Malone & Dean McRaine on thu 4 sep 97
Aloha all:
I've done a bunch of sales and shows allover the place. Breakage has been
the least of my problems. I've never had a kid break a pot in 20+ yrs. I
keep my eye on them if they're under 3 or hyperactive (no running in the
booth). I do all wholesale now and tell my retailers to replace any
purchased broken pots at no charge and don't ask for payment if not
purchased. I might not be so liberal if my pots cost $thousands each. In
the under $100 range the good PR is worth it for the very rare occasion that
something gets broken. Think about how many you've broken at every stage of
making and firing. Your customers are your most valuable resource, treat
them well.
Dean
Dan Rao on fri 17 mar 00
I'm new to this list and to this art. I have a question about breakage. I
have a sort of a casserole dish that I put in a bisque firing last weekend.
The handle on the lid has come loose or broken free from where I attached
it. Is there any way to save this piece? I've thought of two ways my self,
one is to use a slip and fire it again in a bisque firing before glazing,
the other is to dip both the lid and the handle separately in the glaze then
just set the handle on top of the lid during the glaze firing. Will either
of the methods work or is there a better way to do this? Help.
By the way I did the bisque firing at cone 05 and I do my glaze firings at
cone 6 in an electric kiln.
Thanks for the help.
Dan
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Catherine Jarosz on fri 17 mar 00
HI Dan ... not seeing your handle in person is hard to visualize if
this method will work or not but try elmers glue and glaze mixed together
( more glue than glaze) and carefully glue it back on your pot before you
dip or how ever it is you apply glaze ... you could also try just the
glue itself and then glaze over... but you only get one chance at this ...
I've only done this a few times with a knob handle ie top of honey pot
type ... and its worked beautifully at cone 10 reduction ... give it a
shot .. or you could try rebisque using paper clay slip first to
attach it back on... but be very careful handling it after you get it out
of the rebisque as its not a real strong bond ... hope this helps some...
cat
Wayne S Bien on fri 17 mar 00
Dan,
You can't use slip to attach pieces that are already bisque. I have had some
success attaching pieces together with glaze as you described.
Wayne Bien
Baltimore, MD
----- Original Message -----
From: Dan Rao
To:
Sent: Friday, March 17, 2000 10:34 AM
Subject: BREAKAGE
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> I'm new to this list and to this art. I have a question about breakage.
I
> have a sort of a casserole dish that I put in a bisque firing last
weekend.
> The handle on the lid has come loose or broken free from where I attached
> it. Is there any way to save this piece? I've thought of two ways my
self,
> one is to use a slip and fire it again in a bisque firing before glazing,
> the other is to dip both the lid and the handle separately in the glaze
then
> just set the handle on top of the lid during the glaze firing. Will
either
> of the methods work or is there a better way to do this? Help.
>
> By the way I did the bisque firing at cone 05 and I do my glaze firings at
> cone 6 in an electric kiln.
>
> Thanks for the help.
>
> Dan
> ______________________________________________________
> Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
Janet Kaiser on sun 19 mar 00
I would question trying to repair a handle on a casserole at all. It may be
hard and feel a waste, but you have to learn to bin work too. It is part of
the course and the learning curve. No one has actually said so, but really
it is one of those "not done" things.
I am sure most potters on this list will tell you that they throw work away
if it is not up to standard at the biscuit stage. Not just cracked and
broken but even shapes that do not work. Adding decoration and glazing does
not improve what is basically a poor pot. Do not be confused by the recent
thread on seconds, which was about finished pots.
But aside from the aesthetics: a casserole will presumably be used in an
oven and you need a strong handle(s) to hold the pot. Although glaze will
maybe work, it is only a cosmetic repair and there will be an inherent
weakness in the handle which will make it more liable to break or sheer off
especially after a knock or sudden change of temperature. I would hate you
(or whoever uses it) to end up with hot stew over your feet and no dinner.
