mel jacobson on wed 26 sep 07
my take has always been.
buy a wheel, get the electric kiln the same day.
can't have one, without the other.
or. you become a kiln leech.
`will you fire this pot for me?`
to make pots you need a small studio..with
all the equipment you need to make, and fire the pots.
store them..and the chemicals or simple glazes.
it would be like a person buying a hand saw and
wanting to build cabinets.
you need more than a saw.
from: mel/minnetonka.mn.usa
website: http://www.visi.com/~melpots/
Clayart page link: http://www.visi.com/~melpots/clayart.html
om on wed 26 sep 07
On Sep 26, 2007, at 10:16 AM, mel jacobson wrote:
> my take has always been.
> buy a wheel, get the electric kiln the same day.
> can't have one, without the other.
> ...
> to make pots you need a small studio..with
> all the equipment you need to make, and fire the pots.
> store them..and the chemicals or simple glazes.
A wheel is a big investment. I'm not referring only to money here
although some are expensive. They may also be very heavy (it takes
at least two people lift my wheel) or bulky and they certainly make a
mess. Because of these expenses, both monetary and otherwise, I can
understand your point about buying the rest of the stuff one needs
when getting a wheel.
However, people are not always able to buy everything at once, or may
not be in a position to have a place for everything at once. It is
possible to compensate for a lack of cash by setting realistic
desires. I tend to think, at least here in America, that people
sometimes put things off because they can't afford the biggest this
or the best that. If we let go of some of the "requirements" that
hold us back, we can actually move forward.
I have fired handbuilt pieces in a small Webber grill on an apartment
balcony, in fireplaces, campfires, and holes in the ground. I once
melted post-1982 pennies (the zinc ones) in a cast iron pan on a lake
shore using damp driftwood fuel, and poured the mix into a clay
mold. I still have the medallion I made that evening. A raku kiln
can be built on the cheap and ubisqued pottery can be once fired with
a $50 weed burner.
I guess my point is that while it would always be nice to have the
resources to buy and setup the perfect studio, the inability to
afford all of that coupled with the notion that all the stuff is
"necessary", has probably held back quite a few people. Really, all
one needs for pottery is some clay and some matches. Everything else
is secondary.
I'm probably not answering the original question but I've missed it
along the way. Fr what it's worth, if the money is there for a wheel
or kiln but not both, I'd personally get the kiln first. Without a
way to fire pottery, the wheel is not much use and there is nothing
wrong with handbuilding while saving up for a wheel.
Odin
anagama blog
http://www.anagama-west.com/firing_log/
WJ Seidl on wed 26 sep 07
That's right, Mel.
You need a hammer too.
A BIG hammer.
And opposable thumbs.
ROFL
Wayne Seidl
mel jacobson wrote:
>
> it would be like a person buying a hand saw and
> wanting to build cabinets.
> you need more than a saw.
>
Eleanor on thu 27 sep 07
.......... and when you finally get your wheel and place it where you
want it, check the wheelhead with a spirit level and adjust or shim
the legs if you need to. Otherwise your pots will be lopsided.
And Tom Wirt (a wise man) said:
> As you throw more, the splash pan will be less important.
> Look for one that won't get in the way when throwing big stuff or
> cutting
> off a pot.
..... make sure it's removable; if you throw "dry" you won't need it.
I use mine only to catch trimmings.
Eleanor Kohler
Centerport, NY
I like my Brent C
| |
|
