mel jacobson on sat 9 sep 00
we are glad that we do not have adjustable height posts.
potters pack kilns far to tight as it is.
false economy.
even electric kilns.
`by god, got every pot in the studio in one firing`.
of course the results of the firing was poor.
pots need room, flow of heat needs room.
when you pack a kiln too tight you just ask for trouble.
leave those last 5 pots out for the next firing rather than
throw them in the dung heap.
nils has given us a great deal of information on this topic.
i believe him to be correct....totally.
nothing in ceramics is ever the same....it changes as the materials
that we use are depleted. mines just run out of stuff.
then we have to adjust.
no magic pill. the glazes change color, texture. it is usually
when you run out of chemical and order new.
and don't always blame the vendor. `g d guys, changed the
spodemene on me...it is a plot to ruin my pottery`.
with the advent of the computer, and fast communication, i do
believe that vendors have an obligation to inform us, and i think they
try in most cases. often however, many potters are at the end
of the communications link....buy new materials every 6 years...
and what they think is new news, is old.
it happened to me in the 70's. was gone to japan, had not purchased
colemanite for almost 5 years...then got it, and it was not
the same stuff....of course many had been informed, i was out
of the loop...took me about 30 loads of school pots with popping
glazes to find out what was goin on. that is when i turned to
gertsley borate, my savior, now it is gone. adjust.
adjust.
it is the common mantra of the solo potter.
mel
the director of a.p.green told me a few years ago that one tenth
of one percent of the clay they mine goes to potters...i wonder
why they spend so much time helping us.
FROM MINNETONKA, MINNESOTA, USA
http://www.pclink.com/melpots (website)
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