michael wendt on fri 10 nov 00
John,
I agree that dry vacs that have no outside outlet are a hazard. In an
earlier post I described the mirror tile test to check housekeeping and
since I went to wet vacuuming with attention to not going outside the wet
areas, I have seen a huge improvement in air quality as evidenced by the
mirror tile used to monitor air borne dust. Once wet, the clay and silica
just can't get out of the vacuum.
Regards,
Michael Wendt
-----Original Message-----
From: John Hesselberth
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Date: Saturday, November 11, 2000 6:38 PM
Subject: Re: How to clean cement floor
>I was trying not to respond to this thread, but I am seeing several
>responses to the original post that cause me concern. Please do not ever
>use a shop vac for ceramic dust. Ceramic dusts will whiz right through a
>shop vacuum. They will do an excellent job of really dispersing the dust
>well in the air where you can breathe it for a day or two. They are just
>plain dangerous for our use. I personally think even vacuums that are
>supposedly designed for ceramic dusts are dangerous because it only takes
>a tiny pinhole or defect in the filter for those to be completely
>ineffective against the types of dust we are worried about. And there is
>no way to know that pinhole or defect is there--you certainly won't see a
>cloud of dust.
>
>I wouldn't trust sweeping compounds either--I'm not aware of any data
>that says they will completely suppress ceramic dusts. They are designed
>for things like sawdust and general dirt. If anyone has hard data that
>says sweeping compounds will keep down ceramic dusts, please correct me.
>It would be a simple solution, but one I wouldn't consider until I saw
>the data.
>
>In my view there are only two safe ways to clean ceramic dusts: wet
>cleaning (mopping or sponging) or a vacuum that exhausts out through the
>wall to an uninhabited area.
>
>
>Remember the dusts that will give us silicosis cannot be seen by the
>naked eye. Silicosis is one of the biggest hazards potters face. Please
>be very careful.
>
>Regards, John
>
>
>June Perry wrote:
>
>>A shop vac would help a lot. They're not very expensive. If you have more
to
>>spend, they make vacuums to pick up very fine dust, but they are pricy.
Mine
>>was around $700 in the early 80's.
>>Toshiko Takaezu would make her students use an old short broom so that
they
>>would sweep very slowly, with short strokes, so as not to kick up the
dust.
>>If a broom is what your budget allows, then sweep slowly, while wearing a
>>dust mask and then wet mop.
>>It's also best to sweep often and not let that clay dust build up,
otherwise
>>your kicking it up and breathing it as you walk around your studio.
>
>
>John Hesselberth
>Frog Pond Pottery
>P.O. Box 88
>Pocopson, PA 19366 USA
>EMail: john@frogpondpottery.com web site: http://www.frogpondpottery.com
>
>"It is, perhaps, still necessary to say that the very best glazes cannot
>conceal badly shaped pots..." David Green, Pottery Glazes
>
>___________________________________________________________________________
___
>Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
>You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
>settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
>Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
melpots@pclink.com.
>
Rick Hugel on fri 10 nov 00
Sweeping is a very big NO! NO! NO! Mopping is the best. And don't be
afraid to go over it several times. And each time you wash out the mop,
dump the water, wash out the mop again and then mop the floor again. I
known this takes lots of water, but it is worth it. In the Spring, Summer,
and Fall figure out some method of trapping rain water from your gutters
and use it liberally for all sorts of cleaning tasks. I hope you have a
good drainage system, too.
>I am operating out of a very small portion of my garage, and need suggestions
>on how to clean the floor. When I try sweeping, the dust rises and settles
>worse than ever. So far the leaf blower seems to work pretty well, but I
>wondered about hosing or wet mopping, would I end up with slip? It is
>definitely getting worse. Suggestions would be welcome. Jackie pots in
>Arizona, where we already have snow on the mountains and ice in the birdbath.
