner catalog) and get laguna clay from a wonderful local potter. I take a whole saturday once in a while and just cook: huge batches of cincinatti chili, meatloafs lined in a row, pot pies, lasagna -- and freeze them. Every meal in the freezer is a night I can make pots instead of cooking. (we can't afford to eat out much.) I got a bread machine at a garage sale -- get a 25 pound bag of flour and pre-measure the ingredients in ziploc bags so I can have fresh bread every day without having to make it from scratch. Once everybody was weaned I started spending one decadent, self-involved week a year at the appalachian center for crafts, immersed in clay every waking hour. The older the kids get and the more profit I clear, the more I will travel. (lord willing and the creek don't rise.) irony: I had the sobering experience of getting my undergrad transcripts in the mail this week. Yikes. I apparently majored in truancy. If I knew, back then, how precious time was, I would have made better use of it... Yours, making up for lost time, Kelly in Ohio (the closet potter) You can have it all... just not all at once. -- Russel Fouts Mes Potes et Mes Pots Brussels, Belgium Tel: +32 2 223 02 75 Fax: +32 2 210 04 06 Mobile: +32 476 55 38 75 Web: www.mypots.com ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 16 Aug 2001 10:58:00 +0100 From: Martin Howard Subject: looking for kiln wash recipe Collect 'silver' paper, tinfoil etc. But that in the kiln in a saggar or bowl with a lid. It will come out as aluminium powder. Wear a mask!! Add that 50/50 or thereabouts to a clay that fires higher than the clay you normally use in the kiln. I had some stoneware clay and as I only use earthenware, it was just right for making a kiln wash. Make it into a liquid and cover the shelves with several thin washes. Martin Howard Webb's Cottage Pottery Woolpits Road, Great Saling BRAINTREE, Essex CM7 5DZ England martin@webbscottage.co.uk http://www.webbscottage.co.uk ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 12 Aug 2001 14:34:24 -0700 From: Khaimraj Seepersad Subject: Re: Low melting flux Hello to All , Jim , in an enamel frit [ low temperature glass ] there is a rule of generally no more than 5 % Ca0 in the glass . Causes White out . [ actually makes a beautiful Majolica self opacifying white glaze at 850 to 870 deg.c ] Cuttle from coca- cola bottles , will de-vitrify after 650 to 700 deg.c and form a stone like coating . This will go through stages of opaque to translucent to clear glass . Until full fusion , a knife blade will scratch this very glass easily . Cullet is high enough in expansion to not fit most bodies , and seems to be better on a high silicate body [ usually porous ]. Behrens has two 022 orton small cone recipes , which you can squeeze some cullet into . As an ingredient in an enamel frit , cullet is useful at around 30 % [ when cullet is 15 Ca0 , 15 Na20 , 70 Si02 , seldom is ever this ] when batching for an enamel frit recipe . Speeds up the frit's maturing period . Thompson's Enamel makes a low temperature enamel [ clear , opaque and colours ] but for aluminium . Don't think this will fit clay , maybe a sand , porous body , probably developing cracks with time . Firing range is 565 - 593 deg.c To develop a 550 deg.c full fusion glass will take a good deal of experimenting . First to get the full fusion , then the wear / abrasion resistance , the chemical resistance , gloss , and if to be used for food or drink - tested for toxic oxide release. Of course there are companies already doing this so it's just a matter of asking for the frit type to buy. Hope this helps . Khaimraj * by the way from personal experience these are the most fun frits to make , usually liquid like water in the frit pot , by 1100 deg.c . When poured into cold water , the glass shatters into granules [ size of brown sugar ] and ball mills beautifully . I always wanted to fire a non toxic clear gloss glaze at under 600 deg.c just to say it could be done . Dreaming . -----Original Message----- From: Jim V Brooks To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG Date: 11 August 2001 16:01 Subject: Re: Low melting flux has anyone tried using glass cullet for a low temp. flux? ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 3 Jun 2001 15:46:41 -0700 From: Miriam Steele > Subject: In re: Brushes for arthritic hands... Go to the nearest "Dollar Store"....Buy a pkg. of hair rollers....with the pink foam around them!!!!!!....Bring them home remove the plastic piece to roll your hair on....& slide them on your brushes!!!!!! Dirt cheap!!!!!! Mirijun@webtv.net ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 13 May 2001 22:09:00 -0700 From: Richard Mahaffey > Subject: smallest cone 10 kiln Many years ago, in Grad school while we were a bit bored, we made a kiln out of two K 2300 firebricks by cutting half of a kiln in each side held together with stainless hose clamps. It held a very small tile and cone. Fired it with a propane torch. A novelty but got to cone 10 fairly quickly. That one was pretty small. Rick Mahaffey Tacoma Community College Tacoma, Washington, USA ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 26 Apr 2001 07:28:37 -0400 From: ed > Subject: lettering Michael Wendt: Last November you wrote a note in Claryart about Lettering: "Pilot brand silver markers make excellent resists on bisque pots. The glazes jump off with such clarity that the letters stand out as if cut away from the glaze. I often razor the tip to simulate a fountain pen shape to produce italic writing that looks good and is easy to do. What are these silver markers. Where do I get them?? Someone just asked me to do a serving dish with a quote from the bible. I have been writing italic for over 30 years but have great difficulty using it on clay either with a cutting instrument (a cut reed of grass, phragmites or a rubber tip. So I am willing to got the "smooth" approach that you suggest.. I would like to be able to do both techniques. Ed Gould ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 1 Apr 2001 08:44:44 -0700 From: Stephani Stephenson > Subject: Re: press mold advice Marie: Have you considered slip casting? Not to discourage you from the silicone / latex experiment, but slip cast pieces from a plaster mold pick up detail quite well. The time you spend figuring out how to design and construct the mold may pay off later in the process, I did a custom project a few years back. I made lfesize clay babies for a group of indie film makers who needed realistic clay babies that could grow chia hair! (by the way this was in Montana not California!) I tried it both ways, using press molds and also slip cast molds. fitting the arms and legs separately. The comfort of the press molds was that I could use a clay I was familiar with, but slip casting actually gave me better results. I have never used silicone but I have used latex. The difficulty with latex is that it gives slightly when pressed, with a tendency to soften detail, even when it is in a plaster bed. There is an interesting product out there called 'mannequin rubber', sold by Douglas and Sturgess in the San Francisco area. By the way, Douglas and Sturgess is a FANTASTIC source of all kinds of fascinating products., The company caters to the stagecraft industry, but it is sculptor's heaven. Their catalog is quite informative as well. They also sell cold finishing materials, moldmaking materials of all kinds and catalog gives good information on compatible release agents, etc., This 'mannequin rubber' is sort of like 'husky' latex. It releases and behaves like latex, but is quicker and easier to use. It has more oomph to it. You can put it on thicker and it is somewhat opaque. It can be used as a finished product, i.e. it will eventually stiffen and takes paint beautifully, and I have found it useful as a worry free mold material. The fact that it stiffens over time is even better, though it always maintains some flexibility. I recently used it as a mold material for a large relief plaque/ tile that required raised lettering. I didn't want to deal with ALL the minute undercuts which would doom a plaster mold process, so I made the mold out of this mannequin rubber, then plaster backing that up. The mannequin rubber is stiffer than latex, so it worked well with the pressing. After the piece was pressed I turned out the clay product with the mannequin rubber/latex jacket still on it, then gently peeled off the jacket, put it back in the plaster bed and did it again. Made eight of them and saw no deterioration of jacket. made the mold about 3/4 inch thick, making sure that the high points , or the thinnest parts of the mold were that thick. Not sure this would work for your particular project , each project varies,but may be of use in future. Finally, with regard to pressing larger pieces. Over the last couple of years I have found that , to maintain detail on larger areas, a technique whereby you repeatedly press overlapping wads of clay into the mold with the thumb, sometimes works better than laying in a slab. the clay needs to be moist . I also use different shaped tamping tools on very large pieces. It is hard to describe in words, easier to show with the hands. Each shape / piece seems to require its own variation on method. best wishes on your project! sincerely Stephani Stephenson Leucadia CA ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 16 Apr 2001 09:44:54 -0600 From: Vicki Conley > Subject: Cheap, effective spray booth I made my first spray booth out of a cardboard box and a big square wallmart box fan with a one dollar furnice filter in front of the fan. I just put it up next to an open window. When i start getting back spray I just change the filter. I now have made a new box out of wood and am on the second fan in 6 years. Vicki Conley vicki@pinonpottery.com www.pinonpottery.com ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Mar 2001 09:04:12 -0700 From: Autumn Downey > Subject: lightbox plans Hi Neil, You may not want anything as low tech as this, but I have seen some quilters at workshops making use of a small corded fluorescent light with one of those translucent flat rectangular plastic containers placed over top of it. It may have been the kind that is used as a sweater storage container. It certainly appeared to do the job and was nice and portable. Autumn Downey ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Mar 2001 08:17:03 +0100 From: Richard Jeffery > Subject: Re: Lightbox plans? and to finish it off, track down some balanced "daylight" tubes - it makes a difference that is worth the extra expense - especially if you ever try to use it as a background for copying slides, or even to uplight small items for presentation shots. You may need to experiment with the number of light fittings in order to get balanced illumination across the whole surface - my [commercial] box is about 15" x 12" - there are two tubes in there. It would also help to paint the inside a matt white to help bounce as much light around as possible.... Do check the commercial prices though - they can be cheaper than you think, unless you already have all the bits. Richard Bournemouth UK www.TheEleventhHour.co.uk -----Original Message----- From: Ceramic Arts Discussion List [mailto:CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG]On Behalf Of Nanci Bishof Sent: 28 March 2001 05:00 To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG Subject: Re: Lightbox plans? It can be easily made with a florescent light fixture, a simple in line cord switch, some frosted Plexiglas, hinges, a clasp, masonite or paraboard, 1" x 3/4" molding, corner molding and some 1" x 4" lumber. Industrial strength Velcro can be used to anchor the florescent fixture to the masonite/paraboard. Basically, you're building the box frame with the 1" x 4" to the size you need. The masonite or paraboard forms its bottom. Drill some small holes ~1 1/4" from the top edge in the 1" x 4" frame to vent the heat. Drill a hole large enough to put the cord from the light fixture through that frame. Create a top frame that matches the size of the bottom box with the 1" x 3/4" molding. The Plexiglas should be cut slightly smaller than the outside dimensions of that box. Use the corner molding to create a frame that will be placed over the Plexiglas and over the outside edge of the top frame. Attach the corner molding frame to the 1" x 3/4" molding frame sandwiching the Plexiglas between the two top frame pieces. Hinge that completed top frame to the bottom frame. Attach the masonite or paraboard to the bottom frame made from the 1" x 4" wood. A clasp should secure the lid to the box if you want to be able to attach a handle to make carrying it around easier. __ __ | ______plexiglas_____ | | || * * * * * || | || florescent || ||_______________||~~~**~~~ Electric cord nanci I learned to make these while studying graphic design in college. If you're near a home depot they will even cut the wood to size for you. ____________________________________________________________________________ __ Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription settings from Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at melpots@pclink.com . ------------------------------ ----------------------------- Date: Thu, 15 Mar 2001 10:47:02 -0600 From: mel jacobson > Subject: slave unit a slave is an electronic switch than makes a second strobe light ignite. (it does not have batteries.) you can buy one (be careful, check with sales what kind you need.) in most quality camera stores... you can place a second strobe light any place in your scheme and the light from the first strobe, that is hooked to your camera, will make the slave ignite. professional photographers will use many slave units. i paid about 40 bucks for this slave. it will work on the shoe of any strobe light. i have an old canon flash/strobe that runs on batteries. i mounted it on an old tripod with the slave in place. the only drawback is that you have to wait for the batteries to recharge the strobe...it takes a minute or so. i did not pay much for my setup. i use brooder lamps from `fleet/farm`...tractor supply in the south. for my photofloods. a sheet of formica, plain, costs about 30 dollars. 4X8' (you can get 8x12' sheets of formica on special order.) formica is plastic laminate for counter tops. the strobe in the ceiling is an old plug in the wall honeywell from about 1965. i duct taped a cheap plastic soft box that i had around...(soft box is a light diffusion system) i pay for camera (nikon) and the lenses (nikor) and the film and processing...spare no film. i take three of each pot. then i have three sets if all works. i do not ever use dupes...they are not nearly as good. i have a very expensive tripod. solid as a rock. \i shoot all pictures at f22, quarter of a second...asa 100 film shoot closed at slow speed to get the entire pot in focus..that is a called `depth of field`. the key is slow film, slow speed, closed shutter. if you ever want to get some good information on how to: just write ceramics monthly and get their information sheet on specs for writing an article....polly has one too, for claytimes. (polly's comes on your computer e-mail.) follow the instructions...they are valued. mel back from one hour of swimming aerobics. boy, that gal is tough. geeeez. From: Minnetonka, Minnesota, U.S.A. web site: ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 15 Mar 2001 08:36:59 -0600 From: mel jacobson > Subject: photos of pots i had one of those experiences that only comes once in your lifetime with photos of pots. about 6 years ago, i wanted some really nice slides made. had 24 pots picked out, went to the top notch photo guy in minnetonka, told him what i wanted....he said he would bid the job within the week. he did. $2400.00, or $100 dollars a shot. after i got my underwear changed, and cleaned up, i said, `think i will try something else.`. and did. this was a great event. it started me on a quest to find out how to take my own pictures. now, it is well worth my time to shoot pots with a camera. i have done about 8 other potters pix, all gratis. i have opened an account with procolor and photos inc. both in mpls. professional labs. i can take slides, run them in at 9 in the morning, they deliver them to my door by 4 in the afternoon. i talk to professionals about film speed, how i want them processed. they call during the processing and ask questions. they turned me on to fuji provia, so all in all it is like having another profession. buying the nikor micro lens for my camera also changed my life. the ability to get in close and fill the frame is critical. one can rarely do that with a 50mm. my full sheet of gray formica is also a god send. just makes a perfect backdrop for my work. i have mounted a strobe in the ceiling of the studio, it has a soft box covering it. also have a slave unit on a tripod i can move around to get rid of shadows. i use three photofloods. the quality and price of photographs varies greatly. and the quality is not always assured. when you get someone that is good, the price is fair and you get great pix, well, feel blessed. at this point in my life i really want to control the entire process of my creative work. i have more time, and enjoy the many steps to get work ready for an article. i realize i do not save money, in fact the high price photographer may save me money in the long run. just drop off the pots, pick up the slides, but, i do not want to do that. if your life depends on shows, galleries, exhibits, well i think you should have your work done professionally. it will make the difference often wether you get in or not. for me, i just love the camera, the lights, and looking at pots through that view finder. my portrait work has improved in leaps and bounds. i am taking more black and white now. i used the new ilford bw film with an asa of 3500, yes, 3500. grainy as hell, but really interesting. did the grandson with a 200mm telephoto as he passed his black belt test. (brag, brag, he is only 11, and quick as a wink.) they pix were wonderful. did 8X10's. they will last his life time. color prints will be all gone in twenty years. one hour last about 10 years. color fades fast. this is an important topic for potters. good documentation is critical. digital will be a great help, and many of us are learning it, but it takes more tech time. so, pix are important. the discussions at nceca that we do in the clayart room are inspiring. it is like ruth butler said....`if you want to be on the cover of cm, well, you had better take some vertical pictures, of vertical pots.` simple thought..she knows. mel the sun is here, 52 degrees on my back deck yesterday. water everywhere. floods to follow. From: Minnetonka, Minnesota, U.S.A. web site: ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 10 Mar 2001 14:53:11 -0500 From: Frank Gaydos > Subject: Re: Transfer of Laser Image to Ware Dear Fred, I am finally getting around to playing with your method . I am using backing paper I use to make CD labels, I.E. CD Stomper. The labels have stickum on them. So you use a laser printer. I imagine you just insert the backing paper into the tray of paper waiting to get printed on? I tried using my inkjet printer and it worked OK, but, found it could be smeared pretty easily. Do you have that problem when applying the size? The image was a little faded from the original. Not sure what it looks like after firing.I just burnished right on the bisque ware. Will have to do tests on tiles next week. I used photoshop and desaturated the image making it shades of gray. Will try the laser printer next week also. Also, I have the refill kits and can test to see which color has the most iron or whatever. Test test test CU Frank ----- Original Message ----- From: "Fredrick Paget" > To: > Sent: Sunday, December 24, 2000 4:43 PM Subject: Transfer of Laser Image to Ware > Frank - I think I have the final answer to this process. I have worked > with it off and on for years making a small improvements. The breakthrough > came last month. > I have not tried the method using oil as the method I am using works > fine and is probably much less messy. > What you need is release paper - the backing paper with a silicone > nonstick treatment that Avery labels, for example, come on. My wife uses > boxes of these labels that come on letter size sheets. She uses the labels > on her mailings of newsletters. She saves the backing papers for me and I > have found that the HP laser printer we have prints on them perfectly. > Don't forget to make it a mirror image when you print so the text, if > any, comes out correctly. > I have never tried decal paper as has been suggested, as I do not have any. > The image on the release paper is fused and fairly durable but will come > off almost cleanly if you put a coat of water based Gold size on the image > and a coat of the size on the bisque ware or glazed ware as described > below. The breakthrough was the idea to put a coat of gold size on the > image while it is still on the paper. The gold size seems to be drawn to > the printing and leaves the empty spaces almost clear of size. The result > strengthens the image so it is like a decal. > Then when you put a coat of size on the ware and let it dry for an hour > to get tacky the two size surfaces bond together when you apply the image > to the ware. I burnish the image on to the ware by first rubbing the back > of the paper well to be sure the image is going to stick and watching > carefully as I pull off the paper. > You can see if any little parts of the image didn't stick and put the > paper back down and rub the back a little more. After removing the paper > the image can be carefully rubbed with your finger to get rid of air > bubbles. If you do not remove the paper hoping to burn it off in the > firing, the paper ash will spoil the image. > The Gold size I have came from an Art Supply store and is intended for > applying gold leaf. It is a thin white water emulsion that drys clear and > remains tacky. It is put on with a brush and takes about 1 hour to dry to > the tacky stage. The brand I have is called OLD WORLD ART gold leaf > adhesive size #802. > I have used it both on bisque and preglazed surfaces. The place where > the transfer is placed should be smooth and if curved it will be necessary > to make allowances in the design of the transfer so it goes on. You can cut > out the parts and put slits in the paper, etc., to get it to go on a > compound curve the way you want it. > After firing to about cone 04 to as much as cone 10 you have an image of > iron oxide on the surface of the ware. For the on-glaze image the firing > has to be hot enough to soften up the glaze so the image bonds and becomes > permanent. I recently tried to put an image on prefired cone 9 glaze in > conjunction with a gold firing to cone 017 but the iron image was not well > bonded to the glaze although the gold luster came out ok. > I have had tiles with the iron image as overglaze sitting out in the > weather for 3 or 4 years and no change has occurred. > If the iron image is glazed over there will probably be a marked fading > to a light yellow if the glaze contains boron. I still have not found a low > fire clear glaze that does not fade it. Lead glazes fade it too. I have not > tried high fire clears and there is some hope that they might work if based > on spars without boron. > Fred Paget > > >......... ............ ............. ........... ..... Since I'm in test > >mode I want to try > >the method Clayart discussed awhile ago about making a Xerox and then > >applying 'Oil of Something'?? to the paper and it will loosen the ink > >which you burnish to your pot. ( Could not find in Archives) > >Has anyone tried this and to what success, and is the oil Lavender or > >Wintergreen?............... > > >Frank Gaydos > > >From Fred Paget, Marin County, California, USA > > ____________________________________________________________________________ -- ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 7 Mar 2001 17:23:01 +0200 From: Ababi > Subject: Re: Advice needed re: texture I do not know if it was written. Take a piece of Styrofoam board break it in a "cruel" way Now you get very textural surfaces. press it on your piece. Ababi Sharon ababisha@shoval.ardom.co.il ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 1 Mar 2001 13:04:48 -0600 From: mel jacobson > Subject: hot roller i have bought the little wooden roller that is used for smashing seams in wall paper. slight taper. use hot glue on that baby, and roll on clay. also have used an old rolling pin, or ink brayer. (the one all beat to hell and has holes in it. (art teacher thing.)) hot glue. and, the best of all: a set of wheels from a kids car toy.\ add hot glue on the tread. save the axle. roll. kickbutt. mel From: Minnetonka, Minnesota, U.S.A. web site: ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 1 Mar 2001 10:40:42 -0800 From: Snail Scott > Subject: Re: Foam Rubber Stamps My favorite eraser for carving stamps is the one called "Top Graphic A-1" which comes in a protective blue plastic case. It allows for very fine detail carving using my woodblock gouges - the "V" and "U" shaped chisels are perfect. Stay away from the erasers called "Magic Rub"; thay are full of air bubbles. Also, rubber-stamp specialty shops sell eraser material in 3-4 inch sizes. -Snail ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 1 Mar 2001 08:06:03 -0600 From: mel jacobson > Subject: best idea in the world i use piece of wood, dowel rod, end cut. i draw on that with a hot glue gun. that pattern can be stamped into clay. don hossskinson (that is the minnesota pronouciation,)and other fussbudgets can use an xacto knife blade and cut around the pattern to make it `more neat`. last forever. i should be getting five bucks from ceramics monthly for this timely tip, but will give it free to clayarters. change your lives. mel the hot glue gun is right up there with the dewalt battery drill driver and senco air nailer. (but, nothing beats the stihl chain saw.) well, a good potters wheel. From: Minnetonka, Minnesota, U.S.A. web site: ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 1 Mar 2001 08:37:14 EST From: Susan Saunders > Subject: Re: Foam Rubber Stamps--Staedtler erasers I use Staedtler Mars Plastic Grands, #526-52. They're simple to carve with Speedball lino cutters, and their depth makes them easy to hang onto while you're stamping, but they are flexible enough to work on convex or concave surfaces. To transfer an image to the Staedtler to carve, you can use a xerox, place it face down, and dab the back of it with acetone (nail polish remover). The image transfers to the block, and you carve away anything that you don't want to print. As I said before, I use mostly underglazes (for stamping bisque), as well as slips on leatherhard. Hope this works for you. Susan ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Feb 2001 22:45:00 -0500 From: Linda Blossom > Subject: Re: OXY Probe question Susan, I just recently took my probe apart too. The wire broke at the tip of the thermocouple. It goes in one long thin space that runs down the inside of the ceramic thermocouple, turns at the end , and comes out the other hole at the top. There is one inside wire and one outside wire. This that broke was the inside wire that is in the thermocouple. The other wire is on the outside - it is the one you see before you take it apart. I took it to a jeweler and he laser welded it so that there was no weld spot. It was amazing. It cost me $30 and the repair job was worth it. I called and explained what it was and that the wire was a thin platinum wire. Linda Blossom Ithaca, NY ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 3 Mar 2001 23:43:35 -0500 From: Eleanora Eden > Subject: slides from digital image I talked recently to a guy who teaches computer art.....he said that the easiest way to get slides from computer images is to fill the computer screen with the image just like you want it, turn off all the lights, focus your camera so the image fills the slide film, put your timer on a one-minute exposure and your aperture at f 11. I haven't tried it yet. He says it works great. Eleanora ............ Date: Sun, 25 Feb 2001 07:19:08 +0800 From: clennell > Subject: Loose as a goose > > I'm attempting to throw more loosely ... a major problem for me... seems > I want to hang onto that clay and yank and force it up. A mug sometimes > can still take me 20 minutes or more, which I know is ridiculous. I've > decided that the MAIN reason my pots are often lopsided is that I > contort them with my labored throwing ... not as labored as it once was, > that's true... and I do throw nice pots on occasion. ... wonder if it's something about clay and art > that tightens my grip.....??? Dear Joyce: To make loose pots I think you need to pin something on your wall. It is a a Junkyard Dawg original- "Everything Matters". I have seen potters trying to be loose. they forget that everything matters, clay, wheel, head space, music, bank balance, etc, etc. Let's however start where it should start- CLAY. what started my "Cuppa Tea" thread about all americans wanting to be japanese was the wood fire conference in Iowa City in 1992? two days of people standing up saying my sensi this, my sensi that, when I was in Mashisko this and when I was in tokoname that. finally after days of this, a chinese guy stood up and said I haven't heard one person in two days mention the importance of CLAY. The room fell silent. So Joyce, it really starts with the clay. No it ain't prepared, de-aired B-Mix or some other commercial body. I say mix some of your own, ( put some of your reclaim aside) put it in a plastic bag and store it for some time and then when all is right in the Mojave, take it out smell it, put on some good Caanadian blues music( let me recommend Dutchy Mason- Prime Minister of the Blues), pour yourself a glass of good red wine or a good cup of tea Earl Grey not the green stuff, think about how lucky you are to be healthy and making pots this day and I think the pots will show your relaxed feeling and will be the maker on that day. Loose as a goose. a goose squirts every 3 minutes. Cheers, tony P.S Still pissed off with you for saying i was calming down. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 25 Feb 2001 08:29:55 -0600 From: Dannon Rhudy > Subject: Re: Do your trimming/turning tools rust? ..... tools are imported from Canada and have cutting bands >on both ends and an aluminium (aluminum) handle in between. A student >showed me .....cutting bands were covered in rust. ..... Who else oils their pottery tools?......... I do. For all cutting tools except the stainless ones, I keep a small plastic container filled with sharp builders sand, into which I have poured a bit of motor oil - though most any oil would work. At the end of the studio day I push whatever tools I've used down into the oily sand. That's how I store them. Keeps the tools clean, free of rust, and I don't have to sharpen as often. Non-stainless tools keep their edge better and longer than the stainless ones do, in my experience. Worth the small trouble of keeping in the sandbox. I've always done that, and was reminded recently that my grandfather (a tool & die maker by trade) always kept his gardening and digging tools in a big washtub of oiled sand. Worked a treat. regards Dannon Rhudy ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 25 Feb 2001 08:29:55 -0600 From: Dannon Rhudy > Subject: Re: Do your trimming/turning tools rust? ..... tools are imported from Canada and have cutting bands >on both ends and an aluminium (aluminum) handle in between. A student >showed me .....cutting bands were covered in rust. ..... Who else oils their pottery tools?......... I do. For all cutting tools except the stainless ones, I keep a small plastic container filled with sharp builders sand, into which I have poured a bit of motor oil - though most any oil would work. At the end of the studio day I push whatever tools I've used down into the oily sand. That's how I store them. Keeps the tools clean, free of rust, and I don't have to sharpen as often. Non-stainless tools keep their edge better and longer than the stainless ones do, in my experience. Worth the small trouble of keeping in the sandbox. I've always done that, and was reminded recently that my grandfather (a tool & die maker by trade) always kept his gardening and digging tools in a big washtub of oiled sand. Worked a treat. regards Dannon Rhudy ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 29 Jan 2001 21:02:09 -0600 From: Tom Wirt/Betsy Price > Subject: Re: More wholesaling questions Hi Vikki.....You're on to it. Galleries don't mind waiting, if they get the work when it has been promised. What they can't tolerate, and get way too often from craftspeople and artists is the delivery that's 3 or 4 weeks late. And then they get questioned on why their markup's so high! A gallery has to turn its inventory 2 to 2-1/2 times per year. That is, if they need $100,000 in sales to meet expenses, inventory would be 50,000. If they turn it 2 times per year, then they need to carry about 25,000 at any one time. When you have money tied up in inventory, you have to figure that it is costing you lost interest (time use of money). If a shipment is late, you have money tied up that you can't have on the floor selling to customers. We try to keep as much work done ahead in bisqueware inventory as possible for the next 3-4 weeks orders (I look ahead in Quickbooks to see what's coming up). There are 2 of us working, I throw and trim, ship and handle maintenance and bills. Betsy glazes, fires and handles orders and paperwork. We shipped 90% on item last year and the rest within a week. Remember, a lot of the people with short turnarounds, are using various manufacturing methods or have developed systems such as ours to ensure prompt and timely delivery. We also go to our current accounts before the wholesale show with a letter and follow-up calls to get them to book "reserve" time. They tell us about how many $ or pots they will need and when, and we work that into a production calendar of what we know we can produce. We've always worked on a calendar system. After the first year we figured out, give yourself 1 weeks "no shipments" each month for catch-up. Never schedule shipments the week after (and generally the week before) retail shows or studio sales. We enter needs for studio sales, retail shows, special orders etc., right on to the calendar. Make sure you count in for other activities that you know will cut into production. After you set up the production schedule (we base it on my throwing capability) and then move the final availability of bisque downstream 2 weeks for drying, cleaning and firing. That tells Betsy when she'll have work available to glaze and fire. That then becomes our "availability list" when going to the shows. Take out those that have reserved ahead and you've got your final availability. When you hit your capacity, take names for a waiting list. The key for the shops is making good on promises. Nothing will kill you faster in teh wholesale part of the business than missing deadlines. I'll also strongly suggest getting ahold of the book "The E-Myth Revisited" by Gerber. It will help you immensely in the business side of what you're doing. Thanks for going to the archives first and mentioning that you did. It's of great help. Additional questions, please holler. Tom Wirt Clay Coyote Pottery Hutchinson MN claypot@hutchtel.net www.claycoyote.com ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 Jan 2001 09:57:58 EST From: Chris Campbell > Subject: One way to set up a calendar system for production Vikki asked: " Could you tell me how you made the transition from having a "turnaround time" to having a calendar system, and how you set up your calendar system?" The way I do this is to calculate how long it takes me to make each item from the first touch to the last. I found that many items could be grouped together in days needed to produce a set number of them. For example three different shapes took three days from start to finish to make a hundred of them. Next I tried to estimate how many of each would sell based on past experience of my sales. Then I built in days for mistakes so that I would not be forced to defer orders or send less than my best work. I then counted how many days I had available to work, once again building in time for errands, appointments, glaze mixing, repairs etc. Now it is just a matter of simple math. Do not distrust your numbers here and do not try to tell yourself that you will not need an extra day here and there. Keep your list of 'days needed to make objects' handy - for example - you can substitute mugs for pitchers if the orders shift in that direction. The great part of this system is that if all goes well you can make extras and surprise people with an order shipped early. The key point - deliver on time with your best work. If you get behind, call your customers and let them know. They appreciate a 'heads up' because they are promising your work to their clients and keeping this secret makes everyone look bad. Chris Campbell - in North Carolina ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 20 Jan 2001 21:21:51 -0500 From: Chris Schafale > Subject: help for website photos 0100,0100,0100Hi folks, I wanted to share something I stumbled over recently. It's software called Advanced JPEG Compressor. It is fabulously effective at compressing .jpg files without compromising appearance. I compressed all the photos on my website using this program, and now the site loads in a fraction of the time. Check it out. Most of my photos used to be about 50k, and now many of them are under 10k. You can download an evaluation copy of this software (does everything except let you save the compressed files), and then if you like it, registering for $25 gives you the fully-functional software. I have no connection with this company besides being amazed at the effectiveness of their software. You can get it at 0000,8000,0000http://www.winsoftmagic.com Chris Schafale Light One Candle Pottery Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina, USA (south of Raleigh) candle@intrex.net ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 16 Jan 2001 10:53:44 +0000 From: Steve Mills > Subject: Re: Beeswax and oil Martin, Robert Fournier told me of the process he uses: a baking tray with candles tight across the bottom just covered with 3in1 light oil (sewing machine/bicycle oil), heat till all dissolved, pick out the wicks (!), use. Can be kept fluid with hot water!!!!! no stoves needed, excellent for decorating as it doesn't fry your brushes. You need to glaze same day as being soft it attracts dust which reduces the resist factor. Altogether a *good* thing. Steve Bath UK ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 26 Sep 2000 23:24:08 -0400 From: Elca Branman > Subject: Re: jurying slides-cheap background I went to a fabric /upholstery store and bought plastic upholstery for a background..its mat surfaced, can be rinsed off and you just roll it...Its stiff enough so that you can get a graceful curl, and it is inexpensive and never wrinkles...I think I paid about $6 for a yard that was 54" wide..its like naugahyde,a fake leathery surface. Elca branman elcab1@juno.com On Tue, 26 Sep 2000 14:14:53 -0400 Carolyn Nygren Curran > writes: > Irene---the idea sounds great. I have tried various fabrics but > never > thought of the canvas which may not wrinkle as much. Date: Sat, 9 Sep 2000 22:36:36 EDT From: JCullen845@AOL.COM Subject: Re: Questions about graduated backgrounds I shoot all my pots on a sweep of background paper. Any color that's available or one that suits the pots I'm shooting. The gradation comes from how I light (or don;t light) the background. Using a softbox light (flash) that actually casts a shadow (or doesn't allow light to fall) on the background causes the natural gradation. A modeling light in the softbox is a real benefit for previewing the effect of the light on the subject and the background. Matching film to type of light is critical. 3200K is tungsten, indoor type lighting. 