Logan Johnson on tue 28 oct 08
On Tue, 10/28/08, Kelly Savino wrote:
I am considering mounting one of those great big water coolers=20
over the sink-- like the Gatorade ones you see at sporting events-
that has a spigot at the bottom. It could be refilled when
necessary. Is there some other obvious solution I'm not seeing,
for a way to wash bats and tools and hands?"
Hi Kelly,
My first studio also had no water so I brought it (hot) from the house in r=
ecycled one gal. milk jugs.=A0 The studio was heated with a wood stove as w=
ell.=A0 To heat water I used three methods. I had a cast iron teapot from t=
he thrift store on top of the wood stove, (when I wasn't speed drying)=A0 t=
hen, I also had an electric burner with one of the cheap tin coffee pots
and a huge electric coffee urn I=A0 found on sale.=A0 I had a used one that=
gave up the ghost about 2- 3 months after I got it & I had to bite the bul=
let=A0 & buy a new one. The old one started leaking from the spout & wouldn=
't stop . Replacement parts where too hard to find for one that old.=A0 The=
key is if you use water replace it right away so there's always enough hot=
water & so you don't burn out anything.=A0 Currently My studio mates & I w=
ash everything in a bucket I clean out when it gets aromatic I see no reaso=
n a dish pan or small bucket wouldn't=20
work for you.
My stairs & deck in the front ( main entrance) are painted so when it snows=
here things can get dicey in the winter. I keep a pile of sand outside & d=
e-icer inside. I try to use the de-icer as little as possible but a lawsuit=
is not in the budget this year.=A0 After I sweep the loose snow away I app=
ly a nice amount of sand to the porch & stairs it really helps.=A0 If it's =
icy then I mix some de-icer in on top of the sand.=A0 Or,=A0 if you have a =
big=A0 tarp put that down every night on the stairs & porch where you walk =
& lift it off when you go into the studio in the morning. I do this on the =
back stairs so I don't have to abuse the corn broom too much on powder & ic=
e doesn't form under the tarp.=20
Hope this Helps !
Logan ( I don't wanna shovel the parking lot) Johnson
Logan Johnson=20
Yakima Valley Pottery & Supply=20
719 w. Nob Hill blvd.=20
Yakima Wa. 98902=20
(509) 469-6966=20
www.yakimavalleypottery.net
=0A=0A=0A
Kelly Savino on tue 28 oct 08
Since we have more demand for wheel instruction than the guild can
accommodate, and I send back registration checks every session because
classes are full, I am going to start offering private lessons again in
my own studio. I was sorting old paperwork and came across my old
brochure for classes, and remembered that it was a pretty lucrative
pursuit (go lucre!)
One problem is that the deck in front of my studio is dangerously
slippery when wet. It's just an old wooden deck -- in fact, with the
help of several neighbors, we carried it to my studio from the
neighbor's ten years ago when they put in a cement patio. The
combination of bare wood and a thin film of clay means it's a skating
rink in the rain, and worse in the ice. (God forbid you're wearing
crocs.)
Any suggestions for traction? Can sand be mixed into deck sealer?
Next: I have solved the winter heat problem in my studio, to some
extent, with one of those electric oil radiators for overnights, and
judicious use of a pot bellied woodstove. I am preparing to use the
plastic wrap stuff to cover the single-pane windows. I am moving the
enormous, heavy work table out and putting in those collapsible plastic
ones I use for art fairs, so they can be folded and leaned out of the
way to transition from handbuilding classes or scout groups, to
throwers. The space is about 12 X 24.
The problem is, my kilns and pugmill are in a nearby, unheated,
cinderblock garage, so I tend to pug up all the winter's clay in October
and store it in the heated studio. Ditto for the dozen five gallon
buckets of glaze that usually live in one of those big rubbermaid
trash-can-sheds under a pine tree outside my studio door: they come in
where it's warm, for the winter, and take up space. I know clay can
freeze, but the whole point (for me) of pugging it is to save my wrists
and I don't want to re-wedge thawed clay. (Or re-sieve thawed glazes.)
Any handy tricks for storing clay and glazes in a small space?
