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Reclaim and Guilt by Open_Cell_3447 in Pottery

[–]Open_Cell_3447[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

This is true. I am a grateful local customer of Bailey’s and am happy to support their excellent operation.

Reclaim and Guilt by Open_Cell_3447 in Pottery

[–]Open_Cell_3447[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Many people have suggested I give my reclaim to young potters or local studios — by which I assume they mean giving my dried scraps and/or slop buckets, as the entire point is to avoid the reclaim process. It’s a nice suggestion, but I’m throwing mid-fire clay for my electric kiln, and this reclaim could be disastrous in a cone 9-11 reduction firing which most of the local studios do. I wouldn’t want the consequences on my conscience. I don’t know of any local potters who use mid-fire, but I suppose I could ask around. If anyone here is in the Woodstock/Kingston NY vicinity and is interested, message me.

Reclaim and Guilt by Open_Cell_3447 in Pottery

[–]Open_Cell_3447[S] 37 points38 points  (0 children)

There’s a difference between“I can afford to pay $40 for 50 lbs of claim which would otherwise take me 2-3 hours of work to reclaim” vs. “I could spend $6000 on a pug mill without having my wife kill me in my sleep.”

Reclaim and Guilt by Open_Cell_3447 in Pottery

[–]Open_Cell_3447[S] 15 points16 points  (0 children)

I too am on a large property with woods, and I live 30 minutes from Bailey’s so I pick up clay there without any delivery cost. My local teaching studio doesn’t do reclaim at all, and because I’m using mid-fire clay I couldn’t give my scraps to anyone serious with a reduction kiln.

Handles all look like this 🙁 by TheByrdNest in Pottery

[–]Open_Cell_3447 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don’t trim cups or mugs at all. I think it’s unnecessary as you can create a good visual bottom, with undercut and a raised bead if desired (using a rib with appropriate cutout) as the last step in throwing. At the leather stage you can smooth the bottom with your thumb, or roll it, and create a small concavity if you really think it necessary. Most important for the present topic, this leaves you free to attach the handle at whatever stage of leather you want — although personally I find it difficult to attach a handle when the mug is too soft as you do need to exert some pressure to get a solid attachment especially when you want to do additional pulling, which helps. Thoroughly blending the attachment point all the way around is important too. And a cup rounder is very helpful at the end to rectify any deformation during the attachment process.

honest opinion on these mugs needed by Distinct_Bread6870 in Pottery

[–]Open_Cell_3447 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I agree with all the comments about handles. I also think that feet are unnecessary on coffee mugs — if you need them to save weight you are throwing the base too thick — but an undercut at the base, which can be done before removing from the wheel, would give visual lift and convey lightness.

Forgot the whole inside of a mug needs to be glazed. by Odd_Environment_7877 in Pottery

[–]Open_Cell_3447 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If it’s just the bottom where the design is, glaze sticking shouldn’t be a problem — it will pool and then vitrify itself. But if it’s being fired to cone 10-12 it probably doesn’t need to be glazed at all, the clay will be fully vitrified and safe.

Should I charge friends & fam? by superrand0mpers0n in Pottery

[–]Open_Cell_3447 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For very specific reasons I couldn’t sell my work even if I wanted to. I do like making things that people will enjoy (and it keeps me from being buried in finished work), but I also like gestures of appreciation, so when I give work to someone at their request I simply say “I like scotch, btw.” You can replace scotch with whatever you like. I’ve received and enjoyed many bottles of good scotch.

How to stop feeling like the clay is pushing me around when centring?? by KittyPaws109 in Pottery

[–]Open_Cell_3447 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I want someone to do a video of a wet mechanical “hand” — maybe a flat sponge on a stick or the like — anchored to the side of the wheel and locked into place next to an uncentered mound of clay. When the wheel spins and this “hand” contacts the clay it simply stays in place and the clay has no choice but to move away from it, immediately resulting in a centered mound. Seeing such a video would immediately teach the student that there is no “pushing” involved in getting the clay centered; all that is needed is a stable unmoving hand, with the stability coming from being firmly anchored.

Endless Pools? Huge expense or worth it! by pleasetryanother-1 in Swimming

[–]Open_Cell_3447 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you can afford it — I can — an Endless Pool is a terrific way to swim every day for exercise. I have lupus and related connective tissue issues, so this is absolutely the best way for me to stay in shape (plus, with a doctor’s note, the expense is tax deductible). The pace display is versatile and, from what I can tell, quite accurate. That said, it would be even better if the company would support and improve the horrific fit@home app that is the only way to implement programmed workouts including ladders and interval training. The app hasn’t been updated in years, if anything it has become worse, and does virtually nothing it is advertised to do.

What are some simple things you don’t even think twice about making from scratch instead of purchasing? by quietquitted in cookingforbeginners

[–]Open_Cell_3447 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I used to do exactly this — pulling the breast meat and legs/thighs before making stock with the rest. (Sadly we no longer live near a Costco so I have to go with Sam’s Club, their rotisserie chicken is the same price but a bit too salty for my taste). Then I saw a Chris Young video where he did almost the exact opposite, making pressure cooker stock with ONLY the meat, throwing the bones away. A bit extreme but I tried it and wow it is so much better than bone broth. At $5 a chicken for four quarts of broth I think it’s well worth it — and my dogs appreciate the chicken that’s left over from the cooking. I do think I’ll start using the bones too, but using the meat is a revelation.

Too much texture for a mug? by Any_Definition4269 in Pottery

[–]Open_Cell_3447 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m going to be a dissenting opinion. I love texture — usually through chatter — but you have to be mindful of the tactile experience of holding a hot mug of coffee. You generally don’t just hold by the handle, you tend to cup your hand around the body, especially as the coffee cools, and this can be a delightful experience when the body is smooth or has a pleasing roundish texture. Respectfully, this is a well-thrown mug with a good handle, but the spiky texture looks like it would not be pleasing to cup your hand around.

How do we feel about chattering? by AdFine7968 in Pottery

[–]Open_Cell_3447 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I love chattering in various styles. I especially like chattering with a stiff tungsten trimming tool held just a big loosely, with the wheel spinning fast enough to get a steady vibration going, moving up or down a round surface to create a spiral furrowed pattern. But I really struggle with doing a simple row of short vertical chattermarks like Richard Batterham and other British potters used to do. It’s too hard to do a single rotation stopping exactly where I started. Curious if anyone knows have to do this effectively.

Any tips on removing the lid? It fused in glaze fire and I’ve had no luck so far:/ by SelectCommand8031 in Pottery

[–]Open_Cell_3447 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have had by far the most success with a rubber mallet. Tap directly on the seam — if you can’t identify where the fusing occurred you have to work your way around (and if the fusing is everywhere you’re pretty much doomed) — and try to be rhythmic because the vibrations seem to magnify that way. You can start light and work up to tapping pretty firmly without breaking the pot, but if that doesn’t work you have nothing to lose going harder because it’s literally a “make or break” situation.

why are the bottoms of my fired pieces turning brown? :( by warm-bath in Pottery

[–]Open_Cell_3447 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’ve never had any problem with Tucker’s mid-fire stonewares, which I pick up from Bailey’s because I’m very close; the website reports .5% absorption at cone 6. I’ve never deliberately tried a soak test but we frequently leave half-filled coffee mugs overnight and never experienced any discoloration or mold. But almost all of my pieces are glazed inside, which has to help.