5600K is sunlight, outdoor lighting or flash. Check the lamp itself for a K or Kelvin listing. This is important. If you are using a bare bulb and it does not indicate the Kelvin, it is probably, almost definitely 3200k tungsten. This is okay, as long as the film is rated for indoor, tungsten light. Outdoor film indoors or indoors film outdoors leads to color shift problems. Newer cameras can compensate for some of these discrepancy but that's only for birthdays and baby showers. Not for putting your pots in their "BEST LIGHT." For color accuracy it is best to shoot a single frame of a Macbeth Color Chart at the beginning of the roll under the exact lighting conditions you will be shooting with. An 18% gray card is also advisable. The color chart and gray card should cover 80% or more of the frame. These will only be beneficial if the processing lab has people over 30 in their employ. (Sorry) The corner drugstore one-hour processing will look at these frames as mistakes and probably trash them or, worse yet they'll print them and charge you for the prints. These frames are to be used for calibrating the remaining pictures on the roll to the quality of light used to shoot the Award Winning pots that was the sole purpose for going to all this trouble in the first place. The Steve Metzer book on Photographing your Crafts is an excellent book that walks you through each step of lighting, film to use and what to look for in processing. This book is advertised in the back of CM in the classified ads. KEEP CENTERED and properly exposed Cullen Naperville, Illinois ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 9 Sep 2000 11:08:15 -0400 From: John Hesselberth > Subject: Re: Questions about graduated backgrounds Bruce Girrell wrote: >So now the questions: > >1) Do other photographers use the Varitone #9 or is there some other >graduated background that is being used by the professionals? > >2) Is the Varitone actually designed for electronic flash and not suited for >daylight or tungsten illumination? > >3) Does anyone know of a white to black graduated background that uses a >warm black instead of cold? Hi Bruce: I can't answer your questions directly, but I can give you some information that might help you surround the problem. First, I use the same background with an electronic flash and Kodak EliteChrome 200. I get pretty good grays and blacks on the resulting slides. I have had an ocassional roll go blue when I use an off-brand processor. If you are not using a first class processor that serves the professional photographers in your area, that would be the first thing I would try. Someone who does E-6 processing and whose living depends on doing it right. If there is no such lab in your area, then try Kodak processing by mail. The second thing I would try would be electronic flash. I believe it consistently gives better color balance than photofloods or daylight. I don't believe it is the background that is the problem but rather that the match of photofloods with tungsten film and/or real daylight with daylight film is not as true a match as electronic flash and daylight film are. I guess I am suggesting (and I will admit it is speculation) that the industry has gone so heavily to electronic flash that has become the only standard you can trust--particularly when it comes to getting good blacks. Good blacks are the hardest color to get on film or on color prints. When I use print film (any brand) I almost always have trouble unless I take a print that has the background good and black with me to the processor and say "match this". They can do it if they try, but if I don't get very explicit they come back blue or purple almost every time. John Hesselberth Frog Pond Pottery P.O. Box 88 Pocopson, PA 19366 USA EMail: john@frogpondpottery.com web site: "It is, perhaps, still necessary to say that the very best glazes cannot conceal badly shaped pots..." David Green, Pottery Glazes ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 8 Sep 2000 22:45:10 -0500 From: Robert Santerre > Subject: Re: Questions about graduated backgrounds Bruce, I've been doing my own photography with a set-up very similar to yours. I also ran into the bluish background problem. Here's how it happened. Initially I had some 3200K halogen lamps that I bought from a hardware store (construction lighting). These gave me a nice color balance (no blues), but a pretty crude set-up. Hard to call yourself a "photographer" when you have a set-up like this. To "upgrade" my system I bought some good tungsten flood lightss from a local photog store. They sold me Wiko Stage and Studio bulbs (WIK-EMD, 120 V 750W, WIK-00107) for these lights. Supposed to be the "best" lamp for this application (at $30.00 ea they ought to be!). At the same time I bought the Varitone #9 bkg. Instantly started getting the bluish tint to my bkgs. Tried some different films, no luck. Talked to the store experts, and on their advice bought some gel filters (helped with the blues, but killed the colors in my pots). Finally, it dawned on me that I wasn't having this problem with the old construction lights, so I swapped out the halogen lamps from the construction lights and VIOLA!, the blues went away! The lamps I use now are Sylvania double ended quartz FCL (500 W, 120V), purchased at the local Lowes hardware/home improvement store (quite reasonable, as I recall ~$9.00 ea). I put these in my fancy, new, special, super dupper flood lights and I'm happy as a clam - no more "blues". I told the photo store expert about my solution. He smile, shrugged and commented, "Whatever works." That's my experience. I haven't lost any money on Wiko stock (although I do have a couple of Wiko lamps I'll sell cheap) and I don't own any part of Sylvania and I still don't call myself a "photographer". I hope this can solve your problem. Let me know. Bob rfsanterre@iquest.net /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Bruce Girrell wrote: > I have a Varitone #9 (white to black) graduated background that I use for > photographing our pots. Each time that I have used it I have had the same > result: The background appears in the photos with a strong blue cast. Now, > I'm no rank amateur at photography, so before you tell me that it's the > color temperature of my lighting, here's what I've tried: > > 1) 3200 oK lighting with Kodak 160T tungsten film > 2) 3200 oK lighting with Kodak 160T tungsten film with 81B warming filter > 3) Overcast daylight with Fuji Velvia > 4) Overcast daylight with Velvia and 81B warming filter > 5) Sunny day with Velvia and photo setup in broken shade inside an EZ-UP to > diffuse the light > 6) Overcast with Kodak Elite 100 SW (saturated/warm) > 7) Overcast with Elite 100 SW and 81B warming filter > > What I have _not_ tried is electronic flash. > > In all cases, the background has a blue cast, even though I can see the > effect of the attempts at warming in the colors of the pots. I'm spending a > lot of time in Photoshop bringing the background back to a neutral color > while trying to avoid altering the natural colors of the pots. I have taken > to creating a path around the pot, converting to a selection, inverting, > color shifting and desaturating in order to get a decent background, but > even this is a problem because the color of the pot affects the color of the > background directly around the pot and it looks unnatural if the color > shifting/desaturating is not done carefully. > > So now the questions: > > 1) Do other photographers use the Varitone #9 or is there some other > graduated background that is being used by the professionals? > > 2) Is the Varitone actually designed for electronic flash and not suited for > daylight or tungsten illumination? > > 3) Does anyone know of a white to black graduated background that uses a > warm black instead of cold? > > Thanks for your help > > Bruce "not looking forward to learning how to do studio flash photography" > Girrell > > ______________________________________________________________________________ > Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org > > You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription > settings from > > Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at melpots@pclink.com . ------------------------------ -- Mes Potes et Mes Pots Belgium ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 17 Aug 2000 22:35:50 +0100 From: Steve Mills > Subject: Re: saggar firing in a woodstove? A very simple and effective fireplace (maybe woodstove or better still barbecue) kiln can be made as follows: you need a pottery flowerpot and a pottery roof tile or their equivalent. Warm up the tile, the pot and the pieces to be fired, and when the fire has died back to embers, put the tile on it, the pieces on the tile, cover with the flowerpot, and then heap coals/charcoal/lump wood around the whole thing, sit back and watch. You'll get red heat fairly quickly. Used to do this in the fireplace at home at the end of the evening, and then come down and collect our fired pieces next morning. I expect reduction substances could be introduced via the hole in the bottom of the flowerpot etc. It's fun anyway. Kids love it. We did. Steve Bath UK ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 9 Aug 2000 07:05:21 -0400 From: Sara JH Ashodian > Subject: Re: Artist Statements to all interested in writing an artist statement below is text i have saved from "somewhere" that i have found useful in the painful process of writing! it is a bit long but well worht printing out as a guide good writing to you most times lurker maybe this time helpful sara -- Sara JH Ashodian Sash Arts Studio Nahant, MA where the ocean is calm, there is haze over the horizon The Artist's Statement Your artist's statement can be a moving testament to your creativity and integrity. The expression of this commitment will vary, but the effectiveness of your statement stems from the authority with which you write it. Our words "author" and "authority" come from the Latin root "augere," which means "to increase, to create, to promote." This implies that the notions of creation and promotion are compatible! The more I muse on the meaning of working from my authority, of being the author of my work and of my conduct, the more I understand that authentic communication about my work is a powerful tool for creative growth as well as for business success. The exercises in this section will get you centered and in touch with your own authority. When I write promotional materials for artists (or any kind of business) I always have the principal people involved do these exercises first. I use the words and phrases they generate to compose compelling statements on their behalf. This way their creative authority is incorporated in the finished product. Think of your artist's statement as a nourishing stew. The rich flavors and inviting aroma will feed your spirit and summon wonderful people to your table. You'll want to make sure your stew is made from the freshest, finest ingredients and that it has been simmered and seasoned with care. Do this, and you will be proud to share your creative vision - your authority - with others. WRITING YOUR ARTIST'S STATEMENT You'll need pencil and paper, a dictionary, and a thesaurus. STEP ONE: Assemble the Ingredients. 1. Take five minutes and think about why you do what you do. How did you get into this work? How do you feel when work is going well? What are your favorite things about your work? Jot down short phrases that capture your thoughts. Don't worry about making sense or connections. The more you stir up at this point, the richer the stew. 2. Make a list of words and phrases that communicate your feelings about your work and your values. Include words you like, words that make you feel good, words that communicate your values or fascinations. Be loose. Be happy. Be real. Think of these as potential seasonings for your stew. You don't have to choose which ones to use just yet, so get them all out of the cupboard. 3. Answer these questions as simply as you can. Your answers are the meat and potatoes of your stew. Let them be raw and uncut for now. a. What is your favorite tool? Why? b. What is your favorite material? Why? c. What do you like best about what you do? d. What do you mean when you say that a piece has turned out really well? e. What patterns emerge in your work? Is there a pattern in the way you select materials? In the way you use color, texture or light? f. What do you do differently from the way you were taught? Why? g. What is your favorite color? List three qualities of the color. Consider that these qualities apply to your work. 4. Look at your word list. Add new words suggested by your answers to the questions above. 5. Choose two key words from your word list. They can be related or entirely different. Look them up in a dictionary. Read all the definitions listed for your words. Copy the definitions, thinking about what notions they have in common. Look your words up in a Thesaurus. Read the entries related to your words. Are there any new words that should be added to your word list? 6. Write five sentences that tell the truth about your connection to your work. If you are stuck, start by filling in the blanks below. When I work with _____________________________ I am reminded that_________________. I begin a piece by _______________________. I know a piece is done when _______________________________. When my work is going well, I am filled with a sense of _____________. When people see my work, I'd like them to ______________________. STEP TWO: Filling the Pot. Write a three-paragraph artist's statement. Keep your sentences authentic and direct. Use the present tense ("I am," not "I was," "I do," not "I did.") Be brave: say nice things about yourself. If you find that you falter, write three paragraphs about an artist whose work you admire. Then write about yourself as though you were an admiring colleague. As a rule, your artist's statement should be written in the first person. Refer to yourself with the pronouns "I, me, my." If this blocks you, write in the third person, then go back and change the pronouns as needed when you get to Step Four. Use the suggestions below to structure your statement. Write three to five sentences per paragraph. First paragraph. Begin with a simple statement of why you do the work you do. Support that statement, telling the reader more about your goals and aspirations. Second paragraph. Tell the reader how you make decisions in the course of your work. How and why do you select materials, techniques, themes? Keep it simple and tell the truth. Third paragraph. Tell the reader a little more about your current work. How it is grew out of prior work or life experiences. What are you exploring, attempting, challenging by doing this work. STEP THREE: Simmering the Stew. Your artist's statement is a piece of very personal writing. Let it simmer overnight before your reread it. This incubation period will help give you the detachment necessary to polish the writing without violating your sense of integrity and safety. While your statement simmers, let your mind wander over the ingredients you assembled in Step One. Allow yourself to experience the truth of your creative experience. Marvel at the wealth of seasonings and abundance of vegetables you have at your disposal. Enjoy the realization that your work is grounded in real values and experience. If you think of things you might have left out of your statement, jot them down, but leave the statement alone. STEP FOUR: Taste and Correct the Seasonings. Read your statement out loud. Listen to the way the sounds and rhythms seem to invite pauses. Notice places where you'd like the sound or rhythm to be different. Experiment with sounding out the beats of words that seem to be missing until they come to mind. Do this several times until you have a sense of the musical potential of your statement. As you read your statement, some phrases will ring true and others false. Think about the ones that aren't on the mark and find the true statement lurking behind the false one. You may find that the truth is a simpler statement than the one you made. Or your internal censors may have kept you from making a wholehearted statement of your truth lest it sound self-important. Risk puffing yourself up as long as your claims are in line with your goals and values. Keep reading and revising your statement until you hear a musical, simple, authentic voice that is making clear and honest statements about your work. Refer to your word list and other Step One exercises as needed. By now your taste buds are saturated. You need a second opinion. Choose a trusted friend or professional to read your statement. Make it clear that you are satisfied with the ingredients on the whole, but you'd like an opinion as to seasoning. In other words, you alone are the authority for what is true about your work, but you'd like feedback on clarity, tone, and such technical matters as spelling and punctuation. Once you've incorporated such suggestions as make sense to you, make a crisp, clear original of your artist's statement. Sign and date it. Make lots of copies, you will have lots of people to serve it to! STEP FIVE: Summon the Guests. There's little point in concocting a fabulous stew if you don't invite anyone to dinner. Every time you use your artist's statement you extend your circle of influence and build new branches of the support network for making, showing and selling your work. Enclose a copy of your artist's statement whenever you send a press release, letter of interest to a gallery or store, or contact a collector. Send it to show promoters and curators. Enclose a copy with shipments of your work so it can be displayed wherever your work is exhibited. The rest of this manual will suggest many opportunities for using your artist's statement to express your truth and support your presentations. STEP SIX: File Your Recipe! Save all the notes and drafts that you've made. You'll want to revise and update your artist's statement from time to time to reflect changes in your work. Still, it is likely that many of the underlying expressions of your authority will remain the same. Having access to the "recipe" for your original statement will help you generate better revisions and will give you a sense of creative continuity. Whenever you need copy (for announcements, packaging, exhibit catalogues, etc.) return to your warm-up exercises. The words and phrases there will help you write openly and honestly about your work. And repeating the exercises will help you chart new creative territory. > > > I think Jack Troy who fired McDonald fries on plates to get salt > flashing. > > -- Evan thinking laterally in W. Richland > ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 2 Aug 2000 21:08:26 -0500 From: Kurt Wild > Subject: Small wood kiln -"60 minute" kiln I posted a Clayart request for information on the "60 minute" kiln. But found it pays to search and search. My thanks go to Jim Spears and his web site. I found what I wanted in his "Search" section. I did check the Clayart Archives but somehow couldn't locate what I wanted. Anyway, I'm a "happy boy" now and I think Barney and a couple others of you out there might will be interested in the information Stephen Mills has on his web site. Just go to Once there scroll down to the "Playing with Fire" section and further scroll to the "60 minute" kiln. Be sure you eventually scroll further on down for information on the adjustments made in the original "60 minute" kiln. Below is a copy of Stephen's post on Clayart: Stephen Mills on thu 7 oct 99 (stevemills@mudslinger.demon.co.uk ) I personally find it sad that the trend should be towards ever larger kilns, especially at colleges where they should be teaching their students how to build affordable kilns that one person can, at a pinch, fire on their own. This is the basic philosophy behind the Playing With Fire courses we run each spring over here. The best example is the one I call the 60 minute kiln, because that's how long it took a group of 5 of us to build the first one. Double cross draught, made out of buff house bricks (dry laid) and thick kiln shelves, held together with angle iron and fencing wire, fires to cones 10/12 in a full day. Great fun, lovely pots. Steve Mills Bath UK home e-mail: stevemills@mudslinger.demon.co.uk work e-mail: stevemills@bathpotters.demon.co.uk own website: BPS website: Kurt email: KURT.L.WILD@uwrf.edu website: ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1998 10:20:12 EDT From: Vince Pitelka > Subject: Re: Large Tiles/Paul - Vince - Plaster ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- >Would it be possible to give a few details about the large plaster slabs, >the "gorgeous ones". Collecting info re paper clay and these sound like a >very important tool for the process. Thanks a bunch. MB MB - For her workshop this summer at the Appalachian Center for Crafts, Rosette Gault asked us to make a few plaster slabs for stiffening paper clay slurry. Since we perpetually have a problem with students spreading their scrap slurry on the wedging tables to stiffen it up, I decided to make a large number of nice plaster slabs which be appropriate for that application and would also meet Rosette's needs. I simply purchased some good quality 2x4s, ripped them into 1"x1 1/2" strips, and cut, drilled and screwed these strips together to make a series of frames 24"x24" by 1 1/2" deep. Every few inches along the edges of this frame I screwed a galvanized steel deck-screw in towards the center of the frame, so that they extended into the center space a few inches, to hold the plaster in place. I sealed the frames down to a smooth LEVEL table (formica top) with soft clay around the outside, brushed the inside surfaces with mold soap, and poured them full of plaster. Be sure not to use any oil-base mold-release compound, because it will leave the plaster less receptive to water. As I remember, each frame required a mix of about two gallons of water and 22 lbs of plaster. When the plaster was partially set up, I scraped the top surface with a stainless steel rib to get it nice and smooth. Once the plaster was well set up (once it became warm to the touch and then cooled off again), a light prying with a putty knife easily lifted the slabs from the table. In a humid atmosphere, with no applied heat source, such slabs need a month or so to dry completely before they are ready for use. In a dry atmosphere, or in a drybox, as long as they are stacked with an air-space between each one, they should dry off in a week or so. Good luck - - Vince Vince Pitelka - vpitelka@DeKalb.net Home 615/597-5376, work 615/597-6801, fax 615/597-6803 Appalachian Center for Crafts Tennessee Technological University 1560 Craft Center Drive, Smithville TN 37166 ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1998 10:10:36 EDT From: Cindy > Subject: Re: kids ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Cheryl, Most kids that age have a real short attention span, and they can't assimilate a lot of details. Try using some humor to get their attention. Almost anything will make them laugh, and if you make them laugh, they're more likely to listen to you. Keep your explanations short, simple, and very straightforward. Keep in mind that this process, which seems so simple to potters, is quite confusing to the average person. I've explained this process to reasonably intelligent adults, using the simplest terms I could figure out, and many of them still didn't get it the first time. So . . . be patient, and watch that door. ;) Cindy Strnad Earthen Vessels Custer, SD USA ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1998 10:09:51 EDT From: Mark Heimann > Subject: Re: Effleurage: The Stroke of Fire ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Morris : It is an honor to be part of the anagama community that Barry Lopez wrote about. The group of folks involved really ARE a family, complete with arguments, dreams and hilarious midnight-shift firing discussions and insanity. Eat, sleep, stoke! Last year we built a full-scale "see-through" replica of the Dragon Kiln at the art gallery of a local community college, using alder branches (peeled and sanded) to replicate the arch curves. We fired the kiln and then moved all the shelves, pots, ashes, etc to the exhibit and restacked them exactly as they had been during the firing. You could really see the fire path and the impact was dramatic. Full-size chimney, dirt surround, we even had a "soundtrack" loop playing with the roar of the fire, stoking bell and other subtle firing noises and surrounded the exhibit with stacks of sidewood and frontwood. A very labor-intensive exhibit, I wish we could have "beamed it up" to other locations. It's now dismantled and scattered, pots sold, traded or stashed . Our exhibit was called the "Mind of the Dragon" and the catalog, covered with hand-made cedar paper, included an introduction by Barry. All in all, a treat and an ongoing adventure. Fire it up ! Mark Heimann, Oregon ---------- > From: Morris S. Davis > > To: CLAYART@LSV.UKY.EDU > Subject: Effleurage: The Stroke of Fire > Date: Thursday, August 27, 1998 9:05 AM > > ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- > A couple of days ago my son sent me a xerox copy of Chapter 9 (31 pages) > entitled "Effleurage: The Stroke of Fire" from the book "About This Life - > Journeys on the Threshold of Memory" by Barry Lopez. I highly recommend > this fictional account of a true community somewhere in the Coast Range of > Oregon dealing with "people's emotions, a natural history of the region, > the description of a wood-fired kiln, an aesthetic of anagama ceramics!" > > This is so well-written with such an unusual command of the English > language, poetic eyes and feeling and solid knowledge of the technical > aspects of the firing process [effleurage (or efflorescence) as he calls > it], that I felt that I was walking in the woods with the author helping > him pick twigs of alder, willow and cottonwood and wood feld by beavers > gathering the four cords of wood necessary for the community firing of the > anagama. I observed the chief stacker putting in pots made by a variety > of professional and amateur potters and the reason for putting the pots > exactly where they were placed. I later felt like one of the participants > following the suggestions of the head stoker in properly feeding the fire > and felt the excitement of following its currents among all the pots in > the kiln. > > This account is an excellent history of the anagama kiln and the technical > aspects of kiln construction and firing. However, while solidly grounded > in fact, the most engaging aspect of this story is its living capture of > nature and community. I probably shall never look at a piece of anagama > pottery again without a deeper understanding of what it went through in > the effleurage process. > > Morris Davis > Chapel Hill, NC 27514 > > (We're expecting the fringes of Hurricane Bonnie this afternoon.) ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 12 Jun 1999 08:50:00 EDT From: Paul Bush > Subject: Re: hangers . . help ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Make small blocks of wood, about 1-2 inches square, about 1/2 inches thick. Drill a hole from side to side. Attach the blocks (2 per piece) to the back of your piece using clear silicone door and window calk. Make loop of braided wire for each block, using electrical terminal posts - best to use a Vice Grips to crimp them around the wire ends. Works great, never had one fail yet. I got the idea from Michael Gwinnup of Blue Spruce Pottery in Bend OR. He makes very large wall pieces, and never has a problem. Let me know if you have any questions. Paul Bush Portland, OR ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 3 Sep 1999 13:50:29 EDT From: June Perry > Subject: syringe applicators ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- You can also buy the little metal pieces that they use to blow up footballs at any sporting goods store. You just have to grind down the tip past the little side, air hole and insert this into one of the small baby ear syringes that you can buy at any pharmacy. It gives a very thin line for slip or glaze. Regards, June ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 3 Sep 1999 10:13:19 EDT From: Marcia Selsor > Subject: Re: needles for stain application ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- I have found that if you add the following to the solution for going thru a hypodermic needle, it flows better. Glycol 1000 Water 100 CMC water 500 Mix this solution and then add a few drops to your slip. Marcis in Montana I have made an applicator using the needle and putting it into an ear syringe see CM May 1997 article. elizabeth priddy wrote: > > ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- > regular sized insulin needles filled with stain > or undeglaze apply an even, thin line of colorant. > > It takes a bit of practice to release the syringe > at an even rate and not jab the clay... > > The microfine do not let the color out well. > > And Monona, are you listening? > > All safety rules apply and for god's sake, keep > these away from children, idiots, and the careless. > > --- > Elizabeth Priddy > > I speak from sincerity and experience, not authority... > email: epriddy@usa.net > website: www.angelfire.com/nc/clayworkshop > > On Mon, 30 Aug 1999 13:58:21 Veena Raghavan wrote: > >----------------------------Original message---------------------------- > >Diane, > > A suggestion, a method I have found useful for filling in carved > >lines etc. Rather than putting the stain or engobe (I have only done this > >with stain, underglaze and glaze) over the writing, have you tried applying > >it just in the line with a hollow needle attached to a slip trailer. I > >understand that you can get the needles from a vetinary medical supply > >source. > > Hope this helps. > >Veena > > > >Veena Raghavan > >75124.2520@compuserve.com > > > > --== Sent via Deja.com ==-- > Share what you know. Learn what you don't. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 6 Sep 1999 10:49:41 -0400 From: Carla Flati > Subject: New Packing Method I've been meaning to post this message for quite a while and even though nobody has written with a packing problem, I'm sharing this anyway. I had packed boxes for shipping to Mexico City and Italy which I thought would be able to withstand a bomb blast. I sent them off, and when they arrived at their destinations, they looked like a bomb had gone off INSIDE of them. This happened more than once so I came up with a way of packing that lets you practically dribble the box like a basketball without breaking anything. I'm not suggesting this method for production potters, only for people who have a few pots to ship a great distance or something very very important that you don't want to take any chances with. The hardest part is going to the hardware or builders supply for a can of this spray foam sealant/insulation that works the magic. Its sold under different brand names but it comes in a regular spray can like Krylon. The one I use is called "Great Stuff". I buy the Triple Expanding version since it goes a lot farther. I always buy 2 cans in case I run out halfway through packing. It costs under $3 per can. The stuff foams up like crazy when you spray it, then dries like airy Styrofoam. The first thing I do is find a nice sturdy box that's about 3 times the dimensions of my pot. I spray the foam about a third of the way up the inside of the box and let it stiffen up (takes about 10 or 15 minutes). I wrap the pot in bubble wrap a few sheets thick then tape it up. I put it into a large, thick plastic bag (hefty bag) and place it on top of the hardened foam (centered) making sure the plastic covers all of the foam and sort of smooth it closely over the wrapped pot so you see a round bump. I've also used whole sheets of newspaper laid over the pot instead of a hefty bag. Spray the insulation all around the pot filling the box up to the top and let it harden. The pot can't move because its completely encased in the foam which also protects it from the gentle hands of our postal workers. I've sent multiple pots in bigger boxes by spacing them apart on top of the first layer of foam and making sure there was foam in between each pot and between the pots and the sides of the box. It works like a charm. I guess this is an "ugly" version of the fancy custom molded Styrofoam cases that I always hold on to thinking, "Maybe one of my pots will fit into this" but they never do! I've shipped at least a dozen boxes like this and NOTHING has arrived broken. The foam will stick to the bottom and sides of the boxes, and since I've only used this on pots for my relatives (freebies), I just let them cut open the whole box. I suppose you could line the box with newspaper or place a big open hefty bag (like the box was a garbage can you were lining) before you put the foam in, but you know that takes a few more seconds and my relatives are good with knives anyway (just kidding). The foam smells like spray paint so you might want to do this outside. It also has the same warnings on the label as spray paint so use your head. The can does say that the "cured foam is NOT a hazard to health". Hope this is useful to someone. If anyone tries this, let me know how it worked out for you. Carla (in Pittsburgh where it turned out to be a great day for a fiesta) ------------------------------ ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 10 Sep 1999 12:08:03 EDT From: Gavin Stairs > Subject: Re: Q: RE: Reglaze wares for refire ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- At 12:17 PM 9/9/99 -0400, Llewellyn Kouba wrote: ... > Some time ago we had a thread about putting Liquid Gesso in a glaze to >be used for refiring. Can anyone be a bit more specific as to the >approximate amount of gesso needed? Say I have about two cups of glaze for >my spray gun- how much gesso would I add? Can you overdo it etc. Any >input,. applications etc. would be appreciated. Llewellyn, Liquid gesso is just whiting (and nowadays often titania) in a painting medium. The medium is usually acrylic emulsion. The ones containing titania are a lot more expensive. Note that whiting is a glaze flux, which may change the character of your glaze. It may make it runny or matte. Titania, on the other hand, is an opaquing agent. So clears may end up pastel shades, etc. The part of the gesso that will help you in applying glaze over fired glaze is the medium. For water based glaze slurries, the acrylic medium will disperse well, and will act as a binder, adhesive and wetting agent. Acrylic medium can be bought by itself. If what you want is the adhesive/wetting agent, I'd suggest you try that instead of gesso. I expect that a little will go a long way. It is doing about the same thing as CMC gum, for example. If the glazed surface is dirty, you can try adding a little of some kind of detergent or soap. Sodium laurel sulphate is a relatively non-foamy kind often used in baby shampoo. Try a bit of baby shampoo. Or photo lens cleaner. Or photo-flo. Or clean the pot with an ammonia cleaner, like Windex, or houshold ammonia. As to how much, I'd suggest taking a small, measured cup of glaze, and adding medium and/or baby shampoo a few drops at a time, until the glaze coats and sticks to the surface you are trying to reglaze. You will probably want your glaze to be stiffer than normal, if you are doing a true glaze coat. If you are doing on-glaze decoration with strongly coloured enamels or glazes, you will need thinner glaze and more medium or gum. If the medium is higher than maybe 5-10%, you are beginning to have a paint, whith a strong binder film when it dries. This binder film can pull the glaze off the pot during firing, or bubble and spatter, resulting in crawling and spreading defects. So less is more. CMC or some other gum is doing about the same job (also a suspending agent), but it forms a much weaker paint film. So the spalling and spattering problems will be less. You might be better of with some pottery suspension agent, rather than acrylic medium. Gesso is used in painting as an under coat which provides the basic white ground for the painting. Very important for transparent colours like acrylics and thin coats like egg temperas. So it is a true paint, which forms a cohesive film of binder with filler included for colour. A previous thread on this list discussed the problems of firing acrylic paints: sometimes unpredictable effects, you have to fire off a lot of binder, spalling, remnant muddiness, only the mineral colours (like cobalt blue, the iron (earth) colours) leave any reasonable colours, colouring is usually weaker than the paint, etc, etc. The same would be true of underpainting with pure gesso before overpainting with glaze or enamel, If that is what you are trying to do, then I suggest a very thin layer with as little binder as possible, and, for a white (though probably not predictable) underlayer, as much titania as possible. Hope this helps. Gavin It's been a long time since I did any painting. I did some texture painting with gesso, but that was many years ago. I still have a big, dried up jug of gesso, and some knives, etc. One of my paintings is in a place of honour in my step sister's flat in Paris. In the w.c. So she says. ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 25 Sep 1999 15:16:41 EDT From: Stephen Mills > Subject: Re: Stress cracks in handles? ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Toni, When you've finished each handle, try running a wet finger over the outside curve of the handle, it softens it a little bit and helps to relieve the stress from bending the clay. Steve Bath UK ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 25 Sep 1999 15:16:41 EDT From: Stephen Mills > Subject: Re: Stress cracks in handles? ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Toni, When you've finished each handle, try running a wet finger over the outside curve of the handle, it softens it a little bit and helps to relieve the stress from bending the clay. Steve Bath UK ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 27 Sep 1999 14:36:09 EDT From: Ray Aldridge > Subject: Re: Business Web Page ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- At 11:39 AM 9/26/99 EDT, you wrote: >----------------------------Original message---------------------------- >If youi do not need a business domain name (blank.com) then www.xoom.com may >be a suitable site. I believe they accept business pages as well as >personal, and offer free web page hosting service. > >If you need your own domain name, then you can expect to pay at least $70 >for domain name registration and at least $7.00 per month for site hosting. > This is half correct. If you want your own domain name (which I recommend), you can't, as Chris says, avoid paying NSI $70.00 for registering the domain for two years ($35.00/year thereafter). But hypermart.com does not charge anything for hosting a domain, nor is there a setup charge for any of their services. Ray ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 5 Mar 2000 10:45:20 EST From: Katie Cordrey > Subject: Business Plan ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- There are business plan templates available to download at no cost and tons of great information on small business planning. ABOUT.COM is a great site with "guides" who research and write about their topics. Here are some useful pages... For Business Plans: 122898.htm?rnk=r&terms=business+plans For small business general information and links: & Arts and Crafts business info and links: The Small Business Administration is a very full site. You can go to the "classroom" or search a term or aspect. There are sample business plans and business plan tutorials. This link should give you a list of business plan information links: & qs=&qc=&pw=100%25&ws=0&la=&qm=0&st=1&nh=10&lk=1&rf=0&oq=&rq=0 This one will take you to the SBA homepage: It's worth the time to poke around and see what's there for the taking. Download.com has many useful business programs and utilities. I searched for PC software, but you can get MAC, Linux, WindowsCE or Palm Pilot software. 2Ecn%2E10006%2Dron%2Esbsr&qt=Business+Plan&cn=Business&ca=10001 will take you to the search I did. You can choose to download business plan software, templates and worksheets. They will be freeware, shareware or demo programs. Each is explained on the site. And, I've a couple of Word templates that I'll gladly email anyone who asks. I don't recall exactly where I got them, but they were freeware, so as far as I know I'm not infringing on anyone's rights. Hope that gives you some help! Katie Cordrey -- Russel Fouts Mes Potes et Mes Pots Brussels,Belgium Tel: +32 2 223 02 75 ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 29 Jul 2000 16:21:07 -0400 From: Wil Haslup > Subject: Re: "Ruined" hands Hi Linda On 28-Jul-00, you wrote: > I have had similar questions regarding the effect of clay on my > hands. As an undergraduate my teacher suggested I get some pure lanolin and mentioned that a local pharmacy did have it if you asked at the counter. While your hands smell a bit like sheep, it worked when all the commercial products didn't. Regards -- Wil ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 29 Jul 2000 22:14:53 +0300 From: Sharon31 > Subject: Re: ruined hands - udder cream Hi! In Don Goodrich's Cone6 glazes list: HANDCREAM (FOR OFTEN-WET HANDS) 200g Baby Powder (talcum powder) 200g Vaseline ( petroleum jelly) 50ml Glycerine 50ml Eucalyptus oil. Mix all together, being careful not to breathe in 'dust' from Toni Martens > Ababi ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 18 Jul 2000 11:15:01 -0500 From: Gary Elfring > Subject: Re: dividing circumference I would assume everyone reading this has a computer so, I used a computer drawing program to make a template. 1) Draw X and Y axis lines in the center of your page. 2) Draw a series of thin concentric circles from the center of those 2 lines, each one 1/4 inch from the previous one. (Corel Draw let me do this in seconds.) 3) Draw some thicker lines, starting at the center of the X and Y axis, at 30 and 45 degrees (or whatever angles you want.) Just those 2 angles, plus the X & Y axis give you the ability to divide the circle into 1/3, 1/4, 1/6, 1/8, and 1/12. If you use an inkjet printer with color, you can add other lines for 1/5, 1/7, and 1/8. 4) Put the drawing on a piece of cardboard, then cover with some transparent food wrap. (I have a shrink wrap machine at work and I use it.) To use the template, center your piece on the template using the thin circle lines. Looking from directly above, use the angle lines to divide the circumfrence. I use food coloring to mark the surface. (It burns away.) Elfring Fonts, Inc Bar Codes, MICR, and decorative fonts for Windows ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 17 Jul 2000 18:57:11 -0500 From: Bill Hall > Subject: Re: didvide circumference: A Method - Once you've run the masking tape around, or just a strip of paper, here's a way you can easily divide it into equal parts. Measure the distance of the circumference (I.E., how far it is around the widest part) that you just got with the strip of paper or tape. Get a wider piece of paper (or use a wider piece of paper to start with), and mark two parallel lines that are this distance apart. You can do this by using a square against the edge of the paper. Now, get a ruler or measuring tape. Lay the tape slantwise between the two lines so that the distance you're measuring is an even amount on the ruler. For instance, suppose the lines are 17 1/2 inches apart. Lay a yardstick across the lines slantwise so that one line is at the zero mark on the ruler, and the other is at the 24 inch mark, for example. You should pick a convenient multiple of the number of parts that you want to divide the pot into. Let's say in this case that you want to divide the pot into 8 parts. Mark along the ruler every 3 inches. Since you're dividing 24 by 8, this is 3 inches. Now, draw lines that are parallel to the original lines. Bingo! You have divided the paper into 8 equal parts. This works for any circumference and any number of parts, as long as you have a ruler or tape that is longer than the circumference. I hope I've explained this well. It's really easier than it sounds. If there's enough interest, I'll demonstrate in pictures and send the pictures directly to anyone who requests it. Bill Hall ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 17 Jul 2000 17:38:00 +0930 From: iandol > Subject: Dividing a circumference Hello Wallace Myers, However, five is my favourite factor for dividing space for patterns and = decoration. I could make a template using a protractor and arcing off 72 = degree segments, but I just put my hand around the pot and use fingers = and thumb to estimate the spacing. Variations and inconsistency = guarantee visual tension as a pot is viewed. It is a way of getting = uniformity while ensuring continued interest. Gives me sets where every = member has it=92s own unique character The best way is to make round templates from stout card and cover them = with clear adhesive vinyl sheet for permanence. I have two, they are = abput twenty cms dia. One divided into twenty four segments and the = other into thirty two. The first gives me multiples of 2,3,4,6,12 and = 24, the other 2,4,8,16 and 32. All this is done with compasses and rule. = Inscribe circles and repeatedly divide using the scribed arc techniques = of Euclid. Ivor Lewis. Redhill, South Australia. A location to be proud of. ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 17 Jul 2000 20:14:55 +1000 From: Des Howard > Subject: Re: didvide circumference Wallace Greg Daly in "Glazes and Glazing Techniques", ( my copy, page 109, Kangaroo Press, 1995, ISBN 0 86417 502 7), uses drinking straws cut into equal lengths & threaded onto string, as triangles, squares, pentagons, etc. Des wallace myers wrote: > Hi Folks: > > Would some smart person out there tell me a simple, accurate way to divide the circumference of a pot into equal parts for decorating or piercing. > > Thanks > Wallace > -- Des & Jan Howard Lue Pottery LUE NSW 2850 Australia Ph/Fax 02 6373 6419 ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 16 Jul 2000 22:58:58 -0700 From: The Buchanans > Subject: Re: didvide circumference It's another of the hundred uses of news paper. Tear a strip, wrap it around the pot for a quick measurement.If TOTAL accuracy is not necessary, just fold it into the number of sections needed, mark the folds and wrap the strip back around the pot. Dampen it if you need it to stay while you mark the divisions. For true accuracy you will have to measure the strip and figure fifths or ninths or what ever. A carpenter's square (one of those L shaped rulers) resting on the table in line with your marks will make it easier to make a vertical line down the pot. Judi Buchanan in south Mississippi expecting 106+ degrees again tomorrow with humidity Joyce wouldn't believe. Would some smart person out there tell me a simple, accurate way to divide the circumference of a pot into equal parts for decorating or piercing. Thanks Wallace ____________________________________________________________________________ ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 Jul 2000 23:06:51 EDT From: JIMV062@AOL.COM Subject: Re: Throwing Sticks Question the best throwing stick i have .. is a wooden spoon with half of the spoon cut off.. shape as you need to...... Jim in Dallas. ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 6 Jul 2000 07:00:36 -0500 From: Dannon Rhudy > Subject: Re: YES YOU CAN DRAW ........try this trick.... >. Set a table up against a wall ; put your biggest drawing pad up on >the wall behind the table ( It does not matter how ) so that the shadow >cast from a single work lamp will cast the pots shadow on to the drawing >pad . The lamp should be very moveable - like a drop cord light for >working on cars . Now you move the light in or out , right or left , up >or down . You can change the proportions greatly ; widen it , lengthen it >, make the foot smaller , you may almost have what you want but just >can't quit see it , ..... What a clever idea, and what a quick way to make generalized alterations in an almost-there piece. Or ANY piece. It is often very helpful to push work in every direction, because it makes us THINK differently. Unfortunately, we are often too timid to REALLY push. But there'd be no hesitation if it's just light & shadow, quick, easy. Thanks for the morning smile. regards Dannon Rhudy ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 16 Jun 2000 15:50:04 -0400 From: rg42@BELLSOUTH.NET Subject: Brick de-watering tray Hi Shelley- If you have any questions about this construction, please contact me. Richard ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Clay Preparation De-watering Tray Used to extract water from thick clay slurry. Description: A dry stacked brick form designed to allow maximum air circulation around and through the construction. Water is extracted through capillary action and evaporation. The tray is easily extended to increase clay production. Trays may be located inside or outside if an appropriate waterproof cover is used. The height of the tray prevents rainwater from splashing on the upper bricks. The quality of the bottom three layers of brick is less important than the ones in contact with the clay. These brick should be clean and very porous. Solid brick or those with holes work equally well. A sheet of cloth or burlap is used to keep the clay in the tray and to prevent overly fast drying. Other tray designs requiring less brick will also produce good clay but may require more time before you can remove the clay. You may refill the tray with clay slurry without waiting for the bricks to dry. Trays work in temperatures above freezing. Freezing dries the slurry so quickly a hard uneven crust develops. For best results, view the following diagrams with a fixed width font like Courier. This de-watering tray design is adapted form =93Pioneer Pottery=94 by Michael Cardew, St. Martin=92s Press, New York. ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ | | | | | |_____ _____|_____ _____|_____ _____|_____ _____| | | | | | | |_____|___________|___________|___________|_____| | | | | | |___________|___________|___________|___________| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |___|_____|___|_______|___|_______|___|_____|___| | | | | | | 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 | |___________|_________ _|___________|___________| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |___| |___| |___| |___| |___| Front _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ | | | | | | | |_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____| <-6 | | | | |_____ _____|____ ______|___________| <-5 | | | | | | | |_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____| <-4 | | | | | 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 | <-3 |___________|___________|___________| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | <-2 |___|_ |___| |___| _|___| | | | | | | | | | 0 | | 0 | | 0 | | 0 | | 0 | | 0 | | 0 | | 0 | <-1 | 0 | | 0 | | 0 | | 0 | |_____| |_____| |_____| |_____| Side ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ | | | | | | 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 | |___________|_________ _|___________|___________| | | | | | | 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 | |___________|_________ _|___________|___________| | | | | | | 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 | |___________|_________ _|___________|___________| | | | | | | 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 | |___________|_________ _|___________|___________| | | | | | | 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 | |___________|_________ _|___________|___________| | | | | | | 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 | |___________|_________ _|___________|___________| Top Construction: This small tray is constructed using a little more than 100 bricks. Layer 1. Choose a level place and set the first layer of bricks on end. This layer requires 20 bricks. ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |___| |___| |___| |___| |___| ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |___| |___| |___| |___| |___| ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |___| |___| |___| |___| |___| ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |___| |___| |___| |___| |___| Top Layer 2. Place a second layer of bricks on top of the upright bricks. The bricks span the tops of the bricks below. This layer requires 16 bricks. ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ | | | | | |___________|___________|___________|___________| ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ | | | | | |___________|___________|___________|___________| ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ | | | | | |___________|___________|___________|___________| ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ | | | | | |___________|___________|___________|___________| Top Layer 3. Place the third layer of bricks on top of the previous layer. These bricks span the lower bricks in the opposite direction. This layer uses 15 bricks. ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |___| |___| |___| |___| |___| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |___| |___| |___| |___| |___| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |___| |___| |___| |___| |___| Layer 4. Cover the structure with a solid layer of brick. You may use splits or full sized bricks for this layer. Splits are half the thickness of regular brick. This layer uses 24 bricks. ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ | | | | | | 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 | |___________|___________|___________|___________| | | | | | | 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 | |___________|___________|___________|___________| | | | | | | 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 | |___________|___________|___________|___________| | | | | | | 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 | |___________|___________|___________|___________| | | | | | | 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 | |___________|___________|___________|___________| | | | | | | 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 | |___________|___________|___________|___________| Top Layer 5. This layer forms a wall to prevent the clay slurry from running off the form. In damp regions this wall may need to be a single layer thick as in this diagram. In dryer regions a wall two bricks high may be necessary to get a good product. Place a cloth barrier over the layer and tuck the cloth into the corners. This layer uses 12 to 24 bricks. _____ ___________ ___________ ___________ _____ | | | | | | | 0 | 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 | 0 | | |___________|___________|___________| | | ^ | | ^ | | 0 | | 0 | |_____| |_____| | | | | | 0 | | 0 | | | | | | ^ | | ^ | | 0 | | 0 | |_____| |_____| | | | | | 0 | | 0 | | |___________ ___________ ___________| | | ^ | | | | ^ | | 0 | 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 | 0 | |_____|___________|___________|___________|_____| Top Fill the cavity with clay slurry. Place another cloth on top of the slurry to keep it clean. If the tray is outside place the top in place. Layer 6. (Optional) After the slurry hardens slightly, place a few bricks on top. It isn=92t necessary to cover the top with these bricks. Check the hardness of the clay on a regular basis. Clay should be removed from the tray slightly wetter than a throwing body. Form a standard sized blocks of clay, cover with plastic and store for later use. Richard Gilbert Cherryville, North Carolina ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 16 Jun 2000 19:04:24 +1000 From: Graeme Anderson > Subject: Many things 3 Smokin". For a quick smoked effect on pottery tiles - place a design = with some pine needles, or bit of book leaf pine (thuja) between two = bisced, unglazed tiles or slabs of clay. Heat in the microwave for one = or two minutes. Timing depends on your microwave. You should get a = delicate tracery of smoke ingrained into the clay. It won't last = without some preserving method, but you can go over it with oxides = before glazing. Another use for the microwave - if you have small bits of glaze tests = which have set solid in jars, soften them by adding a bit of water, and = heat in the microwave for 20 to 30 secs. Usually they will then be easy = to stir. Graeme Anderson. Gemopal Pottery. Lightning Ridge.Australia. 2834. ~http://www.turboweb.net.au/~gemopal/ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 3 Jul 2000 10:13:19 EDT From: GURUSHAKTI@AOL.COM Subject: Re: Sake set Jim, they probably made those 4 cup sets just for export, being very aware of our tradition. When I make sets I make 5 cups, not because of the Japanese tradition, but as an extra in case of breakage. John Glick makes extras of his dinner sets and offers the customer the option to buy the pieces at the time they're picking up their sets. If they decline, he holds the pieces for a year and then puts them out with the rest of the stock for the general public. Regards, June ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 3 Jul 2000 02:52:17 -0400 From: Marco Milazzo > Subject: eBay postings Re: the question raised by Jim of whether 20% is too much to pay someone to list your items on eBay: The answer is of course "Yes and No." Yes, it's too much to pay someone for an amatuerish snapshot, a 10-word description and an arbitrary price -- who then expects you to pack and ship the item. But No, it's not too much to pay someone to research the market for your work, price accurately, take and post a professional-quality photo, write sizzling copy, and package and ship the item for you so it gets there intact -- even overseas. Auctions are also about bookkeeping, rapid communications and payment, and dealing diplomatically with slow payers, the bewildered, the impossible to please, etc. Savvy auctioneers also know ways to drive potential buyers to your auctions. None of the tasks above are too difficult for the bright people on this list, but if done well, they *are* time-consuming. So if you want to "Do it Yourself," get a digital camera and go for it. But like advertising, marketing, agents, art-galleries, etc., some people will prefer to leave it to specialists -- and there's no shame in that. Marco Milazzo ----------------------------------------------- FREE! The World's Best Email Address @email.com Reserve your name now at ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 16 Jun 2000 07:57:31 +0700 From: Heidrun Schmid > Subject: Re: Is A Pugmill The Only Answer This also works very well without any effort with abatch of 10 kg of clay in plastic bag: open the bag, losen the plastic around the clay, fill in not more than a cup of water or just a medium sized sponge filled with water , depending on how dry the clay is , close the bag tightly, then put that bag into a bucket, fill the bucket up with water over the top of the claybag (make sure the bag is sealed without any wholes for additional water to get in). Leave for a day . The pressure of the water from the outside encourages the water inside the bag to move into the clay. My friend used this method, she left the bag for 2 days and had the nicest workable clay! Heidrun in Bangkok > ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 14 Jun 2000 15:39:46 EDT From: GURUSHAKTI@AOL.COM Subject: Re: Building wood boxes for pottery Another thing my late friend Vivika used, was inexpensive small baskets with lids. You can usually pick them up at Cost Plus, Pier 1 and similar stores. Michael's also sells baskets and frequently has 50% off sales on them. They also have these 40% off coupons in their flyers once or twice a month. The larger hobby stores (Craft Warehouse, Michael's, etc.) often have unpainted boxes that people buy to do decoupage or stencil. Regards, June ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 13 Jun 2000 08:30:28 -0700 From: Hank Murrow > Subject: Re: Digital Cameras >Hi Guys, > >After reading reviews of digital cameras until 2 a.m., I'm more confused >than ever. Would I be significantly better off with a good zoom? >Cindy Strnad Dear Cindy; Can't help you with the other two questions; but from my experience, you need a focal length of 90-110 mm. The reason for this is that there will be apparent foreshortening of the pieces at focal lengths under 80mm. Over 120 mm, there will be a 'flattening' of the pieces. The ideal Focal length is between 90-110 mm. for a 35mm format. Hope this one thing helps, Hank in Eugene ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 13 Jun 2000 06:14:46 -0700 From: Jim Chandler > Subject: Goodbye for now and studio dog Oral Rehydration Therapy Revisiting the studio dog thread - I want to share the oral rehydration fluid recipe that I used on our poor old dog Rosebud: 1 qt water, 1 level teaspoon salt, 8 level teaspoons sugar. She's not all better yet, but at least she won't check out from dehydration due to intestinal bug. And goodbye for now. Time to travel, stop reading, start doing. My plans include learning to screenprint and produce decals this summer. Anyone with any insights on the subject please mail me. Thanks to all for the wisdom - see ya' later. Laura Chandler, Kensington MD jimmychn@bellatlantic.net ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 3 Jun 2000 16:25:03 -0400 From: Andie > Subject: Andie's Standard Consignment Agreement (Long) Okay, let me know if this doesn't come through well - I'm sending my = standard consignment contract below. Please note that this is what works = for me, personally, but might not work as well for others. As an aside, = I insist upon my own terms of simply setting a price I will receive and = then allowing the store or gallery to set the retail price because I've = been burned by stores that put things on sale, and also because it takes = me out of the, "I don't like to see my artist's work selling higher = across town" conversation. It also improves my sales, because each store = or gallery can price to their clientele. Also, it sounds harsh, even to = me, to ask that they not sell identical items by other artists, but I = found out the hard way that even in a gallery or shop you have to be = prepared to protect yourself from someone copying your pieces exactly, = setting them right next to yours on the shelf, and undercutting your = prices. So far, not one place has even questioned it, though, so it must = be an okay thing to ask for, at least out here. Also, I keep notes when = something comes up with a store or gallery, and revise my agreement and = price list every year, in January. As for the article from the Craft Report, if no one has yet come up with = it online I'll try to get it mailed this week. It will have to go out as = an attachment, so I'll only be sending it to those who have emailed me = personally asking for it, unless someone else has a better idea. I = wonder if they have a magazine website & if it's up there - it should = be.=20 : ) andie Consignment Contract Between Handful of Earth, consignor, and _________________________, = consignee. This consignment contract is subject to the following terms and = conditions: 1.. It is understood that the consignee will display the merchandise = and offer it for sale. 2.. The consignor will receive the prices given for items on = attachment, "Wholesale/Consignment Prices 2000". 3.. The consignee will have the exclusive right to determine the = retail selling price. 4.. Once in possession of the merchandise, the consignee will be = responsible for loss or damage to the merchandise, limited to the price = of merchandise given on attachment, "Wholesale/Consignment Prices 2000". 5.. The consignee will calculate the sales at the end of each month = and pay consignor by the 15th of the following month. 6.. Consignor must give 15 days notice before removing work from = Consignee.=20 7.. Consignee will agree to display merchandise for no less than = three months before returning unsold items to consignor. 8.. Any shipping or handling charges will be the responsibility of = the consignee. 9.. The consignee will receive a 10% commission on any special = orders or sales to retail customers derived from the consignee=92s = display or sales of merchandise. 10.. The consignee agrees not to display identical merchandise by = other artists while displaying the work of the consignor. 11.. Handful of Earth agrees to provide the consignor with slides or = photos of recent work and a portrait, a biography, a resume, an artist's = statement, glaze information, publicity and press release notes, a short = mailing list for publicity, and other reasonable information, as = necessary.=20 ______________________________________ = ___________________________________ Representative of consignor/date representative of consignee/date ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 1 Jun 2000 21:20:15 +0100 From: Marek & Pauline Drzazga-Donaldson > Subject: Re: Phorographic images on clay ----- Original Message ----- From: Jim Shanks > To: > Sent: Thursday, June 01, 2000 8:51 AM Subject: Phorographic images on clay I'm told that it is possible to take a photo copy of an image but stop the copier before the image gets to the heat bars. The copier is then opened up and the unfixed copy carefully removed. It can then be transferred onto clay by rolling a slab over it to pick up the loose toner. This can then be fired but only to a low temp. As toners vary, experimentation will be needed to find out if it will work and at what temp. Maybe other clayarters could furnish more details. I think I have some somewhere.. but where to start looking! Regards, Jim Dear Jim, something we used to do in my student days was to spray fixative on glossy magazines and impress the wet paper onto a clay slab. Fired to about 1000C the image (various colours are better than others) would fire onto the clay - very faintly, but visible. Lighter clays are obviously better, we did not do too many experiments with glazes, but I would hazard a guess that a fine spray of clear glaze would darken the image. Newsprint on terracotta worked quite well also. Happy potting Marek ____________________________________________________________________________ Date: Fri, 12 May 2000 10:23:11 EDT From: Vince Pitelka > Subject: Re: marbling with slip ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- For techniques like marbling and feather combing, be sure to use flocculated slips, so that they do not intermix upon contact more than you want them to. Use 1/2 of 1% epsom salts, figured from the dry weight of the slip batch, and dissolve in hot water, and add to the water for the slip. The slips should be mixed to a consistency where a brush dragged through the surface leaves no raised wake at all. For slip techniques like trailing and feather combing, I always use ear-syringe bulbs with basketball-inflating needles (with rounded ends cut off). The work best if you attach a short length of 1/16"-I.D. medical I.V. tubing to the end of the needle, to give a flexible tip. For feather combing, lay down concentric bands of contrasting slips, or lay a wide band of one slip and overlay narrow bands of other slips. Drag a flexible, fine-pointed tool, like a piece of medium fishing line across the concentric lines to pull the colors. Work on freshly-thrown wares, and work quickly, because the clay will draw moisture out of the slip very quickly, thickening the slip and diminishing the effect. For marbleizing, I like to do the entire flat bottom of a wide plate or bowl. I wet a wide hakeme brush thoroughy, shake out all water, saturate it well with the desired slip, begin laying slip upon the desired area of the rotating plate or bowl, and just feed more slip behind the brush with the slip-trailing bulb until I have a good thick uniform layer. This is much more effective than repeatedly dipping the brush in slip. I then overlay other colors using the slip-trailing bulbs. As above, work quickly. When you have laid down all your colors, pry the bat off the wheel, pick it up, and hit the side of the bat with the heel of your hand, causing the colors to move around in the liquid slip. Sometimes it works best to hit it once or twice, rotate the bat, and hit it some more. Experiment. Whether you do feather-combing or marbling, be sure to dry the plates very slowly to trimming consistency. A damp-box works great, or just build a little "tent" by running horizontal sticks across between some bricks, spanning the plates, to hold plastic sheets up off the surface of the plates. Don't let anything touch the wet slip. Reminds me of a good kitty story. In Blue Lake, California in the late 70s and early 80s I had two studio cats, Fritz and Mama. Fritz was clumsy, which is unusual for a cat, but he was a dear. One day I was cranking out feather-combed plates, and I had several continuous rows of them on the recycled store shelves, which extended around three sides of my glazing room with no vertical obstructions. Fritz jumped up onto one shelf, and proceeded to walk the entire length of the three walls, stepping on every plate, tracking wet slip with him. When I walked in and saw him, he was about two thirds of the way around the studio, trying to shake the slip off his little paws. All I could do was laugh. Best wishes - - Vince Vince Pitelka Home - vpitelka@DeKalb.net 615/597-5376 Work - wpitelka@tntech.edu 615/597-6801 ext. 111, fax 615/597-6803 Appalachian Center for Crafts Tennessee Technological University 1560 Craft Center Drive, Smithville TN 37166 ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 10 May 2000 23:04:27 EDT From: Randall Moody > Subject: Re: Smooth Edges for Slab Platters ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- I forget who I saw use this tool but I made one and love it. Go buy a copper elbow joint at the local hardware store and grind out a hole in the bend. File the burrs out of the new hole and just run it around the edge of the leather hard clay. A half inch joint should be large enough. But you can go bigger if your slabs are thick. ----- Original Message ----- From: Rachael Rice > To: > Sent: Tuesday, May 09, 2000 1:12 PM Subject: Re: Smooth Edges for Slab Platters > ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- > I am having a difficult time getting polished, professional edges on my > slab built platters and bowls.( Like you get from wheel-thrown pots). I > have tried making my own edging tools and also bought a Jepsen Edger > but neither seem to be doing the job. I generally roll 3/8 inch slabs > that I form over a mold or press into one. ANy suggestions would be > appreciated. Thanks in Advance. > > Rachael ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 10 May 2000 22:57:07 EDT From: priddy > Subject: teapot or chocolate pot and hole tip ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- ------------------ here is a tip and a question: I have been making teapots to go with yunomi. This is a design that I am using to avoid all the hoopla of attaching ten million things to a pot to make one teapot that will still not get used anyway. Bitterness aside, I really like how the throwing rings go up continuously into the spout when it is done this way. And I use this teapot, small and compact, for herbal and green tea, which I buy individually bagged for everyday use. The teapots are thrown in one piece with the spout thrown as the throat and mouth of the body, then turned on its side onto three feet a wicker or bamboo handle attached to lugs. the lid is built up after being cut from the body Here is the kicker, no spout holes. I have figured out an interesting way to make the holes for the inside that I would like to share: you need a plaster bat, hole punch, paper clay, and rice paper ( happen to have a lot of it around) cut holes in the rice paper so you have a swiss cheese piece of paper about the size of the spout holes area brush paper clay onto the plaster bat lay the paper on the paper clay brush the top with the paper clay now you have a sandwich of very thin but strong paper between layers of paperclay. when it has set up, lift it off the bat and you have a leathery little strip of holey paper that you can lay into the spout opening inside this or any other teapot, a little slip, magic water, or more paper clay and you are done, no little debris=21 It comes up clean leaving these little dots of paper clay on the plaster, must be useful, but I don't know what for, maybe polka pots (sorry) This is easier than the many alternatives I have explored, but the question is: Could you just market these small pots for herbal tea (which is largely bagged) and just dispense with the spout holes all together without sacrificing something essential to a good tea pot? Or Would you call it a chocolate pot, that is also good for bagged tea? respectfully submitted, elizabeth priddy priddy-clay=40usa.net http ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 8 May 2000 16:27:55 EDT From: Charlie and Linda Riggs > Subject: Saggars and ITC ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Hi People I was reading the adverts for ITC last month and they were stating that ITC sprayed on the steel industry's tundish (holding vessels for molten metal) and my guess was that if it worked to save these from cracking up it might work on the saggar containers. (We have been wrapping ceramic fiber around them to less the thermal shock and have been wearing masks and messing with fiber with every load.) Linda has now fired several ITC coated containers (saggars) 5 times without any losses. This is VERY unusual as they normally crack on the first to third firing. I apply it by watering it down to a cream consistency and then spray it on a dampened saggar inside and out. I use the sandblaster sprayer that Axner sells for this purpose. Our saggar clay is Laguna 548 and it is thrown to approx. 1/4-3/8" thickness in a planter or shallow bowl shape. Hope this is helpful to some of our fellow and sister saggar firers out there. Charlie Riggs PS-The latest Claytimes has the details on saggar firing but discovered the ITC after the article went to press. ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 8 May 2000 16:24:47 EDT From: mel jacobson > Subject: itc/setting ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- we have found it good practice to fire the kiln to about 08 after spraying. it just sets the material tight against the brick or fibre. you can see places that you have missed after firing. re/spray, load and fire. mel/mn remember/well vent that first firing...a great deal of material burns off...very smokey. \ minnetonka, minnesota, u.s.a (website) ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 8 May 2000 00:18:27 EDT From: mel jacobson > Subject: new film ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- this may have been mentioned, but: Fuji ProviaF100 is a new film that has amazing detail for slides. it is able to detect texture better than any other film. I am testing it now, and the results are just amazing. mel/mn minnetonka, minnesota, u.s.a (website) ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 4 May 2000 14:26:43 EDT From: Steve McNutt > Subject: Re: I need help with raku glazes ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Start with a mix of 1/3 wood ash, 1/3 feldspar, 1/3 iron oxide. Fire to about cone 8. You have to watch for it to get fat and begin to run. Then pull it out and set it to cool on hard brick. You should expect a glossy black where there is glaze. This is similar in formula and process to the work done by the Japanese family Raku I am told. Good luck. I have seen it done and it is a daunting task. Be sure you are wearing appropriate fire retardent clothing and mask and have long tongs and room to work with them before you begin. Proper clothing is that worn by fire fighters. There is another similar process which leaves out the iron oxide and comes out closer to cone 10. This is white and rocky looking. I would be terrified to try any of this without someone who is experienced in the technic. Can you go to Japan for a time to study? Mary Beth Bishop ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 4 May 2000 14:15:15 EDT From: Les Crimp > Subject: Re: combo wood/gas kiln ~ small woodburning kiln ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- I can attest to the fact that Graham Sheehan's wood kiln works - he built one for me exactly like his own. This kiln is so efficient that if you do not pay close attention it will reach cone 10 faster than 10 hours. We burn red cedar and get lots of ash and color in each firing. As to efficiency, you could fire it in a "downtown" situation and there is so little smoke that no one would know it was firing. Check it out. You can contact Graham at sunstone@ultranet.ca Les Crimp in Nanoose Bay, B.C. lcrimp@home.com ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 4 May 2000 14:04:52 EDT From: Andie > Subject: Re: selling vs barfing - auctions? ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- >(snip) > If you really are ill at this thought, then consider selling on-line at a >wholesale group site. I belong to and I don't >have to do any shows any more. All my work gets sold through them. The >artists pay to be on the site and the galleries get on free. Currently there >are over 300 artists and 3,000 galleries. Go take a peek. >Good Luck - Chris Campbell This is actually a really good idea that I may follow up on. Also, you might think about posting some items on the auction sites - I've noticed a couple of potters making a decent wage just from ebay & yahoo. I LOVE selling my pieces on ebay - it's pretty cheap, and I don't even have to talk to anyone on the phone! Selling in my pj's! It doesn't get better than that. You might check out: www.ebay.com (depending on what you put up & how, $1-$25 to post, + % of final total) www.potteryauction.com (free to post, no % taken) www.auctions.yahoo.com (free to post, not sure about %) Andie __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 4 May 2000 14:04:31 EDT From: "Joanne L. Van Bezooyen" > Subject: Re: selling vs barfing ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- If you want someone to sell your art work, talk to Jaime.....peteynet@uswest.net....she brokers art to interior designers. Joanne in Tucson Dannon Rhudy wrote: > ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- > At 03:15 PM 5/2/00 EDT, you wrote: > >----------------------------Original message---------------------------- > >------------------ > >HELP!!!!!!! > >I've chosen to redirect my life somewhat and have one huge hurdle > ....I have the talent, the skills, the equipment, the ideas and > >the products to really make a go of a clay business. ... > >everyone who sees my work loves it and buys it,... the thought of having > to go out and > >promote my work ..... makes me want to throw > >up, ....> > > So what to do. . > > ................................... > > Well, if everyone who sees your work loves it and buys it, > you're off to a good start. HIRE AN AGENT to go around and > sell/place your work. Then you won't have to do it. It > will cost a percentage, but so what? You can spend all that > extra time in the studio, making more work to pay for the > cost of the agent. > > regards > > Dannon Rhudy > potter@koyote.com ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 3 May 2000 16:08:39 EDT From: Beverly Crist > Subject: selling and barfing ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Hi Becky, I too hate selling my work so I know how you feel - well maybe I'm not as extreme as you are. I love making it but never know what to say to customers when I'm at an outdoor show. I'm much more comfortable with shops and galleries. But if you want to try an outdoor show you may want to buy "Be a Dynamic Craft Seller" by Bruce Baker. It's a tape and is made for people like us - You're not alone! The tape costs $11.95 plus $3.00 shipping and .60 tax for those who live in Vermont. Bruce Baker, RD #3 Box 2560, Midlebury, VT 05753, phone 800-388-3434. He has a web-site, too, but I don't have the address. I haven't done a show since I bought mine - I've had some major burn-out on them - but I thought he had some good, motivating tips. And, no, I'm not connected financially to selling this tape at all. Good Luck, Beverly Crist, Los Angeles ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 27 Apr 2000 14:47:45 EDT From: Peter Atwood > Subject: Fountain Maker's Tricks ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Hi All, Thought I'd post an offlist email conversation that I had with an Irish potter on making tabletop fountains. She was asking me some questions after visiting my site at . There's some good stuff here for all you fountain makers. .................................................. Hi Margaret, It is not necessary to make the hole where the tube comes through water tight because the pressure and flow are sufficient to make the water go over the side of the tower. But I do try to make the hole close to the right size for the tubing to slip through. I have found that by using several different diameters of flexible vinyl tubing I can stick a piece inside another to neck it down a size if needed or put a piece over to step it up as the case may be. They are not permanently stuck on with silicone. As for the problem of leveling, with the three-spouted towers I use a small "torpedo" level to span between the spouts to make them all the same height. The tower has to be sitting on a level surface to do this. Sometimes I don't use a level at all, just go by eye. Since the pump creates some turbulence anyway, I don't worry if the water is flowing a bit unevenly. It's usually surprisingly even though. If the tower is grossly uneven due to warpage when firing I have used a shim underneath to cock the tower at a bit of an angle. Using a small bead of clear silicone it is possible to build up the bottom on one side to level it out. You might have to add to it a couple of times to get it right but it works quite well. The pebbles are a bit of window dressing that help disguise the water outlet and give the feeling of water flowing from the depths. They also add a sense of nature to a manmade object so in that way they really harmonize and balance the piece. Not all my fountains have them since some pieces are fine without additional props but I do tend to like them. All my pebbles are handpicked from the shores of Cape Cod which is really just an excuse to go to the beach! Tell me about your fountains. I keep running into other fountainmakers and often their approaches are so much different than mine. I do think some folks are probably copying my stuff since it's out on the web for all to see but I don't really care. Most of my pieces are pretty obvious anyway I think. I had a company in India contact me and offer to produce my designs for 15 cents an hour. I didn't dignify them with a response. Warm regards, Peter >From: margaret delaney > >To: Peter Atwood > >Subject: Re: advice on the making of fountains >Date: Wed, 26 Apr 2000 16:03:18 -0700 (PDT) > >Peter >Thank you so much for your quick response. It's >amazing how small you make your fountains. > >If the pump is in the tower do you use silicone to make >the flex coming out of it watertight? You seem to >use pebbles to help bring up the water level and also >to disguise the tube carrying the water. Is this the >case? Also water finds it's own level. This makes >it hard, I find, to predetermine the direction of the >water flow. If you're just a little off level it >changes the effect. How to you get around this >problem? > >I would be very grateful for any advice you have on >the above. > >Please keep posting your website as I am enjoying >looking at your new images. Thank you, > >Margaret. > > >--- Peter Atwood > wrote: > > Dear Margaret, > > > > Thanks for touring my site. I get quite a few hits > > every week but not too > > many folks who want to communicate. I guess that is > > the nature of the web. > > > > I have been making fountains for several years now > > and there are a couple of > > things that I think are important. First, lots of > > potters make fountains > > that look like potters made them. In other words, > > I've seen a lot of > > fountains that look like pots and that's not what > > fountains are. They are > > little water gardens, tiny worlds unto themselves. > > They should have an > > organic and natural quality to them. If you want to > > make fountains then let > > go of your preconceived ideas and just play. My best > > pieces were not > > sketched out in any way- I just started throwing and > > put the pieces > > together. > > > > Pay attention to the sound. Study some water falls > > and brooks. My very best > > piece just sold last weekend from my studio. A nice > > couple stopped by to > > replace a favorite broken mug and ended up falling > > in love with the water > > garden fountain that is on the top of my page. They > > were intrigued because > > it made a very natural sound. > > > > I was in a store last week and saw a truly annoying > > fountain made of slate > > stuck inside a metal bowl. The dripping water made a > > horrible tinny sound > > that jangled my nerves. Fountains should soothe and > > calm. > > Also, use shiny glazes and coat the inside after > > firing with a silicone > > water repelling substance. In the States we have a > > product called RainX > > which is made for coating the windshields of cars. > > This stuff helps keep the > > white crust of minerals from building up and makes > > the fountains much easier > > to keep clean. Alternatively, you can run distilled > > water in the fountain. > > > > Hope that gives you some ideas. Happy fountain > > making! > > > > Peter Atwood ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 27 Apr 2000 14:48:00 EDT From: Peter Atwood > Subject: Re: What sand mixed with cement will make it black ? ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Hi, It is my understanding that cement can be dyed any color you want. I would contact a masonry contractor or two out of the yellow pages to find out what to add for this effect. Peter Atwood ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 26 Apr 2000 12:57:13 EDT From: Elca Branman > Subject: Re: Printing with Leaves ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- I occasionally use leaves to print oxide onto glaze, using the following method. 1) dry or at least flatten the leaves(cut leaf maple, ginko, oak ,fern ,pars;ley etc are all good) I lay them in the phone book,occasionally eliciting irritated curses from my husband when he is looking up a number. 2)use oxides with a pinch of gerstley borate to flux them 3)add a bit of dish washer detergent, just a drop, to help the oxides flow. 4) paint the BACK of the leaves, because the veins are more prominent there. 5) lay painted leaf on a soft sponge, wet side up, dry side on the sponge(no I don't think you all are idiots;just forestalling misunderstandings.) 6) use the sponge to pressthe leaf gently on to the glazed, but unfired surface.Its function is to help you ahndle the leaf . 7)Sometimes I rebisque a fired pot after glazing, to sinter the glaze so that its easier to handle for the printing process. Elca Branman elca@home.com On Tue, 25 Apr 2000 14:41:04 EDT Janet Kaiser I am not sure they would work in the way you mean, but painted with >oxides >or stains and rolled on to clay, I am sure they would produce some >remarkably fine decoration. Much finer than using whole leaves. >> ________________________________________________________________ YOU'RE PAYING TOO MUCH FOR THE INTERNET! Juno now offers FREE Internet Access! Try it today - there's no risk! For your FREE software, visit: . ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2000 15:08:41 EDT From: Sheron Roberts > Subject: Re: Packing for shows ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- ------------------ I don't know if this has been mentioned yet, but when I pack large bowls or vases I use pieces of the stuff you put under area rugs to keep them from slipping or skidding. I use the soft spongy kind. You can buy as large or as small a sheet as you like. Cut it to fit or in squares. When stacking bowls I place a sheet of this in-between the bowls. It last forever and there are no bubbles to tempt you into popping=21 The best part is it clings to the pots much like plastic wrap is supposed to (but doesn't) and I use it over and over and over . . . . . Sheron in NC where they tell me that President Clinton is visiting our little town Wednesday (have noticed a lot of blue suits walking around with notebooks the last few days) wonder if he would like a few 4 day old Easter eggs :) ------------------------------ ----------------------------- Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2000 14:44:23 EDT From: John Rodgers > Subject: Re: envirovent lubrication-- help! ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- A caution about using WD 40. WD 40 was never intended to be a lubicant. Specifically, the name WD40 stands for Water Displacement Batch #40, indicating its composition and funtion. If you try to run a motor with it as a lubricant, your motor will probably burn out a bearing. WD40 can be used to loosen things up, but be sure to follow immediately with a good lightweight machine oil designed for bearing lubrication.Depending on the motor, you might use 3-in-1 successfully or you may want to go to a straight 20 wt oil.The latter might be better if the environment is hot. John Rodgers Birmingham, AL ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 19 Apr 2000 14:53:29 EDT From: David Hendley > Subject: Re: Packing for shows ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- I know I'm an out-of-touch dinosaur because I haven't bought any of those pretty plastic tubs for packing pottery for shows. I love liquor and wine boxes with built-in dividers. I've had some boxes for more than 20 years. Any pot less than 6 inches in diameter goes right into a compartment, no wrapping required. Get some boxes that held 'flasks', 'fifths', 1.5 liters, and 3 or 4 liters (wine), and you'll have a size just right for all your small items. Also, be on the lookout for other boxes with dividers; I got box that held gallon jugs of chain saw oil that is great for larger pots. Bowls and larger pieces still have to be wrapped, but just dropping those small items into the boxes saves a lot of time. Plus, you get to joke with the other artists about how you can write off your Jack Daniels as a 'business expense', since you use the box for product packaging. -- David Hendley Maydelle, Texas hendley@tyler.net ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 19 Apr 2000 14:51:33 EDT From: Jean Cochran > Subject: Re: Packing for shows ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Dear Tom, My way will certainly not be suitable for all potters but, for what it is worth: During my very poor years I used to obtain boxes from smaller grocery stores which were used to pack and transport raw chickens. They were uniformly sized and were wax impregnated. Later on, I began accumulating "Action Packers," which are made by Rubber Maid. Mine are (approximately) 17" wide at the top, 15" wide at the bottom, by 25" long at the top, 23" long at the bottom, by 16" deep. I need these big packers as I make a lot of big bowls. They are quite heavy when filled. At the shows we arrange these boxes and cover them with small color coordinated blankets (blankets don't wrinkle, which is very important). We arrange chairs around these and put a few pots on them. This is our "parlor" and weary patrons and fellow artists frequently sit with us there. This is, also, where we do our eating since it is very unprofessional to be chomping on food while dealing with the public. I paid from $18. to $20. each for these and have about $300. presently invested in them. It is worth it. When we pack the pots in these, we use foam wrap which can be purchased on a roll, perforated every 12". I have 1sies (1) 12" piece for such things as saucers, 2sies (1) 24" piece for such things as cups. Also, have purchased a roll of foam wrap which is thicker and wider which is cut in to mediums and larges. These are for large bowls and the like. Once my criteria were established, heaven help the guy to mixes up my sizes of foam wrap. We use them over and over. No ink from newspapers to soil our hands, the patrons hands, or the pots. Now you know more than you wanted to know. Sorry, once I start explaining I just can't stop. Jean Wadsworth Cochran ex-Floridian Fox Hollow Pottery in a real hollow in Kentucky ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 19 Apr 2000 14:29:31 EDT From: Cheryl Tall > Subject: Re: Packing for shows ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Hi Tom: I did a lot of outdoor shows in the 80's, including Coconut Grove, Las Olas and Winter Park. At first I made dinner ware and handbuilt fuinctional items and then larger handbuilt decorative airbrushed vessels. For smaller items, go to a liquor store and get the boxes with the cardboard partitions already in it. It's a cinch to drop in mugs and other small items with out even wrapping and they will be safe. I learned not to use newspaper. After you have unwrapped everything, you will be greeting the customer with ink stained hands. Most outdoor shows have only portajohns and not soap and water for washing. You can bring your own handiwipes. Or you can use newsprint with no ink on it. (Available at art stores). I found it best to use bubblewrap. It stays clean and can be reused. For plates, you get a box a little bigger than the outside dimension of the plates and simply stack them with a piece of bubble wrap inbetween. For large vessels, U'Haul makes a dishpack, triple ply box that is great for packing. simply wrap piece in bubble wrap and and place in the box. Of course it is best to have a van or a large SUV so you can pack all these boxes tightly so they don't move. Anyway, I always envied the silk artists and the jewelry artists who could just close the case and go. Cheryl Tall in Stuart, Florida ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Apr 2000 13:08:25 EDT From: Malone & Dean McRaine > Subject: Cement wedging tables-How to make them ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Aloha Mark: I have used cement wedging tables for over 10 years and no cracks or deterioration have appeared. Cement gets harder for 40 years. They're easy to clean either with a wet sponge or by scraping with a 6" steel scraper such as the kind used for drywall mud. Steel won't scratch it, ever. My tables are about 18" x 24" but you can make them any size, as big as you want. I think my tables are about 2 1/2" thick. I used premixed , bagged concrete with small aggregate since it seemed the easiest. No rebar is needed. I don't know what you mean by 'in place'. The bigger they are the heavier they get but mine are portable and there's no reason you couldn't make a flat cement block with no legs that you could move anywhere. I made a wooden box about 18" x 24" x 2 1/2", pounded a few nails through the sides so they projected into the space where I would pour the cement and hold it in place, poured the cement up to the top of the box and smoothed it off to make a smooth working surface. As I said before if you want a glass smooth surface cast the working surface on a piece of glass and then flip it over when set. I also thought about casting on a piece of wood with a slight grain pattern that would then be impressed on any slabs you rolled out on it. I put legs on the box so it stand on the floor at a good working height for me and it's easy to move it around. I'd guess it weighs 50 lbs. I can drag it but a dolly is easier. I also added a shelf underneath for storage. The mass of the cement is nice for wedging and working clay, it doesn't budge when you slam down big pieces of clay. It's absorbent and will dry clay left on it like plaster. The slight texture grabs the clay when wedging and leaves an appealing surface if slabs are made on it. I used no sealer. Cement is far stronger than plaster and unlike plaster, which chips and wears, it's indestructable. My tables are still like new and perfectly flat after 10 years of scraping. You can even sharpen your tools on your wedging table if you need to. It's easy to clean, unlike canvas, which can be very dusty. Also canvas moves around no matter how tight. Cement is solid, like a rock. I think that for a school situation they are by far the best alternative. Good luck. Dean ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 12 Apr 2000 16:50:22 EDT From: Bonnie Staffel > Subject: Yes, Aluminum Long ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Apr. 11, 2000 Clean your silver by placing it in an aluminum pan with some soda. Presto the silver tarnish is gone. Rub your finger on an aluminum pot and your finger will turn black. ALCOA has worked to coat the metal to prohibit reactions from food, so the non-stick pans were invented. Regards, Bonnie Staffel ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 11 Apr 2000 15:23:57 EDT From: Chris Campbell > Subject: Thoughts on selling pottery ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Just a thought or two on the process of selling pottery. One of the more famous lines in the advertising game is "Sell the Sizzle" not the hamburger. So often at pottery shows, I hear potters selling "the hamburger" to death and they forget to mention "the sizzle". The typical "hamburger" spiel goes like this ... " Well I use stoneware clay which I bisque to Cone 06 then glaze it and fire it to Cone 6." Who on earth but another potter knows what the heck they are talking about?? When asked further questions they answer even more technically describing kiln set ups and temperature ranges and reduction processes. In other words, they run into their comfort zone. It is so much easier to explain technical details than to give a part of the emotion and caring that went into the work...."The sizzle" What if they explained instead that they love working with that form because it soothes them ...love the way the color runs on a mug ... get excited by the unpredictable results of the glaze ...choose the color because it reminds them of a pot their grandmother had ...love attaching handles by hand because their thumbprint shows .... raise the rim on plates because it holds more gravy??? Don't you think it would sell better? Male, female, functional or decorative ... it makes no difference. Learn to talk about your work in "sizzle" terms. Practice as you throw ...it is a learned skill like anything else. The more people get caught up in the mechanics of the internet and the more they sit in front of the cold and lifeless computer - the more handmade objects are going to be needed. Every gallery owner I talk to tells the same story. Sales are up. No end in sight. "Sizzle" is cannot be fake, give a little piece of yourself. Be sincere. If you try to fake it, people will pick up on it immediately and move on. Think of the objects in your home that you prize and I guarantee there is a personal story...a connection. Nine times out of ten, when you tell your story you will watch the person turn around and repeat it almost verbatim to a friend or even another customer. You shared and they share again almost immediately. They are also more likely to buy. I have never seen a customer turn around and exclaim - " Wow, they are using earthenware clay!!! " Chris Campbell - in Carolina ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 7 Apr 2000 13:15:05 EDT From: sibylle > Subject: Re: Building a plaster surface wedging table ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Hi Amy, defacing a cemetary is also forbidden here in germany. But it is normal, that af about 40 years a grave was kept, they remove it and you can get the gravestone. think it cannot be sold because it is a kind of unfashionable ;). It costs nothi they are even glad they don't have to care for it any more. And concerning that ghost, perhaps you are right and she (it is the gravestone o women) is the reason why very often our tools are lost or we find them at places where nobody ever would lay them down (bucket of mud for example, or behind the radiator). We might have to make a sacrifice to bring her soul the eternal peace and to get our pottery more tidy :). Thanks for the hint. sibylle amy parker schrieb: ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 8 Apr 2000 18:03:44 EDT From: Andie > Subject: Re: Tell me your secrets about your hands ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- I wash after every throwing session with one of those salt/oil body scrubs, only I use it only on my hands. Works so well, my hands and nails are actually softer and more wonderful the weeks that I AM throwing, instead of the other way around, and it also removes every molecule of clay with only a very quick scrub. Andie ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 2 Apr 2000 13:12:57 EDT From: rickmahaffey > Subject: Re: Building a plaster surface wedging table ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- We used to put in the electrical heat tape that you use on pipes to keep them from freezing, or the type that you put in your flower beds so that you can plant earlier in the "Spring". After it is poured you wait one day then plug in the heat tape/wire and your table is dry in no time. Also this is useful to reclaim clay. Rick Mahaffey Tacoma, Washington, USA Jim Brooks wrote: > > ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- > I built my wedging board with 1"X4" board frame and quickly discovered that i > would have to have a cement truck back up with a load of plaster if i were > going to fill it to the top.. SO.. i used a concrete stepping stone from the > local nursery to "fill" the frame..(actually was not but about half full).. > and then completed the fill with plaster... As soon as it dried, i covered > it with canvas .. that was about 15 years ago.. i have changed the canvas > once.. and it needs changing again. Also,, have made three moves with this > thing and it held together.. Good luck. ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 9 Mar 2000 16:10:08 EST From: Michael McDowell > Subject: Farmers Markets ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Darby, I also sell in a Farmers' Market. Mine is in the college town of Bellingham, WA., and also runs every Saturday during the season. Here, there is much concern that craftspeople might "take over" the market if their presence is not restrained to a fixed percentage of the "market mix". The set of rules that have emerged as a result of this desire to separately regulate the numbers of farmers and craftspeople create a maze of regultions for one such as I, a legitimate participant as both farmer and craftsperson. Currently, I have membership status in the market as a farmer, and this status allows me to sell my craft to 20% of my total sales. I. e. For every four dollars of produce sales, I am allowed one dollar of pottery sales (If I had status as a craft vendor, I would not be allowed to sell any produce). One year, I got ahead of that 80/20 ratio and was asked to stop bringing pottery untill the ratio was restored. It's a big pain for me, but then I guess I'm a big pain for the administrators as well. Anyway, I do like the ambiance of the Farmers Market, at least on the days it doesn't rain. When it does rain, of course business goes to hell, as we are just set up under EZ UP awnings on a parking lot. But even then there is a rather remakable bonding amongst the vendors who wait it out and the few loyal market shoppers who would seemingly bear any inconvenience to support our efforts. A fine way to spend a Saturday... Michael McDowell Whatcom County, WA USA mmpots@memes.com ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 8 Mar 2000 16:51:53 EST From: Katie Cordrey > Subject: Business Plan (and some other strategies.) ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- I'd like to add my two cent's worth here. I've established and sold a few small businesses unrelated to the arts. Still, I think some things translate well. Keeping debt down, planning, and constant business introspection are your best assurance of success. You know the old saying, "The job's not over until the paperwork's done." >From a psychological standpoint, having a business plan gives you structure, tests your assumptions, and makes you FEEL like you're a REAL business. If you take yourself seriously, approach your work as a business. You will be taking steps to long-term success. I know there are lots of exceptions to this, (I've been one.) But I recommend you do a business plan. Check with the SBA. They have many resources, even fill-in workbooks to help you organize your ideas, business plan classes (very low fees,) demographics and market research resources, assistance and advice, even computer labs and use of business plan software. (I have business plan templates which, as I mentioned previously on Clay Art, I'd be glad to email to anyone who wants them.) Don't let the fact that you don't have several months' living expenses saved keep you from moving forward. Most of us would never start a business if we followed the ideal of six month's to a year's cash on hand. Even if you already work full-time at an unrelated job, think of "increasing" your current income. I gave up cable TV and freed up $50 a month, (not to mention tons of time,) turned off caller ID $7, gave up twice a week lattes (ouch) $20, and started selling a few things at on-line auctions. I managed to put aside $100 a month for my business with these modest measures. I also started a "second job" by putting some of my skills to work... I do small business consulting (mostly QuickBooks setup) and limit it to ten hours a week, viola, another $1000 a month which is ONLY used for developing the art business part of my life. I schedule 20 hours a week in the studio. Yes, it's a 70 hour week, (before the day to day chores) but I'm moving toward my goals. (This is the more time than money approach.) I have nearly all the equipment I need and am in the process of moving from space I share with my woodworking husband (wrong kinda dust!) to my own space by converting the carport. It's taken two years. I expect to be doing only consulting and clay by the end of this year. I am aiming for a clay-only life in another two years. Even if all you do is what I've just done, state your goals in terms of time-line and general approach, you will be ahead of most people! Most of all, don't give up, ever! Katie Cordrey --- Michael Shernick > wrote: > --Original > message-- > I have to agree with David whole-heartedly about > starting out debt-free. I > also agree that the business plan will be a lot of > conjecture at the start. > What I think is important, though, is to do a > business plan, even if > it is a lot of guesswork. > .....And those > who kept their business plans assiduously up-to-date > were highly > "successful." > > The lesson is that business plans are a tool that > help you set goals and run > the business effectively. They are not just > wallpaper or something to file > away. ...> IMHO, all people employed by a business (even if > it's just you as a sole > proprietor) should be able to say what the company's > products are and what > the plan to get them to market is. If you can't, > then you need to re-do and > fine tune your business plan. > > Cheers! > > Michael > Berthoud, CO > > > > >From: David Hendley > --Original > message--> >Rachel, my advice is to not take out a loan to > finance > >equipment for a pottery business. > >I think you have a much better chance of making a > go > >of being a potter if your business is debt-free. ...> >It's still a good idea to have a business plan but, > if you are > >just starting out, your business plan will > truthfully be a lot > >of assumptions and guesses. > > > >-- > >David Hendley > >Maydelle, Texas > >hendley@tyler.net > > > > > > > > > >----- Original Message ----- > >From: Rachel Sedacca > > >To: > > >Sent: Thursday, March 02, 2000 12:48 PM > >Subject: Business Plan > > > > > >| ----------------------------Original > message---------------------------- > >| I am a young potter in Ventura County, Calif. and > am trying to get my > >studio > >| up and running. I am producing right now but > have quickly outgrown the > >used > >| equipment that was not everything I needed to > begin with but got me > >started. > >| So now it's time to buy a kiln. Nothing too > major but I think I will > >need > >| to try and get a small business loan to purchase > it and some of the other > >| equipment that I want for my studio. Years ago I > had inquired about SB > >| loans but the first thing they wanted was a > business plan. I dropped it > >| then cause I didn't know where to start. Ready > to pick it back up and > >| figure it out. Is there any advice you all might > have? I know there are > >| lots of books out there but not sure which is the > best, I am DEFINITELY a > >| right brainer! Guidance at this point would be > much appreciated! > >| Thanks! Rachels ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 7 Mar 2000 13:18:54 EST From: ferenc jakab > Subject: microwave firings ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Having seen a few postings about microwaves, glazes etc. I thought I might pass on this little gem. during my days in a major craft workshop some acquaintances of mine who indulge in slumped or "cold" glass crafts found that they could do cheap test firings by inserting their glass projects between to pieces of ceramic fibre and then putting them into a microwave oven. I don't remember for The length of time they used but I think it was ten or twenty minutes. This generated temperatures sufficient to fuse all their little pieces of glass together. Feri ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 1 Mar 2000 12:45:29 EST From: Jimmy Chandler > Subject: Re: Paint for studio floor ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- I remember this thread from a couple of years ago, at which time I chimed in on how I've handled painting concrete in the past and how well it worked. First,if it's not a brandnew floor clean and etch the surface with muriatic acid (I hired someone to do this part) rinse thoroughly, then paint it with acrylic paint -not artist's acrylics, far too expensive, but paint in a can. Check with a paint store or contractor to find acrylic wall/trim paint. I've done only decorative painting on floors (faux finishes with stencils etc.) so I work in lots of layers, but I'd say you want to lay down at least two coats. Then the important - and the expensive- part; find a floor contractor who will sell you "Pacific Strong" floor coating and its compantion "High Build" sealer. They're made by a company called Bona and very expensive but colorless and incredibly durable, unlike polyurethane . (Bona has a phone number where you can talk to a tech. rep.) Follow directions. Enjoy for a long long long time. Laura Chandler Kensington MD ------------------------------ ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 28 Feb 2000 15:24:13 EST From: Ray Aldridge > Subject: Re: Where to find BULB SYRINGES?? ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- At 08:33 PM 2/27/00 EST, you wrote: >----------------------------Original message---------------------------- >Dear Bulb Syringe Searchers; Yes, look for ear syringes in any drugstore. >Much of Friedlover's doubt about the efficacy of these for pottery usage >may be emeliorated by placing the syringe in your freezer for a few hours, >then taking it out and drilling a 3/16" hole in the bulb up near the top(if >you are holding it in drawing position). after you have done this, you can >place a finger over the hole to fill the syringe, and by opening and >closing the hole with your pinky you may finely control the flow. Our >Colonial ancestors used clay shapes fitted with turkey quills(some >multiple); saw them in the Pennsyvania dutch collection at the Art museum >in Baltimore, along with beautiful examples of the slipware they made with >them. Hank in Eugene > I'll add that another excellent tool for trailing slip and glazes is the little squeeze bottles they sell in beauty supply shops for applying hair dye. Clairol bottles will cost you an awful lot less than bulb syringes, and they can be cut with a very fine point. You can keep a lot of them around with a pin in each to keep the slip from drying out, so you can switch colors conveniently. If you're a male potter, you do have to be brave enough to go in and ask for them. I got laughed at, but the psychic wounds soon healed. Ray Aldridge Porcelain and Stoneware ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 27 Feb 2000 20:33:13 EST From: "C. A. Sanger" > Subject: Studio Building Plans ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Get some graph paper and cut out little paper shapes of all the equipment to be placed in the studio. Put Post-It note-type glue on the backs of the shapes. Then begin arranging the shapes on the paper. Don't forget to mark doors, windows, etc. Plan for flow, that is, clay comes in one end, goes out as finished product at the other. I worked on my plan two weeks, but I had only 450 square feet to work with. Mine is tight, but it works pretty well. Other tips: Place quad outlets every 6 feet, and two feet up from the floor. Consider some hanging outlets, too, so you can place equipment in the room's center if needed. Put up as much wall shelving as you can, then put vinyl coated hanging baskets (from the kitchen section of Walmart) on the bottom ones to hold plastic bags, etc. The hanging baskets are great over the sink--wet stuff drips into the sink! My favorite tip: Use industrial velcro to attach clothespins to the wall by wheels, sinks, etc. Then hang heavy plastic sheets. When they 're dirty, wipe down or take off to wash outside--no more dirty walls! Buy cheap, large S hooks from the closet section of Walmart. Use to hang towels off sink, or drills for mixing glazes, etc. Hang pegboard near your wheel for tools. Buy an old wheeled vinyl- record rack for bat storage, they're cheap at garage sales. My last suggestion is a lot of work, but great if you're bothered by clutter. Paint the walls, surfaces, any paintable equipment, etc. all the same color. I painted everything a quiet light gray. Makes the room seem bigger, and a lot less visually cluttered. Even people who thought it was incredibly anal now comment it was a great idea. If you'd like a drawing of my floor plan, let me know. C. A. Sanger ShardRock Clay Studio Kansas, USA ~www.ikansas.com/~chuck/ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 21 Feb 2000 16:17:49 EST From: vince pitelka > Subject: make your own trimming tools ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- If you are a professional production potter, then I side with Jonathan. Get the Bison trimmers. But if you love making your own tools, there are two materials I like using for trimming tool blades. When you are in a city, any city, keep your eyes in the gutter, and pick up any of those flat steel street-sweeper bristles you often see on the streets. They are very thin and strong high-carbon steel, but they will bend to the desired shape. Pull the blades out of your worn-out trimming tools. Bend the sweeper bristles over a round or square object, depending on the shape trimmer you want, and press the shanks into the handle with a little wood glue. Several other good raw materials - the stainless steel "backbones" from commercial windshield wiper blades - from trucks and busses. You should be able to scrounge them at a truck stop or a city maintenance garage. Also, engine oil or automatic transmission dipsticks make great trimming tool stock. The material is very hard and springy, but it will bend appropriately. Go to a junkyard, and for very cheap you can get a lifetime supply. The street sweeper bristles are so thin that they will not need sharpening. The other two do need to be sharpened, but that is easily done on a bench grinder. This is one of the MANY do-it-yourself tools I will be discussing in the "Tool Doctors" presentation at NCECA. Good luck - - Vince Vince Pitelka Home - vpitelka@dekalb.net 615/597-5376 Work - wpitelka@tntech.edu 615/597-6801 ext. 111, fax 615/597-6803 Appalachian Center for Crafts Tennessee Technological University 1560 Craft Center Drive, Smithville TN 37166 ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 19 Feb 2000 20:14:55 EST From: Nora Robbins > Subject: Square plates ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- You can easily make square or other shaped plates by using the stretcher frames painters use for their stretched canvases, available in various lengths from art supply stores. Assemble the four lengths of stretcher wood and place the entire structure on a ware board. Then place a slab of clay to your desired thickness over the stretched expanse. Pick up the entire structure, board and all, and drop in onto your table top or floor from about 10" to plop the clay into the slumped form. You may need to drop it 2 or 3 times as desired. Trim off the excess, either at the edge of the wood strip or cut your edge to what ever width you desire. Let the plates dry in these frames until a hard leather, then you can remove them and clean up the edges, etc. Bowl shapes can be formed by stacking two sets of forms, one on top of the other to give depth. You can easily experiment with sizes and shapes by buying a variety of stretcher lengths. And the stretcher frames are inexpensive. Nora from Miami ------------------------------ -- Russel Fouts Mes Potes et Mes Pots Brussels,Belgium Tel: +32 2 223 02 75 ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 18 Feb 2000 11:13:46 EST From: Lee Love > Subject: Re: square plates ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- At the first pottery I working in, here in Mashiko (I worked there for two and a half months), the most interesting thing I learned was what they taught all the new employees in the beginning: making plates, sushi platters and pickle dishes just using a cutout, some newspaper and extruded clay coils (hebi nendo = clay snake.) Most of the templates were cut out of light plywood and were either squares or rectangles or rounded cornered squares or rectangles, but you could actually use any shape and cut them out of card board. The clay is smoothed with a metal scraper on both sides. you then lay it on 3 sheets of paper on a board,the paper is a little bigger than the slab you use (we cut the slabs from a block of clay, using a cutting wire and cutting slats). Lay the template down and cut the shape you want. Remove the excess clay. Then, take come clay snake and put it under the edge of the clay shape, so that half of the snake is covered by the edge of the slab. On square or rectangular shapes, you lay snakes at parallel ends, and then you lay the two other sides, with the ends crossing the first snakes. The snakes should be under two sheets of paper, and on top of the bottom sheet. Next, take a cotton bag filled with cornstarch (tie the end with a rubber band to hold the starch in) and smooth the slap from the middle to the edge. To get a nice smooth surface on the wall of the outside of the plate, lift the two pieces of paper and roll the cornstarch bag into the edge, toward the clay snake. When you have all the edges the way you want them, slide the form off of the board with the paper and snakes intact and leave it out to dry. When it is dry, you can smooth the edges with a shammie. Where I work now, I am developing a new respect for molded work. I work next to the retired Forman who makes most of the molded bottles, jars, bowls, etc. Right now, he is making little calligraphy water droppers. I think he does most of the production of these molded forms and does the finishing, but the Sensei does the enamel work on them. I want to learn the mold work so my wife can make her own work and do he decoration on them. The slab work would also be nice flat surfaces for her to put her imagery on. -- Lee in Mashiko, Japan ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 18 Feb 2000 10:59:15 EST From: Linda Paul > Subject: Re: square plates ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- I just learned a technique for making square plates on the wheel. The technique is simple but describing it is a bit tricky. Since I haven't seen this technique covered in other posts on this thread, I'll give it a shot: 1. Throw the plate in the usual fashion but stop before angling the rim down. 2. Stop the wheel and mark off four equidistant corners on the rim of the wet plate (the teacher held a square bat over the plate using the four points to help with placing the shallow marks). 3. Now, working between two marks, fold the rim over onto itself, pressing down from the top of the roll and working your way down in order to avoid trapping air. Do this gently to avoid pushing down on the very soft clay. Do this four times. 4. Start the wheel at a slow speed, and, using a rubber rib, GENTLY push down on the rim as it revolves around the wheel using your hand underneath for support. Since the clay is still very wet, all will smooth out nicely in a few turns of the wheel. 5. Voila! Square plate. I liked the look of the plates better when they weren't completely squared off. To use this slight variation, roll over only the center part of the rim between the marks leaving about an inch on either side of the fold over that is not touched. Try it! It's fun and it really is easier than it sounds. Linda Paul TheClosetPotter@aol.com New York, NY ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 18 Feb 2000 10:58:00 EST From: Stephen Mills > Subject: Re: Mixing colorants into clay ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- John Colbec in his excellent book on materials recommends making a thumb pot with the clay to be coloured, putting the colorant into it together with some water, and then with a piece of stick or similar implement working it into a paste gradually incorporating the thumb pot until all you can do is wedge it together. Steve Bath UK -- Russel Fouts Mes Potes et Mes Pots Brussels,Belgium Tel: +32 2 223 02 75 -- Russel Fouts Mes Potes et Mes Pots Brussels,Belgium Tel: +32 2 223 02 75 ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 19 Feb 2000 20:40:03 EST From: Lee Love > Subject: Re: square plates ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Hi Curtis (I'll send a copy to ClayArt because I've received other questions from there), A quick note for now. (I'm moving the big stuff to our new house/studio today. And English potter from Kasama is coming over to help with his big van.) You can make the snakes follow the exact shape of the slab, (I typoed slap for slab before) but it isn't necessary. For some reason, all the sides are the same, even if the parallel side snakes overlap the first ones. The snakes go under two of the papers, but over one paper. You need two papers for strength under the slab because otherwise they get wet and fall apart. The snakes I used were a little under an inch in circumference. You pat with the cornstarch bag, otherwise, you smudge the clay. The cloth bag gives the plate a nice texture. You lift the paper at the edge of the slab to give the side a nice curve and so that you don't imprint the snake on the outside edge. If you don't lift the paper toward the bag when you get to the edge, you with have a concaved. The paper under the snakes is so that you can move the snakes and the slab together, after you are finished shaping. The snakes remain with the plate until it is hard enough to hold its shape. At that time, you smooth the edges with a shammie. Hope this clarifies my post. Please write with more questions if it didn't. :^) My wife is going to clobber me if I don't get off of my "Toy" and start packing. ;^) -- Lee in Mashiko, Japan Ikiru@Kami.com ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 17 Feb 2000 16:10:50 EST From: iandol > Subject: Re: mouldy wax resist ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- ------------------ Unless you make your own wax resists you have now way of knowing what is in = the mixture. I use a wax resist which is an opaque white fluid and I wash up my brushes immediately after using them. Now wax and water are sort of incompatible = unless treated with an emulsifier. The stuff I use is a water base emulsion. Emulsions are easy to make. You can check this by floating some olive or = cooking oil on water. Shake, they do not mix. Add a pinch or so of bicarb of soda = and shake again. A white emulsion. So, it would seem as though things can go wrong when wax emulsion is frozen = or degraded biologically. Ivor Lewis. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 16 Feb 2000 19:43:24 EST From: Cheryl Tall > Subject: Re: square plates ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Dear Jim and Lisa: I attended a wonderful Bill Daley workshop when I was at University of Miami and he had us make geometrical molds for clay from cardboard. Simply measure and cut the cardboard to the size required. Leave extra cardboard for tabs for joining. Join the cardboard with hot glue. Create an identical form out of tar paper. Place the tar paper form inside the cardboard form and use as a press mold I remember making a square plate in this way and it worked great. Cheryl Tall Stuart, Florida ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 9 Feb 2000 14:13:23 EST From: Vince Pitelka > Subject: Re: Pit firing ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- > The thought just occurred to me, I wonder if that is what turned Maria >Martinez's pots so beautifully black. Anyone have an idea? Maria's pots were fired on a low grate, with kindling under the grate, and dry cow-pies all around and on top. Such a fire is very low-key, but quite hot. It never flares up at all, and in fact Maria and Julian did their bonfiring under the roof of an open-sided wooden shed. When the fire reached maximum temperature, it was smothered with large amounts of crushed dry manure, and then immediately buried in ashes. The smoke from the crushed manure, trapped within the fire by the ash cover, turns the pots jet-black. Best wishes - - Vince Vince Pitelka Home - vpitelka@DeKalb.net 615/597-5376 Work - wpitelka@tntech.edu 615/597-6801 ext. 111, fax 615/597-6803 Appalachian Center for Crafts Tennessee Technological University 1560 Craft Center Drive, Smithville TN 37166 ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 8 Feb 2000 14:01:55 EST From: ferenc jakab > Subject: Re: Impossible to make and fire in two days? ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Anita, Sometimes I do a "quick" experimental piece and then place it in a drying oven which consists of a base board a large plastic bag and an old fashioned hair drier which had a tube going to a cap placed over the hair. I staple the opening of the bag to the base, cut a slit vertically which is then the opening for loading and cut another small hole in the bottom of the bag to tape the tube into. I then tape around the base of the board to seal the joint between the bag and the board. I load the work into the "oven" seal the slit and switch on the hair drier. When the bag pumps up I punch a few holes at the top to allow the moist air to escape. This method gives me a quick and even drying out of the pieces and it can be ready to raku the next day. Incidentally when you put the pieces in put something in to act as a deflector so the air stream a) is forced to spiral around the bag and b) does not directly blow onto the pieces,. A brick will do. I think this could be adapted to modern hand held driers but you would need to protect the bag from melting near the outlet of the drier. Experiment if you can Highest heat setting may not be the best (too sudden). Feri. Limitations: I've never done this with more than three pieces at a time any thing more than 1/2 inch thick may take a lot longer to dry out. ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 8 Feb 2000 14:00:10 EST From: "Louis H.. Katz" > Subject: Re: Impossible to make and fire in two days? ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Hi, I do a thing with school teaches to show them how to do pitfires. 9AM Quick demo of coil techniques and slip. 11:00 They must be finished, load pots into a bisque kiln set to keep it at around 165 degrees 3 PM load bonfire firing. 4 PM unload bonifire firing. I use a commercial raku body that I add coarse grog to. I also do a demo and firing in my first day of class in Beginning Ceramics. First we pinch a pot, then glaze the interior, then we load them into the Raku kiln and i set them to dry out, slowly turning up the juice until I can pull the pots out fifteen before the end of the 2 hour 50 minute class. GGROGGGY Clay. Louis Anita & Nick Feng wrote: ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 6 Feb 2000 17:11:38 EST From: Mark & Pauline Donaldson-Drzazga > Subject: Re: Bailey Wheels ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- ----- Original Message ----- From: eric nissen > To: > Sent: 04 February 2000 22:43 Subject: Bailey Wheels > ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- > Hey guys! I am thinking about adding a Bailey wheel to my studio. I > have always had Brent which I am very pleased with but having purchased > a Bailey slab roller last year, the quality is superb, it makes me want > to try one of their wheels. Does anyone have any experience with one > of their wheels to share with me before I make a final decision? I work > in the studio everyday and have a couple of students come in almost > every day, too. Thanks so much! > Sandra > Woodstock, GA where spring WILL be here soon! > Dear Sandra, I have just purchased an electric wheel made to my specifications (should throw 100lbs weight of clay without slowing down, extremely slow low speed, masses of torque so top speed is quite low too as you don't need speed) and I would recomend to anyone in the world this guy. He makes a range of wheels, but as in my case adapted a standard to make me a superb wheel, email Sales@Pottersmate.co.uk and his name is Malcolm Headley-Saw, his tel. is+44(0)1787237704. I have no financial involvement with Malcolm, just want to pass on a fantastic engineer, he really knows his onions. Happy potting Marek ------------------------------ ---------- i have a wonderful trick pot, works all the time...huge success....it is a slab rolled in paper towel or newsprint../ tall bottle shape.....throw a neck and attach, then roll the entire thing on the floor...get it to be round and nice. stand it up....bingo...bottle. dannon's bunch made hundreds of them a few years back...she was really tired of bottles in the kiln. mel ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 18:11:01 EST From: Jean Todd > Subject: Re: Soft brick ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Hello All, My first day with this group. Why go to the expense of buying soft brick to place crystal glaze pots on when it is easy (but messy) to make setters just the right size and thickness. Find somewhere where you can obtain sawdust, fairly fine and with no additives in the timber. Mix this with as little slurry as possible and maybe add a smidgeon of bentonite to make it more workable. This has to be a crumbly mixture. Roll into balls and then flatten it to make a round shape like a pancake. Place this between sheets of "fibro" (do Americans have fibre?) or some absorbant sheeting and let dry very slowly. They need to be flat. These can be used once they are dry, does not need bisquing first. It is very easy to grind off where glaze runs, and if not contaminated can be used over and over. The first time they are fired the kiln does smell of singing timber as the timber burns out.I use them always for test glazes as I like to do big tests, none of these silly test rings for me. Jean from Australia "Lang may your lum reek" ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 16:58:23 EST From: "I.Lewis" > Subject: Porcelain Ornaments. Heat resistant supports ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- ------------------ Carolyn Nygren Curran asks some intriguing questions about supports for high fired ornaments. My understanding is that Kanthal metal will resist high temperatures and has= the resistance characteristics which make it a good material for converting electricity into heat. But it does not have the bulk strength at those temperatures to support itself. So if a load is imposed on it will sag. My own experience is that steel fencing wire, which has a melting point well above cone 12, is useful, though not ideal because it throws a lot of oxide = and it will bend if there is a heavy load. Fourteen gauge, fairly stout stuff, = which can be cut with electricians pliers, will do the job at a pinch. It is cheap enough to discard after each firing. Perhaps this magic ITC stuff would help= to prevent the oxidation problem. However, I think there is a much better answer. There are some excellent = Cobalt alloys which resist high temperature environments. They are available as = smooth rods about eighteen inches long and one eighth of an inch round and cost = about Four Aussie Dollars each. Those who might wish to try this idea out should = ask for STELLITE 1, 3.2mm Bare Hardsurfacing Rods. The composition is Carbon = 2.5, Chromium 30, Tungsten 12, balance Cobalt. Address in USA Thermodyne Stoody, 5557 Nashville Road, Bowling Green, NY = 42101 Address in Canada. Deloro Stellite Inc, PO box 5300, Belville, Ontario K8N = 5C4 Address in United Kingdom. Deloro Stellite Limited, Stratton Saint Margaret, Swindon, Wiltshire SN3 4QA, England. Address in Australia. Local Commonwealth Industrial Gas Agent in Capital = cities and major towns. I could say a lot more about this type of alloy but for the time being just accept that it has good high temperature strength and resists oxidation. Hope that helps out, Ivor Lewis ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2000 16:32:03 EST From: Gail Nichols Subject: Re: distance study ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- There is a well established distance education mode of postgraduate study at Monash University in Australia, run by Owen Rye. Ads appear in Ceramics Technical and Ceramics Art and Perception, for anyone who's interested. The program works by students carrying out independent research from their own studios, communicating with Owen by phone, email, and video reports. There is an annual symposium on campus where everyone gets together for one week. It is a highly successful program, and caters well to the needs of practicing professional artists. I can personally vouch for its success. Gail Nichols Sydney, Australia gail@matra.com.au sodaglaze@artoz.com ------------------------------- Date: Wed, 29 Dec 1999 12:55:07 EST From: michael Subject: Sieved in Korea ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Janet and all, I can't stop the puns! I should have been clearer in my description of the process of sieving clay. What follows is a disclaimer: This is the telling of my experiences and at no time did my hands leave my wrists in the typing of this yarn. Sieving clay through a screen is similar to sieving glaze through a sieve. The raw materials were combined in a container along with a great deal of water. This mixer was then scooped up with a large plastic ladle and then poured through a metal screen into another container to remove any unwanted impurities. These containers could also be called settling tanks because the usable clay would run through the sieve into the container, sink to the bottom and remain there until the tank was filled with mostly sieved clay. The liquid was very fluid and the sieving took several days. When the desired amount of clay had collected in the final container or tank ( depending on size ) the water was removed. The clay that remained was a thick slurry. The smaller studio that made the expensive tea ceremony bowls would take the slurry clay out of the containers and place it into cotton bags which were tied closed. These bags were subsequently placed in a large wooden frame that resembled an open top crate. The bags were then covered by a wood frame lid and concrete cinder blocks were placed on top of the lid which in turn would press the excess water out of the bags. The stuffed bags looked like stuffed pink pig bellies. The clay was allowed to stiffen and when it was removed from the bags it was in a workable state. So, liquid to sieve through metal screens and slurry into cotton bags to stiffen into a workable clay to wedge. All in Eight Days a Week. I love a Beatle reference now and again. My contacts with Korean potters may take some time but I'll work on it. Happy New Year. Mike ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 21 Nov 1999 16:41:03 EST From: Jean Lutz Subject: Shards ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Uses for shards 1. If the shard is glazed on only one side. - Use as your business card by stamping it with your name, address etc. It certainly won't get tossed with the others after accumulating several from an art fair. 2. Drill a hole it them and tie colorful ribbons through and use for Christmas Tree decorations or tags for gifts. 