Next: My summer water source consists of a rain barrel (obviously of
limited use in winter) and a big utility sink in the studio plumbed to a
garden hose that runs from my house, behind a flower bed. Once it
freezes, I am out of business. Even if I trenched it deeply, it still
rises to a spigot in the foundation of the house. I am considering
mounting one of those great big water coolers over the sink-- like the
Gatorade ones you see at sporting events -- that has a spigot at the
bottom. It could be refilled when necessary. Is there some other obvious
solution I'm not seeing, for a way to wash bats and tools and hands?
Finally: my biggest obstacle is that my studio has no bathroom. Any
class or session that lasts longer than average bladder capacity means
somebody has to truck across the yard, into my house -- dodging legos
and assorted house pets, navigating whatever mess happens to be on
display, to use the family bathroom. If we're lucky, there will be no
boys in their underpants or toothpaste slobber in the sink.
Short of renting a porta-john, is there a design somewhere for the
modern equivalent of an outhouse?
Grateful, as always, for any suggestions... and for off list notes about
our current, uh, situation. The truth is, when I consider the scout mom
who just lost her boy, our life looks pretty good. All my kids are
alive, and healthy, and safe... the rest is just details.
Yours
Kelly in Ohio (for now)
Steve Slatin on wed 29 oct 08
Boaters sailing wood on water have the
same problem. Behr makes a non-skid additive
that some boaters use for this -- the traditional
solution was ground walnut shells mixed into the
varnish, I believe. I can't see why sand wouldn't
serve the same purpose.
Steve S
--- On Tue, 10/28/08, Kelly Savino wrote:
> From: Kelly Savino
> Subject: A few practical questions (studio related)
> To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
> Date: Tuesday, October 28, 2008, 7:08 AM
> Since we have more demand for wheel instruction than the
> guild can
> accommodate, and I send back registration checks every
> session because
> classes are full, I am going to start offering private
> lessons again in
> my own studio. I was sorting old paperwork and came across
> my old
> brochure for classes, and remembered that it was a pretty
> lucrative
> pursuit (go lucre!)
>
> One problem is that the deck in front of my studio is
> dangerously
> slippery when wet. It's just an old wooden deck -- in
> fact, with the
> help of several neighbors, we carried it to my studio from
> the
> neighbor's ten years ago when they put in a cement
> patio. The
> combination of bare wood and a thin film of clay means
> it's a skating
> rink in the rain, and worse in the ice. (God forbid
> you're wearing
> crocs.)
>
> Any suggestions for traction? Can sand be mixed into deck
> sealer?
>
> Next: I have solved the winter heat problem in my studio,
> to some
> extent, with one of those electric oil radiators for
> overnights, and
> judicious use of a pot bellied woodstove. I am preparing to
> use the
> plastic wrap stuff to cover the single-pane windows. I am
> moving the
> enormous, heavy work table out and putting in those
> collapsible plastic
> ones I use for art fairs, so they can be folded and leaned
> out of the
> way to transition from handbuilding classes or scout
> groups, to
> throwers. The space is about 12 X 24.
>
> The problem is, my kilns and pugmill are in a nearby,
> unheated,
> cinderblock garage, so I tend to pug up all the
> winter's clay in October
> and store it in the heated studio. Ditto for the dozen five
> gallon
> buckets of glaze that usually live in one of those big
> rubbermaid
> trash-can-sheds under a pine tree outside my studio door:
> they come in
> where it's warm, for the winter, and take up space. I
> know clay can
> freeze, but the whole point (for me) of pugging it is to
> save my wrists
> and I don't want to re-wedge thawed clay. (Or re-sieve
> thawed glazes.)
> Any handy tricks for storing clay and glazes in a small
> space?
>
> Next: My summer water source consists of a rain barrel
> (obviously of
> limited use in winter) and a big utility sink in the studio
> plumbed to a
> garden hose that runs from my house, behind a flower bed.
> Once it
> freezes, I am out of business. Even if I trenched it
> deeply, it still
> rises to a spigot in the foundation of the house. I am
> considering
> mounting one of those great big water coolers over the
> sink-- like the
> Gatorade ones you see at sporting events -- that has a
> spigot at the
> bottom. It could be refilled when necessary. Is there some
> other obvious
> solution I'm not seeing, for a way to wash bats and
> tools and hands?
>
> Finally: my biggest obstacle is that my studio has no
> bathroom. Any
> class or session that lasts longer than average bladder
> capacity means
> somebody has to truck across the yard, into my house --
> dodging legos
> and assorted house pets, navigating whatever mess happens
> to be on
> display, to use the family bathroom. If we're lucky,
> there will be no
> boys in their underpants or toothpaste slobber in the sink.
