Allison Stelter on wed 11 feb 98
How slow should wheel thrown pieces dry? I'm having a problem with pieces
cracking on the bottom & the bottoms are compressed pretty well as they
are thrown. Should I have a damp cabinet for them? Can the cabinet
consist of shelves with a plastic "door"?
TIA, Allison
____________________________________________________
Lili Krakowski on thu 12 feb 98
As slowly as possible. Some very open clays--i.e. with lots of sand or
grog, or not so finely ground material can dry fast. HOWEVER you might
try a wicking effect--place your pots on a good thick section of
newspaper to dry. I find tha helps a lot.
On Wed, 11 Feb 1998, Allison Stelter wrote:
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> How slow should wheel thrown pieces dry? I'm having a problem with pieces
> cracking on the bottom & the bottoms are compressed pretty well as they
> are thrown. Should I have a damp cabinet for them? Can the cabinet
> consist of shelves with a plastic "door"?
>
> TIA, Allison
>
> ____________________________________________________
>
Lili Krakowski
Gary Peden on thu 12 feb 98
In a message dated 98-02-11 10:21:35 EST, you write:
<< How slow should wheel thrown pieces dry? I'm having a problem with pieces
cracking on the bottom & the bottoms are compressed pretty well as they
are thrown. >>
Depends on the clay body, and how much water is in it. I've had pieces take 3
days and others take 2 weeks to dry. Admittedly it depends on the weather out
side and whether someone is using the bisque. I always drape my pieces with
plastic dry cleaner bags so they don't dry too quickly...and in some cases I
tightly wrap the bottom so it dries really slowly, depending on the type of
foot I'm attempting to trim.
Are the bottoms too thin? Are they drying too fast? Maybe wrapping them
would help.
Just my two cents
Gary
Cindy on thu 12 feb 98
Allison,
Make sure your bottoms and walls are of uniform thickness. Always sponge
the water out. Turn ware upside down as soon as it gets stiff enough not to
warp easily. If rims dry before bottoms, cover the rim portion of your pots
with plastic--either baggies or grocery sacks work well. All in all, if
you're not in a hurry and you have the space to spare, things cannot dry
too slowly, IMO. I usually dry my pieces fairly quickly, though. You might
check into getting a clay with a bit more grog if none of these things
help.
One other thing. If you make pots long enough and frequently enough, you
will find your bottoms don't crack as much. Don't ask me why--I have no
idea. This is, of course, only my own experience. It must be some sort of
intuitive adaptation to my clay. Hardly anything ever cracks any more.
Hallelujah!
:)
Hope this helps.
Cindy Strnad
Earthen Vessels
Custer, SD
USA
http://blackhills-info.com/a/cindys/menu.htm
Robert Katz on thu 12 feb 98
Ah, the challenge of the potter. . . This one haunts my sleep as well.
BUT, while I cannot practice it, I will tell you what others have shared
with me:
IF the bottom is compressed correctly, then your piece should dry
consistantly thoughout - in other words the sides & bottom should dry at
the same speed to avoid S-cracking. Sometimes with a large open vessel, I
will cover the edges. I try to flip my piece as soon as it is able to
stand on it's neck & trimming DOES help to make the bottom thin & the base
edges the same, equal width as the sides & bottom.
One other idea - if your throwing is perfect & you are attentive to the
drying, one professor told me he had a bad experience with one particular
clay that consistantly S-cracked on him & when he changed clay bodies, the
S-cracks never again caused him a problem. I only hope that is my problem,
clay designed to S-crack.
If you have extra money to spend, buy the 'special drying bin' - what
potter does not appreciate the storage, however, you can also drape your
shelves in plastic sheeting to protect them from the wind or breezes in
your studio.
Good luck !
Vicki Katz
Katz Creek Pottery
Sugar Creek, TX
At 10:05 AM 2/11/98 EST, you wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>How slow should wheel thrown pieces dry? I'm having a problem with pieces
>cracking on the bottom & the bottoms are compressed pretty well as they
>are thrown. Should I have a damp cabinet for them? Can the cabinet
>consist of shelves with a plastic "door"?
>
>TIA, Allison
>
>____________________________________________________
>
Kris Griffith on fri 13 feb 98
I am working between two studios and have found a wonderful solution, so =
simple
I kick myself for not realizing it sooner. Use those cheap plastic storage
boxes witht he snap on lids. They come in all shapes and sizes. They make
great damp boxes=21=21=21=21 I can carry lots of pots between studios in a =
variety of
stages and continue working on them. I spray with my mister in the box a =
few
time and we are good to go. I have kept pots moist with very little =
attention
for up to a week or more. Easy solution. Walmart here just had a sale on =
these
large boxes to store sweaters.
Just a thought
Kris
----------
From: Allison Stelter=5BSMTP:steltera=40belnet.bellevue.k12.wa.us=5D
Sent: Wednesday, February 11, 1998 10:05 AM
To: Multiple recipients of list CLAYART
Subject: drying time
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
How slow should wheel thrown pieces dry? I'm having a problem with pieces
cracking on the bottom =26 the bottoms are compressed pretty well as they
are thrown. Should I have a damp cabinet for them? Can the cabinet
consist of shelves with a plastic =22door=22?
TIA, Allison
=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F==
5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5=
F=5F
Jack Ward on sun 15 feb 98
For slow drying try an old refrigerator that dose not work(cut off
cord).
jack inSC
> ----------------------------Original
> message----------------------------
> I am working between two studios and have found a wonderful solution,
> so simple
> I kick myself for not realizing it sooner. Use those cheap plastic
> storage
> boxes witht he snap on lids. They come in all shapes and sizes. They
> make
> great damp boxes!!!! I can carry lots of pots between studios in a
> variety of
> stages and continue working on them. I spray with my mister in the
> box a few
> time and we are good to go. I have kept pots moist with very little
> attention
> for up to a week or more. Easy solution. Walmart here just had a
> sale on these
> large boxes to store sweaters.
> Just a thought
> Kris
>
> ----------
> From: Allison Stelter[SMTP:steltera@belnet.bellevue.k12.wa.us]
> Sent: Wednesday, February 11, 1998 10:05 AM
> To: Multiple recipients of list CLAYART
> Subject: drying time
>
> ----------------------------Original
> message----------------------------
> How slow should wheel thrown pieces dry? I'm having a problem with
> pieces
> cracking on the bottom & the bottoms are compressed pretty well as
> they
> are thrown. Should I have a damp cabinet for them? Can the cabinet
> consist of shelves with a plastic "door"?
>
> TIA, Allison
>
> _________________________
> 5F________________________
> F_
| |
|