3. Glue them to sona tubes and grout with either real grout or paper mache and create cache pots for plants, holders for casseroles, table bases, umbrella stands etc. 4. Inset them into the cement dividers in a walk way for drive way. Jean Lutz jlutz@azlink.com Scottsdale, AZ ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 18 Nov 1999 11:08:53 EST From: David Hendley Subject: "One step away from the hammer" ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Great descriptive phrase, Earl. Here's what I like to do with some of my "one step aways". (These are technically OK pots, but they just don't quite cut it, and would never stand out in the crowd.) I price them and put them out mixed in with the regular first quality pots, usually towards the back of the shelf, down low, where it's incontinent to look. The price tag says "free". This system gives the pot a good home, because the new owner had to be attracted to it at least enough to pick it up and look at it. It also gives them a great story to tell their friends and, I think, pays me back more dividends in the form of good will and advertising than simply selling the pot for a cheap price. It's also fun. -- David Hendley Maydelle, Texas hendley@tyler.net http://www.farmpots.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 28 Oct 1999 13:38:57 EDT From: Janet Kaiser Subject: PROBLEMS with SLIPCASTING ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Shana, It sounds to me that the THRIXOTROPY is too high, but I am afraid I cannot help any further... The reason is, I am afraid I cannot think in lb.. and oz. nor am I familiar with Georgia Kaolin. I know the US is holding out on metrication, but if you personally change to using grammes/grams you will probably find it is easier in the long run. Glaze and slip recipes are a whole lot easier and more accurate in gm -- honestly!! But let me get off my soap box... :-) For future reference here is my FAULTS IN CASTING chart: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------ FAULT 1. description; 2. cause; 3. remedy ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- PINHOLING: 1. small holes just beneath surface on mould side of article 2. fluidity too low 3. increase water addition ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- WREATHING: 1. small uneven ridges on slip side of article 2. thixotropy too low 3. decrease alkali content ------------------------------------------------------------------- BRITTLENESS: 1. difficult to fettle or cut without breaking 2. thixotropy too low 3. decrease alkali content ------------------------------------------------------------------ CRACKING: 1. small cracks where handles join the body 2. thixotropy too low 3. decrease alkali content ------------------------------------------------------------------- SOFTNESS AND FLABINESS: 1. soft casts difficult to handle without distortion 2. thixotropy too high 3. increase alkali addition ------------------------------------------------------------------ SLOW CASTING TIME: 1. Cast takes too long to form 2. fluidity too high or thixotropy too low 3. decrease water or decrease alkali addition ------------------------------------------------------------------ BAD DRAINING: 1. Slip failing to drain from narrow sections 2. Fluidity too low or thixotropy too high 3. Increase water or increase alkali addition ------------------------------------------------------------------ Remember a slip which is too thick to pour can be made fluid by the addition of a deflocculant, which weakens the bonds between particles (e.g. sodium silicate, soda ash). The slip itself can be made less viscous by using only a small amount of plastic clay. The % or defloc. will vary with the type of slip from 0.5 to 1.5% of the dry weight. SOME CLAYS WILL NOT DEFLOCCULATE! As a batch of casting-slip is used and re-used, plaster from the moulds will reverse the fluidity. Eventually the slip must be discarded. Hope this helps? Janet Kaiser The Chapel of Art, Criccieth, GB-Wales, UK HOME OF THE INTERNATIONAL POTTERS' PATH http://www.the-coa.org.uk postbox@the-coa.org.uk ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 24 Oct 1999 19:40:04 EDT From: Carolynn Palmer Subject: holemaker for hanging tag string ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- We have a drill press in the studio. I simply line up the tags, clamp them together tightly (sometimes just with my fingers) and drill a tiny hole in the corner of about a half inch worth of tags at a time. It goes quickly and smoothly. I use a drill bit meant for drilling wood. The bit needs to be sharp (like new, maybe) and the size of the hole you are wishing for. In a pinch at shows, I've used my portable battery operated drill. Also works. Instead of string, I use very fine Denison plastic fastners to hang the tags on the pots. They are a lot easier to use because they are stiff, like fine wire, and when they are on they are nearly invisible. Carolynn Palmer Somerset Center, Michigan ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 24 Oct 1999 19:40:09 EDT From: "Cindy Strnad, Earthen Vessels Pottery" Subject: Re: holemaker for hanging tag string ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Shirley, My printer offered to order a small hole punch specifically for price tags. It was around $3.00, I think, but I was using an awl, which worked fine, so I declined. Anyhow, ask your printer. Office supply stores may be able to order something like this, too. Cindy Strnad Earthen Vessels Pottery Custer, SD ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 23 Oct 1999 22:57:35 EDT From: eden@sover.net Subject: Re: How do you mix clay cheap and low tech? ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Hi Alisa, Looked at all the responses to you thus far and none is as simple as the one I used for a long time. I dry-mixed all the ingredients in a big plastic trash can......in those days I just held my breath, these days one uses a respirator......and then poured the required water on top. NO MIXING, just walk away. Put the lid on and came back a couple of months later. Perfectly useable clay every time. Eleanora ........... Eleanora Eden 802 869-2003 Paradise Hill Bellows Falls, VT 05101 eden@sover.net ------------------------------ 3 Melting point of Pure Aluminium given by Kaye and Laby is 660.37 deg C ( 1220.666 deg F). It does not have a temperature at which it starts to melt = and another where melting is complete. Once the temperature hits the mark, it = melts. Regards, Ivor Lewis. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 9 Nov 1999 13:07:21 EST From: Stephen Mills Subject: Re: Old clay/before plastic ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- I was at college just as plastic sheet was coming in, they still used wet sacking over clay that hadn't been put away in the bins. It works rather in the way an unglazed water cooler works; it looses water off the surface but the inside remains cool and unaffected so long as the sacking is kept damp. Sacking has another talent: worn over your shoulders when working outside in the rain it keeps you dry and warm for a long time and you don't sweat under it. Steve Bath UK ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 9 Nov 1999 13:02:47 EST From: elizabeth priddy Subject: 2 extruder tips ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- 1-use the round inside piece no matter which outside shape you want, it makes it sturdier and easier to handle. 2-mount the cutting wire onto the wall next to the bottom edge of the extruder and you will be able to hold it with one hand and cut it off using the wall as the needed third hand for the other end of the wire. good luck --- Elizabeth Priddy personal email: epriddy@usa.net website: http://www.angelfire.com/nc/clayworkshop On Mon, 8 Nov 1999 16:52:42 Pottery by Dai wrote: >----------------------------Original message---------------------------- >Hi, Bob - I was intimidated by my extruder for quite a while, too. For >hollow extrusions, I extrude a manageable length, cut it off any-which-way >(this is a 2-person job, I've found---one to hold the extruded piece, one to >cut with a wire---anybody know another way?), anyway, then I carefully lay >it on my wedging table till it firms up somewhat. Then I put it in a miter >box (I think that's what they're called---the 3-sided long box with the >sawcuts in the sides) which has a piece of foam fitted into the bottom, then >cut through the sawcuts on the sides right through the clay to the foam, >and, voila! perfect 90 degree ends! The secret is in waiting till the clay >has firmed up so it doesn't bend all out of round (or square, or octagon) >when you cut it. >Good luck! >Dai in Kelowna, B.C., where we had our first, brief snowfall the other >night---gone by morning. >-----Original Message----- >From: Bob Hanlin >To: CLAYART@LSV.UKY.EDU >Date: Sunday, November 07, 1999 2:26 PM >Subject: Extruder Question... > > ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 9 Nov 1999 13:01:43 EST From: John K Dellow Subject: Re: Old clay/before plastic ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- I don't know about "gunny sacks" (what we from down under call gunny sacks are old military back packs !) :but jute sacks used for packing potatoes are used by traditional terra-cotta potters to cover their lumps & pots . They are opened at the seams to form a blanket or jute is purchased as a cloth. This cloth was also used to make walls by nailing to a frame and dubing with s slurry of sand & cement. I still use them . One is nailed to the platform on the right hand side of my wheel's tray and wetted each morning . After wedging & balling up my lumps I cover with another sack which has been soaked in a bucket of water & then wrung out . Keeps the lumps just right & does not make them slippery like plastic does. ----------------------------- Date: Wed, 20 Oct 1999 16:23:44 EDT From: John Britt Subject: Re: Fake Flashing ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Tony, Try dissolving a half cup of soda ash in about a cup of hot water(actually use as much soda ash as will dissolve) and then pour it on your charger. It will make it 'flash' nicely. If you leave little chunks they will make it interesting too. -- Thanks, John Britt claydude@unicomp.net Dys-Functional Pottery Dallas, Texas http://www.dysfunctionalpottery.com/claydude http://www.silverhawk.com/ex99/britt/welcome.html ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 3 Nov 1999 16:22:22 EST From: Nils Lou Subject: Re: Firing electric and gas ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Tom, If you have a copy of my book, The Art of Firing, I describe such a small kiln adaptation using an AIM test kiln. I fire it on electric to Cone 010 then light the small propane burner for reduction letting the elements continue to add heat. Fires to Cone 10 in three hours flat. See pages 62 and 78 for a description. The elements are coated with ITC213 and the kiln with ITC100/296A. No perceptable degradation on the element's performance after approx. 35 firings. NL On Tue, 2 Nov 1999, tgschs10 wrote: ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 19 Oct 1999 16:59:55 EDT From: clennell Subject: Fake Flashing ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- RR told me that someone on Clayart sprays the pots with ghastly borate??? to give a flashed appearance on raw clay. I have a series of chargers to make where I want my runny ash glaze inside and a toasty bottom. People like the feel of a toasty bottom. Would that person please repost. thank you for this. Cheers, Tony Tony and Sheila Clennell Sour Cherry Pottery 4545 King St. Beamsville, On. L0R 1B1 ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 19 Oct 1999 13:13:57 EDT From: "Frank M. Gaydos" Subject: Speaking of Digital Cameras ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- While waiting for our bus back to Philly last week, I dashed into the Metropolitan Museum to try out my Olympus Digital Camera. You are allowed to take photos if you do not use the flash. I took a bunch of Italian Majolica work through the showcases and using existing lighting which was pretty low. The results are on my web page under 'Metropolitan. Now, I had to put them through Photoshop to color correct them and optimize them for the web. In other words, they came out sharper but due to the limitations of the web viewing they were reduced in information so they load faster. I love the digital cameras and when I upgrade I would upgrade to a zoom lens. PS The majolica work is mind boggling. I was in too much of a hurry to write technical information down for each piece. The last seven pics are of Porcelain from Asia. Another use of the cameras: My corporate Rep wanted to know what kind of work I had available. I lined up my platters in the basement and shot them with the digital, Photoshoped them and uploaded to the web under 'Maxine'. Now, She can see what is available and also show the client, print them out for hardcopy, or right click a pic and attach as email. And all that happened in under an hour. HTTP://home.earthlink.net/~fgaydos/ Frank Gaydos 510 Gerritt St. Philadelphia, Pa. 19147-5821 ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 19 Oct 1999 12:51:43 EDT From: Phyllis Delk Subject: Re: Slides from Digital ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Did a lot of monitor photographing in the past. Used a 105 mm telephoto, f8 3 sec (i believe exposure), One of the problems in photographing a monitor is the barreling effect from the tube. By shooting with a telephoto, it usually is not noticeable. Lots of luck on your photography Gerald Durbin Ph.D. Lesley Alexander wrote: > ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- > > One could display the digital photo on your monitor and take a time > exposure (I tried it at night with all the lights off). It has to be a time > exposure to cover fluctuations in the monitor. Not too bad. Let us know if > you try it too. Lesley in Santa Barbara. ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 18 Oct 1999 13:57:34 EDT From: Lesley Alexander Subject: Slides from Digital ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- One could display the digital photo on your monitor and take a time exposure (I tried it at night with all the lights off). It has to be a time exposure to cover fluctuations in the monitor. Not too bad. Let us know if you try it too. Lesley in Santa Barbara. ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 17 Oct 1999 12:17:03 EDT From: "Louis H.. Katz" Subject: Re: slides from digital pics ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- I am pretty sure that Meisel Imaging in Dallas (they have an 800 number) provide this service. They also have excellent slide duplication at very low prices. Make sure you mar your originals because the dupes are nearly identical. I have sent them lots of dupes and developing and have only had one problem. They sent me someone elses stuff once. Fortunately it was well marked and the problem was resolved. Never have I had off color from them. Louis Billie Schwab wrote: > ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- > ------------------- > Has anyone gone through the process of trying to have slides made from digital > pics? I am having a heck of a time finding information.......... If anyone is > willing to share, I would appreciate any and all feedback. I am using a Sony > Mavica Digital.........also, anybody have a favorite program to edit digital > pics? > TIA, > Billie ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 12 Oct 1999 12:04:00 EDT From: Ingeborg Foco Subject: Re: Plasti bats ----MAKE YOUR OWN ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- I purchased ABS .250 x 48 x96 Haircell Black Sheets (same material that Plasti Bats are made from) and cut out my own, With care you can drill holes that are round. Ingeborg ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 11 Oct 1999 11:32:31 EDT From: John Rodgers Subject: Re: Ceramics as a profession ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Brad, you are absolutely correct in that profit making is easy with the clay, but enough profit to make a comfortable living is a problem. And , yes, marketing is the key. Learning how to market oneself as an artist, and the object d'art you create is crucial...and tough! It is different for everyone of us because each of use are unique, as is our individual works. If you are going to pursue your love of clay as a profession, the dedicate some time each day to the study of marketing and its application to your own situation. It's essential. There are all kinds of information out there...bookstores, libraries, etc. Get with it. You will find that marketing in itself is very in-exact in its methods, so it becomes an art instead of a science. So in additon to being an artist in clay, become an artist in marketing. Apply some of that creativity you display in clay work to marketing...you wil be surprised how well it works. John Rodgers In New Mexico Brad Sondahl wrote: ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 10 Oct 1999 12:21:52 EDT From: Maid O'Mud Pottery Subject: Re: Craft Shows - Tips . . . ? ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Nina Jones wrote: > ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- > Hello the Group! > > If you would be so kind: > > 1. Do you package the pots your customers purchase? How (boxes, > bags)? I use purchased tissue paper and purchased white bags. I feel if the customer is paying for a new object, it's tacky to wrap it in old newspaper and re-cycled grocery bags. Boxes are expensive and I'd need about 40 different sizes, so for me, are not feasible. > 2. I've seen shelves and I've seen tables. Any opinions on which is > better? You can put shelves on tables (I do!). Eye level pieces get the most viewing, remember. > 3. Is it a good policy to give customers a receipt with their > purchase? (not as stupid a question as you might think. At some > street fairs vendors don't) I always do - my province is very sticky about charging sales tax - and you never know which "customer" is actually an inspector. > 4. Does anyone hand out brochures as well as cards with their work? > Any suggestions with regard to format/style? I have wholesale brochures available for those who ask. > Any other suggestions, tips, warnings, well-wishes? Best tip I got (via clayart ;) was leave wide spaces between your display areas. If you have a crowded area, people are afraid to enter your booth and even more afraid of bumping/breaking your ware. I try for a corner booth, and set up a 3.5 X 3.5 ft by 5 ft high shelving unit open all 4 sides, as well as displays along the inside 2 walls. This encourages people to walk around the display. I've seen an increase in sales since starting this configuration (either that, or people like my work more these days ) -- sam - alias the cat lady SW Ontario CANADA http://www.geocities.com/paris/3110 scuttell@odyssey.on.ca "First, the clay told me what to do Then, I told the clay what to do Now; we co-operate" sam, 1994 ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 10 Oct 1999 12:19:13 EDT From: Pottery by Dai Subject: Re: party trick/crack repair ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Hey, Geoff, what is castor sugar? Is it the same as icing sugar? I think icing sugar has some cornstarch in it (as stabilizer)---would this make it work faster? Dai in Kelowna, B.C. P.S. Speaking of sugar, has anyone else tried the sugar-and-oil thing for dry, rough hands? Pour a little olive oil in your cupped hand, add about the same amount of white sugar, and rub all over your hands for a few moments; then rinse off under fairly warm water. Don't use soap, dry on an old towel (there's still olive oil on your hands). The sugar seems to act as a "sanding agent", removing all the little dry-skin "burrs". It's quite nice! potterybydai@home.com ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 9 Oct 1999 23:20:43 EDT From: gwalker Subject: Party trick/crack repair. ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- G'day Claybuds, Here's a little tip I was taught by a student over 25 years ago. Her father had been a thrower of terracotta planters in the English midlands way back. I could go straight to the tip, but just for a bit of fun, try this before reading the ending: Take a small piece of almost dry clay ... only just distortable (? is that a newy???) when poked with maximum finger pressure. Push this piece of clay into a mound of sugar of approximately the same volume (doesn't matter what type of sugar, but castor sugar works more quickly). Keep pushing/kneading this little lump into the sugar until something miraculous happens. (You will see ... and FEEL ...) You should finish up with a ball of quite soft clay within a few minutes. The tip is that the resultant plastic clay can be used to fill cracks in dry but unfired pots. Apparently the old potters used to use this mix to fill "S" cracks and the like in large, thrown pots. I have tried it on special pots over the years and it really works. Not really worth the effort on run of the mill pots, but then they are the ones that never crack, aren't they? ;-) I have no idea of the chemistry behind this, but I have amazed some very experienced potters over the years with this little party trick. Of course, it is likely that this is not new to anyone on the list, but I found no mention of it in the archives. Hoping this is of some use to someone, or at least gives someone a child-like delight ... Magical clay ... Ceoff. ... on the Gold Coast where today is yet another perfect day ... we are often so blessed. http://www.cronulla-pot.com.au/ ------------------------------ ----------------------------- Date: Thu, 7 Oct 1999 20:07:53 EDT From: Bonita Cohn Subject: back-safe way to throw sitting and "alternative" movement therapy ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- For 6 years I attended weekly movement classes in The Feldenkrais Method, (awareness through movement, postural integration, cortical re-education). Moshe Feldenkrais was an Israeli physicist that developed this method using his own awareness as he healed from a knee injury. He is deceased, and his students, from the 70's onward, carry it on. The method picks up where Alexander, yoga, leave off. (I heard that Moshe and Ida Rolf were lovers!) This method has helped me learn to sit and stand, as well as how to relieve stress from my tendonitis and sciatica. I don't go to chiropractors anymore. I do it myself. It has informed the way I move and the way I teach. To sit at the wheel, it is important that your upper legs are parallel to the floor. Bend at the hip, not at the waist. I am 5'4", and have the Brent wheel up on bricks, 2" high, and use a brick (2") under the my left foot, the one not doing the pedal. I use the pedal with my right foot. I have a friend, a professional thrower who hires himself out to the rich and famous and not so famous, uses the pedal under the left foot. Sometimes I'll stand to center 12 or more pounds of clay or to work on a larger piece. The chair upon which I sit is moveable, padded, and will "Give" instead of my back getting thrown out. Sometimes I get rid of the splash pan and sit as close as possible to the wheel, with my chair at the same height as the wheelhead. (If splatter is a problem, place a big sponge at the top, "midnight" clock position, and it will stop the spatter). We potters must be conscious of how we move, and make sure that we do move. Center might be a still point for the pot, and the mind, but bad for the back. No twisting while holding weight away from the body. Common sense things. Let go of muscles not in use. Unclench the fist when its not doing anything. I could go on and on. I've seen Feldenkrais' books in used bookstores for 2 bucks! "Awareness through movement" classes are held at dance and yoga centers. Get into a class and give it some time. It is not about exercise and aerobics, or pain, or strength, but letting go, and moving "smartly" and efficiently. It has changed my life. The people I know who have the wheel up on high legs have already had back surgery. That's not gonna be me! Bonita in San Francisco, 30 years of potting. http://cpmg.com/anagama http://silverhawk.com/ex99/cohn ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 7 Oct 1999 20:05:33 EDT From: Percy Toms Subject: Change of seat saved this back - WAS Re: Standing up throwing ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- In a message dated 10/6/99 11:59:12 AM, NJones@smtp.winston.com writes: >Can anyone suggest an in-the-long-run, back-safe way to throw sitting? Hi Nina.. I'm a professional thrower, so I can't afford to compromise my health at the wheel. For years I never had a problem, sitting in the usual low crouch, till one day the assignment called for throwing water urns, 11 pounds. Now, 99.9% of my work involves less than 8 pounds of clay, and as I pressed forward to center this unaccustomed-large lump, (bag-stiff to boot) - OUCH! #@***!!! I was off work for days. When I returned, did I go back to that crouch? No way! I raised my wheels on 8"x8"x8" concrete blocks, and bought a simple wood kitchen stool from KMart. It's as high as my mid-thigh. But that's not all. After strapping some inches of thick foam atop the seat, one more adjustment - I tilted the stool towards the wheel by a flat-on-the-floor 2"x6" wood slab under the back pair of stool legs. Bingo! I was literally back in business, and I loved the feel of the new position. That was three years ago. No back trouble since. Only wish I'd done this long ago. Do try it, Nina! Good luck, Ned >NJones@smtp.winston.com writes: >to this question, but: Since the traditional way to sit and throw >seems to be so gawd-awful for the back, does anyone know a way to make >it more back-friendly? > >I have been sitting throwing for over a year now. If I feel my back >or shoulders getting "tired" I get up and do stretching exercises or >tend to some other task that needs to be done. I have heard from >other sources besides Clayart that standing to throw is the best way >to do it, and I am too much a baby in this area of the craft to >authoritatively state otherwise. My question is sincere. Can anyone >suggest an in-the-long-run, back-safe way to throw sitting? I'm going >to try the standing-to-throw method, but my legs will literally go >from under me when my ankles give, so standing for long periods to >throw is not a reasonable option for me. > >Any suggestions? > >Thank you, >Nina D. Jones >Southside Chicago >@ njones@winston.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 6 Oct 1999 17:22:16 EDT From: David Cowdrill Subject: Re: Envirovent ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- I have had an Envirovent with my 1027 for two years and am very pleased with it. Expensive but well made and well worth it. A couple of points: - a few months ago when I changed elements I inspected it and found that the vanes of the impeller needed to be cleaned / scraped. I also lubricated it at that time. (Label on motor said to use "Anderol" but Skutt technical support said 3-in-1 oil OK.) - Skutt technical support also advised me that I could reduce corrosion of the impeller by leaving the lid cracked open during early bisque and not running the fan. This allows water vapor to exit out the top. I now leave lid cracked until I don't see condensation on glass and then close the lid and turn the fan on. David Cowdrill in Great Falls, Virginia ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 5 Oct 1999 12:17:35 EDT From: Mary Lee Subject: Re: mosquitoes ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- An old fisherman's mosquito repellent: 100mg of Vitamin B1 taken about a half hour before going outside. The body doesn't tolerate that much and exudes it through the skin. To the mosquito, you'll smell a bit like cod liver oil. They may land, but they won't bite. ML ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 5 Oct 1999 12:15:10 EDT From: Khaimraj Seepersad Subject: Re: slumping glasses ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Hello Lyn , to stop the crazing you would have to use a clay body that is higher or equal to the expansion of your glass . As to the whitening , I am sure the others know the term , but simply , you have to remelt the glass to get it back to clear . For my Coca Cola bottles that is usually after 1100 deg.c or after cone 04 . Your response , noted at 800 to 1000 deg.c , is dead on to what I have observed . You should however get a better response with true Lead Crystal m.p is supposed to be around 950 deg.c .[ will still release Pbo like a glaze , I read this , I don't work with lead ] . You would see this as normal glass cullet , applied as glaze - 100 % [ -200 mesh ] cullet + 5 % white bentonite [ not white firing ] 700 to 750deg.c - gloss . - easily scratched by a sharp knife . 800 to 850 deg.c - losing gloss , going white - knife effect same . 850 to 900 deg,c - opaque to translucent white - knife same . 900 to 950 deg.c - more translucent - knife some resistance . 950 to 1000 deg,c - more translucent , gloss returning - knife resistance. 1000 to 1050 deg .c - almost clear - gloss - knife skidding off . 1050 to 1100 or so - clear - gloss - knife skidding . Will run after 1150 to 1200 deg .c . Please note there maybe a 30 to 50 deg.c + or - , at all end temperatures for extra radiant heat . eg . 700 deg.c maybe = to 730 to 750 deg,c . My test kiln is very small and the pyrometer is old . Tests done on a Red High Fire earthenware [ to 1150 deg.c ] by cone in a normal electric kiln. All glazes cracked . Clay was vitreous . Addition of 10 % kaolin , allowed the glaze to go past 1150 deg.c . * all Coca Cola bottles will scratch with a knife , if worked on the same spot . Probably not quite what you expected , but hopefully , this will help you to understand glass a bit more . Khaimraj Seepersad ________________________________________________________ Here are some suggestions based on 20 years of providing services to people with stories like yours: 1. Ask your doctor to have your x-rays re-evaluated by an occupational physician or a "B reader," which is a person who is especially trained to see the early signs of pneumoconioses such as silicosis. The diagnosis of silicosis is almost always missed in the early stages. Exercise usually makes silicosis worse, too. Any person working around clay for 20-30 years should get an evaluation like this anyway. And if no signs of pneumoconiosis are found, the second opinion can put your mind at ease. 2. Ask your doctor to test you for allergy to molds. Clay itself is not an allergen, and only causes asthma by mechanical irritation. But molds piggy back on the clay dust. If you are also allergic to molds, you have two reasons to give up clay mixing. 3. Ask your doctor to consult with an occupational physician about whether you should wear a mask or respirator at all. OSHA provides a very detailed medical questionnaire for you to answer before your employer can let you wear one. And once you have indicated on that questionnaire that you have asthma, your employer must obtain a physician's opinion about whether the added breathing stress of a mask or respirator will exacerbate your condition. If your doctor doesn't want to take the liability for signing off on your respiratory protection, have your employer pay for this evaluation from an occupational physician. Its the law. 4. Ask yourself some questions about the pottery program at your school. For example: Why should a trained and dedicated teacher spend hours every day doing something that is intellectually on a par with watching flies die? And just what do students learn from clay mixing once they know that you add water to the powder and you get clay? Clay mixing is an anti-intellectual, hazardous, time-wasting task that benefits no one in the program and hurts some. Instead, purchase premixed clay and have the waste reclaimed by the same supply company. And don't let the administration tell you for one minute it costs too much. It is cheap when you figure in the space you will free up for more students, the time you can spend on more productive tasks, the heating and cooling costs saved by not running the ventilation system, and the reduction in the amount of clean up needed when this major source of pottery dust is eliminated. And if you factor in the whole cost of design and installation of proper ventilation, buying clay is cheaper by far. 5. Find out if the school is even mixing the clay legally. I would be surprised if they meet all the applicable OSHA regulations. Have you had your medical check, professional fit testing, and documented training for wearing a mask? Are there MSDSs on all the types of clay and other chemicals in the pottery? And has your school taught you how to *read* the MSDSs in annual HAZCOM training? Has an industrial hygienist personally monitored you during clay mixing to record your exposures to OSHA regulated dusts such as silica, kaolin, and talc? And there is more. Why do schools think they can put their teachers at risk in ways not allowed in industry? Pottery teaching should not be a done under third world conditions. 6. And feel free to contact me for names of occupational medical clinics in your area or *anything* else you think I can do to help. Monona Rossol ACTS 181 Thompson St., #23 NYC NY 10012-2586 212/777-0062 ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 30 Sep 1999 14:31:14 EDT From: the Gallaghers Subject: Re: Sources for LARGE Clear Containers ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- I just purchased clear containers from a restaraunt supply store. Most large towns have one or two, just look in the phone book under restaraunt supplies. They had a good selection of sizes in round, square, low-wide, deep-narrow, with tight fitting pop-off lids. Check it out! They often have back rooms full of used items as well. Michelle Portland, Oregon -----Original Message----- From: millie carpenter To: CLAYART@LSV.UKY.EDU Date: Wednesday, September 29, 1999 8:07 AM Subject: Re: Sources for LARGE Clear Containers ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 30 Sep 1999 14:15:43 EDT From: zahidi neale Subject: Re: potters using waste products ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Dryer lint, of course. And I collect used plastic grocery sacks from neighbors, stuff a whole bunch of them into one bag and tie the handles then use the "wad" for packing material with Styrofoam egg cartons. Zee in Slidell, La. -----Original Message----- From: David Hendley To: CLAYART@LSV.UKY.EDU Date: Wednesday, September 29, 1999 10:07 AM Subject: potters using waste products >----------------------------Original message---------------------------- >---- Original Message ----- >From: Martin Howard >Subject: Re: Ferrite Powder/ photocopier developer >| Are other potters doing this kind of testing or waste products? The >| links made with other firms could well be of value financially or >| otherwise to all concerned, but the main reason for such testing is >| really environmental > > >This is very interesting, Martin. >Here are some waste products I use: >*Rust. Scrape the rust off of anything that is very rusty. >Screen through 30 mesh to remove big pieces, then >screen through 80 mesh to remove small pieces. >The 30-80 mesh left over will give nice spots in a glaze. > >*Granite and sand mixture from the gravestone company. >They sandblast the names in the stone. The waste is >very fine, very refractory. Use for small light speckles >in a glaze, to stiffen a too-runny glaze. > >*Brass filings from the key-making machine at the >hardware store. Screen to the size you want - free copper >for glazes. Spots with green halos in glazes. > >*Glass bottles and jars to make cullet, as discussed >on Clayart a few weeks ago. > >*Scrap wood from the pallet factory to fire the kiln. > >*Shipping boxes from several businesses that save >them for me. > > >I consider it fun and a challenge to find uses for waste >materials. Anyone else have any unusual waste >materials they use? > >-- >David Hendley >Maydelle, Texas >hendley@tyler.net >http://www.farmpots.com/ > > > > > > > > >| ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- >| Following the kind release of the content of a certain photocopier >| developer as >| Copper Oxide CuO = 2-4% Weight >| Zinc Oxide ZnO = 17-21% >| Iron Oxide Fe2O3 = 66-69% >| Nickel Metal Ni = 7-11% >| >| First I got rid of the magnetic property by heating it in the kiln up to >| 1140 degrees centigrade. >| I then tested it as percentage additions to my normal cone 02-1 clear >| glaze of >| 20% montmorillonite (cat litter), 20% granite dust, 60% standard borax >| frit. >| At low percentages, 1-8, it just gives an increasing dark mottling on a >| creamy background. >| At 10 and 12 percent it produces a mottled olive greeny brown, verging >| into khaki. Not very interesting or bright, but it could be used in >| combination with others. >| Certainly the Zinc is causing some opacity. I tested on background >| vertical tiles with white slip on one side and my normal Valentines >| standard red on the other. Both sides showed a similar colour. >| It is what one might expect with those Zinc and Nickel contents. It may >| be brighter if used with another clear glaze or with other oxide >| additions. My basic glaze has a lot of other elements within it, so this >| test is not really scientific. I will try it again with a bought, purer >| glaze. >| >| But I think it is worth risking a small bucket of it, 2500 gms, and see >| how it goes. >| Some people might love it. >| At least I will do a bowl and mug and pass them to the firm concerned, >| with thanks for their co-operation. >| >| Are other potters doing this kind of testing or waste products? The >| links made with other firms could well be of value financially or >| otherwise to all concerned, but the main reason for such testing is >| really environmental. >| >| Martin Howard >| Webbs Cottage Pottery and Press >| Woolpits Road, Great Saling >| BRAINTREE >| Essex CM7 5DZ >| 01371 850 423 >| araneajo@gn.apc.org ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 30 Sep 1999 14:15:07 EDT From: Hank Murrow Subject: Re: cheap and low tech claymaking ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- >----------------------------Original message---------------------------- >The best low-tech way to make clay is to make a >slurry and then dry it to plastic consistency. >This makes the BEST clay, because it thoroughly >wets all the clay platelets. Better quality clay quicker >than using a mixer and pugmill. >Use 5 gallon buckets and a drill/jiffy mixer to >make the slurry, then dry in any of the many >different ways suggested a few weeks ago >(jeans legs, sheets, etc.). David Hendley Hi; Ever since meeting Harry Davis in '70, I've been mixing from slurry also. I built a version of his 'vibrating screen' using a sewing machine motor and an off center collet ($7.40, total) which takes the slurry through medium (40-50) mesh screen as fast as can be poured. Then I pour screened slip into polyester canvas 'filter cloth' (with the fibrous surface on the outside), which is laid in wooden pans with a slatted bottom, the extra material folded over to cover and left to stiffen____takes two to five days depending on your climate. You can pull beautiful handles right away with such clay. Quiet, cheap, safe, but takes some space. Regards, Hank in Eugene ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 29 Sep 1999 11:09:50 EDT From: Marcia Selsor Subject: Re: How do you mix clay cheap and low tech? ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- I use to mix clay into a 30 gal. trash can. Then scoop slip into clay flower pots 6-7" wide, lined with cheesecloth. I had access to a former greenhouse with tons of flower pots while I was a caretaker of this 50 acre estate in upstate NY. I did this daily and waited a few days until the clay was ready. Great clay when made from a slip and dried to readiness. Marci in Montana Date: Thu, 9 Sep 1999 13:19:08 EDT From: "Phyllis E. Tilton" Subject: Re: air pillows for packing ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- HI: I have not had access to the air pillows but have used some bubble wrap. My packing gets a bit on the 'Rube Goldberg' side--inventive to fit what I am shipping. The pressed paper egg cartons are sturdy but are angular sooo - I put the styrofoam peanuts,eyeballs, or whatever shape into the gallon size plastic bags and secure them with a twistem. I don't fill the bags--just put 'some' in-maybe half full. Too full and the pressure causes them to push the twistem off. The advantage is that they can be pushed into a crevice to prevent movement and the plastic bag prevents having to deal with getting the styro all over everything and having it settle as it does when it is loose. The bags of styro are reusable time and again. When I double box, the styro bags, egg cartons, bubble wrap go around the outside. Sometimes I use the paper roller from paper towels,plastic wrap, etc, bend it in the middle and it does not flatten. I save all kinds of 'stuff' and eventually find a use for it. My packing isn't pretty but it works. Phyllis Daisypet@aol.com ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 7 Sep 1999 17:34:01 EDT From: Gerald O'SULLIVAN Subject: Japanese raku kiln ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- ------------------ I have been playing around with very, very basic firing methods, using = charcoal instead of wood, and have had some very good results. The pots are made of heavily-grogged earthenware, decorated with incisions and burnished and = fired raw (but bone-dry) in a bed of charcoal. I built the kiln from house bricks, one cubic metre (we are metric in South Africa, so that's 3 foot x 3 foot x 3 foot, near enough I guess), loosely = piled up, no mortar, lots of gaps, especially on the bottom (the base is a double layer of bricks). Looks like a short stubby square chimney. I make a small fire in the bottom of the kiln to get some red-hot coals, put some in each pot to heat them while they stand to one side, then pour in a = bag or two of charcoal over the fire, and carefully (but quickly, before the = fire really gets going) place the pots around on the bed of charcoal. Now I pour = a couple more bags over the pots and cover the kiln with a sheet of corrugated iron. It will smoke for a while, but when the fire gets going, it gets WHITE hot. I use real charcoal - not those pellets of compressed coal-dust and = flour. If all goes well, the pots are a beautiful deep orange, with flashes of = black. If it goes less well, they are a boring beige - most likely a question of = how much reduction is happening around the pot. Losses are rare, because of the pre-heating (I did have a problem with flaking off the exterior, but I had burnished these pots after painting slip over them, so I stopped). Now I want to move on to low-fire glazes fired in a Japanese charcoal-fired kiln, having seen the diagrams in Leach's Potters Book, and also in Steven Branfman's Raku book. Has anyone out there built anything like this? Or is everybody into roaring venturi burners and kao-wool? Are there any cautionary tales or words of wisdom from those who have = trodden this less-travelled path? What clay did you use for the saggar? How did you = fire it? What did the kiln lid look like - lots of holes or just one in the = centre? What did you use to make the kiln lid? Did you use test rings to check the = melt or could you peer into the saggar somehow? Do you need a saggar at all or = does the ash mess up the surface? Am I wasting my time? Should I start turning an= oil drum into a top-hat right now? ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 7 Sep 1999 13:38:21 EDT From: Martin Howard Subject: Ferrite Powder ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Ricoh have now stated that their developer for my kind of photocopier contains the following metallic oxides:- Copper Oxide CuO = 2-4% Weight Zinc Oxide ZnO = 17-21% Iron Oxide Fe2O3 = 66-69% Nickel Metal Ni = 7-11% I am using washing up liquid to break the surface tension, but will also put some of the powder in a container and take it up to my cone 1 in the next firing to see if that makes the powder easier to assimilate in glaze and gets rid of the magnetism. But what about having pots that are magnetic? What happens to the magnetic quality when we make a magnetic oxide into a glaze? Even a little washing up liquid makes the glaze froth and puts some bubbles in the glaze. Each time one stirs the glaze the froth comes on top again. Strong washing up liquid :-) Do not pass the above information onto companies involved in making developer for photocopiers. That was my deal with Ricoh. It is for use in pottery only. For your eyes only. I have started tests with .5 and 1 percent, then going up at half a percent steps, up to 10 percent, in my normal 20 cat litter, 20 granite powder, 60 standard borax frit. Will let you know the result. Martin Howard Webbs Cottage Pottery and Press Woolpits Road, Great Saling BRAINTREE Essex CM7 5DZ 01371 850 423 araneajo@gn.apc.org ------------------------------ ----------------------------- Date: Tue, 7 Sep 1999 13:25:50 EDT From: mel jacobson Subject: fondle/serious ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- one of the great gifts that i have had making pots is building things for my blind cousins. i have two. i have thrown some round forms...fill them with paper covered nuggets, then close the top in. so, it becomes a closed sphere. use texture, build in surfaces. nice glaze that feels good. fire....and when you take it out of the kiln...just drop it real hard on the lawn..(sue in s.c. will show you...bam.) the nuggets come loose. so, what you have is a textured, good feeling pot, that makes wonderful sound. totally tactile cousin patty loved them. would listen to books on tape, then fondle the pot...listen to the sound. patty died this year. we miss her. i made a silver ring for her...full of texture. she had it on when we said goodbye. nice gal. fondling pots just brought up that memory. try that pot...you will like it. any glaze, any kiln, any temp. just be creative. or not, whatever your fancy. mel/mn when you meet that guy, russell from europe when you get to the clayart room...you will understand... we do love him. http://www.pclink.com/melpots from minnetonka, minnesota, u.s.a. ------------------------------ ----------------------------- Date: Tue, 7 Sep 1999 13:20:39 EDT From: "DONALD G. GOLDSOBEL" Subject: Re: needles ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- If you have a friendly veterinarian, they have large bore needles that easily slip on to plastic hair dye bottles. They stay on without glue and the flow is easily managed. I don't go in for decoration that requires a painterly quality, so I squirt the hell out of the bottles. Interesting patterns. Put the work on a slow or fast wheel, reverse directions free wheel. All produce individual results. Wash the needles immediately as they do tend to jam. Donald in the San Fernando Valley where it will be cool enough to get out for a bike ride tomorrow!!! ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 5 Sep 1999 17:44:39 -0700 From: Penny Hosler Subject: Re: needle sizes for slip trailing Looks like maybe Vince is incommunicado, so I'll pass on his secret on slip trailers. The bulb is good, and the ball inflator works, but step 3 makes the magic: 1- Get the bulb mentioned previously (you know, to clean out the baby's nose) 2- Cut off the tip a little, just enough to get a basketball inflator needle into it snugly 3- Get some shrink tubing (really really cheap) from Home Depot and force it over the needle. You now have a slip trailer that can even touch the leather hard clay without marking it. The more control you gain over this, the longer the tubing can be. It costs almost nothing. By the way, get the inflator needles that won't rust. I don't know if they still have them, but Bracker Ceramics in Lawrence, KS had a bunch of the bulbs. I bought a case of them (50?) for about $10. Ought to be good for the next 50 years or until I die. I'm going to leave them to my son in my will, with no explanation. Should totally weird him out.... Determined to leave my children wondering if I was a bubble off plumb, Penny in WA ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 1 Sep 1999 17:18:17 EDT From: Marcia Selsor Subject: Re: how do _you_ recycle clay? ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Archie Bray is making recycling vats of plaster. They also sell a heavier duty mixer than a jiffy mixer. First, smash the dry clay to bits and slake it down, stirring with the mixer. . Then dry it out in the vat. I have used chesse cloth lined flower pots. Works well. Do 20-50/day. Marcia in Montana ---------------------------- Date: Wed, 1 Sep 1999 14:11:14 EDT From: Donn Buchfinck Subject: Re: Making grog--grinding devices ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- ok this is how you can do it get an old garbage disposal hook it up outside, you won't need water get whatever you are going to make the grog out of it and do a very low bisque 020 or something, extrude hollow tubes of the clay that you can stack inside an electric kiln. the reason you grind the material when it is soft is that it breaks down much easier. when the tubs come out they will be fired but soft run them through the garbage disposal, you will be amazes at how this works, and how long the thing will last without water then take the ground up material and put it into a bowl or some container, a shallow dish and refire the stuff to a higher temperature. there you have it grog or go an buy some Donn Buchfinck San Francisco ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 1 Sep 1999 14:04:18 EDT From: Bruce Girrell Subject: Digital vs. Film (was Recent Photographic experiences) ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Ivor Lewis wrote: > Nowhere in literature I have read ... has a > comparison been given > which compares the size of a pixel with a silver grain. The information is out there. As I'm sure you're aware, silver grain size depends on the speed of the film (actually, it's the other way around), so there is no fixed size to compare to. In addition, there is the thickness of the emulsion layer and lens effects that affect sharpness in the final image. Of course lens effects will affect both digital and film images. The best information that I could come up with suggests a top practical resolution of about 100 lines/mm or what would equate to about 2500 pixels per inch. In actuality, the resolution will probably not reach that level. The resolution of film could safely be put in the 1000-2000 "pixel" per inch range. > I have > been out on shoots with a pro photographer who is frequently > commissioned by a > major Australian magazine publisher and he uses a large format > camera and 120 > film, not 35mm. Oddly, the resolving power of large format lenses is poorer than 35mm lenses. The big advantage is that you don't have to enlarge the image as much for the larger format, hence the image appears sharper. For $Au2000 dollars it is possible to buy a > single lens reflex > and have a selection of excellent optics. But I would doubt if > the same quality > of initial image could be obtained from any of the digital > cameras I have read > about for the same price. > Until grain size versus pixel size is > sorted out I am > being cautious about investing in a digital imaging system. Nor > do I see the > small lenses used in these devices emulating the quality of a > 90mm portrait lens > on a 35mm camera. And there's the key - "for the same price." Digital cameras offering very good image quality can be had for about US$10,000. These cameras do offer the interchangeable lenses that you would expect from a professional camera. There are more problems, though. Let's assume that film has a resolution of 1500 "pixels" per inch. A standard 35mm image (1 inch by 1.5 inches) then would have about 3.4 million pixels. If we got a digital camera with a resolution of 1500 pixels per inch would we match a film image? The answer is no, not by a long shot. The first problem is the image size. Charge coupled device (CCD) image sensors are typically 1/3 inch square. Some are 1/2 inch square. So to achieve the same size image, the digital image would have to be enlarged more - and the pixels would be more visible. To achieve the same pixels per inch in the enlargement would require 3 times as many pixels per inch for the CCD, assuming the larger 1/2 inch square CCD. The 1/3 inch square CCD would require 5 times as many pixels per inch. The second problem has to do with our visual perception. The human visual system is uncannily adept at picking out patterns and the nice, linear grid of the pixel array of the CCD is a very simple pattern for our brains to recognize. Film grains, on the other hand, are placed randomly within the film emulsion. It would take roughly four times as many pixels above what we have already calculated before the gridding would no longer be noticed. High quality film recorders - laser devices that take a digital image and write it back on to film - usually write at 8000 lines per inch to overcome this effect. It will be a while before we get a reasonably priced digital camera that matches film quality. > > Now, about the value of Computer Image Enhancement Programmes. I > have Corel > Photo-Paint installed and tested others. I play around with it to > crop images, > change tonal ranges, alter colour saturation, eliminate flaws and > other simple > tasks. It has the capability of doing lots of other things, > distorting shape, > changing colour balance and adding "artistic effects" which at > one time could > only be achieved using complex chemical and optical techniques. > However, it > cannot add in what a top class photographer should be able to > achieve at the > click of the shutter. Not totally true. Film is very limited in its ability to handle large ranges of brightness. It also reacts to different colors of light in a way different from the human visual system. Digital enhancement programs are capable of redistributing the brightness levels and adjusting the colors to more closely match what the photographer saw at the time the shutter was tripped. So these "simple tasks" are doing things that the photographer, no matter how skilled, cannot do. > It is always limited by pixel size and > imput, so that > "sharpening" will never add new factual information from the > original subject. A flawed image will probably never be rescued. And you will never see a blur become a recognizable face the way they show in the movies. But a photo that is "almost great" can be saved from the trash bin by careful application of these programs. The Magazine Outdoor Photographer has had several articles recently showing appropriate use of digital technology. Even such greats as Galen Rowel are now extolling the virtues of digital image correction. There are many advantages to digital photography. Right now resolution is not one of them. There are many advantages to image manipulation programs. Right now most people, even professionals, are too heavy handed with them. Digital photography is a new technology. Give it the amount of time that silver-based photography has had since the first daguerreotypes, then let's do a re-evaluation. Bruce "sometimes I just get carried away" Girrell ------------------------------ ----------------------------- Date: Wed, 1 Sep 1999 14:04:18 EDT From: Bruce Girrell Subject: Digital vs. Film (was Recent Photographic experiences) ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Ivor Lewis wrote: > Nowhere in literature I have read ... has a > comparison been given > which compares the size of a pixel with a silver grain. The information is out there. As I'm sure you're aware, silver grain size depends on the speed of the film (actually, it's the other way around), so there is no fixed size to compare to. In addition, there is the thickness of the emulsion layer and lens effects that affect sharpness in the final image. Of course lens effects will affect both digital and film images. The best information that I could come up with suggests a top practical resolution of about 100 lines/mm or what would equate to about 2500 pixels per inch. In actuality, the resolution will probably not reach that level. The resolution of film could safely be put in the 1000-2000 "pixel" per inch range. > I have > been out on shoots with a pro photographer who is frequently > commissioned by a > major Australian magazine publisher and he uses a large format > camera and 120 > film, not 35mm. Oddly, the resolving power of large format lenses is poorer than 35mm lenses. The big advantage is that you don't have to enlarge the image as much for the larger format, hence the image appears sharper. For $Au2000 dollars it is possible to buy a > single lens reflex > and have a selection of excellent optics. But I would doubt if > the same quality > of initial image could be obtained from any of the digital > cameras I have read > about for the same price. > Until grain size versus pixel size is > sorted out I am > being cautious about investing in a digital imaging system. Nor > do I see the > small lenses used in these devices emulating the quality of a > 90mm portrait lens > on a 35mm camera. And there's the key - "for the same price." Digital cameras offering very good image quality can be had for about US$10,000. These cameras do offer the interchangeable lenses that you would expect from a professional camera. There are more problems, though. Let's assume that film has a resolution of 1500 "pixels" per inch. A standard 35mm image (1 inch by 1.5 inches) then would have about 3.4 million pixels. If we got a digital camera with a resolution of 1500 pixels per inch would we match a film image? The answer is no, not by a long shot. The first problem is the image size. Charge coupled device (CCD) image sensors are typically 1/3 inch square. Some are 1/2 inch square. So to achieve the same size image, the digital image would have to be enlarged more - and the pixels would be more visible. To achieve the same pixels per inch in the enlargement would require 3 times as many pixels per inch for the CCD, assuming the larger 1/2 inch square CCD. The 1/3 inch square CCD would require 5 times as many pixels per inch. The second problem has to do with our visual perception. The human visual system is uncannily adept at picking out patterns and the nice, linear grid of the pixel array of the CCD is a very simple pattern for our brains to recognize. Film grains, on the other hand, are placed randomly within the film emulsion. It would take roughly four times as many pixels above what we have already calculated before the gridding would no longer be noticed. High quality film recorders - laser devices that take a digital image and write it back on to film - usually write at 8000 lines per inch to overcome this effect. It will be a while before we get a reasonably priced digital camera that matches film quality. > > Now, about the value of Computer Image Enhancement Programmes. I > have Corel > Photo-Paint installed and tested others. I play around with it to > crop images, > change tonal ranges, alter colour saturation, eliminate flaws and > other simple > tasks. It has the capability of doing lots of other things, > distorting shape, > changing colour balance and adding "artistic effects" which at > one time could > only be achieved using complex chemical and optical techniques. > However, it > cannot add in what a top class photographer should be able to > achieve at the > click of the shutter. Not totally true. Film is very limited in its ability to handle large ranges of brightness. It also reacts to different colors of light in a way different from the human visual system. Digital enhancement programs are capable of redistributing the brightness levels and adjusting the colors to more closely match what the photographer saw at the time the shutter was tripped. So these "simple tasks" are doing things that the photographer, no matter how skilled, cannot do. > It is always limited by pixel size and > imput, so that > "sharpening" will never add new factual information from the > original subject. A flawed image will probably never be rescued. And you will never see a blur become a recognizable face the way they show in the movies. But a photo that is "almost great" can be saved from the trash bin by careful application of these programs. The Magazine Outdoor Photographer has had several articles recently showing appropriate use of digital technology. Even such greats as Galen Rowel are now extolling the virtues of digital image correction. There are many advantages to digital photography. Right now resolution is not one of them. There are many advantages to image manipulation programs. Right now most people, even professionals, are too heavy handed with them. Digital photography is a new technology. Give it the amount of time that silver-based photography has had since the first daguerreotypes, then let's do a re-evaluation. Bruce "sometimes I just get carried away" Girrell ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 2 Sep 1999 12:10:51 EDT From: Tracey Subject: Re: Call for Del/Mar/Va Artesians: New Online Retail Gallery (Long) ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- *******************Ray said *********************************************** > I think if I were you, I might prefer to set up an online group atelier > rather than an online gallery. Rent space to artists who want to display > their wares and charge them for assisting in setting up their spaces. Then > work like a bear on publicising a central list of your tenants, and take a > small commission as payment for the use of your shopping cart system and > card acceptance services. > > In fact, I intend to suggest this to the group working on a professional > organization for potters, since this is something we could do for our members. ************************************SNIP************************************ *************** I have to agree with a great number of the things Ray pointed out...I charge *rent* for the services and space for my Internet gallery..not commissions. The artists deal directly with any sales, inquiries, fan mail, whatever. I do massive marketing, employ a professional graphic designer that specializes in web pages.. run promotions, etc. I'd certainly consider opening a "wing" of the gallery for Clayarters as an professional organization...member galleries, you name it. Would like to hear more on that idea or others.. I'm all ears. Tracey www.artifactgallery.com ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 2 Sep 1999 12:01:40 EDT From: NakedClay@aol.com Subject: Re: slab roller ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Hi Kathy, and other slab roller admirers! Here is a post I shared not too long ago. One can purchase a slab roller from any ceramics supply dealer. Be sure to shop around--prices vary from store to store. Enjoy! Milton NakedClay@AOL.COM ===================== I am a connisseur of slab rolling :). There are two types of slab rollers on the market: Brent SlabRoller (non-stationary), and the type made by Bailey and Northstar (stationary). The Brent SlabRoller moving-roller machine. One gets the bed, leg set, roller and cables, and masonite shims, when one purchases this device. This slab roller works by the roller moving along a track, which is guided and kept in place by steel cables. The roller is moved by turning a large wheel, which in turn moves the roller over the entire length of the bed. One varies the thickness of the clay by inserting (or removing) masonite shims on the bed, then placing the clay to be slab-rolled on top of the shims (I use a towel to protect the shims). A canvas blanket covers the clay, so the clay lays out flat, and won't stick to the roller. Advantages: One can decorate the surface of the clay, without the "shifting" associated with the stationary slab rollers. The Brents I've used come in three bed widths. As a person who often rolls coffee grounds and other organic materials into the clay, the Brent is my slab roller of choice. Disadvantages: Brent SlabRollers are fairly expensive--just under $1500 for the narrow bed (18") slab roller. Masonite shims can be difficult to handle, and to store when the slab roller is in use. The cable assembly is complicated to maintain--exact tension must be maintained in the cables, to keep the roller moving along its track. The stationary-roller machines consist of a friction-pull roller assembly, a table to clamp or bolt the roller assembly to, and a large canvas blanket, to place the clay into. The roller assembly "pulls" the blanket containing the clay in-between two spring and gear-mounted rollers, which press the clay equally from top and bottom. One adjusts the clay thickness with a turn-knob. A large wheel or hand-crank is turned, to pull the blanket and clay through the roller assembly. This is the slab roller of choice for critical-width tiles and other fine-tuned rolling. Advantages: Inexpensive (one can acquire a Northstar for under $500). The slab thickness adjustment is fairly easy to operate. Easy to maintain roller assembly. Disadvantages: One must insert clay into a folded blanket, which can be cumbersome if the clay ball is large. One might want to purchase a seperate blanket for darker clays, as the blanket will acquire the color of the clay being slab-rolled. I hope this is helpful! Milton NakedClay@AOL.COM ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 2 Sep 1999 12:01:09 EDT From: Eric Rowe Subject: how do _you_ recycle clay? ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- ------------------ =3C=3CRecently I've been saving my trimmings (dry) in a big shallow container I got at Lowes. Today I put the shavings in a big bucket of water and jiffy-mixed the hell out of it. Now I have (2 buckets) of thick slurry.=3E=3E No, you're NOT halfway there, Tena=21 Try this: Get clay Really dry. Break it up as small as you can. 3/4 Fill the largest of your (plastic?) garbage cans with water. Slowly add dry clay until can full. Leave to soak awhile. Stir like hell. Pass THIN slip through 30mesh into next garbage can. DON'T rub but return any lumps to first GC. Go on, fill another if you want. Leave all to settle a day or 2. Siphon off water back to GC 1. Always keep the water unless you have earthenware with calcium content. Pour thick slip into boxes made of luted porous bricks or earthenware chimney liners if you can get them. Cover. Leave until clay thick enough to stay between porous tiles in multiple sandwich. Put away in damp place for as long as you can and now, if you've done your work well, you have a better clay than you started with=21=21 Eric with his first contribution to this list :-) ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 31 Aug 1999 11:53:58 EDT From: Dr.Cappiello@mindspring.com Subject: replies I received to grouting problems ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Thanks to everyone who replied to my message. Since replies came to me (not= the list) I have cut and pasted the answers I received (and a copy of my = original question) below Thanks everyone=21 -Anne ORIGINAL QUESTION: =22I've been making some pretty nice relief tiles for floors, tables, etc. My only problem is I'm having an awful time grouting = them. I align the tiles and set them in mastic with about 1/4 to 1/2 inch space = left for grout. When grouting it is very hard to keep the grout out of the = relief pattern. Once there, it takes forever to clean off - especially if the = glaze is matte. I tried putting the grout in a container and squirting it through a small opening, I've even tried a frosting bag to get it directly into the spaces between the tiles. The problem is the sanded grout I use (for minimum = shrinkage) is too thick to fit through the openings - it clogs up immediately. I've = tried =22spooning=22 it in the cracks, but it seems like the only way to get it = down in those little spaces is to really work it with your fingers or tool and = =22really working it=22 unfortunately =22really spreads it=22 and makes a mess. I'ver tried =22covering=22 the face if the tile while tring to smear the = grout in between but this is very tedious - and almost as time consuming as cleaning = the grout out of the relief pattern. Does anyone have ANY ideas? (I checked the archives and haven't seen this addressed before) RESPONSES: . why not get contact paper and go to someplace that has a paper cutter and cut squares less then the tiles. Then stick them on and grout away. When the grout sets peal them off. Sounds like either you need a larger tube at the end of the pastry bag or just a bag with a larger opening. Try the kitchen junk store at the malls - Lechter's usually has several sizes. If you have a sewing machine, just get some lightweight canvas at a fabric store =26 sew your own. Double stitch = the bottom so it won't pull loose. I also install relief tiles and found that using the grout sealer as a grout release works for me. Just prior to grouting, sponge the grout sealer over the tiles, being careful to not get too much on the edges between tiles. Once you apply the grout (I usually use a small trowel and put the grout into only the joints to the extent possible), it should be able to be wiped off the tiles where it is not wanted without much effort. I have not experienced what you are talking about but, why not apply a liquid rubber to tile relief (it hardens as a sheet) then grout, then peel the rubber covering off. I cannot tell you where to get it but this is my best idea. This may be a really stupid idea, but could you tape a square of plastic over the top of the tile, taping only up to the edge, covering the relief pattern, and then do the grouting. After it's done, then pull off the tape and plastic. It may be too time consuming to do that with every tile, but it might take less time than cleaning out the relief pattern. I've done a bunch of grouting of low fire tiles with matte glaze or no glaze on them. There's a tool that is used for grouting that helps - a =22float=22 that is cushioned on the underside. You slop some grout with a trowel over the general area, then press down with the cushioned grout float. Half an hour later, you sponge off the excess grout with a damp sponge that you dip often into a bucket of water and wring out. A little later, you sponge again, using a clean bucket of water. A couple of hours later, you do this again. Normally, that takes care of grouting. Sometimes, on a tile with a very dry glaze or no glaze, you may notice an ugly cement haze several weeks later. The traditional approach is to clean with diluted muriatic acid (10=25 acid, 90=25 water). Muriatic acid is nasty - wear gloves and a vapor-rated mask. To avoid using muriatic acid, I soaked my unglazed tiles prior to setting them. I dipped them in Thompson's water seal and let them dry a couple of days. Afterward, I did not have the concrete efflorescence. Grouting is just a difficult, messy job, from what I have seen. I interviewed tile setters, and I loved the grout brand I came up with - Bonsal. It has polymers mixed in. I found that it really resisted cracking I have had similar problems recently. The best solution I found was to cover the complete tile surface with duct tape, (great stuff every home need a roll or 2). I cut through the tape along the the edges of irregular relief tiles.Grout then remove tape when the grout is set up sufficiently.Taping is less work than trying to pick grout out of the relief, grout really sucks and sticks. I am now mounting my tiles, these are low reliefs of mayam glyphs, on 1/2 ply with latex modified thinset. To give colour to the background I add RIO or yellow iron oxide, or a mix of both. I also suppose for other colours I could use some of the powder paint that pre schoolers use for their artwork. With this I find there is no need to actually grout the tiles, just set them in coloured thinset. I did a large low relief architectural piece where we had almost 3,000 hand made tiles. Some were in low relief and some textured. We fired them to cone 8 in reduction with no glaze. It doesn't get any harder to clean than that. I used grout release, the brand name was Aqua Mix, but I am sure = there are others out there. We put the grout release on, and waited about 20 minutes, then used the same messy, grainy grout you seem to be using. = Waited about 30 minutes, and went over it with a sponge and water to get up the excess. When the grout was dry, took a scrub brush and tile cleaner and got the rest. I don't know what I would have done if it hadn't been for that grout release I use a cake decorating gun (I buy them at Bed Bath =26 Beyond - manual trigger, not battery powered) with non-sanded grout - which must be just the right consistency - not too soft to spread but not to firm to clog the gun. Gun it into the spaces and wait until it firms up a bit - this is kind of critical timing - then take a slim edging tool (it's about 1/4=22 wide and several inches long with a handle on one end - any tile shop should carry them) and trowel the grout lines to smooth them. I've done several murals with this technique ... I use unsanded grout because some of my lines are quite small - I suppose you could try it with sanded grout - if it will pass through the gun. The consistency of the grout and the timing of the drying/trowling is the part that just takes a little working out. I've also tried cake decorator bags and professional tile grout bags to no avail. My first thought was to use a latex resist, but then thought it would be too fragile. My next thought was to use a similar substance, but more resistant to mechanical stress. How about mold-making rubber? You should be able to cover the entire face of the tile, allowing it to dry fully, then set the tile, grout with abandon, then peel the rubber off. This assumes that the tiles you make don't grab the rubber with too many undercuts or small pores. If you consider this, please try a few typical (but expendable) tiles first. I too work in relief tiles and I've found several ways of getting grout into the correct grooves. I've also tried the frosting bag trick to no avail, however you can get a similar type bag from a home improvement place (Lowes, Home Depot, etc.) that is made for filling in grout this way. Also, if your pieces are backed on a rigid enough surface and won't be flexing you can thin down the grout to make it flow easier. Another thing to do is take an old caulk container and a caulk gun and squirt it into the cracks. You simply go back over it using a tool to push it more into the voids and recesses. This tool can be anything that will work. I've used anything from clay tools to the ends of paintbrushes. Finally, the last thing that I've done was as follows: I mounted my tiles to concrete board, allowed that to setup, then I took some very wet grout and covered the entire piece. Next, using a very wet (and I mean dripping wet) sponge I wiped the grout off the areas that I didn't want it. By adding the extra water from the sponge I was able to use a stiff brush to get rid of all of the excess grout. I put the piece in a place where it could sit undisturbed and allowed it to dry for two days. The final thing that I did was mount the concrete board to 3/4 in. plywood to hang it. The piece has been done for nearly 5 years and hasn't had any cracking or other problems. Hope that this helps at least some. No one has brought this up yet so heres my question: Is the design enhanced by leaving the grout in the details of the tile? If it is then leave it in. I recently saw some tiles made by a friend of mine that had added lines to hold the grout in the design thereby adding another color into the finished design. It's kind of a =22coloring outside of the lines=22 approach, but it may solve your dilemma. Otherwise use a wet, hard bristled tooth brush on the final scrubs after the grout lines have set up a bit. Don't forget the final rinse of the tiles should be a vinegar-water mixture, to get all the grout film completely off. Nan Kitchens P.S. Use thinset to set the tiles. Try a heavy floor scrubbing brush, the kind with =7E 2=22 bristles. Press = hard from center to each corner. This should work like a grout float, but = penetrate into the spaces. Follow this with a large wet sponge to even out the grout. Hope this helps. ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Aug 1999 16:59:18 EDT From: John Tiemann Subject: "Famous" Potters List = Just Keeps Growing!! ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- ------------------ Well fellow potters.... here it is=21=21=21 All I can say is.....WOW=21=21 It's so amazing to see such a great response= from many of you out there on the list regarding my request for your personal = list of =22famous=22 potters who have influenced the world of ceramics=21=21 As you= know I will be assigning a research paper to my advanced high school students, and I am = so excited to share this list with them. I have promised to share the = =22final=22 list with my friends here at clayart, but I keep getting responses everyday.... therefore the list is not yet final, but it continues to grow=21=21 So I = urge those of you who have or have not yet responded to look at this current list and = feel free to add your two cents. Please help me =22fill in the blanks=22 behind = any of the artists below, or add to the info already provided. There is so much to learn. Now you've waited long enough, so here it is.... the current list of influential potters that I have received so far. I have also included = little notes with some artists listed that were kindly passed on to me by the = original sender.......(in no particular order) Adrian SAX =3D from LA, CA. Garth Clark represents him and he has had a = book done on him and Andy Martin, the mould-maker , interviewed him in his book. He = has made covers on CM and other magazine articles over the years. He also is findable on a find people research on the internet living in downtown Los Angeles near where he worked as Prof. at USC ceramics department. Heinos-Vivicka and Otto =3D bi -coastal couple, LA and NH. Ralph Bacerra =3D Rudy Autio =3D with Rudy I think you'd start with Archie Bray's site. Bennett Bean =3D in New York State. Richard Notkin =3D now at the Bray, I think. Gerry Williams =3D editor of Studio Potter foundation, and magazine, and = NH's first Artist Laureate. Gerry, through the foundation, is almost = single-handedly getting museums to look at contemporary ceramics as a fine art, worthy of = being collected and displayed. Through the magazine he is gathering and = documenting ceramic information from around the world for fellow potters to learn from, = and for non-ceramicists to learn to appreciate. His impact on ceramics in our = time is immeasurable. There is a website at www.studiopotter.org Val Cushing =3D He taught for so long, in a university ceramics program of = such repute, that people who don't even KNOW they've been influenced by him, HAVE been. An enormous number of the glazes that we all take for granted = originated with Cushing. A startling number of the teaching professionals in the US = were his students either as undergrads or grads. Most of these people can be = found in magazine articles, some have books by or about them. Reitz and Ferguson = were BOTH Cushing's students, along with Shaner and endless others. Hamada =3D Bernard Leach =3D discussed every other minute in magazines and books and on= the list ad infinitum. Still making waves. Don Reitz =3D Don has connections with Northern Arizona University in = Flagstaff, Arizona and lives in Sedona. The American Ceramic Society calls Don Reitz = one of the 12 revered potters in the US in their write-up about his upcoming = workshop. They did not give the names of the other 11. He taught at University of Wisconsin for many years. Travels the country doing workshops (sometimes) = and does firings in Colorado with Voulkos, and others. He is considered the = =22king of Salt=22. Patti Warashina =3D Maria Martinez and Family =3D Jack Troy =3D Hamer =26 Hamer =3D Ron Nagle =3D (American 1939) Surely not to be missed=21 Many potters are = finding their inspiration in ceramics from the far east. Ron Nagle however is one of= a kind. His inspiration comes purely out of himself, as I see it, and has put ceramics on a level of complete authenticity. You should contact the Garth Clark Gallery in New York. I am sure Mr. Clark = will be of great help. Have a look at his book: The Potter's Art. It will surely = put you in the right direction. =22The Mad Potter of Biloxi=22 George Ohr =3D American (1857-1918) He was = responsible for the art pottery craze in the late 60's. His pots have sold for as much = as =24100,000 and now has a museum opened in his name with many of his pieces = on display. The museum website is www.georgeohr.org there are also a few really good books out there about his life and work. I found it fairly easy to find them through library interloans. Ruth Duckworth =3D (American 1919, born in Germany) large scale ceramic installations and sculptures, plus small scale Beatrice Wood =3D (American dates?) She recently died at over 100 years, = making beautiful functional pottery Shel Neimark =3D great clay art Cynthia Bringle =3D Paul Soldner =3D Mel Jacobsen =3D Robin Hopper =3D Dannon Rhudy =3D Ron Roy =3D also some of the North Carolina potters Vernon Owen =3D Ben Owen III =3D Burlon Craig =3D Joe Molinaro =3D Richard Burkett =3D Grueby =3D Betty Woodman =3D American 1930 (excellent bio by Betty herself in recent = Studio Potter) Lucie Rie =3D Austrian 1902-1995 (met Hans Coper while living in UK, = both left Germany under WW2) Hans Coper =3D British 1920-1981 Robert Arneson =3D (American 1930-1992) http://surf.to/arneson =3D Just = started, but has a lot of pictures, more text to be added soon. The =22pop=22 = ceramic sculptor from N. California. His retrospective at the San Francisco MOMA = two years ago was incredible. You can buy a catalogue of this exhibit, as well = as several other Arneson exhibit catalogues at the San Francisco MOMA = Bookstore, which has a website:=3Cwww.sfmoma.org=3E. Viola Frey =3D American 1933 Wayne Higby =3D American 1948 Toshiko Takaezu =3D American 1922 Stephen De Staebler =3D American 1933 Frances Senska =3D she taught both Peter Voulkos and Rudy Autio at the = University of Montana. She's in her 80's now and living somewhere in Montana. Mick Casson =3D well known British potter Josep Llorens Artigas =3D on his own and in his collaboration with Joan = Miro. Carmen Dionyse =3D Tjok Desauvage =3D Jun Kaneko =3D Pierre Bayle =3D Cipriano Piccolopasso =3D =22The Three Books of the Potter's Art=22 Michael Cardew =3D Katherine Pleydell-Bouverie =3D Daniel Rhodes =3D In terms of influence....though he's known more for his = writings than his pots. Adelaid Alsop Robineau =3D MaryLouise McLaughlin =3D at Pewabic Pottery Albert Valentien =3D at Rookwood Susan Frackleton =3D William Grueby =3D Louis Katz =3D Elsa Rady =3D CA Cliff Lee =3D PA John Leach =3D England Scott Tubby =3D CT Natalie Blake =3D OH Catherina White =3D VA Ron Larson =3D NY Louis Bourgeois =3D in the US now? Repped by Cheim =26 Reid Alleghany Meadows =3D CO Candy DePew =3D PA Brad Johnson =3D PA Steven Hill =3D MO Harry and May Davis =3D They worked at Crowan Cornwall until the early = sixties and then moved to Nelson, New Zealand. Beatrice Wood =3D the Natzler's =3D Laura Andreson =3D Dora de Larios =3D Carlton Ball =3D Taxile Doat =3D He did his most memorable work after emigrating, as far as I= know. Fredrick H. Rhead, Doat, and Robineau =3D They were the triune deities of = the American Arts and Crafts Movement. Charles Fergus Binns =3D The progenitor of the American studio pottery = movement. Henry Varnum Poor =3D He was primarily a painter, but he took up pottery = during the hard times of the 30s, on the theory that it was easier to sell pots = than paintings. As a guy who used to make his living on the show circuit, I just love the irony. And his pots were terrific, though clearly the product of a painterly orientation. Richard Batterham =3D Of the Leachian lineage Jane Hamlyn =3D Of the Leachian lineage David Leach =3D Son of John Leach Robert Piepenburg =3D Linda Arbuckle =3D Dave Shaner =3D There is a lot about him. He is in seriously declining = health now and can't work. Nearly everyone who fires high has recipes of Shaner Red etc etc. American Indians and the great and rich tribal arts =3D There are also these= sites you may want to check out.... http://www.canyonart.com/pottery.htm http://www.indart.com/gallery/ildefons/ildefons.htm http://www.si.edu/organiza/museums/nmah/youmus/ex07cera.htm http://www.indiantraders.com/aboutart/pottery/pottery.htm http://www.ipl.org/ The Everson Museum of Art in Syracuse New York, has (had) one of the largest ceramic holdings in the US, a good resource. http://www.claytonbailey.com =3D he is a west coast =22funk=22 ceramic = artist with a great sense of humor. http://www.northernlight.com/pubsearch.html =3D useful to search for = articles and then see if your local library has it. http://clay.justnet.com, under ceramic links =3D a list of a lot of = publications and potters web sites by Fabienne Cassman And Finally................ >From Po Zhou: I selected 50 top American clay artists and wrote a Chinese book =22American Ceramic Artists Today=22. I think, most of people in my book are very = famous. The List of Fifty American Ceramic Artists (alphabetically ): Robert Arneson, Rudy Autio, Robert Brady, Douglas Casebeer, Anne C. Currier, Stephen DeStaebler, Ruth Duckworth, Jack Earl, Raymon Elozua, Kenneth = Ferguson, Viola Frey, David Gilhooly, Arthur Gonzalez, Chris Gustin, Wayne Higby, = Richard Hirsh, Jan Holcomb, Karen Karnes, Thomas Kerrigan, James Klueg, Robert = Kvenild, Marilyn Levine, Michael Lucero, Warren MacKenzie, John Mason, Beverly = Mayeri, Robert Milnes, Judy Moonelis, Ron Nagle, Richard Notkin, Dennis Parks, Mark Pharis, Ken Price, Don Reitz, Jerry Rothman, Adrian Saxe, Nancy Selvin, = David Shaner, Richard Shaw, Sandy Simon, Paul Soldner, Toshiko Takaezu, Akio = Takamori, Robert Turner, Rimas VisGirda, Peter Voulkos, Patti Warashina, Kurt Weiser, = Stan Welsh, Daisy Youngblood Po Zhou 707 San Conrado Terr. =237 Sunnyvale, CA 94086 Tel. 408-245-6271 Email:pozhou=40msn.com www.silverhawk.com/crafts/zhou I WOULD LOVE TO GET INFO = ON BUYING THIS BOOK PO=21=21=21=21 JOHN As you can see I was overwhelmed by the generous response by all. I have received comments from over 40 people on the list and I wish to thank you = all (you know who you are). I would hate to list all of them in fear of leaving someone out=21 So I shall just say THANK YOU=21=21=21=21=21 You have been = a great help to me on this project. I hope more names and comments keep coming my way or to= the list. HELP FILL IN THE BLANKS IF YOU HAVE INFO TO SHARE=21 I would also = like everyone to pose a few questions or topics you think my students should look= for while writing this paper. Hope you have enjoyed the list as much as I have. Again.... a BIG THANK YOU=21=21=21=21 :) John Tiemann in St. Louis, Missouri ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Aug 1999 16:57:32 EDT From: Vince Pitelka Subject: Re: Kiln lid ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- >Usually, a hole in the lid requires that you replace the lid. Does >anyone else have suggestions? This would only be true if the lid were badly cracked when the hole was formed, and even then, it can be repaired. If there are no bad cracks, then a piece of softbrick could be shaped to fit the hole, and cemented in place with high-duty kiln cement like APGreen Greenpatch 421. APGreen sold out to Harbison Walker, but last time I checked they were still selling APGreen products. If the lid is cracked, then lay it on a sheet of plastic on a flat surface, loosen the clamps, and remove the outer metal band. Carefully pull apart the sectionsalong the cracks. Decide on the best sequence for re-assembly, and number the joints accordingly on the upper surface with a felt marker. Wet the sections thoroughly with water. Apply kiln cement (same as above) to the first joint, press firmly together, proceed to the next joint, etc. Complete the entire reassembly as quickly as possible, and immediately replace the outer band and tighten the clamps. Leave the lid flat on the floor for at least 24 hours, Then place on the kiln and leave the bottom element on low for 24 hours, then fire in a normal fashion. Good luck - - Vince Vince Pitelka - vpitelka@DeKalb.net Home 615/597-5376, work 615/597-6801 ext. 111, fax 615/597-6803 Appalachian Center for Crafts Tennessee Technological University 1560 Craft Center Drive, Smithville TN 37166 ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Aug 1999 16:57:18 EDT From: David Hendley Subject: The ideal wood-fired kiln for older, unsure, or solitary potters ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- It is the "Fastfire kiln" as described in Fred Olsen's "Kiln Book". It's basically a small downdraft kiln set on top of wood fireboxes. Easy to build, easy to fire. Although it's a dream to think you will fire it in 2 hours mentioned in the book, 5-6 hour cone 10 firings (with bisqueware) are reasonable. Of course you won't get a lot of ash build-up in 5 hours, but you can stretch it out if you want to. The plans show it built with 4 1/2" thick walls. Unless you are in dire financial straits, it will be a much better kiln with 9" thick walls - more insulation and more structural integrity. Unsure that you will really want to fire with wood? Just build in burner ports and block them up with bricks. To change over to gas fired, remove the blocks and seal off the fireboxes and you have a downdraft gas kiln. Make no mistake though, Corinne, firing with wood is lots of hard work. You need to really, really want to, or forget the idea. -- David Hendley Maydelle, Texas hendley@tyler.net http://www.farmpots.