>
> Short of renting a porta-john, is there a design somewhere
> for the
> modern equivalent of an outhouse?
>
> Grateful, as always, for any suggestions... and for off
> list notes about
> our current, uh, situation. The truth is, when I consider
> the scout mom
> who just lost her boy, our life looks pretty good. All my
> kids are
> alive, and healthy, and safe... the rest is just details.
>
> Yours
> Kelly in Ohio (for now)
Dannon Rhudy on wed 29 oct 08
Kelly, you can use a non-slip rubber mat, but
the problem in your area is snow/ice. Sand
will help mixed into your paint/whatever. But-
not if there's ice. The requirement, for you, is
going to be to make sure that there just is NO
ice on the surface. And tell folks not to wear
crocs to the studio. You don't need to add
law suits to your current mix.
regards
Dannon Rhudy
>
> One problem is that the deck in front of my studio is dangerously
> slippery when wet. It's just an old wooden deck -- in fact, with the
> help of several neighbors, we carried it to my studio from the
> neighbor's ten years ago when they put in a cement patio. The
> combination of bare wood and a thin film of clay means it's a skating
> rink in the rain, and worse in the ice. (God forbid you're wearing
> crocs.)
>
Lois Wilkins on wed 29 oct 08
Kelly,
Once, in a house in my past, the pipes from a community well to my house
froze. The temporary solution was to run a pipe wrapped with heat tape
from my neighbor's house to mine. It got me through the winter. Maybe
some variation on this approach would work.
Best,
Lois
Lois Wilkins
claywork@verizon.net
Next: My summer water source consists of a rain barrel (obviously of
limited use in winter) and a big utility sink in the studio plumbed to a
garden hose that runs from my house, behind a flower bed. Once it
freezes, I am out of business. Even if I trenched it deeply, it still
rises to a spigot in the foundation of the house. I am considering
mounting one of those great big water coolers over the sink-- like the
Gatorade ones you see at sporting events -- that has a spigot at the
bottom. It could be refilled when necessary. Is there some other obvious
solution I'm not seeing, for a way to wash bats and tools and hands?
Ellen Currans on wed 29 oct 08
Dear Kelly,
A few more possible solutiions to your studio problems:
The outside deck that leads to our apartment over the garage (which is
where we live since the main part of the house is still unfinished)
also gets icy in the winter whenever we have snow or freezing rain, or
just frost in the morning. I have several rubber mats that I throw
down in strategic places, but also use a big chunk of "printer's felt"
that a cousin gave me years ago. It is about the size of a large bed
sheet, coarse, wool, tough fabric, and I throw that down on top of the
ice to get traction. Pick it up when I go in. My deck is in a place
where I wouldn't want to use de-icer, and sand gets to be a nuisance.
The steps are actually preformed concrete with exposed pebbles so they
don't get too icy. I guess if it was snowing all day and people were
coming and going, I would have to go out and shake it off from time to
time.
Be sure to have good liability insurance added onto your studio or
house insurance. It is cheaper, I think if it is an add-on, not a
separate policy.
They may send someone out to check out your place and recommend hand
rails, etc, if you don't have them.
At first thought, I would keep the big sturdy table, as Tony suggested,
and store clay and/or glaze buckets under it. Put the glaze buckets on
those plastic rollers you can get for about $10.00 for two from
Woodcrafters. (or skip the rollers for now and get some help moving
the buckets out and in). Stack them two high with the least used on the
bottom and a plywood board between them. Cull your glazes to the ones
most likely use and best used by our students. At l2 by 24 feet you
probably don't have room for more than the number of potters who can
work at your big table anyway. Hang some suspended shelves over the
table, high enough to be out of the way but low enough to hold tools
like paddles, sieves, etc. Tony's ideas about shelves to the ceiling
are great.
My pug mill sits in an unheated storage room behind the studio along
with the dough mixer and clay materials. My husband doesn't like to
make clay in the winter (but he never seems to figure out how to do it
sooner). We keep one of those greenhouse heating tapes wrapped around
the pug mill, and put a blanket on it when it when it gets really cold.
He makes clay, pugs it once and puts it in l4 pound pugs in a rack.