>
>______________________________________________________________________________
>Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
>You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
>settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
>Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
>melpots@pclink.com.
michael wendt on fri 10 nov 00
Dear Jackie,
Go to Sears or the hardware store and buy a wet-dry vac with a wet pick up
nozzle( it has a rubber strip to work like a squeegee). I pour water onto
the floor very slowly and carefully to avoid raising dust and push it around
with an old broom until all the traffic areas are wet. Then suck it up with
the vac. Be sure not to vacuum into any areas that are not wet or you will
clog the filter very quickly. I dump the waste water onto the big locust
outside my studio. It loves it!
Regards,
Michael Wendt
-----Original Message-----
From: Jackie Richards
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Date: Saturday, November 11, 2000 5:07 AM
Subject: How to clean cement floor
>I am operating out of a very small portion of my garage, and need
suggestions
>on how to clean the floor. When I try sweeping, the dust rises and settles
>worse than ever. So far the leaf blower seems to work pretty well, but I
>wondered about hosing or wet mopping, would I end up with slip? It is
>definitely getting worse. Suggestions would be welcome. Jackie pots in
>Arizona, where we already have snow on the mountains and ice in the
birdbath.
>
>___________________________________________________________________________
___
>Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
>You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
>settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
>Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
melpots@pclink.com.
>
mlebron@ATTGLOBAL.NET on sat 11 nov 00
Karen
I am not familiar with the name Vandyke but
Standard Ceramics has a clay body called Dark
Bown Clay (# 266; ^ 4-6) which fires black in
oxidation. I have tried it with various
glazes and so far have had better luck with
the glossy ones.
Maya
Karen and Cliff Sandlin wrote:
>
> I also operate out of a small portion of my garage. I laid visqueen (a sort
> of plastic available by the roll at Home Depot) under my wheel and wedging
> table. It sweeps easily with a rubber tooth broom (also available at Home
> Depot). When it becomes full of holes, I remove the masking tape holding it
> at the corners and replace it.
>
> Do you or anyone on Ceramic Arts Discussion List know where I might find a
> distributor for Vandyke clay (dark brown that fires nearly black)? I have
> been asking on clayart list, but no one has replied.
>
> thanks.
>
> Karen Sandlin
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Rick Hugel"
> To:
> Sent: Friday, November 10, 2000 4:43 PM
> Subject: Re: How to clean cement floor
>
> > Sweeping is a very big NO! NO! NO! Mopping is the best. And don't be
> > afraid to go over it several times. And each time you wash out the mop,
> > dump the water, wash out the mop again and then mop the floor again. I
> > known this takes lots of water, but it is worth it. In the Spring,
> Summer,
> > and Fall figure out some method of trapping rain water from your gutters
> > and use it liberally for all sorts of cleaning tasks. I hope you have a
> > good drainage system, too.
> >
> >
> > >I am operating out of a very small portion of my garage, and need
> suggestions
> > >on how to clean the floor. When I try sweeping, the dust rises and
> settles
> > >worse than ever. So far the leaf blower seems to work pretty well, but I
> > >wondered about hosing or wet mopping, would I end up with slip? It is
> > >definitely getting worse. Suggestions would be welcome. Jackie pots
> in
> > >Arizona, where we already have snow on the mountains and ice in the
> birdbath.
> > >
> >
> >___________________________________________________________________________
> ___
> > >Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
> > >
> > >You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> > >settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
> > >
> > >Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
> > >melpots@pclink.com.
> >
> >
> ____________________________________________________________________________
> __
> > Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
> >
> > You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> > settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
> >
> > Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
> melpots@pclink.com.
> >
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at melpots@pclink.com.
Jackie Richards on sat 11 nov 00
I am operating out of a very small portion of my garage, and need suggestions
on how to clean the floor. When I try sweeping, the dust rises and settles
worse than ever. So far the leaf blower seems to work pretty well, but I
wondered about hosing or wet mopping, would I end up with slip? It is
definitely getting worse. Suggestions would be welcome. Jackie pots in
Arizona, where we already have snow on the mountains and ice in the birdbath.
Marcia Selsor on sat 11 nov 00
Use oiled sawdust, a sweeping compound. Really keeps the dust down.
