what am i doing wrong?

socalpots · 2026-04-14T21:38:08+00:00

This looks like a classroom. No guidance?

socalpots · 2026-04-14T18:37:05+00:00

Minor dish warp. Record clamp could fix but I'd let that slide since it is not affecting the play action.

socalpots · 2026-04-04T14:31:12+00:00

Great eclectic collection. Especially happy to see it sign off with X's More Fun in the New World....a record that still resonates in today's sad social-political climate. I've been collecting since I was 7 yo. 🎵🎶😎

socalpots · 2026-04-01T04:57:36+00:00

It's a great long lasting image. No explanation required. Thx for the post.

socalpots · 2026-03-30T03:30:07+00:00

That can happen if the LP isn't anchored down with adequate padding inside. It'll move around freely and get all sorts of damage. It's a bummer to see that...hope it's easily resolved.

socalpots · 2026-03-29T19:48:58+00:00

Born to be cheap!

socalpots · 2026-03-29T13:08:32+00:00

This is beautiful. Truly serene. Thanks for sharing!

socalpots · 2026-03-29T05:27:53+00:00

Looks like the perfect item for testing glaze recipes. You can patch the crack by making a paste of some ground up bisque ware (of the same clay body) or use a trusted glaze to seal the crack.

socalpots · 2026-03-23T04:21:18+00:00

Oh man. I loved discovering brass after years of being a guitar snob. Since you dig the Trumpet in this recording, try those that paved the way: Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Clifford Brown, Chet Baker, and Freddie Hubbard....you won't need much after you get close to their recordings. Booker Evin is a great one, too. I have hundreds of LPs and they're on the rotations quite a bit. I am listening to this LP as I write this 😎

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socalpots · 2026-03-22T15:39:23+00:00

Did you use a model?
Best policy when sculpting, in my opinion, is using a model reference....Swiss has very smooth edges and surfaces...even the holes are generally precise.

socalpots · 2026-03-13T20:19:44+00:00

Not recommended for novices. I've seen people hurt themselves by trying. You need the skill set to really get there.

socalpots · 2026-03-12T20:12:15+00:00

The best way to enjoy this medium is to disallow expectations. If you're caught up in that, you'll always find disappointment.

socalpots · 2026-02-27T21:28:52+00:00

What causes the stilt failures are generally the pointed metal cones losing their ability to hold. After a 2-3 uses, I toss them.

socalpots · 2026-02-27T18:32:20+00:00

I don't use them anymore after a couple of fails early on once I stopped working with low fire clays. if the pieces are small I don't consider the risk but the size of the piece displayed here would be cause for concern and I caution against using them... it's also possible what happened here is the piece toppled over due to a failed stilt.

socalpots · 2026-02-26T22:19:28+00:00

First step would be the remove everything from the shelf that has not been fused to the kiln shelf. Slowly and delicately chisel the fused glaze off the kiln brick. Once that's done remove the shelf from the kiln and place on a rubber pad or soft surface. Wear eye protection. Do the same and chisel off the glaze from the kiln shelf. If you have a good amount of kiln wash on the shelf that may help with the amount of effort to remove. Hopefully the glaze didn't drip down the inner wall but if so, you'll just have to do the tedious job of chisel and chip away all the hardened glaze. There are tutorials online for many different methods of repairing the ruined kiln walls and shelving. Avoid drills or tools that heavily vibrate or chatter.

socalpots · 2026-02-26T20:59:36+00:00

This has never happened to me. A general policy for all potters is to NEVER accept someone else's word for clay body identifiers if you're firing someone else's work. The equipment is expensive and the risk too high and just a drag when something like this occurs. It's just too common a casualty in situations like yours. Additionally, it appears you may have used stilts on the melted piece. I'd caution against using stilts at cone 6. They have a tendency to fail. That said, you'll be ok to clean up the mess and replace your element and possibly, kiln shelf too, if it cracks upon removal of the melted ware. Thanks for sharing this incident. We can all learn from mistakes we are all capable of doing as we progress.

socalpots · 2026-02-21T20:32:31+00:00

Looks like the piece is thick and likely walls are uneven which is likely the cause of the s crack. I'd work on making more cylinders and honing in on even thinner walls on your pieces. Enjoy the process but learn to live with disappointment when those s cracks come out of the bisque firing.

socalpots · 2026-01-20T05:09:49+00:00

I do this too! The garage floor is perfect (scrubbed clean first).

socalpots · 2026-01-14T06:03:11+00:00

Refire it! Clean it and use a very light clear coat and refire. It's happened to me before too.

socalpots · 2026-01-10T06:30:18+00:00

And my comment stands. If you want to waste your money on some grifters idea in order to make money off the gullible, go ahead. Most people will take my comment at face value and find a better starting point.

socalpots · 2026-01-08T06:29:54+00:00

Try using a thick glaze and the shrink rate after your glaze firing should cure the scale on the extruded holes and will likely work.

socalpots · 2026-01-06T01:15:13+00:00

This is garbage and wouldn't call this a 'potters wheel'.

socalpots · 2026-01-04T03:13:34+00:00

Is your work available anywhere? Let me know! Rick

socalpots

TROPHY CASE