We always re-pug the clay a few days before I need it and bring it into
the studio under the wedging table. (I find that clay pugged and left
to sit for a few weeks tends to firm up unevenly. It doesn't work as
well for slabs, and requires more wedging for throwing.) We probably
don't get as cold here in Oregon as you do in Toledo, so freezing clay
has never been problem in the back room. In any case, re-pugging it
solves that problem. I think that perhaps another heating tape on your
clay supply with a blanket would help with that as well. Perhaps Jeff
can take over the clay pugging and moving job so that you always have
warm clay in the studio as you need it.
I've heard of using a series of two or three buckets/garbarge cans,
horse feeders/ to wash off hands and tools. In the winter, one can sit
in your utility sink which won't be good for much else if you can't use
the drain. Just move from the really dirty one to the cleanest, and
pour off and reclaim the dirty one from time to time. I think I would
bring in an old crock pot and/or an electric hot water pot too, so I
could have warm water to add to my throwing water, or for my students
to make a cup of tea.
As for the bathroom, I think that if you are doing this with as little
money as possible, that you will just have to make do with the family
bathroom.
I think I would put my kids in charge of keeping the bathroom ready for
the limited times it might need to be used by your students. They are
big enough now to pick up after themselves and take on the
responsibility of being dressed and keeping the bathroom spic and span
for the limited time needed. I bet, that as a home school mother, you
have a schedule of activities, and jobs, and I would just add "Keeping
the bathroom guest ready" to that list. They will understand that they
are helping the family get through this tricky spot! There is nothing
like being a really necessary part of a functioning family to give kids
a sense of value, self worth, and confidence. But, you already knew
that.
Kelly, I kind of visualize you as the clay energizer bunny. You take
a whack (and what you are going through now is a real whack!) and you
just get back up and get on with it. Good on you, as the Aussies say.
And the best of luck with your new studio teaching.
Ellen
Dundee, Oregon
Mayssan Farra on wed 29 oct 08
Hello Kelly;=0A=0AI don't know=0AI don't know=0AI don't know=0A=0AI use my=
=A0big=A0Tide containers, from=A0Sams.=A0( they have a spigot and no too he=
avy for me to carry from home to studio) filled with water and there are 4 =
of them ( reuse ,reuse). although for cleaning I just fill a bucket and a s=
ponge.=0A=0AI don't know=0AI don't know=0A:)=0A=0AMayssan in Charleston WV =
USA=0A=0A=A0=0AMayssan Shora Farra=0Ahttp://www.clayvillepottery.com=0Ahttp=
://clayette.blogspot.com=0A=0A[Next: My summer water source consists of a r=
ain barrel (obviously of=0Alimited use in winter) and a big utility sink in=
the studio plumbed to a=0Agarden hose that runs from my house, behind a fl=
ower bed. Once it=0Afreezes, I am out of business. Even if I trenched it de=
eply, it still=0Arises to a spigot in the foundation of the house. I am con=
sidering=0Amounting one of those great big water coolers over the sink-- li=
ke the=0AGatorade ones you see at sporting events -- that has a spigot at t=
he=0Abottom. It could be refilled when necessary. Is there some other obvio=
us=0Asolution I'm not seeing, for a way to wash bats and tools and hands?=
=0AYours=0AKelly in Ohio (for now)]=0A=0A=0A=0A
Elizabeth Priddy on wed 29 oct 08
State Farm will insure your business for 1 million dollars and more for med=
ical for
about $25 a month.=A0 If you are doing business out of your home, it is wor=
th it.
=A0
And I have a creative industries Cinq.=A0 It is remarkable.=A0 And worth it=
, and it will move with you providing a plumbing set up wherever you land.=
=A0 I have used mine outdoors and in and=20
it provides clean filtered recycled water and has a built in clay trap.=A0 =
It cycles through a five gallon trap and reservoir system that you might wa=
nt to replenish once a week or month.
=A0
I have never had a plumbed pottery studio, and I would not actually want on=
e.=A0 Having to deal with your water makes you mindful of where its going a=
nd where its coming from.=A0 In some applications city additives or hard wa=
ter can make a difference.