Always wear a dust mask and I would never use a leaf blower. That would
move the dust all over and into high places from where it could come
back to haunt you. You could also try getting a little wet shop vac. For
mopping, I'd sweep first then soak and scrape with a squeegie.
Marcia
Jackie Richards wrote:
>
> I am operating out of a very small portion of my garage, and need suggestions
> on how to clean the floor. When I try sweeping, the dust rises and settles
> worse than ever. So far the leaf blower seems to work pretty well, but I
> wondered about hosing or wet mopping, would I end up with slip? It is
> definitely getting worse. Suggestions would be welcome. Jackie pots in
> Arizona, where we already have snow on the mountains and ice in the birdbath.
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at melpots@pclink.com.
--
Marcia Selsor
selsor@imt.net
http://www.imt.net/~mjbmls
http://www.imt.net/~mjbmls/spain99.html
http://www.silverhawk.com/ex99/selsor/welcome.html
June Perry on sat 11 nov 00
A shop vac would help a lot. They're not very expensive. If you have more to
spend, they make vacuums to pick up very fine dust, but they are pricy. Mine
was around $700 in the early 80's.
Toshiko Takaezu would make her students use an old short broom so that they
would sweep very slowly, with short strokes, so as not to kick up the dust.
If a broom is what your budget allows, then sweep slowly, while wearing a
dust mask and then wet mop.
It's also best to sweep often and not let that clay dust build up, otherwise
your kicking it up and breathing it as you walk around your studio.
Regards,
June
dan mickey on sat 11 nov 00
jackie,
there are two ways i would suggest cleaning the floor: The first wold beto
hose it down then sqwiggy(sp?) the thing dry. this works well if you have
somewhere to push the water like out the door. The second is to take wet
sawdust and spreead it over the floor then sweep it into a pile and dispose
of it (i prefer to let it dry then burn it with any brush i have, its the
pyro in me). FOR NO REASON that i can think of should you be dry sweeping or
even worse using a leaf blower you are just moving the dust around the room,
it goes up and on to shelves, pots, etc. amking the environment you are in
more hazardous to yourself! i think the wet sawdust will work fine if you do
not want to hose the floor down.
later shane
On Sat, 11 Nov 2000 01:28:17 EST, Ceramic Arts Discussion List wrote:
> I am operating out of a very small portion of my garage, and need
suggestions
> on how to clean the floor. When I try sweeping, the dust rises and
settles
> worse than ever. So far the leaf blower seems to work pretty well, but I
> wondered about hosing or wet mopping, would I end up with slip? It is
> definitely getting worse. Suggestions would be welcome. Jackie pots
in
> Arizona, where we already have snow on the mountains and ice in the
birdbath.
>
>
______________________________________________________________________________
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
melpots@pclink.com.
_______________________________________________________
Tired of slow Internet? Get @Home Broadband Internet
http://www.home.com/xinbox/signup.html
Diane G. Echlin on sat 11 nov 00
PUT THAT LEAF BLOWER AWAY!
Okay. what you need to do is what i call wet sweeping. never mind the mop. Throw
down a bucket or two of water and sweep the floor, wet, with a with a good stiff
bristle broom. if you get slip in the process, add more water and sweep it
outside, and then hose it away into the grass. (this is for clay dust only, not
glaze chems.) And do this frequently.
Sweeping dry or leaf blowing your clay dust is going to raise the tiny silica
particles in the air and you will breathe them. Very dangerous, and could lead to
silicosis if done repeatedly over a long time.
Repeat after me: "dust is bad, Bad, bad, dust!" ;-)
And while I think wet sweeping is a pain in the neck (I have to remove the
threshhold from my doorway to get it all swept outside) it's worth the effort.
Good luck!
Diane in CT
Jackie Richards wrote:
> I am operating out of a very small portion of my garage, and need suggestions
> on how to clean the floor. When I try sweeping, the dust rises and settles
> worse than ever. So far the leaf blower seems to work pretty well, but I
> wondered about hosing or wet mopping, would I end up with slip? It is
> definitely getting worse. Suggestions would be welcome. Jackie pots in
> Arizona, where we already have snow on the mountains and ice in the birdbath.
