Yesterday I went ahead a took out my elements that I fused together. It Looked like they stayed together for the most part but once I ripped them out..well that was it. I have no idea how you guys get those pins in that bottom grove of the kiln because when I actually get in my kiln and sit on the ground to put those pins in I feel like a stow-away in a box on a ship! Putting elements in is not fun but I'm starting to become a pro at it!
My kiln is back to good working order and I also bought some new Allen wrenches so I don't have to fire with the visual cones anymore. Below is a photo of some handy sheets I laminated that hang near the kiln. I took them out something that came with Ceramics Monthly a few issues ago. I'm sure those of you who get the catalog now what I'm taking about. Its lists all sort of useful technical information and since I like to refer a lot to book and not rely so heavily on my memory, having a chart about what temp. things heat up to along with what materials I can substitute for different ingredients-this is a handy reference near by.
I'm still working on a special order for those big bowls I was doing before Christmas. Here's another shot of them. This design is nothing like I usually make so its taken awhile to figure out what this customers wants and how to modify it a bit to fit my clay body, the bat size I have and what she wants these to look like. It was a bigger challenge than I had envisioned.
Today I'll get started on some plates and more covered mugs. I was not happy with the way my lids fit on the last batch so that challenge is going to be revisited.Happy Monday everyone!
8 comments:
Your bowls look great.
expecting any SNOW Jen??? You can guess what it is like here this week :)
Hey Gary,
I just spoke with a cousin of mine in Brooklyn and she said they have nothing but are exspecting some soon! NO snow here. Just the chance of a "wintery mix"..they say that every week these days and all we get is freezing rain. My favorite!!
I can't believe you didn't comment on my " Shake Down Cruise" question below? jen
Hey! Been following the kiln dilema and glad you got it all sorted out. Doesn't it always just happen when you need it most? How are the big bowls working out? I tried some before Christmas and lost all of them, either due to cracking in the foot or bottom or blowing up the darn things cause I rushed the drying. Let me know any tips you have.
Hey Vicki!
I have been asking about you. Are you home?
The bowls aren't cracking believe it or not, I use keep doing stupied things to them ( hitting edges or being in the kiln that overfired..ect.) What clay body where you useing?
Are you going to the NC potters conferance?
Those bowls look great. Do you wrap them after trimming for slow drying? I've been having such problems with S-cracks on my large bowls and looking everywhere for solutions.
definitely not looking forward to having to change elements in my kiln. it seems to be one of those jobs that you get good at doing by time you're done and then you don't do it again for years and then you're no good at it again. bowls are looking sweet.
Hi Patricia,
I do wrap my bowls and baby them. I don't get S-cracks with these as much as I can or have with big platters. Not as much surface for them to s-crack and I go back and forth with my rib to compress at the bottom. They are heavy so turning them over to trim always trips me up a bit. I have to call Joey to help me out with that. I don't make alot of big stuff just because I don't have the room!
Hope this helps!
Jennifer
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