=A0
I think you should simply heat the garage.=A0 Winterize maybe half of it or=
a 10x10 section with drop/slit plastic sheeting and just keep the pugmill =
and glazes and clay heated with an additional contained oil space heater.=
=A0 Make the space it is heating smaller and use the one that turns itself =
off when it is at temperature.=A0 It should be able to keep it cold but not=
frozen.=A0 The extra cost should be recouped in the extra work you will do=
with everything handy.=A0 It will also create a glazing room that is separ=
ate from your workspace, which is healthier, and more likely to need bucket=
s of water.=A0=20
=A0
Remember that it sounds like you are going to hit it full time and some exp=
enses that may not have been reasonable in the past may make more sense now=
.=A0 This solution also solves your storage problem.=A0 The students should=
, of course bring their own clay and take it with them.=A0 If not, you can =
confine them to a fishbox size plastic box a piece to use as damp, storage =
boxes and be strict about how much stuff you let them keep there.
=A0
A tile bat system is a marvel in a multiple wheel studio.=A0 See archives f=
or info on how to build your own for about $10.=A0 It also saves space, sma=
ll pots small bats.
=A0
Boaters here use a chemical toilet that could also be installed in the gara=
ge and maintained cheaply.=A0 Look for a local marine salvage to find one c=
heap.
=A0
Good luck.
=A0
Elizabeth
Elizabeth Priddy
Beaufort, NC - USA
Workshops and pottery online at: http://www.elizabethpriddy.com
Personal Blog: http://open.salon.com/user_blog.php?uid=3D943
Natural Instincts Conference Information:
http://downtothepottershouse.com/NaturalInstincts.html
Kiln pictures and such: http://www.flickr.com/photos/7973282@N03/
=0A=0A=0A
Elizabeth Priddy on wed 29 oct 08
And oh yeah..
=A0
I=A0got a cheap used microwave for a finicky student that wanted hot water =
for tea
instead of the free decaf coffee I always have on hand...
=A0
She is gone (and good riddance but that is another story) but I now use the=
microwave to superheat one cup of clean water that I throw in with my thro=
wing water making it quite toasty.
=A0
Elizabeth Priddy
Beaufort, NC - USA
Workshops and pottery online at: http://www.elizabethpriddy.com
Personal Blog: http://open.salon.com/user_blog.php?uid=3D943
Natural Instincts Conference Information:
http://downtothepottershouse.com/NaturalInstincts.html
Kiln pictures and such: http://www.flickr.com/photos/7973282@N03/
=0A=0A=0A
June on wed 29 oct 08
Check into some outdoor insulation to put over the water pipe f=
Kelly,=0A=0ACheck into some outdoor insulation to put over the water pipe f=
rom the point where it exits the ground and enters the house. There must be=
something either=A0already made for that or a combination of things you ca=
n put together to do the job.=0A=0AFor=A0small studio storage - think verti=
cal. They're pricy, around $79, but Costco sells very heavy=A0duty, solid,=
=A0steel shelving units that hold 300 lbs per shelf if you don't install th=
e wheels that come with the unit. There are 6 shelves with the unit - lots =
of storage. =0A=0AFor toilet facilities, it's pricy, but you can buy an ele=
ctric toilet and put a little outhouse sized shed around it.=A0Much less co=
stly would be a port a potty; but then cleaning that would not be fun.=A0Th=
e electric toilet is a much more palatable=A0option.=0A=0A=0A=A0Regards,=0A=
June=0Ahttp://www.shambhalapottery.com=0Ahttp://shambhalapottery.blogspot.c=
om=0Ahttp://groups.yahoo.com/group/sodasaltfiring/ =0A=0A=0A=0A----- Origin=
al Message ----=0AFrom: Kelly Savino =0ATo: CLAY=
ART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG=0ASent: Tuesday, October 28, 2008 10:08:15 AM=0ASubjec=
t: A few practical questions (studio related)=0A=0ASince we have more deman=
d for wheel instruction than the guild can=0Aaccommodate, and I send back r=
egistration checks every session because=0Aclasses are full, I am going to =
start offering private lessons again in=0Amy own studio. I was sorting old =
paperwork and came across my old=0Abrochure for classes, and remembered tha=
t it was a pretty lucrative=0Apursuit (go lucre!)=0A=0AOne problem is that =
the deck in front of my studio is dangerously=0Aslippery when wet. It's jus=
t an old wooden deck -- in fact, with the=0Ahelp of several neighbors, we c=
