mel jacobson on sat 19 apr 08
no matter how old one gets, or how long one
teaches...clay always comes back to bite you
in the butt.
i dug out a box of porcelain, domestic...it was rock
hard so added a wet mix of 4x4 powdered porcelain
to the pug mill and milled it into a couple of hundred
pounds. cleaned the wheel and wedging table.
threw a batch of mugs and bowls...plates..just for fun.
as usual i added the handles with white spooze right
away. and as usual, set them out to dry...heater running
in the cold studio...ceiling fan on low....as usual.
came out in the morning and most of the handles had
cracked and two had come loose from the upper wall.
damn. i forgot...you cannot ever dry porcelain like
i do my standard groggy sandy clay body.
it just don't work that way.
good lesson. repaired four of them with spooze and
covered the rest with a spritz of water and sealed them. they are fine.
cracked off the handles that were bad and made them
into tumblers.
i tiny bit of sand paper. like new.
now in the kiln at 3 a.m. and firing. will come out tomorrow.
then we will see how i did.
change your clay, change your life. we forget that saying
some times.
with my standard clay, i can make mugs, set them in the
sun/breeze, add the handles an hour later. set them back
outside...bisque fire them the next morning.
not a bad handle in twenty five years....the clay is
perfect for speedy drying. i make it that way, on purpose.
it reminds me why i do not use porcelain. no patience.
mel
from minnetonka:
website http://www.visi.com/~melpots/
clayart site:
http://www.visi.com/~melpots/clayart.html
Lee on sat 19 apr 08
All clay in the USA feels sticky compared to clay in Japan.
Their natural clays are superior to our "science minded" cake mix
clays.
I am testing Continental's "B" clay. Their interpretation
of B-mix. It has many of the qualities of porcelain, but is easier
to throw. Not available to the public yet. I am doing tests for
them in the NCC woodkiln and also Craig Edwards' anagama. Should be
avialble soon. They are also making a new clay for vapor firing
but is not in the "out of house" testing phase yet.
--
Lee, a Mashiko potter in Minneapolis
http://mashikopots.blogspot.com/
"Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that
can be counted counts." --(Sign hanging in Einstein's office at
Princeton)
gayle bair on sat 19 apr 08
Very funny Mel......
It took me 8 years..... fighting every step of the way before
I realized I had to "grow" patience with the clay body I use!
Since then I haven't had a cracked handle.
Gayle Bair
Tucson AZ
Bainbridge Island WA
gayle@claybair.com
www.claybair.com
On Apr 19, 2008, at 1:11 AM, mel jacobson wrote:
> no matter how old one gets, or how long one
> teaches...clay always comes back to bite you
> in the butt.
> snip>
> as usual i added the handles with white spooze right
> away. and as usual, set them out to dry...heater running
> in the cold studio...ceiling fan on low....as usual.
> came out in the morning and most of the handles had
> cracked and two had come loose from the upper wall.
> damn. i forgot...you cannot ever dry porcelain like
> i do my standard groggy sandy clay body.
> it just don't work that way.
>
> good lesson. repaired four of them with spooze and
> covered the rest with a spritz of water and sealed them. they are
> fine.
> cracked off the handles that were bad and made them
> into tumblers.
> i tiny bit of sand paper. like new.
> now in the kiln at 3 a.m. and firing. will come out tomorrow.
> then we will see how i did.
>
> change your clay, change your life. we forget that saying
> some times.snip>
Rikki Gill on wed 23 apr 08
I just have to say here that there is porcelain, and there is porcelain.
Some is really easy to throw. I use a porcelain body that is made locally,
a six tile porc, and it throws really well. I have heard that Baboo [I
think that is the name] is easy to use also. It is good for cups and pieces
that have attachments like cup handles.
I let my cups set up over night, trim them and then handle them. I cover
them and let them dry slowly. It may be too fussy for most people but it
works for me.
I think if you buy your clay, you should try a few bodies to see what works
well for you. My idea of a hard to throw porcelain is Southern Ice. I only
use that for small pieces.
Hope this helps.
Rikki Gill
----- Original Message -----
From: "Fred Parker"
To:
Sent: Wednesday, April 23, 2008 7:08 PM
Subject: Re: the mayor's porcelain adventure
>I don't know what it is about porcelain that keeps me coming back for more
> punishment, but it is real. I usually use an off-the-shelf stoneware,
> grogged and speckled to a point that just firing it makes it pretty even
> if my contribution is crap. But I keep coming back to the porcelain.
> When I'm in one of those porcelain episodes I will spend five times the
> amount of time it normally takes to do a kilnload, and even then I will
> end up with a load of cracked, warped rejects along with a few beautiful
> pieces, but I keep coming back to it.
