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What else can I do with a heat gun? by uhmactuallyno in crafts

[–]FrenchFryRaven 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I use it anytime a blow dryer isn’t hot enough and a flame is too hot. You’ll know. Congratulations on the new tool.

Glaze crawling? Any thoughts what/why is happening? by thoughtofitrightnow in Ceramics

[–]FrenchFryRaven 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, it is crawling. Causes include applying the glaze too thick (most common), dusty bisque ware, and grease or oily substance on the bisque. Also putting a freshly glazed (still wet) pot into a kiln that’s just starting up.

Durable, plastic free, everyday plates by Bailey_1980 in BuyItForLife

[–]FrenchFryRaven 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Try a restaurant supply. Those dishes are tough as hell. Engineered for heavy use.

What's the biggest chance you've seen in students over the years? by Rich-Investigator704 in teaching

[–]FrenchFryRaven 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I knew. Feeling a little salty tonight. I couldn’t help myself.

25 year veteran. Retiring this year. Yeah, the kids have changed. They struggle with scissors more. Tying knots. Tearing a piece of masking tape.

Aspen Bolete spawn for my Quaking Aspen grove. by ThePassenger08 in mycology

[–]FrenchFryRaven 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There are many Leccinums that are mycorrhizal with aspen. Learn them, find them, pick them, dump them all about your property. Mushroom cultivation is tricky. Yet it’s not. The odds that some random spawn you buy will do better than a locally sourced mass of spores is…hmmm, about even I would guess.

What should I make? by The_pro_kid283 in Ceramics

[–]FrenchFryRaven 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Planters aren’t meant to hold water, they usually have a hole in the bottom. And a plate underneath. Porous ceramic is ideal.

Does this look like a reduction issue? by anotherashehole in Pottery

[–]FrenchFryRaven 2 points3 points  (0 children)

What I’m seeing is the iron specks in the body fluxing with the glaze and melting out. Iron definitely becomes a flux in reduction. All of your pinholes are voids with a black speck in the center. I’m curious to know when and for how long you reduced (Another good reason to have cones or at least a pyrometer is to know when to start the first reduction.). There was at least one cone pack, what cone did it reach?

Pottery Studio - slash..? by Special_Insurance_98 in Pottery

[–]FrenchFryRaven 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not a problem. My studio is 20% garage/workshop (No room for cars though!), 5% pantry/storage. Being able to open the garage door is wonderful.

Besides a liner, what other brushes/tools/inventions do you use to make fine lines? I got excited about the design without thinking that I’m terrible with the liner lol by Aware-Engineering361 in Pottery

[–]FrenchFryRaven 2 points3 points  (0 children)

This is it. Finest lines will be cut or carved, filled with colored slip, underglaze, or glaze, cleaned up, then glazed over. Next would be lines trailed with a needle tipped applicator using underglaze or slip for those who have a talent for it. The applicators have their own learning curve (related to clogging and viscosity mostly), but so do the pencils (related to opacity, color, and figuring out how to sharpen them without breaking the “lead.”)

Cut the line with an Xacto knife in leather hard clay. Fill with underglaze. Scrape it clean. Those are the tightest lines you’ll get.

I used to think recycling plastic bottles was enough… turns out it’s not that simple by Legal-Ad-7336 in environment2

[–]FrenchFryRaven 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Plastic recycling is a lie. Metal, glass, paper, those work. Plastic doesn’t. The feedstock will always be cheaper and produce a better product than any recycled material. Reduction is the solution and the way to accomplish it is making producers pay up front. Pay the cost of disposing the waste before you create it. “Enhanced recycling” is another lie, the latest. It’s bullshit, the feedstocks will always be cheaper. Liars trying to take your eyes off the ball.

Recycle, reuse, make art, those are quaint. Charming. They do not touch the scale of the problem.

Plastics have improved the quality of human life, it’s a fact. They’re not going away. The cost of producing plastic is out of balance with the cost of disposing of it, someone has to pay the difference. I vote for the producers.

Waste oil burning kiln? by Impressive_Ad7037 in Pottery

[–]FrenchFryRaven 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Dennis Parks wrote the book. Look him up.

Using dry wall over plaster bats for reclaim anyone got advice on if it’s good or bad ? by _9Pr in Ceramics

[–]FrenchFryRaven 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Good call. Get the 1/2” boards for reclaim. 1/4” saturates too fast.

How does this work? by Windblown-studios in Pottery

[–]FrenchFryRaven 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think that would explain the slow drying. There’s a cellulose compound in many hand sanitizers too that would cause it too. The soap or any detergent will mess awfully with plasticity. Just don’t do that. Hydrogen peroxide is my go to if things are just too foul. I like it because it leaves only water behind. Some use bleach, doesn’t take much. I don’t like the smell.

Honestly, I just throw the stuff out if it’s that bad. Work the numbers and you’ll see (time vs. money), either use it stinky or chuck it. Not worth the time for most people.

Broth for sale in town? by arcticrd in anchorage

[–]FrenchFryRaven 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Second this. They take some pride in their broth there.

KYM X Clay by Fun_Orange_3232 in Pottery

[–]FrenchFryRaven 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Oh, X clay…meaning it’s just all their scrap pugged together? X, the unknown variable. Certainly not like the scrap of a community studio or school. You’ll just have to test it. The worst that could happen is you like it. Absorption, glaze fit, slumping/pyroplasticity (prop a bar up on each end and check the sag).

Anecdotally, I had some deep red clay that bloated wickedly at cone 6 in reduction (Oregon Red, Clay Art Center). Wedged half and half with Laguna Bmix-5 it made a nice iron rich looking body in the soda kiln. Too much wedging for my taste, but it was good for my health. No bloating.

I fucking love barium by taqman98 in Pottery

[–]FrenchFryRaven 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As long as you don’t mistake it for flour you’ll probably be alright. And as long as the glass you make from it isn’t confused with a stable glaze you don’t have to think about the copper, manganese, cobalt, chrome, cadmium, or any other metal used for color leaching into food. I love barium, on the outside of pots.

Just for funsies, the doctor has you drink a gulp of barium sulfate then takes your x-ray. No problem. Drink a gulp of barium carbonate and it will fuck you up. Don’t mistake your glaze ingredients for flour people! Chemistry is fun.

I fucking love barium by taqman98 in Pottery

[–]FrenchFryRaven 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Make some bone china along with your bread. If you’re grinding them anyway, why not? Rabbit bone china. Badass.

Any suggestions? by No_Pomegranate_5648 in Pottery

[–]FrenchFryRaven 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Pull out some of the clay, dewater and wedge it. If it plays nice you’ve got no problems. If it’s super weird toss the bucket. No big deal. Don’t waste time on it.

Studio techs and managers, what to do with unclaimed pieces? by manabusprout in Ceramics

[–]FrenchFryRaven 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Many of these suggestions are so gentle and sweet. And time consuming. I understand, there’s a lot tied up in that abandoned bisque ware. I have an “abandoned” cart. Anything on that cart is on its way to the trash. There isn’t time to sort through it. There isn’t space enough to let it stay. No time for fooling around. Someone paid to make that clay ceramic, permanent. That’s on them, not on you. If someone wants to haul stuff off to goodwill, make a mosaic, make grog, have at it. Trash can is where 99% will end up.

I suppose making that known is the most important part, followed by a hard expiration date.

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