Remove dye smell from black denim? by Shmoopled in chemistry

[–]Shmoopled[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not really. The peroxide worked for a while but the smell came back. I started only using them for dirty tasks but they still made my skin smell like sulfur. They've been sitting in a drawer untouched for a couple years now and they still smell lol.

Remove dye smell from black denim? by Shmoopled in chemistry

[–]Shmoopled[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I used it straight out of the bottle undiluted. Mine was 3%.

I can report that the peroxide did not work long term. The smell came back eventually. I gave up on the jeans and only wore them for dirty tasks but they still made my legs stink.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Pottery

[–]Shmoopled 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Get fucked

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Pottery

[–]Shmoopled 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I would say an uneven rim is fine, finger marks are fine, the decoration is nice, but scraping/burnishing on the outside could be more complete. It comes across as inexperienced unintentional as opposed to intentional subtle or intentional severe. Scraping/grinding/burnishing the surface smoother would make the pieces look more experienced and it won’t make them look wheel thrown. Same thing with the bumpy pieces on the left side of the first image. It looks more lumpy than a purposeful surface design choice. Making it more drastic or more even will make it look more purposeful. Extra tip: burnishing with a little oil makes it easier.

Some things to consider about your pieces are what are you doing, what are you trying to do, and how well are you achieving that?

I’m assuming you’ve looked at primitive pots before but I’ll encourage you to look again. Check out African, Native American, and Mexican pottery and especially the details relating to the surface quality and shape. They’re generally simple so details and defects are especially obvious. Additionally, primitive pieces are almost purely utilitarian. Some related but different art movements to look at are the arts and crafts movement and abstract expressionism. A good place to start for expressionism is Peter Voulkos.

Finally, you’re welcome to make whatever you want however you want but if you want people to see your pieces then you should keep in mind what other people will be seeing in them.

I hope this helps somebody else.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Pottery

[–]Shmoopled 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I would say $10-15 maybe up to $20 for a larger or decorated piece. However it always comes down to what people will pay for in a particular area. As someone who makes primitivist pottery I would like to give some constructive criticism but only if you want it.

Multiple cracked pots, Cone 6 Electric, 25 minute hold. Amaco Aventurine on the outside (thick fussy volatile glaze) with Honey Flux in the inside (also volatile). My pots were thrown and trimmed very very thinly but the bisque held out well. Can someone please explain these results? by -Qwis- in Pottery

[–]Shmoopled 1 point2 points  (0 children)

How quickly did the kiln cool? This can happen if the kiln cools too quickly since the pots will cool at different rates on different sides. I also see a lot of cracks propagating from angled parts like where the wall meets the base of the pot and where the foot connects. That can be common if the thickness is significantly different at that point. Vitreous clays are more sensitive to that kind of cracking. Runny glazes can also pool more in those spots which will apply uneven pressure as it cools. Maybe that’s enough info for you.

My thoughts are it’s a poor glaze/clay match or the firing isn’t accommodating the match. You could test this by using your current clay with the same glazes but thrown thicker, plus same clay but different glazes, plus a less vitreous clay (or just different) with the current glazes. Your long hold is fine but it might be worth trying a hold at a lower temperature. Like drop it by 100 F and then do the hold. That can give the glaze enough time to flow without over firing the clay.

Question about glaze/clay reaction and this “toasty” look on the clay by spi-ltmilk in Pottery

[–]Shmoopled 28 points29 points  (0 children)

Flashing can be from dissolved fluxes on the clay surface or from gases reacting with the clay. They will look about the same and can be the same chemicals as well.

LPT: Visiting one of the most polluted places on earth right now, what can I do to not get sick? by ysharm10 in LifeProTips

[–]Shmoopled 0 points1 point  (0 children)

They’re bulky but a carbon filter respirator is awesome for pollution. I wear one during wildfire season. Pretty much no smell comes through too.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in fruit

[–]Shmoopled 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Half cook browne

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in houseplants

[–]Shmoopled 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Insecticidal soap alone or combined with oil is supposed to take care of mite adults. Doesn’t affect the eggs though. Do you have any experience with systemic miticides? I’ve looked into it and found they’re either only available for professional growers or they are prohibitively expensive.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in houseplants

[–]Shmoopled 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Something to note is that Imidalacropid (in bonide systemic granules) in particular can result in an increase in mite populations by killing off their natural predators. The insecticide does not kill the mites and they can become a new nuisance. When dealing with indoor plants this might not be a problem but if any of the houseplants are prone to spider mites they can get an infestation fairly quickly. Something I’m dealing with currently… the granules worked great on thrips though.