>
> I think it's dangerous,
>
> Fred Parker
>
>
> On Sat, 19 Apr 2008 03:11:33 -0500, mel jacobson
> wrote:
>
>>no matter how old one gets, or how long one
>>teaches...clay always comes back to bite you
>>in the butt.
>>
>>i dug out a box of porcelain, domestic...it was rock
>>hard so added a wet mix of 4x4 powdered porcelain
>>to the pug mill and milled it into a couple of hundred
>>pounds. cleaned the wheel and wedging table.
>>threw a batch of mugs and bowls...plates..just for fun.
>>
>>as usual i added the handles with white spooze right
>>away. and as usual, set them out to dry...heater running
>>in the cold studio...ceiling fan on low....as usual.
>>came out in the morning and most of the handles had
>>cracked and two had come loose from the upper wall.
>>damn. i forgot...you cannot ever dry porcelain like
>>i do my standard groggy sandy clay body.
>>it just don't work that way.
>>
>>good lesson. repaired four of them with spooze and
>>covered the rest with a spritz of water and sealed them. they are fine.
>>cracked off the handles that were bad and made them
>>into tumblers.
>>i tiny bit of sand paper. like new.
>>now in the kiln at 3 a.m. and firing. will come out tomorrow.
>>then we will see how i did.
>>
>>change your clay, change your life. we forget that saying
>>some times.
>>
>>with my standard clay, i can make mugs, set them in the
>>sun/breeze, add the handles an hour later. set them back
>>outside...bisque fire them the next morning.
>>not a bad handle in twenty five years....the clay is
>>perfect for speedy drying. i make it that way, on purpose.
>>
>>it reminds me why i do not use porcelain. no patience.
>>mel
>>from minnetonka:
>>website http://www.visi.com/~melpots/
>>clayart site:
>>http://www.visi.com/~melpots/clayart.html
>>
>>__________________________________________________________________________
> ____
>>Clayart members may send postings to: clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>>
>>You may look at the archives for the list, post messages, change your
>>subscription settings or unsubscribe/leave the list here:
> http://www.acers.org/cic/clayart/
>>
>>Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
> melpots2@visi.com
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> Clayart members may send postings to: clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list, post messages, change your
> subscription settings or unsubscribe/leave the list here:
> http://www.acers.org/cic/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
> melpots2@visi.com
Fred Parker on wed 23 apr 08
I don't know what it is about porcelain that keeps me coming back for more
punishment, but it is real. I usually use an off-the-shelf stoneware,
grogged and speckled to a point that just firing it makes it pretty even
if my contribution is crap. But I keep coming back to the porcelain.
When I'm in one of those porcelain episodes I will spend five times the
amount of time it normally takes to do a kilnload, and even then I will
end up with a load of cracked, warped rejects along with a few beautiful
pieces, but I keep coming back to it.
I think it's dangerous,
Fred Parker
On Sat, 19 Apr 2008 03:11:33 -0500, mel jacobson wrote:
>no matter how old one gets, or how long one
>teaches...clay always comes back to bite you
>in the butt.
>
>i dug out a box of porcelain, domestic...it was rock
>hard so added a wet mix of 4x4 powdered porcelain
>to the pug mill and milled it into a couple of hundred
>pounds. cleaned the wheel and wedging table.
>threw a batch of mugs and bowls...plates..just for fun.
>
>as usual i added the handles with white spooze right
>away. and as usual, set them out to dry...heater running
>in the cold studio...ceiling fan on low....as usual.
>came out in the morning and most of the handles had
>cracked and two had come loose from the upper wall.
>damn. i forgot...you cannot ever dry porcelain like
>i do my standard groggy sandy clay body.
>it just don't work that way.
>
>good lesson. repaired four of them with spooze and
>covered the rest with a spritz of water and sealed them. they are fine.
>cracked off the handles that were bad and made them
>into tumblers.
>i tiny bit of sand paper. like new.
>now in the kiln at 3 a.m. and firing. will come out tomorrow.
>then we will see how i did.
>
>change your clay, change your life. we forget that saying
>some times.
>
>with my standard clay, i can make mugs, set them in the
>sun/breeze, add the handles an hour later. set them back
>outside...bisque fire them the next morning.
>not a bad handle in twenty five years....the clay is
>perfect for speedy drying. i make it that way, on purpose.
>
>it reminds me why i do not use porcelain. no patience.
