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i bought insight; how can i learn to use it?

updated mon 4 nov 02

 

Les Crimp on thu 31 oct 02


Belinda -

Where do you live? there are probably many like you and me.

Les Crimp in Nanoose Bay, B.C. (Vancouver Island)
lcrimp@shaw.ca

Belinda Willis on thu 31 oct 02


I purchased a copy of Insight ("The Ceramic Chemistry and Database
Software") over a year ago. I used the tutorials that are included in the
program and gained a basic understanding of how the program functions.
However, basic tutorials do not give all the information needed to actually
use a computer program in real life, at least not for me. I have to see
someone use it and have the opportunity to ask questions in order to learn
a new program.

I feel a great need to take the glaze course Ron Roy teaches(taught?)that
uses Insight to formulate glaze recipes but since I bought the program, its
not been offered at a time and location where I can attend. Does anyone
have any suggestions for how I can get seat of the pants experience using
Insight?

I particularly want to reformulate a cone 6 glaze down to cone 4 so I can
dip rims and get a runny effect but I have no idea how to go about it. Is
there someone out there who will walk me thru it on the phone while we both
have Insight on the computer and I follow along on my screen doing what
you're doing?

Can someone write an "Insight for Dummies" book???

Ababi on fri 1 nov 02


It was very hard to learn Insight, but when I understood it, was very simple.
I had another problem, to understand the meaning of the words.
Tony Hansen gave me an excellent support. I am sure you can write him and ask his
advise.
If you have both Insight 5 and insight 5x I suggest to you to start working with the5 as
it is a simple program.
Another thing, it helped me at the time look at the numbers. It does not matter if you
cannot understand all of them. Enter glazes you know how they behave and see what
the numbers tell.
I worked with Insight some hours every evening. You can call me ( only for Insight 5)
but the call might cost you a dollar for each minute.
Ababi Sharon
Glaze addict
Kibbutz Shoval Israel
ababisha@shoval.org.il
http://members4.clubphoto.com/ababi306910/
http://www.milkywayceramics.com/cgallery/asharon.htm
---------- Original Message ----------

>I purchased a copy of Insight ("The Ceramic Chemistry and Database
>Software") over a year ago. I used the tutorials that are included in the
>program and gained a basic understanding of how the program functions.
>However, basic tutorials do not give all the information needed to actually
>use a computer program in real life, at least not for me. I have to see
>someone use it and have the opportunity to ask questions in order to learn
>a new program.

>I feel a great need to take the glaze course Ron Roy teaches(taught?)that
>uses Insight to formulate glaze recipes but since I bought the program, its
>not been offered at a time and location where I can attend. Does anyone
>have any suggestions for how I can get seat of the pants experience using
>Insight?

>I particularly want to reformulate a cone 6 glaze down to cone 4 so I can
>dip rims and get a runny effect but I have no idea how to go about it. Is
>there someone out there who will walk me thru it on the phone while we both
>have Insight on the computer and I follow along on my screen doing what
>you're doing?

>Can someone write an "Insight for Dummies" book???

>______________________________________________________________________________
>Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org

>You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
>settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/

>Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at melpots@pclink.com.

Mary White on fri 1 nov 02


I'm another one, not so far away from you, Les. It's handy to have
all my recipes in one place on the computer but I could do that with
a word processor, or a spreadsheet for changing batch sizes. I am
hoping Tony Hansen's Magic of Fire book will help but I have not
gotten very far into it yet.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mary
on the wet west coast of British Columbia
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~





>Belinda -
>
>Where do you live? there are probably many like you and me.
>
>Les Crimp in Nanoose Bay, B.C. (Vancouver Island)
>lcrimp@shaw.ca
>
>______________________________________________________________________________
>Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
>You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
>settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
>Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
>melpots@pclink.com.


--

Belinda Willis on fri 1 nov 02


Gee, I love the folks on this website.

I started this thread with a plea for help in learning how to use Insight.
Several people contacted me off line voluteering to help. Margaret in
Canada, who teaches glaze theory at her local college, will walk me thru
this particular glaze reformulation while we both are on the phone and on
the computer and I can do whatever she does at the same time she does it.
Hopefully I'll get the hang of how to use what the turorials taught.

If not, I'm keeping the email addresses of a few other volunteers and will
contact them with future questions.

Thanks to all who so kindly offered assistance.

And if Tony Hansen or Ron Roy are following this thread....Thanks for all
you have done to develop and teach the program. Several folks who wrote me
spoke very highly of the help you've given them. I would like to suggest
that you train others around the country to teach the Insight program.
This would lessen the burden on you two and make it easier for us slow
learners to get the help we need.

I'm really looking forward to understanding the glaze process and its magic.

Belinda

Ron Roy on sun 3 nov 02


Hi Belinda,

You are in good hands with Margaret by the way.

I sometimes give week long courses here at my home (North shore of Lake
Ontario between Toronto and Kingston)

I also think it is time to start working on an Email course - if that is of
interest to anyone let me know at ronroy@total.net.

The basic problem - after you can work a glaze calc program - is to know
what each oxide does in a glaze - what is a melter and what is a refractory
at the temperature you are firing at.

The best book for learning that is "The Potters Dictionary of Materials and
Techniques" - by Frank and Janet Hamer.

Just look up CaO and you will find out if it's a flux at the temperature
you want to work at for instance.

OK - I'm making it too simple but you learn by doing - what works and what
does not - it's the way I learned. Yes - I could have learned faster if I
could have taken some workshops along the way - but the Hamer book was
probably a better way - there is nothing better than good information -
watch out for uninformed opinions - test em out.

RR

>I purchased a copy of Insight ("The Ceramic Chemistry and Database
>Software") over a year ago. I used the tutorials that are included in the
>program and gained a basic understanding of how the program functions.
>However, basic tutorials do not give all the information needed to actually
>use a computer program in real life, at least not for me. I have to see
>someone use it and have the opportunity to ask questions in order to learn
>a new program.
>
>I feel a great need to take the glaze course Ron Roy teaches(taught?)that
>uses Insight to formulate glaze recipes but since I bought the program, its
>not been offered at a time and location where I can attend. Does anyone
>have any suggestions for how I can get seat of the pants experience using
>Insight?
>
>I particularly want to reformulate a cone 6 glaze down to cone 4 so I can
>dip rims and get a runny effect but I have no idea how to go about it. Is
>there someone out there who will walk me thru it on the phone while we both
>have Insight on the computer and I follow along on my screen doing what
>you're doing?
>
>Can someone write an "Insight for Dummies" book???

Ron Roy
RR#4
15084 Little Lake Road
Brighton, Ontario
Canada
K0K 1H0
Phone: 613-475-9544
Fax: 613-475-3513