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at melpots@pclink.com.
Earl Brunner on sat 11 nov 00
I too work in my garage, ( I have commandeered about a 1/3
rd of it) I wet mop frequently. To do so I purchased one of
those custodial mops and mop buckets. the bucket has that
mop wringer on one side. If you don't let the clay or glaze
build up too bad between moppings it works great. Wet
cleanup is preferable to dry cleanup due to the elimination
of the dust factor.
Jackie Richards wrote:
>
> I am operating out of a very small portion of my garage, and need suggestions
> on how to clean the floor. When I try sweeping, the dust rises and settles
> worse than ever. So far the leaf blower seems to work pretty well, but I
> wondered about hosing or wet mopping, would I end up with slip? It is
> definitely getting worse. Suggestions would be welcome. Jackie pots in
> Arizona, where we already have snow on the mountains and ice in the birdbath.
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at melpots@pclink.com.
--
Earl Brunner
http://coyote.accessnv.com/bruec
mailto:bruec@anv.net
R12396@AOL.COM on sat 11 nov 00
Jackie,
Here is some advice. You'd be better off if you have good working habits,
clean up with water (table or countertop), have lids on containers, and have
plenty clean damp sponges around. For the floor, definitely, use mop and
bucket to wet mop, and if can't wet mop at times. I use a commercial
wax-based green sweep, keeps the dust down if you sweeping. Yours truly,
"The Clay Stalker" Richard G. Ramirez
Craig Dunn Clark on sat 11 nov 00
Try "spritzing" the area that you are sweeping with water from a hand
sprayer before sweeping- this will keep the dust down considerably. Don't
sweep vigourously. While sweeping wear a dust mask. After sweeping, if there
is dust in the air once again pick up your favorite spray bottle and this
time "spritz" the air around your shop. This will moisten many of the
floating dust particles causing them to fall to the floor.
I would also recommend investing in a "wet-vac." One effective method of
using one was taught to me by the custodian that cleaned the studio floor
while I was in school. Pour about a quart of water on the floor. Using a
good stiff broom, sweep back and forth several times. Next suck up the slop
with the wet-vac. Continue until all of the floor has been cleaned.
There is also a commercially available product that you dust the floor
with and then sweep up. It is supposed to either absorb or somehow bond with
a lot of the free silica. I don't know how much it costs, but it may be
available at your local clay store.
-----Original Message-----
From: Jackie Richards
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Date: Saturday, November 11, 2000 5:39 AM
Subject: How to clean cement floor
>I am operating out of a very small portion of my garage, and need
suggestions
>on how to clean the floor. When I try sweeping, the dust rises and settles
>worse than ever. So far the leaf blower seems to work pretty well, but I
>wondered about hosing or wet mopping, would I end up with slip? It is
>definitely getting worse. Suggestions would be welcome. Jackie pots in
>Arizona, where we already have snow on the mountains and ice in the
birdbath.
>
>___________________________________________________________________________
___
>Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
>You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
>settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
>Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
melpots@pclink.com.
>
Richard Jeffery on sat 11 nov 00
put two or three coats of garage floor paint down - or something similar -
to seal the concrete. Workshop floor paint is designed to be hardwearing
for machinery, etc.
You don't want to be breathing concrete dust....
Richard
Bournemouth UK
www.TheEleventhHour.co.uk
-----Original Message-----
From: Ceramic Arts Discussion List [mailto:CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG]On
Behalf Of Jackie Richards
Sent: 11 November 2000 06:28
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Subject: How to clean cement floor
I am operating out of a very small portion of my garage, and need
suggestions
on how to clean the floor. When I try sweeping, the dust rises and settles
worse than ever. So far the leaf blower seems to work pretty well, but I
wondered about hosing or wet mopping, would I end up with slip? It is
definitely getting worse. Suggestions would be welcome. Jackie pots in
Arizona, where we already have snow on the mountains and ice in the
birdbath.