arried it to my studio from the=0Aneighbor's ten years ago when they put in=
a cement patio. The=0Acombination of bare wood and a thin film of clay mea=
ns it's a skating=0Arink in the rain, and worse in the ice. (God forbid you=
're wearing=0Acrocs.)=0A=0AAny suggestions for traction? Can sand be mixed =
into deck sealer?=0A=0ANext: I have solved the winter heat problem in my st=
udio, to some=0Aextent, with one of those electric oil radiators for overni=
ghts, and=0Ajudicious use of a pot bellied woodstove. I am preparing to use=
the=0Aplastic wrap stuff to cover the single-pane windows. I am moving the=
=0Aenormous, heavy work table out and putting in those collapsible plastic=
=0Aones I use for art fairs, so they can be folded and leaned out of the=0A=
way to transition from handbuilding classes or scout groups, to=0Athrowers.=
The space is about 12 X 24.=0A=0AThe problem is, my kilns and pugmill are =
in a nearby, unheated,=0Acinderblock garage, so I tend to pug up all the wi=
nter's clay in October=0Aand store it in the heated studio. Ditto for the d=
ozen five gallon=0Abuckets of glaze that usually live in one of those big r=
ubbermaid=0Atrash-can-sheds under a pine tree outside my studio door: they =
come in=0Awhere it's warm, for the winter, and take up space.=A0 I know cla=
y can=0Afreeze, but the whole point (for me) of pugging it is to save my wr=
ists=0Aand I don't want to re-wedge thawed clay. (Or re-sieve thawed glazes=
.)=0AAny handy tricks for storing clay and glazes in a small space?=0A=0ANe=
xt: My summer water source consists of a rain barrel (obviously of=0Alimite=
d use in winter) and a big utility sink in the studio plumbed to a=0Agarden=
hose that runs from my house, behind a flower bed. Once it=0Afreezes, I am=
out of business. Even if I trenched it deeply, it still=0Arises to a spigo=
t in the foundation of the house. I am considering=0Amounting one of those =
great big water coolers over the sink-- like the=0AGatorade ones you see at=
sporting events -- that has a spigot at the=0Abottom. It could be refilled=
when necessary. Is there some other obvious=0Asolution I'm not seeing, for=
a way to wash bats and tools and hands?=0A=0AFinally: my biggest obstacle =
is that my studio has no bathroom. Any=0Aclass or session that lasts longer=
than average bladder capacity means=0Asomebody has to truck across the yar=
d, into my house -- dodging legos=0Aand assorted house pets, navigating wha=
tever mess happens to be on=0Adisplay, to use the family bathroom. If we're=
lucky, there will be no=0Aboys in their underpants or toothpaste slobber i=
n the sink.=0A=0AShort of renting a porta-john, is there a design somewhere=
for the=0Amodern equivalent of an outhouse?=0A=0AGrateful, as always, for =
any suggestions... and for off list notes about=0Aour current, uh, situatio=
n. The truth is, when I consider the scout mom=0Awho just lost her boy, our=
life looks pretty good. All my kids are=0Aalive, and healthy, and safe... =
the rest is just details.=0A=0AYours=0AKelly in Ohio (for now)=0A
Snail Scott on wed 29 oct 08
On Oct 28, 2008, at 9:08 AM, Kelly Savino wrote:
>
> One problem is that the deck in front of my studio is dangerously
> slippery when wet...Any suggestions for traction? Can sand be mixed
> into deck sealer?
Yes. You can also get stick-on stair-tread non-skid strips, too.
They are installed in the cleanup room where I teach, but
they can only do so much when the clay (or ice) gets thick.
I would just keep coarse sand scattered out there, for now.
If you can find some expanded metal (the stuff that looks
like diamond-pattern openwork grid) that would be my choice.
Just lay it down and bend a few nails over the edges if it
tends to shift (though I bet it won't). Easy to pick up for
sweeping, and for summer.
>
> Any handy tricks for storing clay and glazes in a small space?
I put everything on wheels. 5-gallon buckets can be stacked
on trolleys that slide under the tables, or 2-deep elsewhere.
I just put up with frozen clay, but then, I don't throw much.
> I am considering
> mounting one of those great big water coolers over the sink-- like the
> Gatorade ones you see at sporting events -- that has a spigot at the
> bottom.
I did something very similar - just a bucket with a spigot
siliconed in place, actually. Worked fine, except that the
weight was eventually too much for the shelf - had to beef
it up a lot. A hand pump with a hose works well to refill.