>mel
>from minnetonka:
>website http://www.visi.com/~melpots/
>clayart site:
>http://www.visi.com/~melpots/clayart.html
>
>__________________________________________________________________________
____
>Clayart members may send postings to: clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
>You may look at the archives for the list, post messages, change your
>subscription settings or unsubscribe/leave the list here:
http://www.acers.org/cic/clayart/
>
>Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
melpots2@visi.com
Victoria E. Hamilton on thu 24 apr 08
Hi Rikki -
Do you get your six tile from East Bay Clay?
When I lived in California, I got my 2% iron stoneware and my studio gray
porcelain from EBC. Wonderful clay.
Vicki Hamilton
Millennia Antica Pottery
Seattle, WA
-----Original Message-----
From: Clayart [mailto:CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG] On Behalf Of Rikki Gill
Sent: Wednesday, April 23, 2008 9:55 PM
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Subject: Re: the mayor's porcelain adventure
I just have to say here that there is porcelain, and there is porcelain.
Some is really easy to throw. I use a porcelain body that is made locally,
a six tile porc, and it throws really well. I have heard that Baboo [I
think that is the name] is easy to use also. It is good for cups and pieces
that have attachments like cup handles.
I let my cups set up over night, trim them and then handle them. I cover
them and let them dry slowly. It may be too fussy for most people but it
works for me.
I think if you buy your clay, you should try a few bodies to see what works
well for you. My idea of a hard to throw porcelain is Southern Ice. I only
use that for small pieces.
Hope this helps.
Rikki Gill
----- Original Message -----
From: "Fred Parker"
To:
Sent: Wednesday, April 23, 2008 7:08 PM
Subject: Re: the mayor's porcelain adventure
>I don't know what it is about porcelain that keeps me coming back for
>more punishment, but it is real. I usually use an off-the-shelf
>stoneware, grogged and speckled to a point that just firing it makes
>it pretty even if my contribution is crap. But I keep coming back to the
porcelain.
> When I'm in one of those porcelain episodes I will spend five times
>the amount of time it normally takes to do a kilnload, and even then I
>will end up with a load of cracked, warped rejects along with a few
>beautiful pieces, but I keep coming back to it.
>
> I think it's dangerous,
>
> Fred Parker
>
>
> On Sat, 19 Apr 2008 03:11:33 -0500, mel jacobson
> wrote:
>
>>no matter how old one gets, or how long one teaches...clay always
>>comes back to bite you in the butt.
>>
>>i dug out a box of porcelain, domestic...it was rock hard so added a
>>wet mix of 4x4 powdered porcelain to the pug mill and milled it into a
>>couple of hundred pounds. cleaned the wheel and wedging table.
>>threw a batch of mugs and bowls...plates..just for fun.
>>
>>as usual i added the handles with white spooze right away. and as
>>usual, set them out to dry...heater running in the cold
>>studio...ceiling fan on low....as usual.
>>came out in the morning and most of the handles had cracked and two
>>had come loose from the upper wall.
>>damn. i forgot...you cannot ever dry porcelain like
>>i do my standard groggy sandy clay body.
>>it just don't work that way.
>>
>>good lesson. repaired four of them with spooze and covered the rest
>>with a spritz of water and sealed them. they are fine.
>>cracked off the handles that were bad and made them into tumblers.
>>i tiny bit of sand paper. like new.
>>now in the kiln at 3 a.m. and firing. will come out tomorrow.
>>then we will see how i did.
>>
>>change your clay, change your life. we forget that saying some times.
>>
>>with my standard clay, i can make mugs, set them in the sun/breeze,
>>add the handles an hour later. set them back outside...bisque fire
>>them the next morning.
>>not a bad handle in twenty five years....the clay is perfect for
>>speedy drying. i make it that way, on purpose.
>>
>>it reminds me why i do not use porcelain. no patience.
>>mel
>>from minnetonka:
>>website http://www.visi.com/~melpots/
>>clayart site:
>>http://www.visi.com/~melpots/clayart.html
>>
>>______________________________________________________________________
>>____
> ____
>>Clayart members may send postings to: clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>>
>>You may look at the archives for the list, post messages, change your
>>subscription settings or unsubscribe/leave the list here:
> http://www.acers.org/cic/clayart/
>>
>>Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
> melpots2@visi.com
>
>
____________________________________________________________________________
__
> Clayart members may send postings to: clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list, post messages, change your
> subscription settings or unsubscribe/leave the list here:
> http://www.acers.org/cic/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
> melpots2@visi.com
____________________________________________________________________________
__
Clayart members may send postings to: clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
You may look at the archives for the list, post messages, change your
subscription settings or unsubscribe/leave the list here:
http://www.acers.org/cic/clayart/
Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
melpots2@visi.com
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