____________________________________________________________________________
__
Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
melpots@pclink.com.
Wade Blocker on sat 11 nov 00
Jackie,
You do not want to raise any dust when you try to clean your cement
floor. Bad for your lungs. If possible raise your garage door and use a
hose to wash your floor, otherwise use a wet mop. If you have enough of a
mess to create a slip with the addition of water, it is high time that you
cleaned your floor.If you can only use a bucket of water and mop,you will
just have to change the water until your floor is fairly clean. Mia in ABQ
Cindy Strnad on sat 11 nov 00
I'm surprised to see so many posts on this list suggesting different methods
of sweeping. I'm sure that using sweeping compounds and moisture do help to
keep the dust down. The damp sawdust may eliminate it completely.
I've seen advice recommending the use of a dust mask during sweeping. Well,
okay. That's good. However, I've also seen posts on this list stating that
suspended dust can remain in the air for very long periods of time--more
than 24 hours, but I can't remember exactly how long. It does seem to me
that sweeping is a bad idea. Mopping is more of a pain, but it takes care of
the dust problem
When you mop, as someone else stated, you'll need frequent changes of water.
You should never empty the dirty water down your drain. The clay will ruin
your drain-field. I don't know if dumping this water down a drain connected
to a city sewer system would cause problems, but it might be wise to ask.
Cindy Strnad
Earthen Vessels Pottery
RR 1, Box 51
Custer, SD 57730
USA
earthenv@gwtc.net
http://www.earthenvesselssd.com
amy parker on sat 11 nov 00
If you are only using a very small area of the garage, the best thing might
be to put down some kind of a tarpaulin or heavy canvas drop cloth. If you
are as messy as I can get, consider surrounding it with a shower curtain!
You can spray it lightly with water to settle the dry dusty surface, then
roll it up and drag it outside to hose it off thoroughly.
I started with my wheel in the garage and found that the porous floor
surface could not be cleaned without blasts from the hose, which was not
possible to do without damaging the walls and other parts of the connected
house. No amount of wet mopping got the last visible clay out of the floor.
It took two major floods from the air conditioner drain to get the last of
the clay up off the floor. Wrecked the shop vac filters, but I finally
don't see any trace of clay.
My wheel is now outside on the patio, under the screen porch, plugged into
a GFCI outlet, and I can unplug it and blast away with the hose, which I
should go do today!
Amy, whose idea of the perfect studio (and perfect kitchen too!) would have
a sloped floor with drain holes at the low end.
Amy Parker
Lithonia, GA
Chris Schafale on sat 11 nov 00
When I mop my studio floor, I use two buckets -- one has clean
water, and one is for wringing the dirty water from the mop into. I
start by using a very wet mop so the stuff on the floor gets very
liquid, use a squeegee to gather the dirty water together, and the
mop again to sop it up, then wring it into the dirty water bucket.
Then wet the mop with clean water and repeat until the floor is
clean. This is less trouble than it sounds, and it keeps you from
having to get pail after pail of clean water. I found a great 18" wide
squeegee that screws onto a mop handle at one of those big home
whatsit stores. The only thing I sweep is the leather-hard scraps
that end up on the floor after trimming.
Chris
> Jackie Richards wrote:
> >
> > I am operating out of a very small portion of my garage, and need suggestions
> > on how to clean the floor. When I try sweeping, the dust rises and settles
> > worse than ever. So far the leaf blower seems to work pretty well, but I
> > wondered about hosing or wet mopping, would I end up with slip? It is
> > definitely getting worse. Suggestions would be welcome. Jackie pots in
> > Arizona, where we already have snow on the mountains and ice in the birdbath.
> >
> > ______________________________________________________________________________
> > Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
> >
> > You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> > settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
> >
> > Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at melpots@pclink.com.
>
> --
> Marcia Selsor
> selsor@imt.net
> http://www.imt.net/~mjbmls
> http://www.imt.net/~mjbmls/spain99.html
> http://www.silverhawk.com/ex99/selsor/welcome.html
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at melpots@pclink.com.
