Larry Kruzan on sat 24 apr 10
Several=3DC2=3DA0years ago I spent a couple hours watching Steven Hill demo=
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ate wheel techniques at NCECA. In the course of his demonstration Steven ap=
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plied a healthy dose of heat into the pot to stiffen up=3DC2=3DA0the should=
er o=3D
f the pot he was throwing. There is no doubt in my mind that he was wonderi=
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ng what kind of buffoon I was as I questioned him in depth about this techn=
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ique. But it was the singularly most important thing I learned that week an=
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d a technique that I have used to great effect since.=3D20
At that time I had just been making pots for a little over a year so there =
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were a LOT of things I did (do) not know about our obsession. I saw that he=
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re was a way to correct my sometimes excessive use of water and a way to st=
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iffen the underside of large open bowls so that they did not flop so often.=
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This also opened the door to using two ribs as I do when pushing open the =
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belly of big pots and bowls. Now before you think that I haven't learned to=
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just use less water - believe me, I use much less than I did when I starte=
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d making pots, sometimes with some forms I use almost no water.=3D20
My array of torches includes a very small pencil torch, a bent head plumbin=
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g torch, another like it with a straight head and a 500,000BTU weed burner.=
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These sit next to my wheel in easy reach. I also have an articulated=3DC2=
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stand that will hold the weed burner so I can have my hands free. I also us=
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e this stand to hold a high power electric heat gun when I don't need the p=
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ower of the big weed burner.=3D20
The heat gun also does double duty at the extruder and for stiffening up ha=
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ndles and=3DC2=3DA0things while hand-building.=3D20
Wind and solar are are an=3DC2=3DA0area that I am currently exploring. I fo=
und =3D
an old kids record player at a rummage sale last year that I am adapting to=
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rotate very slowly. I hope that it will allow a pot to dry evenly in the w=
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ind without it cracking. I don't have a lot of hope for this but we'll see.=
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There was a time when some friends were playing with solar furnaces and mel=
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ting soft metals - has anyone heard of anybody trying to fire a kiln this w=
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ay?=3D20
Just some random thoughts.=3D20
Larry Kruzan=3D20
Lost Creek Pottery=3D20
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