Lori Doty on sun 22 may 05
Acck, I finished yesterday glazing around 100 pieces of my porcelain
for a firing that I am doing today in my electric cone 10 oxidation.
Now my back hurts my arms hurt (double acck) and I have to do another
by Wed or Thurs this week for my very first craft show on the 4th of
June.
I was wondering if any one has any tips on easing glazing beyond the
glaze removal from the bottoms with the spinning sponge or carpet.
I normally dip my smaller pieces either by hand/ glaze tongs and do
drip effect using a turkey baster. Some of my pieces do not fit into
the glaze buckets so they then have glaze poured into them or painted
on with a largish brush. I have ware boards set up at waist height so
less bending down to pick up ware. The glazes I have need to be stirred
up so a large portion of my time is spent with a toilet bowl brush
getting the glaze up into solution again and not rock solid on the
bottom this I do seated in a chair bent over the bucket. I have a power
drill but no mixer adapter and not sure it would work for these glazes.
Any tips are greatly appreciated.
Lori Doty
Nurse/Potter
One day I will turn the tide.
Cindy in SD on mon 23 may 05
Dear Lori,
I used to have the same problem. First, go out and buy yourself a 1/2"
drill. You don't have to spring for an expensive one, if that's a
problem. You can get the toolshop one from Menard's, which is around
$30. Get the kind you have to plug in--cheaper and more power. I have a
Makita 9/16" drill, and it does a wonderful job. I used to use a 3/8"
drill, and there is no comparison. I cannot imagine stirring my glazes
by hand. Don't even think about it. You're better off re-sieving them
instead if you absolutely can't afford a drill. You could probably use
the toilet brush as a stirring bit, but the paint stirrers are not
expensive. Get a plastic one so it doesn't chew up the sides of your
bucket.
Make sure you don't bend over for anything, at all. Make boxes, benches,
whatever you need to get your glaze buckets, water buckets,
ware--everything--at a comfortable height for you. Since glazing takes
such a lot of time, you can't afford bad body mechanics in any phase of
the operation. Make sure your glazing area is clean and free of
obstructions you must step over or around. Play some nice music and
think good thoughts. If you get tired, go get a glass of lemonade. Or
wine, maybe, but not too much! ;)
I suspect, since you indicate your workspace is at a good height, that
it is the stirring that is bothering you. If I had suspected how nice
1/2" drills were, I would have found the money for one a long, long time
ago. I would have gone without food if necessary. Get one. You need it.
Best wishes,
Cindy in SD
ELizabeth Gowen on mon 23 may 05
Lori, one of the best things I did to reduce the pain was to break up
glazing into shorter periods, rest in between and over several days. I =
used
to feel I had to fill a kiln in one day. I can't do it anymore.
I glaze the bottom half of the pots ( 1 color) then the next day the
rim and top half. A third day for the overlap colors. I have even found =
the
drying between inside and out gives me a better coat since I throw thin. =
The
pot isn't as wet and can absorb the galze better.
Liz Gowen
also potter RN
Lori said
Acck, I finished yesterday glazing around 100 pieces of my porcelain for =
a
firing that I am doing today in my electric cone 10 oxidation. Now my =
back
hurts my arms hurt (double acck) and I have to do another by Wed or =
Thurs
this week for my very first craft show on the 4th of June.
lela martens on mon 23 may 05
>From: Lori Doty
>Acck, I finished yesterday glazing around 100 pieces of my porcelain
>for a firing that I am doing today in my electric cone 10 oxidation.
>Now my back hurts my arms hurt (double acck) and I have to do another
>by Wed or Thurs this week for my very first craft show on the 4th of
>June.
The best advice I can give as far as glazing....take breaks. Go out for a
walk,
have a cup of coffee, streach the muscles. If I try to do too many, unless
in series, I get tired or in a hurry, the work gets sloppy. After a short
break things are
`fresh` again. When the mind starts `agh..get this job over with`, the
results show it. Since my attitude change, I actually enjoy
glazing..treating
each piece as though it`s the only one.
Lela
| |
|