>
Karen and Cliff Sandlin on sat 11 nov 00
I also operate out of a small portion of my garage. I laid visqueen (a sort
of plastic available by the roll at Home Depot) under my wheel and wedging
table. It sweeps easily with a rubber tooth broom (also available at Home
Depot). When it becomes full of holes, I remove the masking tape holding it
at the corners and replace it.
Do you or anyone on Ceramic Arts Discussion List know where I might find a
distributor for Vandyke clay (dark brown that fires nearly black)? I have
been asking on clayart list, but no one has replied.
thanks.
Karen Sandlin
----- Original Message -----
From: "Rick Hugel"
To:
Sent: Friday, November 10, 2000 4:43 PM
Subject: Re: How to clean cement floor
> Sweeping is a very big NO! NO! NO! Mopping is the best. And don't be
> afraid to go over it several times. And each time you wash out the mop,
> dump the water, wash out the mop again and then mop the floor again. I
> known this takes lots of water, but it is worth it. In the Spring,
Summer,
> and Fall figure out some method of trapping rain water from your gutters
> and use it liberally for all sorts of cleaning tasks. I hope you have a
> good drainage system, too.
>
>
> >I am operating out of a very small portion of my garage, and need
suggestions
> >on how to clean the floor. When I try sweeping, the dust rises and
settles
> >worse than ever. So far the leaf blower seems to work pretty well, but I
> >wondered about hosing or wet mopping, would I end up with slip? It is
> >definitely getting worse. Suggestions would be welcome. Jackie pots
in
> >Arizona, where we already have snow on the mountains and ice in the
birdbath.
> >
>
>___________________________________________________________________________
___
> >Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
> >
> >You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> >settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
> >
> >Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
> >melpots@pclink.com.
>
>
____________________________________________________________________________
__
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
melpots@pclink.com.
>
John Hesselberth on sat 11 nov 00
I was trying not to respond to this thread, but I am seeing several
responses to the original post that cause me concern. Please do not ever
use a shop vac for ceramic dust. Ceramic dusts will whiz right through a
shop vacuum. They will do an excellent job of really dispersing the dust
well in the air where you can breathe it for a day or two. They are just
plain dangerous for our use. I personally think even vacuums that are
supposedly designed for ceramic dusts are dangerous because it only takes
a tiny pinhole or defect in the filter for those to be completely
ineffective against the types of dust we are worried about. And there is
no way to know that pinhole or defect is there--you certainly won't see a
cloud of dust.
I wouldn't trust sweeping compounds either--I'm not aware of any data
that says they will completely suppress ceramic dusts. They are designed
for things like sawdust and general dirt. If anyone has hard data that
says sweeping compounds will keep down ceramic dusts, please correct me.
It would be a simple solution, but one I wouldn't consider until I saw
the data.
In my view there are only two safe ways to clean ceramic dusts: wet
cleaning (mopping or sponging) or a vacuum that exhausts out through the
wall to an uninhabited area.
Remember the dusts that will give us silicosis cannot be seen by the
naked eye. Silicosis is one of the biggest hazards potters face. Please
be very careful.
Regards, John
June Perry wrote:
>A shop vac would help a lot. They're not very expensive. If you have more to
>spend, they make vacuums to pick up very fine dust, but they are pricy. Mine
>was around $700 in the early 80's.
>Toshiko Takaezu would make her students use an old short broom so that they
>would sweep very slowly, with short strokes, so as not to kick up the dust.
>If a broom is what your budget allows, then sweep slowly, while wearing a
>dust mask and then wet mop.
>It's also best to sweep often and not let that clay dust build up, otherwise
>your kicking it up and breathing it as you walk around your studio.
John Hesselberth
Frog Pond Pottery
P.O. Box 88
Pocopson, PA 19366 USA
EMail: john@frogpondpottery.com web site: http://www.frogpondpottery.com
"It is, perhaps, still necessary to say that the very best glazes cannot
conceal badly shaped pots..." David Green, Pottery Glazes
Ann Hunter on sun 12 nov 00
>
>Amy said -No amount of wet mopping got the last visible clay out of the floor.