> It could be refilled when necessary. Is there some other obvious
> solution I'm not seeing, for a way to wash bats and tools and hands?
I just use buckets of standing water. Scrape into scrap bucket
first, then scrub in a rinse bucket with a big carwash sponge.
A second rinse bucket for clear(er) water is nice, and almost
completely eliminates the need for running water.
>
> Finally: my biggest obstacle is that my studio has no bathroom...
My biggest problem, too. and it's a few hundred yards of rugged
hiking to the house from my studio. If you find a good porta-john
alternative, I'd love to hear about it! I have a book on building your
own small-scale septic system, and I can flush with buckets, but
so far, no support for this from Jack. (Neighbors won't care, I'm
guessing. The house next door had an outhouse that was in
use through the 80's and didn't get torn down 'til five years ago.)
Modern 'outhouses' have made strides. Composting toilet designs
have improved a lot, and there are lots of good books on this. I'm
not sure it will fly for teaching, though. Most town people are a bit
fussier than my country neighbors.
-Snail
Mike Gordon on wed 29 oct 08
You might look into the price of indoor/outdoor carpet. It has texture
and can be hosed off when needed. The texture should keep people from
slipping. Mike Gordon
Lee Love on wed 29 oct 08
On Tue, Oct 28, 2008 at 8:08 AM, Kelly Savino wrote:
>
> Any suggestions for traction? Can sand be mixed into deck sealer?
I have seen grit added to a urethane coat. When I worked at the
Physical Plant during college, we used some kind of coating with
texture in it on the edge of steps.
In the mean time, I wonder if granite chicken grit would help?
We used these in the buckets of UPS delivery trucks and also in the
dispensers in front of the back tires of tracker trailers.
> Next: I have solved the winter heat problem in my studio, to some
> extent, with one of those electric oil radiators for overnights, and
> judicious use of a pot bellied woodstove. I am preparing to use the
> plastic wrap stuff to cover the single-pane windows. I am moving the
> enormous, heavy work table out and putting in those collapsible plastic
> ones I use for art fairs, so they can be folded and leaned out of the
> way to transition from handbuilding classes or scout groups, to
> throwers. The space is about 12 X 24.
> Any handy tricks for storing clay and glazes in a small space?
Insulated cabinet or box? Old freezer?? I always took clay into
the house to warm up for the next morning. I have also put bags of
clay into a galvanized bucket and on the wood stove. But warning:
don't let it get too hot, because when you open it, it evaporates so
fast that you will get a dry crust on the surface of the clay.
But there is nothing like 100*F clay to throw first thing in the
morning, when it is below zero outside. I always started the
woodstove first thing after I started the coffee pot in the morning.
Then I would have hot water for the spigot and warm clay to throw.
> Next: My summer water source consists of a rain barrel (obviously of
> limited use in winter) and a big utility sink in the studio plumbed to a
> garden hose that runs from my house, behind a flower bed. Once it
> freezes, I am out of business. Even if I trenched it deeply, it still
> rises to a spigot in the foundation of the house. I am considering
> mounting one of those great big water coolers over the sink-- like the
> Gatorade ones you see at sporting events -- that has a spigot at the
> bottom. It could be refilled when necessary. Is there some other obvious
> solution I'm not seeing, for a way to wash bats and tools and hands?
In Mashiko, on the outside sink, I have heating tap on the pipe after
it gets out of the ground and around the tap. The tape is wrapped in
styrofoam wrapping. Sometimes I have to pour hot water on the
spigot. I always kee a bucket or two of water on the woodstove.
My foot warmer two liter bottles were set in one galvanized bucket on
the stove for my foot warmers.
> Short of renting a porta-john, is there a design somewhere for the
> modern equivalent of an outhouse?
Grey water urinals? You see these in the mountain temples and
shrines in Japan.
Chemical toilet? At the NCC wood kiln, they have a toilet that
burns the waste and then you clean out the ashes.
--
Lee Love in Minneapolis
http://togeika.multiply.com/journal
http://mashikopots.blogspot.com/
http://claycraft.blogspot.com/
"Let the beauty we love be what we do.
There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground." --Rumi
Josh Berkus on wed 29 oct 08
Kelly,
> Finally: my biggest obstacle is that my studio has no bathroom.
Actually, it sounds like the real solution is for you to rent a studio which
is more suitable as an instruction environment, or at least teach classes
only in the summer.