Potting is a bit like gardening... You have to be cruel to be kind.
Just make another casserole... May not be the same, but at least it will be
a "perfect pot" and one you will not need feel ashamed about in a few months
or years...
Janet Kaiser
The Chapel of Art, Criccieth LL52 0EA, GB-Wales
Home of The International Potters Path
TEL: (01766) 523570
WEB: http://www.the-coa.org.uk
EMAIL: postbox@the-coa.org.uk
----- Original Message -----
> Dan,
>
> You can't use slip to attach pieces that are already bisque. I have had
some
> success attaching pieces together with glaze as you described.
>
> Wayne Bien
> Baltimore, MD
Steven Goldate on sun 19 mar 00
Dan,
you might want to try out 'Patch-A-Tach' from Duncan ceramics. You can use it fo
mending bisueware. But it's not suitable for porcelain with a clear glaze, as a
rim will remain visible - but OK for other glazes!
cheers,
Steven
> > ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> > I'm new to this list and to this art. I have a question about breakage.
> I
> > have a sort of a casserole dish that I put in a bisque firing last
> weekend.
> > The handle on the lid has come loose or broken free from where I attached
> > it. Is there any way to save this piece? I've thought of two ways my
> self,
> > one is to use a slip and fire it again in a bisque firing before glazing,
> > the other is to dip both the lid and the handle separately in the glaze
> then
> > just set the handle on top of the lid during the glaze firing. Will
> either
> > of the methods work or is there a better way to do this? Help.
> >
> > By the way I did the bisque firing at cone 05 and I do my glaze firings at
> > cone 6 in an electric kiln.
> >
> > Thanks for the help.
> >
> > Dan
> > ______________________________________________________
> > Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
---------------------------------------
Steven Goldate
world@lexicon.net
http://ceramics.about.com
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Why not submit to the ceramics.about.com
database -- one of the most comprehensive
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---------------------------------------
vince pitelka on mon 20 mar 00
> I would question trying to repair a handle on a casserole at all. It may
be
> hard and feel a waste, but you have to learn to bin work too. It is part
of
> the course and the learning curve. No one has actually said so, but really
> it is one of those "not done" things.
Thanks you Janet for this post. A lot of people waste a lot of time trying
to repair pots that should go in the shard pile. And repairing a pot which
is going to go in the oven is even more questionable. I know it is
difficult to discard a utilitarian piece which has otherwise turned out
well, but when there is a serious structural flaw, the integrity of the pot
has been disrupted and it is very unlikely that it can be recovered. Toss
it and move on.
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
http://www.craftcenter.tntech.edu/
DeLana Hornbeck on tue 21 mar 00
------------------
Just wanted to add my bit to the subject of trying to save a pot which has =
a
crack or break...... Janet and Vince said most of it very well. What I also=
say
to my students, is that we are so fortunate to be able to do our learning =
with
clay, so that our less than satisfying pieces can be recycled and the =
material
reused to create something more satisfying. It is the only art medium I can
think of where you do not have to contribute to the landfill in order to =
learn.
So you spend all that time making the thing,and then recycle it.... you keep
your learning=21
=3E I would question trying to repair a handle on a casserole at all. It may
be
=3E hard and feel a waste, but you have to learn to bin work too. It is part
of
=3E the course and the learning curve. No one has actually said so, but =
really
=3E it is one of those =22not done=22 things.
Thanks you Janet for this post. A lot of people waste a lot of time trying
to repair pots that should go in the shard pile. And repairing a pot which
is going to go in the oven is even more questionable. I know it is
difficult to discard a utilitarian piece which has otherwise turned out
well, but when there is a serious structural flaw, the integrity of the pot
has been disrupted and it is very unlikely that it can be recovered. Toss
it and move on.