>It took two major floods from the air conditioner drain to get the last of
>the clay up off the floor. Wrecked the shop vac filters, but I finally
>don't see any trace of clay.
>
I went to a janitorial supply house (Barnes) and asked for advice on
cleaning my new vinyl studio floor. They were very helpful and
recommended a sealer and a non-ammonia liquid cleaning agent to add
to the mop water. The sealer, called Perfect 10, is to be used very
infrequently. I don't remember the name of the cleaner, but it is
worth consulting such a company. I put in about 1/2 cup of solution
in a bucket of water. It made a huge difference in how clean the
floor looked after mopping. Other people in the studio mop without
the cleaning agent and the floor has a layer of clay on it. When I
mop with the cleaner, it takes much less dumping and replacing the
mop water and the floor looks good.
My mother has a new stained concrete floor. The concrete company
that did the floor left her the same liquid compound for cleaning it
and the same sealer.
There is a scrubber that goes on a threaded handle. Used with
water, it is good for lumps of clay that stick to the floor.
The maintenance employee said to mop with a cotton mop in a figure
eight pattern. It avoids just pushing the dirt ahead of you and it's
easier on the back. Of course the hose and squeegee method would be
great if you had someplace to squeegee the water to.
-Ann
Anticipating spiffing up the studio for the third annual Thanksgiving
party. Cook a turkey in the kiln with pot luck dishes from students
and friends.
Earl Brunner on sun 12 nov 00
Some clays have either red iron oxide, or very fine red clay
added to them for color. Some of these that I have tried
even stain my skin. (I will not use them again) The last
time we used a red or brown clay at the art center was over
5 years ago, we still have stains in various places from it.
>
> >
> >Amy said-
> >No amount of wet mopping got the last visible clay out of the floor.
> >It took two major floods from the air conditioner drain to get the last of
> >the clay up off the floor. Wrecked the shop vac filters, but I finally
> >don't see any trace of clay.
>
--
Earl Brunner
http://coyote.accessnv.com/bruec
mailto:bruec@anv.net
Millie Carpenter on sun 12 nov 00
when I clean my basement floor, I wet it and then squeegee it into the sump pump hole.
the basement is totally below ground so out the door simply channels it into the sump
pump from there. okay, what I want to know is do I need to clean the sump pump hole
out every so often so that the clay does't destroy the sump pump?
Millie in Md.
email@DOMAIN.COM on sun 12 nov 00
I would be tempted to run a hose into your sump and run your pump frequently. The pump
should be able to handle a moderate amount of grit, but will probably balk at thick slip.
Millie Carpenter wrote:
> when I clean my basement floor, I wet it and then squeegee it into the sump pump hole.
> the basement is totally below ground so out the door simply channels it into the sump
> pump from there. okay, what I want to know is do I need to clean the sump pump hole
> out every so often so that the clay does't destroy the sump pump?
>
> Millie in Md.
>
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Shirley Tschannen on mon 13 nov 00
Jackie, I work in that same kind of space and environment. Albeit, I do have
good cross ventilation. When I first started pottery, I painted my garage floor
with two coats of really good concrete paint. It seals the porous cement and
makes for an easy mop with water and a bucket. Often I just hose it out. Just a
suggestion. Seems life the blower would just redistribute the dust. I also wipe
down the shelves, which I've covered in a plastic tarp, really easy to wipe
now. Give it a try.
Jackie Richards wrote:
> I am operating out of a very small portion of my garage, and need suggestions
> on how to clean the floor. When I try sweeping, the dust rises and settles
> worse than ever. So far the leaf blower seems to work pretty well, but I
> wondered about hosing or wet mopping, would I end up with slip? It is
> definitely getting worse. Suggestions would be welcome. Jackie pots in
> Arizona, where we already have snow on the mountains and ice in the birdbath.
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at melpots@pclink.com.
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