In addition to the practicalities, you're exposing yourself to an awful lot of
potential liability issues.
--
Josh "the Fuzzy" Berkus
San Francisco
Dannon Rhudy on thu 30 oct 08
Ellen said:
<<<<<<<, I have several rubber mats that I throw
> down in strategic places, but also use a big chunk of "printer's felt"
> ......about the size of a large bed
> sheet, coarse, wool, tough fabric, ........
Slightly off the point, but in the middle ages (and
for all I know later) people tied wool fleece to the
bottoms of their feet for walking on snow/ice. The
curly wool "grabbed" the slick surface, and made
walking on rivers - and streets- safe.
regards
Dannon Rhudy
Dan Pfeiffer on thu 30 oct 08
To fix the water problem I would get some pipe wrap. It is a pair of wires
in a tape that heat up along its length. This plus some insulation should do
the job.
Start at the faucet and work out. They have a thermostat built in that comes
on when it get close to freezing. Other option is to box in the hose and put
lights in the box to keep it warm. I went for years with exposed pipes to my
house, pain to keep up but doable.
Dan Pfeiffer
-----Original Message-----
From: Clayart [mailto:CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG] On Behalf Of Kelly Savino
Sent: Tuesday, October 28, 2008 9:08 AM
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Subject: A few practical questions (studio related)
Since we have more demand for wheel instruction than the guild can
accommodate, and I send back registration checks every session because
classes are full, I am going to start offering private lessons again in
my own studio. I was sorting old paperwork and came across my old
brochure for classes, and remembered that it was a pretty lucrative
pursuit (go lucre!)
One problem is that the deck in front of my studio is dangerously
slippery when wet. It's just an old wooden deck -- in fact, with the
help of several neighbors, we carried it to my studio from the
neighbor's ten years ago when they put in a cement patio. The
combination of bare wood and a thin film of clay means it's a skating
rink in the rain, and worse in the ice. (God forbid you're wearing
crocs.)
Any suggestions for traction? Can sand be mixed into deck sealer?
Next: I have solved the winter heat problem in my studio, to some
extent, with one of those electric oil radiators for overnights, and
judicious use of a pot bellied woodstove. I am preparing to use the
plastic wrap stuff to cover the single-pane windows. I am moving the
enormous, heavy work table out and putting in those collapsible plastic
ones I use for art fairs, so they can be folded and leaned out of the
way to transition from handbuilding classes or scout groups, to
throwers. The space is about 12 X 24.
The problem is, my kilns and pugmill are in a nearby, unheated,
cinderblock garage, so I tend to pug up all the winter's clay in October
and store it in the heated studio. Ditto for the dozen five gallon
buckets of glaze that usually live in one of those big rubbermaid
trash-can-sheds under a pine tree outside my studio door: they come in
where it's warm, for the winter, and take up space. I know clay can
freeze, but the whole point (for me) of pugging it is to save my wrists
and I don't want to re-wedge thawed clay. (Or re-sieve thawed glazes.)
Any handy tricks for storing clay and glazes in a small space?
Next: My summer water source consists of a rain barrel (obviously of
limited use in winter) and a big utility sink in the studio plumbed to a
garden hose that runs from my house, behind a flower bed. Once it
freezes, I am out of business. Even if I trenched it deeply, it still
rises to a spigot in the foundation of the house. I am considering
mounting one of those great big water coolers over the sink-- like the
Gatorade ones you see at sporting events -- that has a spigot at the
bottom. It could be refilled when necessary. Is there some other obvious
solution I'm not seeing, for a way to wash bats and tools and hands?
Finally: my biggest obstacle is that my studio has no bathroom. Any
class or session that lasts longer than average bladder capacity means
somebody has to truck across the yard, into my house -- dodging legos
and assorted house pets, navigating whatever mess happens to be on
display, to use the family bathroom. If we're lucky, there will be no
boys in their underpants or toothpaste slobber in the sink.
Short of renting a porta-john, is there a design somewhere for the
modern equivalent of an outhouse?
Grateful, as always, for any suggestions... and for off list notes about
our current, uh, situation. The truth is, when I consider the scout mom
who just lost her boy, our life looks pretty good. All my kids are
alive, and healthy, and safe... the rest is just details.
Yours
Kelly in Ohio (for now)
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