Best wishes -
- Vince
Thank you for this thought provoking and informative list =21
DeLana
delh=40enter.net
Stephani Stephenson on sat 16 mar 02
couldn't resist a few quick takes on this one
Galleries who have your work on consignment IMHO are DEFINITELY
responsible for breakage....
(you break it ...you buy it?.....sound familiar?)
This should ALWAYS be spelled out in your contract and consignment
agreement....
First of all , they have not paid a penny for showing the work, why on
earth would YOU, the potter feel obliged to cover for their breakage of
YOUR potter's work????
If one of their customers breaks something that is between the gallery
/shop and the customer...but NOOOOOOO NOOOOO it is not your
responsibility. Good heavens! Talk to your gallery about it ahead of
time and stick up for yourself! This is not being an out of control
hardass......
HORROR STORY #1
A gallery was displaying several pieces of mine...handbuilt sculpture,
$300-$800 range. One was a large (24" X 18") vessel oriented sculpture,
entire burnished Terra Cotta surface.
A gallery employee had knocked it over sometime during the first month
of the show..broke the top half clear off. It was a major, total break,
which indicated they must have decked it pretty hard. They did NOT tell
me about it.
The worst part is that some ah, well meaning idiot GLUED IT BACK
TOGETHER. And they did a horrendously clumsy job of it Of course the
glue seam and break still showed so they then COVERED THE GLUE/BREAK
SEAM WITH TAPE AND PAINTED OVER THE ENTIRE BURNISHED TERRA COTTA
SCULPTURE WITH BARN RED ACRYLIC PAINT. I GUESS THEY THOUGHT IT LOOKED
JUST LIKE A FINELY BURNISHED, GENTLY SMOKED TERRA COTTA SURFACE. !!!!!!
A month later I visited the the gallery (it was a couple of hundred
miles away from where I lived).
I could NOT BELIEVE what I saw!!I was totally dumbfounded. They had it
on display but kind of tucked behind a metal sculpture, but there it
was, broken, clumsily glued and hideously covered in red barn acrylic
paint. I think they were hoping I 'wouldn't notice'. Un believable!
Believe me when I say it was difficult to not scream out something
like "what kind of IDIOT did this!," but I did control myself, though I
know adrenalin was squirting out through my very pores.... in a civil
but firm voice I explained to them , diplomatically, how completely
out of bounds their action had been. I 'm not sure which irritated me
most, the fact that they did not let me know about the breakage or the
fact they had the audacity to think altering a piece like that was
anywhere NEAR acceptable/ They paid me in full for the piece, yes they
did, that very day. By the way, this was a classy looking gallery, but
evidently this did not mean they knew squat about certain things. . I
was shocked at the lack of professionalism and wondered what had
possessed them to do it. I had signed a very professional sounding
contract with them , which , when reviewed clearly stated their
responsibility for breakage. Lets say we added a few more items to the
contract that day with regard to notification and handling of damaged/
broken work .
REPAIRS
I have also repaired broken pieces for people occasionally. Twice I
have had clients who had purchased sculptures which were later damaged
in earthquakes at their homes. The damage was minimal and I was able to
repair....but we are talking about breakage to a $500-$800 piece, not a
coffee cup... Also you have to honestly assess whether you are able to
repair and to what degree. I charged $50 an hour for the repair work and
S&H both ways. Not unreasonable, as it is painstaking, skilled
work...It is kind of a challenge , but both times the customer couldn't
even tell where the damage was and they were quite happy. There are also
occasions where you simply must explain it can't be repaired. I also had
a customer come to me with a piece that had been damaged 'in a divorce'.
All the Queen's Horses and All the Queen's Men couldn't put THAT one
together again.
On the other side of the coin, my most favorite mug broke this week.
slipped out of my hands onto the floor, broke into 100 pieces. I have
treasured that mug for 10 years, it was my comfort mug. I just stared at
it, but then just had to face reality, and say bye, bye sweet little
mug., you gave me years of pleasure.......
Stephani Stephenson
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