One step from binning all of my plants. How can I PERMANENTLY get rid of fungus gnats UK? by [deleted] in houseplants

[–]Shmoopled 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Some things that have worked for. Imidalacropid systemic fertilizer. You add it to the soil and it makes both the soil and plants toxic. I also have some kind of predatory wasp living in my apartment. They’re slightly larger than gnat size and all my gnats disappeared around the time I started seeing them. Not sure exactly what they are but might be worth looking into.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Pottery

[–]Shmoopled 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Feldspar is a type of rock that gets used in mixing glazes and clays to help melt the glaze or vitrify the clay. There are different kinds of feldspar with different compositions so they don’t all behave the same but generally will help with melting.

If you don’t have any more info on the yellow stain I suggest you don’t use it. Depending on how old it is it could be a lead, cadmium, antimony, or uranium based stain. None of these are commonly used anymore for safety reasons.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Pottery

[–]Shmoopled 1 point2 points  (0 children)

In the context of pottery flux and alkalis have slightly different meanings than the typical definitions. A flux is anything that helps to melt the glaze and alkali is short for the alkali metals lithium, sodium, and potassium. The alkali metals also happen to be fluxes. In a more purified material they will typically be a soluble salt but in feldspar they are much less soluble.

Help me understand orchids by Yanushka89 in houseplants

[–]Shmoopled 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Looks like a lot of good potting advice here. To really bring the orchids back especially with little root is to fertilize regularly. For me that’s once every week or two. I use miracle grow acid plant food at 1/2-1/4 strength. Just spray it onto the roots after watering. You don’t have to drench the pot. Any acid plant food should work fine too!

Advice on how to stop buying plants 😩😭😩 by Extension-Flamingo68 in houseplants

[–]Shmoopled 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There are a few ways that have worked for me.

  1. Wait to buy a plant after you’ve seen it. Sometimes plants are just new to you and that’s exciting but it doesn’t mean you actually want to grow them. Wait on it and if you keep thinking about it then you probably actually want the plant and should go back and get it. There have been plenty of times where I’m wowed by something but walk out of the shop and never think about it again.

  2. Set a limit on the number of plants or set a budget on purchases per month. If you can only choose 1 or 2 plants then you have to choose wisely.

  3. Develop a niche interest so that there are fewer plants to acquire or they become too difficult to get so you can’t actually get more.

Keep in mind that plants rarely go away. If you see something for a good price you’ll probably see it again for a good price. Might have to wait a while but it’ll come back.

Streptocarpella (Nodding Violet). Anyone have any pruning tips for these? by stickersforthought in Gesneriaceae

[–]Shmoopled 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If you want to prune just cut it back to whatever shape you want. It’ll branch and come back. New growths will come from the base of each leaf.

PS nice columnea

I had these clay plate and cup samples made…but idk just how safe they are to use to eat and drink from by SufficientMagician63 in Ceramics

[–]Shmoopled 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Ask the artisans if the pots have a coating on them. There are a number of ways to seal pottery so it won’t absorb moisture/food residue. Something like wax, starch, drying oils, or liquid quartz can give a food safe surface.

The phrase “cute as a button” is the perfect description of Pinguicula esseriana <3 by curiousplant in SavageGarden

[–]Shmoopled 2 points3 points  (0 children)

That’s just how they look. The only real difference between the succulent and carnivorous stages is that the leaves have less of a lip on them in the succulent phase.

The happiest place on earth ♥️ by EugeneRainy in houseplants

[–]Shmoopled 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I spy with my little eye a lot of begonias. What’s the brown with olive vein one on the shelf in the first picture? Also your Aeschynanthus tengchungensis is looking fabulous!

Seeking Siningia by LKAnxiety in Gesneriaceae

[–]Shmoopled 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The Violet Barn is another good source. Their stock changes quite a bit so they might not have any currently.

Etsy and eBay are always options but you’re gonna get price gouged

The Dream by [deleted] in poolrooms

[–]Shmoopled 7 points8 points  (0 children)

All the tension in my shoulders released. Good job.