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Aug 1999 16:08:24 EDT From: Debra Wills Subject: Re: nail fungal cure was- now - Tea Tree Oil ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- I am into essential oils, and would recommend the Tea Tree oil. This stuff is amazing and can actually be poured on an open wound. I have never heard of anyone getting an allergic reaction to it. So this is rare! It is also a very good cure for athletes foot! I put Lavender essential oil into my spray bottle (of water) while handbuilding I can spray the clay so it dosen't dry out. Debra I will offer this alternative remedy, which has been mentioned favorably by Dr. Andrew Weil. It's tea tree oil, applied topically to the affected nail. Apparently this works well if continued long enough. It was working great for me until I developed an allergic reaction to the stuff, which caused blisters and then weeping skin lesions. I'm told this is a fairly rare reaction, and perhaps the reaction was due to some fraction in that particular brand's distillation, which apparently varies widely in quality. Look for the stuff at health food stores. Ray ______________________________________________________ ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 27 Aug 1999 14:13:56 EDT From: John Rodgers Subject: Re: Drilling holes in pots ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Hi Nikom, I had a similar problem. Solved it by using "Tree" shaped grinding bit that had bonded silicon carbide on it. Ground right through, no problem. Opted to do it this way because the carbide tip on the masonry bit chattered. Grinding tool was smooth in its grinding operation. After the hole was punched through, it was trued up with a straight, fluted highspeed steel bit. Worked fine. Just offering an alernative for next time. And you and I know, as surely as the sun rises, there will be a next time. John Rodgers In New Mexico, Nikom Chimnok wrote: > ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- > Hello Clayarters, > > Recently there was a discussion about drilling holes in bisque. Due > to an idjit customer who decided after the pots were fired that he wanted > holes where no holes had been cut, I just had the opportunity to drill > holes, not in bisque, but in Cone 6, zero water absorption pots. > > Using a carbide tipped masonry bit, a 3/8 hammer drill, and water as > lubricant/cooler, we drilled thirty 3/8 inch holes, with 100% success rate. > The only precaution we took was to lay the pots on a piece of expanded > polystyrene (beadboard, white foam), so that they wouldn't chatter against > the concrete floor underneath. > > So that was a useful learning experience, if a waste of time. > > Nikom in Thailand, where it's rice planting season, and the workers aren't > showing up in droves. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 27 Aug 1999 14:09:07 EDT From: Wilkinson Subject: Heavy duty kiln elements for raku ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Just want to share that for some time we have been doing raku in a fifty year old electric kiln. Of course it isn't as quick as gas but we had it here so we used it. It had gotten to where it needed new elements and rather than order the standard ones from the manufacturer, I contacted Chris at Euclids to see about getting some heavier duty elements. He sent me the heavy duty ones and they have cut my firing time in half. They were really not any more expensive than those form the manufacturer either. Thanks, Chris. Lori Wilkinson Down To Earth Pottery Roswell NM http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Gallery/1165/ ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 29 Aug 1999 13:38:54 EDT From: Linda Arbuckle Subject: recent photo experience ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- This is a site that offers reviews and specs on digital cameras and lets you compare the features of 2 cameras side-by-side. If you're looking for a camera, it's very helpful: http://photo.askey.net/ This site helps to find good prices on cameras and offers feedback from people who bought from a specific vendor. I found the camera I wanted significantly lower priced this way. http://www.20-20consumer.com/default.htm In response to "enhanced" images.... it's just a more sophisticated tool for what slides can do. Slides can look better or worse than the actual piece. Using digital images, you can adjust the look if your shot is too dark, for example, or edit out that corner of your backdrop that accidentally was included in the best shot. While you could "buff" the image, most shows include the disclaimer that any work not matching the slide can be refused. If the work is weak, even a stellar slide won't help. However, a bad slide of a good piece is certainly a handicap. Advice from most photographers these days is that you get best resolution from taking actual slides and scanning. As a p.s. I love the Nikon Coolpix 950 digital camera. I wanted it to make a picture directory of grad students, and document visiting artist workshops and student events and work for use on a UF Ceramics website. It won't replace taking slides of my work, though. Linda -- Linda Arbuckle Graduate Coordinator, Assoc. Prof. Univ of FL School of Art and Art History P.O. Box 115801, Gainesville, FL 32611-5801 (352) 392-0201 x 219 e-mail: arbuck@ufl.edu ------------------------------ ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Dear Naomi: Here's some info on T-Material I've collected: T-MATERIAL - is particularly useful as an addition to raku bodies and fires to a light colour. It appears to contain a lot of molochite and is available from Potclays Ltd., Brickkiln Lane, Etruria, Stoke-on-Trent, U.K. and Morgan Refractories Ltd., Liverpool Road, Neston, Wirral, Cheshire, U.K. Apparently it is good for mixing 50-50% with porcelain clay for making larger raku pieces. Y-material is a cheaper version of the same. TMATERIAL (SUBSTITUTE) - 1270-1300Degrees Celsius(This one is from Roger Harris Cranford Barn Pottery, Devon England) Hypas 71 Ball Clay 5 Porcelain China Clay 2 Molochite(30's to dust) 2 T Material 44 Molochite (200) 55 BBV Ball Clay 1 Bentonite If a more open body is required use 22 Molochite (200) 22 Molochite (30-80) This will give a crank type body. If mixed with a white stoneware body 50/50 it makes the Tmaterial much more economical and just as good towork with. Here is a recipe for a stoneware you can mix 50/50 with the T Material. 59.6 Fireclay 39.6 Ball Clay SMD or similar 4.5 Grog 120's Warm regards, June Hi Gail, I order my tiles from HBD Ceramics of Leland Michigan. He advertises in CM (phone is 616-256-9139. I've never had any breakage of tiles he has shipped - he packs the cartons with insulating foam. Has a good variety of sizes and styles - all H&R Johnson from England. Good prices, too. Leona ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- At 02:10 PM 8/23/99 EDT, you wrote: >----------------------------Original message---------------------------- >Ray, > >>> I will offer this alternative remedy, which has been mentioned favorably >by Dr. Andrew Weil. It's tea tree oil, applied topically to the affected >nail. Apparently this works well if continued long enough. It was working >great for me until I developed an allergic reaction to the stuff, which >caused blisters and then weeping skin lesions. I'm told this is a fairly >rare reaction, and perhaps the reaction was due to some fraction in that >particular brand's distillation, which apparently varies widely in quality. >Look for the stuff at health food stores. << > >Is Tea Tree oil the same as Tung oil? No. It's derived from a species of eucalyptus, I believe. How often did you apply it? > Once a day, after bathing. Ray ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Old massage therapist technique: tea tree oil after the bleach dip. Best before bed. Really RINSE OFF ALL the bleach. Zee in LA -----Original Message----- From: Richard Gralnik To: CLAYART@LSV.UKY.EDU Date: Saturday, August 21, 1999 4:15 PM Subject: Re: nail fungal cure (?) ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- I asked my doctor about the toenail fungus medicine. He said it can be VERY hard on the liver and that I'm better off with a funky toenail than a messed up major internal organ. Richard who managed to throw a "grootbeer" mug for his 3 year old son despite 2 yellow toenails and two horizontally ridged thumbnails At 02:47 PM 8/20/99 -0400, you wrote: >----------------------------Original message---------------------------- >my friend had a fungal toenail problem and OTC remedies >did not help at all. eventually, after threat of home >toe surgery, he went to the doctor. A sequence of >pills, and time to grow it out (long), and now no more >toe fungus. Dr. said that it is very hard to get rid >of and that only medicine will help. But apparently it >is very effective although most people think they will >have to see a specialist or something. A standard gp >can fix it. > >BTW it has been two years and no recurrence... > >if you think it is environmentally rooted, you would >continue to reinfect, but I bet a light bleach water >hand dip after work would keep it at bey. That's how >they keep the Pfiesteria off here at the marine lab, >and Lord knows how hard that is to kill... > >ps a light bleach hand dip would be about two TBS >standard chlorine bleach in 1/2 gallon water for >ten seconds. Then wash hands normally. >--- >Elizabeth Priddy > >I speak from sincerity and experience, not authority... >email: epriddy@usa.net >website: www.angelfire.com/nc/clayworkshop > > > >--== Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ ==-- >Share what you know. Learn what you don't. ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- At 05:15 PM 8/21/99 EDT, you wrote: >----------------------------Original message---------------------------- >I asked my doctor about the toenail fungus medicine. He said >it can be VERY hard on the liver and that I'm better off with a >funky toenail than a messed up major internal organ. > Richard's doctor is correct, in my opinion, and anyone contemplating the systemic fungicide treatment for infected nails ought to consider the possible downside very carefully. I will offer this alternative remedy, which has been mentioned favorably by Dr. Andrew Weil. It's tea tree oil, applied topically to the affected nail. Apparently this works well if continued long enough. It was working great for me until I developed an allergic reaction to the stuff, which caused blisters and then weeping skin lesions. I'm told this is a fairly rare reaction, and perhaps the reaction was due to some fraction in that particular brand's distillation, which apparently varies widely in quality. Look for the stuff at health food stores. Ray ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 17 Aug 1999 12:16:38 EDT From: Janet Kaiser Subject: Tiles for the International Potters Path ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- ------------------ Hi Brian=21 Sorry to hear of your woes making tiles. I have been watching the Clay Art professionals giving some great advice and hope you are now well on your way= to saying =22she'll be right=22 as is your want Down under? In addition to all = those tips, I just thought I would pass on what a couple of Path Makers have told = me over the past weeks and months. (I always ask anyone who brings tiles in, = about method etc.) Bronwyn Williams-Ellis: Using a white earthenware body, impressed and = decorated with coloured slip and clear glaze. A professional tile maker = (work/commissions in the UK and Near East) makes most of her tiles by CUTTING slices off = wedged clay using wire. She then does all the impressions, before cutting out the = tiles using a sharp knife slightly angled under the tile. When hard enough to turn over she then pricks the underside with an old-fashioned, forged square nail (randomly =26 several times). She rarely has any curl or warp. She also said cutting is far preferable to rolling as far as her work goes. (A multi-wire = harp can be used to cut several layers from a block at once). Sue King: usually makes terracotta, smoked and burnished terra sigillata = coiled pots, but never tiles. Using the terracotta body (fine and dense) she rolled (once) and cut the clay. It then spent several weeks wrapped in cling film. = She turned it over =22whenever I remembered=22. This is the flattest and = heaviest tile we have yet had for The Path=21 No one has mentioned the metal tile cutters with ejection plates we used at college. Wonder if they are now considered museum pieces? I know my better efforts were using a tile frame (four pieces of wood with = half joints that fit into a 10 x 10 cm square) which the clay was beaten into by = hand and then the surplus scraped off with a wet metal ruler, turning 45 degrees after each pull. All done on newspaper, to save it sticking to the table=21 Another thought=3B are you cutting your rolled clay when leather hard? I = believe that is recommended, although Leach suggested that tiles cut from one sheet = of clay should not be quite separated so that they hold each other flat. Do not know at what stage he recommended the final cut though. Anyway, all this is hypothetical. The problem is the drying... Seems to be either very quick or very slow, which works best. Turning seems to be = mentioned most often, but what about stacks? Have you tried several on top of each = other? In hot Australia, I guess quick drying would be your chosen method? Robert Fournier suggests drying stacked tiles on a kiln self on top of a hot kiln. I also wonder if you need to add grog to make a drier more open body to = start with? I guess more tips will roll in from the experts, so will hold my = peace... I am feeling really guilty about you using all your clay though=21 When you = have =22cracked=22 it, your tile for The Path will be really precious=21 = Honestly. Sweating with you, all of the way... Janet The Chapel of Art, Criccieth LL52 0EA, GB-Wales Home of The International Potters Path WEBSITE: http://www.the-coa.org.uk EMAIL: postbox=40the-coa.org.uk ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 14 Aug 1999 22:36:42 EDT From: Janet Kaiser Subject: Grouting relief tiles ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- ------------------ This is a problem very dear to our hearts... We will be starting on Phase I = of The International Potters Path in November and have the added problem of different sorts and sizes of tiles. Glazed and unglazed, with and without profile, thick and thin (although we requested 1 cm thick). After carefully considering the options, we have opted to set the tiles in cement onto paving stones so they can be levelled and leave approx. 1/4 inch max. spaces between the tiles. (This will vary because of different tile sizes...Hummmmm). The paving stones will then be laid in on a solid = foundation, again with 1/4 to 1/2 gaps. We will then use dry grouting which can be brushed into the spaces then =22watered=22. Using a fine hand spray small areas can be worked and then = any smears wiped quickly away. We have used this method successfully before, so there = is not reason it should not work for The Path, although approx. 5,000 tiles and= 50 square metres is a challenge compared to the small area at home=21 One basic tip: only attempt small areas at a time. As soon as the grout is = not longer =22wet=22 but before it is really =22dry=22 and therefore set, it is = fairly simple to =22polish=22 off the excess on the tiles. On gritty tiles, this = polish is best done with a nail brush. Smoother tiles need a cloth to wipe away all = trace of the grout. Relief tiles with a smooth or glazed surface will probably = need the nail brush followed by the cloth treatment. Blow off the resultant dust = and count on using several cloths... We have many different grouting products here in the UK, but watch out for indoor and outdoor only grout, as well as for the maximum recommended = spacing. Some can only be used on narrow spaces, others up to 1/2 inch maximum = (rarely above). Get it wrong and the grout will start to fall out after a few = months=21 Been there, done that, got the T-shirt=21 Hope this helps Janet Kaiser The Chapel of Art, Criccieth LL52 0EA, GB-Wales Home of The International Potters Path WEBSITE: http://www.the-coa.org.uk In need of another 4583 tiles from around= the World=21 EMAIL: postbox=40the-coa.org.uk ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 14 Aug 1999 22:20:25 EDT From: Kathi LeSueur Subject: visa/mc at shows ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- A rather radical approach to this question is....... don't take charges. I took charges for years. With all of the promotions cards were doing people were charging everything to get "points" on their card. Then one day I booth sat for a friend. A woman came up with $300 worth of pots and pulled out her card. "I'm sorry the artist doesn't take credit cards, but she does take checks." This woman just reached in her purse and took out $300 in cash. After about an hour booth sitting I realized that lots of people bring cash for the artists who don't take charges, and charge with people who do. At the next show I put out a small sign on my wrapping table, "Due to increased processing fees we can no longer accept credit cards, but we will be happy to accept your personal check." No one complained. And, the few people who didn't have checks I gave a bill to and said to send it. That was seven years ago. I no longer put out the sign, I just tell them when they take out their credit card. I have yet to have anyone not send the check and have never lost a sale. I do get lots of notes with the checks thanking me for being so trusting. And I no longer pay those fees. Kathi LeSueur Ann Arbor, MI ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 14 Aug 1999 22:17:49 EDT From: Rick Hugel Subject: Re: worst thing, come, cleaner studio ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- I was having a clean studio problem, too, until a did a few things that made life easier. 1. Don't wear your outside shoes in the studio. Take them off at the entrance and wear sandals in side. If you have to go in and out of the studio often, have different sandals for outside use ONLY. That way you don't track in the muck, leaves, dirt, etc. It really makes a huge difference! And any one who comes into the studio has to do the same thing, so keep several pairs of slippers, sandals, whatever, for guests. 2. Keep everything a few inches off the floor so a broom or mop can easily get to the dust, clay shavings, dog hair, etc. without having to lift and move everything about. I built a two tier clay wagon with heavy duty coaster wheels - more to keep the clay up off the floor than to move it around cause it is really not that mobile. I also built a rack for my bats which sets right next to my wheel. Any dried clay that falls off is easy to sweep away because I can get a broom under it. I even have my wheel off the floor with two lengths of 4 x 4's under the front and back. Again, to get a mop or broom under it. 3. Get - or make - a long handled dust pan so you don't have to stoop to gather the dust and a short handled broom(one you can use with one hand). You can walk around the studio sweeping the dust up without moving things and with a minimum of bending/stooping. 4. Keep a good size bucket of water handy with a couple of wiping rag. Use it liberally to wipe off work surfaces, dunk in tools to clean and wipe, rinse off hands, whatever. That way, you don't have to keep walking over to the sink with clay gooey hands messing that area up too. If the water gets too ikky, it is easier to trash it a few times a day than always cleaning the sink area. 5. Build a work board with a ridge around it for tool holders/sponges/and so on, and set it within reach while you are working at the wheel. Cut a hole in it to hold your water container so that it is just about level with your hands(if possible with your type of wheel). The ridge will keep all the muck, etc. under control and later you can just scrape/wash all the water and clay through a hole into a catch dish. These things helped me quite a bit, but in the end - clay dust is clay dust - and it is always going to be the ubiquitous studio annoyance. Still, we have got to try, don't we. Good luck Rick >----------------------------Original message---------------------------- >I've been waiting for someone else to say it: As a very messy potter, no >matter >how much I try to be otherwise, I dislike the clean-up process most. I >clean up >some between throwing and trimming, lots before glazing, and occasionally >between the three types of clay that I use, if I'm foolish enough to throw >with >more than one clay at a sitting. Any neatness tips would be gratefully >appreciated, though I can't guarantee that I would implement them >successfully. > >Joan in Alaska, about to get some exercise while the weather allows. > >Hi Joan, > >I'm afraid there's no help for it :) But if someone does have a suggestion >or two, I'm all ears! > >Regards >Kizzy (aka Piggy Potter :o) >In Prince George, BC, cloudy, overcast and *perfect* for photographing pots! ------------------------------ Vince Pitelka - vpitelka@Dekalb.Net Phone - home 615/597-5376, work 615/597-6801 Appalachian Center for Crafts, Smithville TN 37166 Date: Thu, 12 Dec 1996 08:54:10 EST Reply-To: Ceramic Arts Discussion List Sender: Ceramic Arts Discussion List From: Vince Pitelka Subject: terra sig Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Gary Wagoner at Auburn University kindly emailed me that lost post on terra sig which I sent to the list six months ago. Here it is in its entirety, but I have modified it a bit and added a few things. I received a number of inquiries about my reference to "super-refined terra sig which gives a high luster in a single coat with a single polishing." Let me ammend that by saying that you can get a high luster with a single coat, but you will not get opacity. If you want to conceal another clay beneath, it will take multiple coats, but make sure they are mixed and applied as described below. Here's the scoop. I expect that my approach is very similar to that of others who go for a highly-refined terra sig. Too many of the recipes out there do not separate out the large particles adequately, and the product is not a true terra sig. I started researching this when I began doing my "ancient clay" classes and workshops at U-Mass about ten years ago. First experiments were from the standard recipes in books and CM, and the results were unsatisfactory. I wanted what I had seen on ancient Greek and Roman pots. Finally, via Parmalee, I discovered the work of a German ceramic chemist named Schumann, who researched terra sigs and discovered the real secrets, which had been lost for about 1600 years. Schumann's info guided me to the current system I use. I usually use redart, ball clay, or goldart as a starting point. I start with a small amount of hot water, and into it I dissolve the deflocculant - .25% (1/4 of 1%) soda ash AND .25% sodium silicate (it seems to work better than either one by itself), based on the dry weight of the clay I am going to make into terra sig. I add this to some cold water, then add the clay, and add more water, blending with a jiffy-mixer, until the mixture is very thin, checking with the hydrometer until the reading is 1.2 for the redart slip or 1.15 for the ball clay slip. I place the bucket with this mixture up on a table (for reasons which will become evident) and leave it undisturbed for exactly 20 hours. After the 20 hours I siphon off the uppermost, thinnest liquid with a winemakers siphon - this tool is ideal for the task, because it has a length of flexible clear plastic hose connected to a stiff clear plastic length about 20" long, with a small "cap" on the end so that the tip of the siphon sucks from above rather than below. This makes it much easier to tell when you begin to get to thicker material, which is absolutely critical. The 20-hour settling time may seem arbitrary, but it's not. There are several forces at work in this deflocculated mix. The deflocculant introduces same electrical charges to the clay particles, causing them to repel one another and stay in suspension longer. Also, there is the ever-present atomic vibration which causes particles in liquids to naturally disperse. Working against these forces is gravity, causing particles to settle out. At 20 hours, gravity has caused all the heavier particles to settle out, while the finest particles are still in suspension, due to atomic vibration and deflocculation. I start the siphon with the tip just barely immersed in the settled mix. DO NOT AGITATE THIS CONTAINER OR THE SETTLED MIX AT ALL. As mentioned above, place it up on a table BEFORE the 20-hour settling period. I slowly feed the tip of the siphon down into the mix as the thin liquid is siphoned off. I keep the tip so close to the surface that it periodically will suck a small amount of air. If it sucks too much the siphoning action will stop, but having it suck a little bit of air is critical, because it gives a good indication of how thick the liquid is. As soon as you get to thicker liquid the siphon will begin to suck much more air. As soon as this hapens, STOP SIPHONING. Resist the temptation to keep siphoning, because the product will be inferior. I have never tried to do anything with what remains in the bucket, which is MOST of what I started out with. You can siphon into any container, and the siphoned liquid will of course be far thinner than the original specific gravity, and will be unuseable, so the question then is how to concentrate it. I am the proud owner of a 36"-diameter restaurant wok, which I bought at a flea market for one buck. Using this as a slump-mold, I made 24"-diameter terracotta evaporating dishes with a raised 2" edge. I place one of these on a chair and siphon the terra sig directly into it. The water soaks into the terracotta (any bisque-fired claybody would work) and evaporates from the back and from the rim. It takes about a week for the terra sig to get back to a useable specific gravity (dependent on temperature, humidity, and air movement). Don't cover the evaporating dish. Anything that settles into it out of the air won't do it any harm. Don't worry if it seems to be solidifying around the edges. When it has thickened considerably, scrape the solidified stuff loose with a clean rubber scraper, and agitate the mix with a whisk. If necessary, work the lumps against the bottom of the dish with a very clean sponge to bring all the terra sig back into suspension. Decant some into a tall container and check the s.g. If it is still thin let it evaporate some more. If it is thicker put it in an appropriate container and add water. I originally started using the resulting product at a specific gravity of 1.2 or even higher, but ran into trouble with it peeling and chipping. Now I thin it to 1.13 to 1.18, depending on the results I want. When I said I use one coat that was a bit misleading. I apply to bone dry clay, often sanded. I use a wide soft brush, and I simply brush on repeated flowing strokes until I get an opaque buildup (still extremely thin). As soon as the surface liquid has soaked in, I polish with a soft piece of flannel or T-shirt material. Remove all buttons and seams before using the cloth to polish. I usually get a glassy shine in one polish. It's magical. The amount of terra sig I brush on depends on how opaque I want the coat to be, and how much I want it to smooth out the texture of the clay. It is possible to get a very high shine with an almost transparent coat, because the shine results from the clay platelates laying flat on the surface, and in this refined terra sig the particles are so fine that a distribution of them over the surface will give a good shine and yet still allow the clay beneath to show through. A good terra sig may be the world's most perfect substance. Expect to use a LOT OF CLAY to get a good terra sig, but the results will be worth it. To get a gallon of redart terra sig takes about 75 pounds of redart clay. Goldart gives about the same yield, while ball clay gives a higher yield, since it is finer to begin with. As I mentioned above, I have never tried to do anything with the deflocculated residue left from the settling process. It would be good for making thick slip. If you add it to a claybody you would be deflocculating the clay, which will reduce plasticity. I have fired all my terra sigs to a maximum of ^02. I have applied very thin coats to bisqueware and fired them with adequate results, but never as good a shine or as durable a surface as when applied to bone dry. Terra sig applied to leather hard tends to loose it's shine when it dries. At ^04 the redart sig gives a bright brick-red-orange color, the goldart gives an off-white, and the ball clay gives a PURE white. The redart sig, when properly made, is denser, and in a blackware bonfire gives beautiful brown-to-black colors. The ball clay sig in the blackware firing or in raku post-firing smoking gives intense jet-black. Recently, some of my students who are using very gritty clays in high fire have tried coating the feet of their wares, and occasionally the contact surface between jar and lid with terra sig, to give a smoother surface than the base clay. Personally, I like the base clay showing in these areas, but it is a matter of personal taste. As Louis Katz indicated to me, goldart sigs do retain a bit of shine in high-fire, but nothing like low-temp polished terra sig. Ball clay sigs in high fire simply give a white satin finish - not really a shine at all. Of course, a redart sig would turn to a glaze, but more refractory clays might give great results. Kaolins and fire clays give extremely low yield in terra sig, because of the coarseness of the particle size. Stoneware clays give better results, depending on the fraction of fine particles. Experiment away. I always like to work with pure clay terra sigs, because they give the best shine. It is of course natural that others will want more color, but unless you can ball-mill the mixture the shine will be reduced. At U-Mass we experimented with both oxides and mason stains and got good results by ball-milling the thickened evaporated terra sig and colorants for a day or so. Good luck, email me any questions, and please let me know of your results, either on Clayart or via email. - Vince Vince Pitelka - vpitelka@Dekalb.Net Phone - home 615/597-5376, work 615/597-6801 Appalachian Center for Crafts, Smithville TN 37166------------------------------ Date: Fri, 13 Aug 1999 16:39:08 EDT From: James Blossom Subject: Re: In a slump here too ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Hi Jeff. I've been running ~ 700 messages behind, lately, but the slump idea sounds fun. To make the thin cut outs why not try a sandwich? One tile cut all the way through, and a thin slab slip-bonded to it. I do similar things with my tiles at cone 6 with good results. Saves the *careful* carving and works with cookie cutters, etc. Mike Blossom Sleeping Dog Designs Albuquerque, N.M. ----Original Message----- From: Jeff Lawrence To: CLAYART@LSV.UKY.EDU Date: Tuesday, August 03, 1999 11:53 AM Subject: Re: In a slump here too ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Richard Gralnik and Bruce Girrell were discussing slumping glass. I have been troubled at night by insomniac visions of translucent porcelain slumped into molds, maybe with carvings to heighten translucency, possibly slumped into shapes that can be put together into sculptural or other composite forms. I'm thinking take a tile, carve what you will almost through it, put it in a fireclay form and fire away. The problem is this is seems like an entire PhD thesis amount of work and I am saving my PhD energies for comparative lit someday. Any recommended references to check out if I want to undertake this? How about (quitcher snickering, now) at cone 6? tossing and turning... Jeff Jeff Lawrence Sun Dagger Design jml@sundagger.com Rt. 3 Box 220 www.sundagger.com Espanola, NM 87532 vox 505-753-5913 fax 505-753-8074 ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 13 Aug 1999 15:46:04 EDT From: Paul Lewing Subject: Re: Wettlaufer Slab Roller ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Fran Schwartz wrote: > > ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- > Hi, > After reading the archives, and getting a copy of the plans for building > the slab roller from Getting Into Pots by George and Nancy Wettlaufer, I'm > ready to search for parts and begin the project. > Does anyone who has built this slabroller have any advice or added > information, or any problems that they would share with me before I start > down the road? Hi, Fran, I've been handing out these plans to workshop participants for at least twenty years now, and this is the slab roller I have in my own studio, so I think I can offer you some advice. 1. If you put the refrigerator casters on the base board where it says to, the bed will roll off one set of casters before it rolls onto the other, which means the bed will rock for a few inches. You need to move the casters closer together than it says to get a smooth passage. 2. Before you put the angle iron onto the bed, stretch canvas onto the bed and staple it down, and attach a piece of hemmed (very important!) canvas to the end of the bed that so it can be flopped over your slab like on a Bailey or Brent. In the illustrations, George W. just uses a loose towel. How that does not wad up into the clay I cannot imagine. 3. When you get done, wrap the ends of the cables with duct tape. The frayed ends can be lethal. 4. He just shows a Vice-grip as a handle, and I must admit I still use one on mine. But one friend found a large pulley that fit on the axle so he has a wheel much like a Brent, but not as big. And another friend used a bicycle pedal- took the rubber parts off and just used the central steel part of the pedal, to make a crank. 5. For the first few years, you'll have to periodically tighten the cables. After that they seem to be all stretched out and you don't have to anymore. 6. This would be a real deluxe adaptation, but if you could devise a way to separate the incoming cable end from the outgoing one, it would make this thing run much more smoothly. Sometimes a loop of cable that's being wound up goes over a loop that needs to be fed out and the thing jams. So some kind of collar or fence, maybe a thin band of L-shaped metal attached with the same screw that holds the cable to the roller would work. I've never done this or seen it done, but if I were building this again, I'd try to figure that out. And remember, this is never going to be one of those honkin' machines that you can throw a 25 lb. block of clay into and run it down to a quarter of an inch thick in one pass, but it does work, it is cheap, and it's easy to put away when not in use. Mine lives on a shelf under a table when I'm not using it, and I can move it easily by myself. And I've made a lot of tile on it. And he's right when he says that the most important thing is to have the hole in the end caps centered on the roller. Good luck, Paul Lewing, Seattle ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 20 Jul 1999 17:55:06 EDT From: Stuart Altmann Subject: coils for kids ... and the amazing 60-second pot! ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Two suggestions to help little ones make coils. First, because they are not very strong, the clay should be as soft as possible without sticking. Working on canvas-covered wood or other firm absorbent material helps here. Second--and this hint often helps adults whose coils resist becoming cylindrical--get them to apply downward pressure mostly on the push stroke and to have the finger tips lower than the coil top, so that they are, as it were, pushing downward as well as forward. And now, the magical 60-second pots. Any time an adult tells me that they can't make a pot, I show them how to make a pot in 60 seconds, starting with nothing but a small ball of clay. Step 1.--Put the ball of clay on a table (again, canvas covered if possible) and use your fist to pound it into a smallish pancake, keeping its thickness as uniform as possible. This is the favorite step of kiddies. Pound! Pound! Pound! Step 2.--Pick up the pancake, hold it flat in the palm of one hand, and press it firmly onto the elbow of your other arm, which is held flexed, hand upward. An overlap or two around the perimeter of the pancake probably will be needed to get all of it against the elbow. Step 3.--Remove the bowl (for that's what you now have) from your elbow and tap it straight down firmly on a table, so as to flatten out a bit of bottom. Finished! Glaze and fire these, and watch the glow on your friends' faces at having a useable pot that they made themselves. Given just a demonstration beforehand, untrained adults can make an elbow pot in less than 60 seconds. Kiddies take longer because "getting there is half the fun." Stuart Altmann email: salt@princeton.edu office 'phone: 609/258-4520 ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 20 Jul 1999 10:28:22 EDT From: David Hendley Subject: the many benefits of standardized lid measurement ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Mel's suggestion to mark your caliper size for a pot on the studio wall is a good one. My method is to always set my calipers to a ruler. Any lid I make will be in half-inch increments - either a whole inch or a half inch. Write down in your notebook, or on the wall, your measurements, such as, 'large canister jar, 6 lbs of clay, 6 1/2" lid'. Customers will love you when you can easily supply them with a replacement for a broken lid. I also save the extras when I make an extra lid or two from a run of lidded containers. Probably have a hundred sitting on a dedicated shelf. A lifesaver when you break one loading the kiln, or something. Another good idea is to make a shrink rule' with your claybody. To do this, simply make a 12" by 1 1/2" by 3/8" thick slab of clay and press a ruler with raised divisions into the clay. Dry and fire normally. The numbers will be backwards, but the divisions will be accurate. If you need to make a replacement lid for a fired pot, just measure the opening with the fired and shrunken clay ruler. Whatever the shrink rule reads, set your calipers with a 'real ruler' for that size to make the replacement lid. If you originally set your calipers to a ruler, you'll be able to tell at a glance where to set your calipers again. Also, this is an impressive exercise to perform for a customer who wants a new lid - lets them know there is more to it than they thought! David Hendley Maydelle, Texas hendley@tyler.net http://www.farmpots.com ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 19 Jul 1999 13:30:20 EDT From: Kayo Parsons-Korn Subject: ecommerce (kind of long) ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- I'm taking an ecommerce class right now and one assignment was to go out and compare prices for different ecommerce services. The big difference in cost is how you want to handle credit card orders. If you simply want the order form sent over a secure server where you can pick up the information and process the order offline, you can find pretty good deals out there. Check out Simplenet.com's Domain Starter Package ($65 set up fee, $24.99 a month). That will also cover your internet needs; email accounts, unlimited data storage space and unlimited data transfer, and your internet connection. Comes with SimpleShop software to help you configure your catalog pages and order forms (only allows 10 items). It has a pretty cool little demo. Even figures in the shipping costs. You will still need to set up a merchant account with a bank to handle credit card purchases, but maybe you already do process credit cards. Stepping up from that is an online store that actually processes the order online. Checks the credit card for you and automatically processes the transaction. Again, Simplenet.com's Commerce Made Simple (CMS) account looked really good. It uses Cybercash and VeriSign (SSL) for security and provides you with advanced software from Miva Merchant for setting up shopping carts with unlimited items. The initial setup is not cheap, $400. But the monthly payment of $49.95 is not bad for all you get. This is appropriate for someone with a really big inventory. I suspect that you are more interested in option 1. Check out Simplenet at http://www.simplenet.com. The hypercart.com someone else mentioned is a very interesting idea. They said they are in the process of negotiating setting up a credit card merchant account for their customers. The only drawback to these mall style stores is getting good placement and making sure they have a category that suits you. I didn't know whether to look in Art or Hobbies and Crafts. Right now they don't have a specific category for ceramics or pottery. But I'm sure they would be ammenable to adding that. It should be crossed posted in both categories. Also, it just lists you alphabetically. So if the name of your pottery is Zeus Ceramics... well, you get the idea. Other things to consider when looking for a CSP (Commerce Service Provider) are their networking capabilities. How fast are their servers, how many accounts do they put on one server, do they have redundancy in case one goes down, do they have multiple connections to the internet, uninterruptable power supplies, firewalls for security, do they do regular backups, etc. What kind of tools do they have? Do they allow custom scripts and Front Page extensions? What kind of support will they provide? Unfortunately, it takes a pretty big infrastructure to support all that and sometimes you are better off with a big national company than the mom and pop internet guy down the street. >do any of you have web sights/web stores? I'm thinking of getting into > selling my ware over the internet, and I'm trying to a low cost provider. > All of the ones I've tried are pretty expensive. If anybody has a > suggestion or knows of a company that can set up a web store pretty > reasonably, let me know. > Steve Dalton > sdpotter@gte.net -- Kayo Parsons-Korn Design P.O. Box 436 North Plains, OR 97133 503.647.5464 kayo@kayodesign.com http://www.kayodesign.com ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 23 Jun 1999 08:49:58 EDT From: Carolynn Palmer Subject: Re: Drying the clay before firing--not a desert dweller's dilemma! ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- When we were unable to get an old refridgerator down into our basement studio, we build a damp work storage box around one of those 6 ft cheap plastic shelving units ($35) with 2 inch blue styrofoam, we cut the syrofoam to the size of the shelving and using the glue they sell for it, made an airtight box around the shelving unit. We even glued the styrofoam right to the shelving unit. Using a piece that was loose for the door. We just lazily propped this "door" into place when we were using the box. This was lightweight, could be made in any size, and kept pots damp and workable for weeks. Carolynn Palmer, Somerset Center, Michigan ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 7 Jul 1999 08:32:50 EDT From: Robin MacGrogan Subject: Tricky masking.. a solution ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Good morning folks, Thanks to everyone taking time to help discover a creative solution to making a reusable mask for curved surfaces. I'm not quite ready to report the perfect solution. I have a few more tests to do. This is where it stands. I have tried latex in the past. The material I used was too soft to hold intricate carving in the open areas (those pesky areas that don't allow a bridge causing the little mask pieces to flop around in the wind). If you know of a 'stiff' latex, by all means, let me know. Brush on resists, including latex, work good for one time only masks... as do a number of other materials. I tried a suggestion posted by Dave Finkelnburg. He suggested the plastic/rubber coating used to dip pier handles, etc. It's sold in most hardware stores. My first test created the PERFECT mask material. It's stiff like plastic, yet flexible. I tried both the spray and brush on material. The brush on worked much better. Here are the problems I'm still sorting out. First, the stores only carried red, black, green, and yellow... all opaque material. It's much too difficult to line up the masks. The stores said "no clear". I didn't believe them because of the stated purposes listed on the container... called the company... ordered the clear. I'll give you the company info after my final tests. I ran out of the can with which I did my first little tests. I picked up some more product at a different store. It's a different brand. I gave my 'bowl masks' a third and fourth coat with the different brand. The final result is too rubbery. I must now wait for my 'clear' to arrive to retest. The difference in brands is significant. I can draw with a permanent marker on the first, more plastic, product. I can't draw on the other brand with a super fine marker. It's too rubbery. Another issue is when to create the masks. It works on greenware and glazed pieces. It sticks to bisque. I haven't tried it on plaster. My guess is it will work much like on greenware. It takes a thin layer of clay off with it on the greenware. I'll test it on some carved greenware and see if it destroys the work. Another issue is toxicity. It's not a healthy thing to use. One MUST use it outside, not be pregnant, etc. I tried patching a mask once cured. The product is a solvent to itself. It makes a bit of a mess to attempt a patch. Tape is a better solution for repairs. I'll post a short note after I retest the original product in clear. Please don't hesitate to drop me a note if you have questions. Robin MacGrogan ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 10 Jul 1999 10:27:31 EDT From: Harvey Sadow Subject: Blackfiring ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- One way to do blackfiring, which is a pretty good recycling method, too is to build a rectangular box kiln (mine have been approx 3 foot cubes, open at the top. Mud or mortar the walls so that they are very tight, not leaky at all. Make a top out of ceramic fiber with ITC coating over it, attached to a metal or frame. Mine has a cementboard backing to which the fiber is pinned. I have a burner port at the bottom and a small port low down in the side that I can stick a funnel into. After the kiln is fired up to temperature (cherry red to orange), pull out the brick in the port, stick the end of the funnel into it, and pour a couple of quarts of used crankcase oil into the kiln. Quickly close the port up, and mud around the port brick. If there is any smoke coming out of the kiln, mud up the crack where it is coming out. Unload your seriously blackfired pieces the next day. Harvey Sadow ----------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 6 Jul 1999 09:14:49 EDT From: James Blossom Subject: Re: Help with tricky airbrush masking + a tip ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Hi Robin. What an interesting problem. Have you tried latex mold compound? You could mold it into the inside of one of your platters, remove it when set up, and then cut out your pattern from the latex. This would work especially well if you made a slip-cast or hump mold from one of your pieces before making the mask from the molded platter. Haven't tried this but sounds like it might work. If you do give it a go, let me know via the list. Mike Blossom Sleeping Dog Designs Albuquerque, N.M. "Nothing is more real than nothing" --Samuel Beckett -----Original Message----- From: Robin MacGrogan To: CLAYART@LSV.UKY.EDU Date: Monday, June 28, 1999 6:32 AM Subject: Help with tricky airbrush masking + a tip ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 5 Jul 1999 16:38:41 EDT From: pam pulley Subject: Re: Sagger firing ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Antoninette, I do my sagger firing while I'm pit firing using a paint can. A new can never used I get from a paint store, (metal ofcourse, there are plastic ones out there. I layer sawdust, wood shavings and small pots inside, and put a couple of nail holes in the lid. Only takes trying it once without the holes to have a flying lid taking off to not do that again. Greatest black and irridesent blacks I've ever have gotten. Another soul in our coop just wrapped newspaper around her pieces and ended up with lovely black pots (buried deep in sawdust before firing). good luck with the new ideas you try. >From: Antoinette Badenhorst >Reply-To: Ceramic Arts Discussion List >To: CLAYART@LSV.UKY.EDU >Subject: Sagger firing >Date: Sat, 3 Jul 1999 09:37:17 EDT > >----------------------------Original message---------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 5 Jul 1999 16:36:24 EDT From: "C. A. Sanger" Subject: Pinnell Blackware Firing Technique ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Peter Pinnell visited Emporia State University some years ago, and explained an easy, clean, and effective method for firing blackware. The pots are previously burnished to a high shine, then "bisqued" to cone 010 for greater strnegth. (Any higher and you'll lose the shine.) If you want designs on the pots, make a thin slip of the body clay, and use it to paint with. Those painted areas will be matt black after firing, the burnished areas a shiny black. The "kiln" is any metal container big enough to cover the pot(s). It must be intact, with no holes. (Plug any with clay.) First, lay down a layer of sand about 4 inches deep. Next, lay down a layer of sawdust, 50/50 fine and coarse, depending on type used. Softwoods are best. Set posts or bricks solidly so they won't fall over, so they clear the sawdust about 2-3 inches. Place pots on the posts. Cover the pots with your washtub, garbage can, etc. Seal the edge of the can with more sand and sawdust. Make sure you have sawdust surrounding the can. Prop a layer of finely split softwood (like pine scrap) all around the can. Sprinkle a small amount of flammable onto the pine, like charcoal starter. You want all the wood to burn evenly all around the can, and quickly. Set afire so all begins at once. (We used a torch to quickly set it all around the can.) You want it to burn hot and fast, and be finished burning in no more than about 20 minutes. Once the burn is done, and don't wait for ashes to cool, pull the hot materials away from the can rim. Using safety gloves and being really careful, gently lift one edge a little. You should see and hear air sucked into the can. Then remove the can from the work. When it has cooled sufficiently, wipe each piece clean with a soft cloth. For furthur shine, you can rub oil (olive, vegetable, skin, etc.) onto the pot, and buff with a soft cloth. You will lose some pieces due to thermal shock, but you must shock the pieces to freeze the black. (I'm told the carbon is trapped by the temperature change.) I've done this with commercial stoneware, and locally dug clay. Add grog to the clay, and make the pots thin. Thick walls seem to crack/break easier. I can't sugggest what to use for metallic luster, but a few pieces sometimes get an area of rainbow luster during the firing. C. A. Sanger ShardRock Clay Studio Kansas, USA ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 4 Jul 1999 17:38:19 EDT From: Lee Jaffe Subject: Re: Wind Chimes ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- At the studio where I work, some of the people have gotten into making wind chimes from the clay they scrape off their bats after they've removed the piece with a cutoff wire. You, know, that thin disc of clay left behind. If you use a wide metal scraper to remove it while it is still leather hard, it curls up. Make a little hole at one end for a wire or nylon line before you fire it. Hanging a few together makes a chime. And they are light enough that they can actually move in a light breeze. -- Lee Jaffe ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 29 Jun 1999 09:22:27 EDT From: Penny Hosler Subject: Re: Help with tricky airbrush masking + a tip ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Robin, Easy fix. Use latex. Paint it on just like resist, although in several coats (sometimes lots of coats). When it's dry it just peels off in one flexible, very durable piece. Even though it'll be full of cut-outs and holes where your designs are, it should last a very long time. Penny ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 29 Jun 1999 09:31:59 EDT From: Elca Branman Subject: Re: Help with tricky airbrush masking + a tip ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- A friend who does lots of masking uses old phone books. He says the paper is just perfect,and his whole line is multi sprayed over friskets,... Elca.. at home in Sarasota,Florida,USA ___________________________________________________________________ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 5 May 1999 12:28:39 EDT From: David Hewitt Subject: Re: cost of a mug, profit, macroeconomics ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- I suppose that I price for as much as I think my market will stand. With this in mind I work out how much I am giving myself per hour and see if this is acceptable. This I do as follows:- Apart from using Quicken Intuit for conventional accounting records I also use MS Excel spreadsheet for costing out how much I might make on each different item I make. One sheet in Excel has a list of the raw materials I use, a typical annual usage, and the current cost. When my suppler brings out a new price list I can enter the new figures and it automatically tells me the change and the % change so I can easily judge what in general I need to alter prices. Another sheet in the same workbook lists the different glazes I use and the recipes and costs out a kilo of glaze. The raw material prices are automatically updated from the first sheet. Further sheets cover each design I regularly make. For each design there are listed the materials used and quantities, glazes used and estimate of quantity used, electricity and estimate of usage and the time taken to make and glaze. The prices of each cost item are automatically updated from the first sheet. I then put in the selling price and calculate what rate per hour I am potentially getting. Sounds complicated perhaps, but once set up is very easy to maintain. the time to make and glaze that I put in does not cover all the extras of selling and clerical functions or reading and replying to Clayart etc.. David >> ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 29 Apr 1999 12:28:56 EDT From: Anne Hunt Subject: Re: Calcium sulfide ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Fred! Stop bragging about being in Marin! For both you and Randall, here's a possibilty with the calcium sulfide: I'm not a "glaze person", o.k., and don't know my -ites,-ates,and -ides, BUT-- is this stuff a metallic salt? If yes, how toxic is it? (is there someone named Monona out there?) Guess it can't be too bad, if it's used in agricultural applications. Also, if yes, it might be good for a saggar colorant. Kind of odd that many of them have gardening and/or killing-type uses :>) i.e., for copper sulfate coloring, use Miracle-Gro; for iron sulfate, use Moss-Out; for magnesium sulfate, use epsom salts (which is a soil treatment to prevent black-spot on roses--will see if it really works this year). For sponging or spraying solutions in saggar/sawdust firing, dissove @ 1/2c. metallic salts in 1 qt. warm water. Filter thru paper coffee filter prior to use in a sprayer. For silver nitrate, specifically, use 1 oz. silver nitrate to 3c. water. How many questions have we begged here? Have fun! anne in sequim ------------------------------ ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- In a message dated 04/26/99 12:06:49 PM, you wrote: << If anyone tries this with a white clay, lemme know what it looks like!>> Jan, I haven't tried this at cone 6 electric. I fired that way for years but have been doing cone 10 gas lately. What I have done is spray (or brush) a mixture of ball clay and soda ash on two different white clays (Laguna cone 10 B-mix and WSO). The mixture is 50:50 by weight and I use just enough water to get the ash in solution and the clay in suspension. I get a soft sheen orange that is somewhat like a wood/salt fired effect. I have two large coiled pieces in the collection of stuff to be loaded into a kiln tomorrow. They are the two pieces I am most interested in at this time. These are bisqued. I have also had good results from some small single fired pieces. Regards, Don Prey in Oregon ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 26 Apr 1999 15:04:29 EDT From: Janet H Walker Subject: nice surface sheen without glaze (^6 electric) ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- People have been musing lately about what to put on pots besides glaze. I mean, if you really like clay, you probably like it most when it is still wet. Everything after that is an anticlimax. Last firing, I tried out an idea I'd seen somewhere on ClayArt, using a soda ash wash on a raw piece. Kind of like the poor man's soda firing. I took the raw pot (not bisqued) outside and spritzed it with a solution of soda ash. I did this twice I think to get a reasonable coating. Then I fired it in my electric kiln to cone 6. (Note: I do use an Envirovent on my kiln.) I came out with a nicely toasted look on a clay body that normally fires to a dark red or red-brown. The surface had a slight sheen to it that was very attractive. This probably won't work for all clays but on this one, it was attractive enough to try more. (I also tried it on a piece that was already fired to cone 6 but needed more oomph. Persuaded some of the wash to stick by spraying it on a little at a time and letting it evaporate. Came out definitely improved from the refiring.) The soda ash solution (drum roll please) -- I took about a litre of distilled water and added about 100g of soda ash. I heated it in a pan on the stove until all of the soda ash dissolved and then poured it into one of those plastic spritzers you get from garden supply places. (For the metrically challenged, you could try a quart of water with a quarter pound of soda ash. I have no idea if this is a good concentration or not. It is just "what I did".) If anyone tries this with a white clay, lemme know what it looks like! Regards, Jan Walker Cambridge MA USA ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 25 Apr 1999 10:10:52 EDT From: mel jacobson Subject: vince's wheels ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- i used hot glue applied to a wooden wheel. or, buy the plastic wheels that vince talks of....for chairs. then use hot glue on the wheel part. works. oh, you can take a wooden dowel...large one...and decorate the end as a stamp with hot glue. if you are careful....you can make very delicate patterns. oh, and then you can take the wheels off toy cars and use them as decorative elements. mel/mn http://www.pclink.com/melpots ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 18 Apr 1999 18:12:35 EDT From: Stephen Grimmer Subject: Re: Wax Resist ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Julie, "It's a dessert topping AND a floor wax!" Mobilcer A is a liquid wax emulsion produced by (I suppose) Mobil Oil. It is white in the jug and dries clear. It thins with water and thus comes out of your brushes easily. I like using those foam/sponge brushes that painters sometimes use for window sashes to apply it as they make a really sharp line and hold a charge for quite a while. You can also notch and cut them for interesting effects. Don't get the cheap ones with the coarse foam, but rather try to find the nicer brushes with the very fine bubble structure. I but Mobilcer A from Bracker Ceramics in Lawrence, KS for $15 per gallon. Their phone # is 1-888-822-1982. The folks at Bracker are professional and always helpful. steve grimmer marion illionis ---------- ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 18 Apr 1999 18:09:45 EDT From: Stephen Mills Subject: Re: Wax Resist ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- I've come in late on this one. A mixture of approximately 50-50 Paraffin Wax and light machine oil (3in1) gives a very nice decorating wax that doesn't fry brushes and needs only a bath of hot water to keep it fluid. Downside: it remains softish so glazing needs to be done soon after decoration or the resist gathers dust and doesn't resist so well. Steve Bath UK ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 18 Apr 1999 18:07:45 EDT From: John Post Subject: Re: Plaster Bins ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- >When I reclaim clay I have to soak it in water then put it in a plaster >bat. I don't have a mixer or a pugmill....Anyway I would like to know the best >form of plaster bins or whatever >seems to work best for some of you... Norm, I use the plaster bins that clayart's own mel used in his classroom. To make one you get a large plastic bushel barrel and mix your plaster in it. Then you place a 5 gallon bucket into the middle of the plaster. Put sand into the bucket so that it sinks into the plaster displacing some of it. I use mold soap on the bucket so it will pull out easily. What you end up with is a large plaster bin that has a hole the size of a 5 gallon bucket in the middle of it. I just pour all of my wet slop into the one I made. As it dries the clay will pull away from the walls. Then you can reach in and pull the clay out as one big lump. The nice thing about the mel bucket is that it holds a lot of really wet clay. The down side is that it's rather heavy. I have mine on caster wheels so I can roll it out to fill and then roll it out of the way when I'm done. I like it better than bats because it holds so much clay at one time. cheers, John Post Sterling Heights, Michigan temmoku@actionwebs.net ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 17 Apr 1999 17:11:00 EDT From: "D. Kim Lindaberry" Subject: Re: Making a tile table ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Carol Jackaway wrote: > ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- > I just received an advertisment for wrought iron tables, with plywood tops > for inserting tiles on. I have seen these at shows and want to start selling > them. My question is to attach the tile to the plywood do you just use > regular grout or something else? Carol, I was involved in making 2 mosaic tables for a theatre I worked at. I don't remember exactly what we used to glue the pieces down in place, but we got the adhesive at a tile shop (you know, bathroom kitchen tile) A tile shop would probably be your best bet for making sure you bought the right stuff. The owner of the shop we went to was very helpful, and even gave us some tips on how to make everything fit into place. I did the iron work and inset a piece of exterior plywood into the steel frame. We then broke up different colored commercial tiles into pieces with a hammer. After we had our pieces, we set them in place on the plywood. We hand fit them to make the desired pattern. Once we had out pattern we took clear contact paper and pressed it onto all of the tiles Once all of the tile pieces were stuck to the contact paper we lifted up the contact paper and all of the tile pieces that were stuck to it. We applied our adhesive to the plywood, and then positioned the tile pieces back in place, and pressed it all down very firmly. 24 hours latter we peeled back the contact pape and grouted the spaces between the tile pieces. cheers Kim -- D. Kim Lindaberry Longview Community College 500 SW Longview Road Art Department Lee's Summit, MO 64108 USA to visit my web site go to: http://www.kcmetro.cc.mo.us/longview/humanities/art/kiml/ to send e-mail to me use: mailto:kiml@kcmetro.cc.mo.us ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 14 Apr 1999 10:30:32 EDT From: Anne Hunt Subject: Re: Imitation and flattery; An Update (Long) ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- 'Lo all-- Am prompted by Jim Shea's ref to carpal tunnel (oog!) and sinus pain---as usual, this may work for some, and not for others. Two standard diagnostic tests for true carpal tunnel syndrome (and a syndrome, such as fibromyalgia, has a number of symptoms, some of which don't seem to be related) are Tinel's and Phalen's tests (and I get the two of 'em mixed up). #1: thump around on the underside of your wrist with one or more fingers, ranging from the meaty part below your thumb (thenar eminence) to the chopping edge of your hand down from your pinkie (hypothenar eminence). Not good news if it hurts a lot. #2: Press the backs of your hands together so that hands and forearms are at right angles, and fingertips are pointing towards your chest; hold that position for 30 sec to 1 min. Not good news if there's numbness, tingling, and/or pain. You're a CT candidate. [[ General note: Many physicians are not familiar with soft-tissue, i.e. muscle/tendon, fascia, and ligaments, problems. Some will 'fess up and refer to a specialist. Some will opt for a common "wastebasket" diagnosis, two of which, unfortunately, are carpal tunnel and arthritis. Some of the specialists will do the same, especially (my supposition) if they can't be bothered to put their deerstalker's hat on. So, as a patient, you're still a consumer---be an informed one, and YOU "hold the physician's feet to the fire"---make him/her as interested in your case as you are. Posterior suboccipitals, Gall Bladder 20, whatever you want to call it (a lot of this stuff is same-o same-o, isn't it wonderful!?)---the area where the skinny backstrap muscles join the base of the skull: lots of headache, sinus pain, even physical/emotional pain memories can be stored there. An invaluable, take-it-wherever-you-go (almost), low-tech tool, is called a cranioSacral home CV-4 technique, but can also be used almost wherever you hurt (sit on it!): Take a relatively thin-woven sock, w/o holes, put 2 tennis balls (can even be duds) one after the other into the sock, down to the toe. Put a tight twist in the sock right on top of the 2d ball, then pull the ankle part of the sock over both balls--it's kind of a clumsy operation. You end up with a snug little package that looks like---well, you figure it out. For headache pain, tension, a hard day of throwing, life, some sinussy stuff, lay down on the floor or bed with a pillow well under your neck & head. Lift head, and put the two balls right at the base of your skull, drop head down and RELAX. Shift your head a little, shift the CV4 package 'til you find The Right Spot; it's reeaallly the right spot if you get on a trigger point and have referring numbness, pain, tingling. Stay there 'til it hurts less or not at all. Find another Right Spot, etc, etc. Definitely don't stay there more than a minute (tho' i've been known to fall asleep on mine)--you can always go back to it later. For back stuff, the spine usually fits perfectly in the space between the balls, so comfortably lean or lay on the balls with them either side of your spine--can even be done driving. Same thing for between the shoulder blade and the spine--but you're aligning the balls length-wise. Same thing for hip pain; put balls next to buttock-hip and gently roll over onto the balls--you'll probably find The Spot, and then another one, and another one, etc. A word of caution--don't let the dog get this! Also, it's possible to overuse this and make a particular spot tender, vice treating it. For the folks who expressed interest in my little Clay People hand-out, it's on it's way---taxes are put to bed! YAY! I still feel like I'm butting in a bit and being presumptuous for sending in these posts, so honest, KIND (I'm a delicate and fragile flower) feedback would be appreciated. I'll cease and desist if this is inappropriate. Cheers, and hunt's luck anne & the cats ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 24 Apr 1999 22:19:10 EDT From: Anne Hunt Subject: Wild Blue Yonder Burnishing ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Yo,---- I just love it when wisdom from a previous life assists me in this one. Was just sitting down to do some serious pre-saggar burnishing, when a memory assailed me: myself and a bunch of gals, 27 years ago, trying to put the best shine we knew how on our "grannies" --black cowhide oxfords. We went at it with shoe polish, water/spit, and cotton balls. For a primo shine on the toes, you could put on a thin dabbing of acrylic floor wax yes, they had it back then); however, after a few applications, it tended to turn milky and craze :^( Bad juju, many gigs... Don't recall where we got the idea but, at some point, we started doing our final polishing with pantyhose. No sweeter shine could be found! Zo, the "I wonder if..." light goes on, with this gaggle? plethora? murder? pod? exaltation? of pots in front of me, I grab the sack of mortally wounded knee-hi's and terminally ill pantyhose (I save almost everything), wad one section of p'hose tightly around pointer and bird fingers, and have at it---(anything to make the job easier on my poor wrists). YAY! If you're not already doing it, try it--it's better than artificial chamois, soft and fuzzy handi-wipes, t- shirts, etc. Wotta shine! You'll have to put on you sunglasses :>)) anne & a pod of polished cats, where we're going to be doing some major gardening today as the kiln bisques; can't wait to use the newly tested glazes I've falen in live with: Dragonfly, Soldner's Ghost Track, and Hutchen's Copper Matte ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 9 Apr 1999 11:07:35 EDT From: Marcia Selsor Subject: Re: slumping or humping?/an addition ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Dear Vince, That sounds like a neat idea. When I make molded shapes out of foam, I shape the foam with a sure-form and put a thin coat of plaster over it sanding that smooth. (I really hate those staic clinging beads from foam getting into the clay. Bill Daley taught us this in College. The plaster also helps the clay take shape very quickly even though it is thin. I thought this might be a good tidbit to add to the method you mentioned. Marcia in Montana Vince Pitelka wrote: > > ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- > >What about the other way around? The slump mold, where you would coax > >the slab down into the mold and get to see the inside instead? > > Jan - > Steve Robison and Kathy Guss taught me a wonderful slump-mold method which > is now a standard part of my colored clay workshops. We make slump molds > out of rigid foam insulation board. With the thin stuff, cut it with a mat > knife. With the thick stuff, cut it with a sabre saw with an adjustable > foot, so you can set the blade at the angle you want. Draw the shape you > want on the top, leave enough level area on top for any level flange you > want, and cut the outer shape of the mold and the inner shape of the hole. > You do not really need for the angle of the inside cut to be exactly what > you want to end up with in your slumped pieces. Simply drape you slab > across the mold, and gently drop the mold against the table a few times > until the slab sags to the desired curvature. And of course you can coax > the slab into place with your fingers if you wish. If you wish, you can use > a deep mold and slump the slab to an even curvature, and add a coil foot > when the vessel is leather hard. Or, you can use a shallow mold so that the > slab slumps down against the table or board beneath, creating a flat surface > at the bottom. > > I have never had any problem with the slabs sticking to the foam board. > They seem to release easily, even if I leave the piece on the mold until it > is dry. Of course, I roll out my slabs between layers of 10 oz. canvas > duck, and put them directly onto the slump molds with absolutely no moisture > on the surface, and the canvas texture no doubt helps keep the slabs from > sticking to the foam. > Good luck - > - Vince > > Vince Pitelka - vpitelka@DeKalb.net > Home 615/597-5376, work 615/597-6801, fax 615/597-6803 > Appalachian Center for Crafts > Tennessee Technological University > 1560 Craft Center Drive, Smithville TN 37166 -- Marcia Selsor selsor@imt.net http://www.imt.net/~mjbmls http://www.imt.net/~mjbmls/spain99.html ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 7 Apr 1999 10:57:43 EDT From: Anne Hunt Subject: Re: Upper back pain ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Otay, Jon, you've pushed a button, so i'm putting on my neuromuscular therapist hat. Let's play the game called "differential diagnosis" - short version - 'though, of course, "bodyworkers don't diagnose, they evaluate". - Have you been coughing and/or sneezing a lot-- a cold, spring allergies, etc? If yes, could be the posterior superior serratus muscles, which lay underneath the rhomboids and look like little baby rhomboids. They're little "breathers" to assist movement in the upper back portion of your ribs/breather bags---and serious coughing, etc. can cause referring trigger points (are there any other kind?) and/or spasm. -Imagine pressing your chin straight back into your spine, then do it! Sometimes helps to actually put your finger on your chin to get the "feel" of it. Then, trying your best to use your recessed chin as a pivot point, roll your head as close to your chest as you can get. Where do you feel the pulling and/or pain? If it's mainly in your back, we'll get there in a minute. If it's in the little hollows above your collarbones (and it could be one side or both), you've got some scalenes problems. They attach to either side, and a wee bit toward the front, of the neck/cervical vertebrae, and run down to attach to either the first or second rib, depending on their name. They assist a wee bit with neck movement, but mainly help lift the first two ribs in the breathing process. (Funny how this breathing stuff keeps showing up...!) The scalenes, along with some cronies, are the main culprits in causing thoracic outlet (really should be called "inlet") syndrome, which also causes a faux carpal tunnel syndrome--and the hits just keep on comin'. That diagnostic stretch you did is also great for home treatment---we should ALL be doing it whenever we think of it during the day. Also, the scalenes are a couple of millimeters forward of the levator scapulae upper attachments--lower atch are at top of shoulder blades-- which are notorious for causing neck and upper back pain---they're also the "gee, I must've slept wrong last night and now my neck hurts lilke hell & I can barely move it" muscles. And guess what?? If the scalenes are punky with trigger points, they frequently refer into the neighbor levator scapulae and aggravate the hell out of them, so it really becomes a family affair. Since you said the magic word "throwing", the culprits are prolly in your back muscle "family"---too much detail already, & i've got pots and plants calling. *Simple but important body/biomechanics lesson: if you are tensing up/exerting force with one set of muscles--say, your "front" muscles, ESPECially if you're bent over /rolled over at all---the antagonist muscles muscles (the back ones) are going to lengthen, stretch, weaken, be put into eccentric contraction. Sooney later, the back muscles are going to strenuously object (enough of this #@*& already!) and pull back in an effort to put them and their bones "back" into position: SPASM* (And you're just innocently trying to make pots!) So, Jon, your assignment, should you choose to accept it (and the order is important), is: - Find out (call them, if necessary) if your medical insurance covers massage therapy, or even physical therapy. If yes, get a prescription from your doc for it. My personal take on down and dirty effectiveness is a neuromuscular:) or trigger point therapy; you've got to reprogram the specific "hot" nerves in the muscle(s) plus get rid of the hyaluronic (highly ironic), lactic, carbonic acids and serotonin that are bathing the nerves and perpetuating the situation. (THEN you could do the Alexandar if you wanted). Some physical therapists know that stuff. Call them and ask what type of work they do. If therapists don't offer the kind of work you want, take your ball and go someplace else---you're a consumer and customer, even of things medical. If your insurance is n/a, then shell out the bucks---you're worth it---for treatment; this is a "weak" area for you and, like a cold sore, will keep on recurring 'til the end of your days unless effectively treated. - Stretch out your front/chest muscles 3 to 4 times a day. (Sidebar - look at clothing you've been in while potting; what do you see besides clay? Two sets of creases: one at the groin, and the other at the shoulder/chest juncture--basically where our limbs attach to our trunk--wherever we hunker over, compress, tighten up, decrease circulation; the creases MUST be stretched out in the other direction!!!) CHEST: Stand in doorway as if you're starting to go through. Place hand of whichever side you want to stretch on the wall, palm on the wall. Shoulder level. Arrange yourself so that either the inside of your elbow, or your upper forearm close to your elbow is at the wall/doorway corner. Put one bent leg forward to make a stable base. Lean forward---don't press your hand/arm into the wall, just use them to anchor/position yourself!! As you lean forward, you should feel the muscle "webbing" between your shoulder and chest stretch. Stay in the stretch for 3, not 10, not 30, but 3 seconds, exhaling, then move back to upright position for three (3) seconds, inhaling. Repeat. Make it dance-like or meditative if you want. Get "into" the area you're stretching, listen to it say "thank you", and anything else it wants you to know, besides "You turkey!". Repeat 10 to 20 times, ..3 seconds "on", 3 seconds "off". You'll feel yourself leaning onto your forward leg more as those muscles loosen. Do the same for the other side. THEN, do the same thing, but with your arm positioned about 5 inches higher on the wall---HAH! Thought you had this aced, didn't you?! Then, do the same thing, but with your arm @ 5" higher yet. The higher you go, aside from hurting more, will majorly decrease your ability to lean forward. This is a sure-fire, foot-stomper stretch and VERY important. By the bye, IMPLICIT in "a day of throwing" should be a variety of breat hing exercises, stretches, neck rolls, you name it, to honor the body, prolong its use, and feel sooooo good! -After you've done this stuff, do what you can to strengthen you back muscles---motion to use will be opening your arms wide and bringing shoulderblades together, i.e. weightlifting flyes (sp?) - Finally, strongly recommend laying off of the wheelwork until this is resolved and muscles have had a chance to catch their figurative breath...do handbuilding, firing, whatever. I put together a little repetitive stress injury and treatment package for the Clay People group I belong to---if you wanna, send your snailmail address & i'll send you a copy. We're all after quality of life, right? Now you know how to build a watch, and you're prolly saying she's nuts, she's wrong, and i ain't doin' it! Hey, Jon, whatever melts your butter---don't you just love louisianaisms? Cheers! anne & the cats in sequim wa where my nanking and weeping cherries are blooming but d.c. must be drop-dead gorgeous and i can't believe i just spent the first 2 1/2 hours of my day typing this... ------------------------------ ----------------------------- Date: Fri, 2 Apr 1999 08:02:16 EST From: Louis Katz Subject: Re: charcoal ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Hi Dannon Take an old can fill it full of limbs. Put a lid on it. or upturn it in your kiln into a pile of sand. Slowly heat the kiln to about 900 degrees and wait for it to stop smoking. do this with the damper open to prevent any smoke buildup in the kiln. This should work, I have only tried it with small vines for drawing. Louis ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 5 Feb 1999 07:56:18 EST From: Nils Lou Subject: Re: Copper reds in electric reduction ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- The flame is introduced in the center bottom of the kiln through a 1-1/2" hole. The burner is a Bunsen type rat-tail with a propane orifice. Hose to LPG bottle. Burner is about $21 from any propane dealer. The little AIM kiln comes on a metal stand about 8" high which provides access to the bottom. Cheers NL ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 Mar 1999 07:46:50 EST From: debbie porter Subject: Re: glass info ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- I modify my overglaze (china paints) for glass. To change overglaze paints into glass paints, I use a flux from Rynne China company. Proportions are 2/3 china paint to 1/3 flux in powder form. When using high gold content colors which are purples, pinks, and roses, you use 1/2 china paint and 1/2 flux in powder form. Fire at 022. This works very well, and is a traditional means for creating beautifully decorated Victorian glass lamps. My experience is that less expensive glass actually responds better to this process. Go down to good-will and get some practice pieces. Remember that yellows and reds together generally are not compatible in china paints. Run a variety of tests, blending colors on the brush and firing for future reference. Contact Rynne at: info@rynnechina.com or visit their web site: www.rynnechina.com. Best wishes with your glass projects! >From: Sharon Miranda >Reply-To: Ceramic Arts Discussion List >To: CLAYART@LSV.UKY.EDU >Subject: glass info >Date: Wed, 10 Mar 1999 10:22:06 EST > >----------------------------Original message---------------------------- >Hello clayarters, I was wondering if someone on the list could give me a >website or group which would help me w/ me newest quest which is painting >on glass - i want to make wine glasses that match the plates that I make. >I have been >using acrylics and heating up the glass in the oven, but it's surely not >very durable. I need to contact a supplier as well. Thanks for any info. >Sharon Miranda >(Sharon.Miranda@Oberlin.edu) > > Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 26 Feb 1999 11:11:10 EST From: Bacia Edelman Subject: blind clay student/new experience ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- I had a wonderful experience giving a demo in a friend's clay class eight evenings ago, came home so wired I couldn't get to sleep, wanted to share it with Clayart, but had no time until today. It is related to a knotted thread or two some time ago about blind students in clay and also to handling a pot rather than viewing it through glass, say, at an exhibit.. Mostly, this group has been throwing; they all had classes before this winter. Andree Valley (who will be my roommate at NCECA) asked me to demo a handbuilding technique I have been fooling around with only the past ten months. Using spiraled wire (removed from a notebook or 20 gauge brass wire wound around a pencil) I pulled the wire slowly through a soft clay slab no no higher than 1 and 1/8 inch. An amazing pattern is visible when the slabs are pulled apart. Usually. The group gasped with pleasure. Then one woman lightly felt the pattern. I realized instantly that she was blind (had not been forewarned.) Besides, one of the rules if you try this technique is to not handle the textured side of the very soft slab while forming what one forms. Or at least till the clay stiffens somewhat. However, this woman's touch was so tiptoe light that there was no evidence of her inquiry. As I did more slabs and laid them out, she couldn't tell where they were, so I guided her hand. It affected me deeply. Then she went back to her wheel, where she is spending the semester throwing covered jars. Andree sets the calipers for her, and also has to describe the glazes articulately at glazing time. I realized from this , since I have been using texture a great deal including lichen glazes, that touching the work is almost as important to me as visualizing. Andree has learned, in explaining things to this woman, that she has to use language in an especially clear way. Besides that, the rest of the class who had expressed a curiosity about what I would show, but intended to go back to throwing projects, is now buying wire, using a North Star slab roller to make slabs, and gung-ho for a few weeks to make "projects" in this mode. For anyone who wants to read further: I took along 2 books which have good photos of work done in this manner by Marta Gloviczki. The Ceramic Design Book and The Best of Pottery 1, plus an appearance in the Clay Times' gallery section. It was Marta who told me how she achieved it and I was introduced to Marta by an e-mail from Dannon Rhudy!!!! It was before last yr's NCECA and both Marta and I were wondering about a ride or renting a car to see the show curated by Dannon and Doug Gray in Denton, Texas. We started out by phone calls since Marta doesn't use e-mail. Met at NCECA, we are now in touch several times a month. Her teenager has e-mail which helps. Dannon, ya done good. Hoping to see you in Columbus. Bacia Edelman Madison, Wisconsin ------------------------------------------------------------ Date: Fri, 26 Feb 1999 11:09:32 EST From: Richard Gralnik Subject: rakuchamber drawings and explanation ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Sylvia See sent me the raku chamber drawings and some explanatory text. I put these on our anonymous ftp server so anyone who wants them can get them by ftp'ing to ftp.desktalk.com Login as anonymous, password is guest. Change directory to ceramics (cd ceramics). Type "get rakuchamber.txt" to download the text file. Next type "bin" to put yourself in binary mode then type "mget *.jpg" to download the pictures (rakuchamber1.jpg and rakuchamber2.jpg). Richard ------------------------------------------------------------ Date: Fri, 26 Feb 1999 08:47:10 EST From: Sylvia See Subject: Re: primitive childrens work Bluestone wash ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- I should have explained Bluestone in my email. Sorry about that. I have had alot of emails asking what this is. Bluestone can be bought at most farm supply stores. It is used for treating fence posts, and dugout water etc. It is copper sulfate (I think). It looks like a pretty tourquoise salt. I mix about 2 tablespoons in about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of water. Use a glass jam jar as it eats through plastic. Also it is toxic. I wear medical rubber gloves. I use disposable foam brushes to brush a very thin coat, 3 times alternating the d