claybair on wed 22 sep 04
This year's learning curve subject has been plates.
I've made at least 80 maybe 100 of them... I stopped counting.
It has been intense.......do I do anything other wisely?
Some of my mistakes......
Rough handling removal from wheel = warping
Premature trimming = warping
Uneven drying = warping
Making changes in known successful recipes = seconds/trash
Testing on good plates = seconds/trash
Sloppy trimming & glazing = seconds/trash
I think I have finally learned I should not be so cavalier
with some things.
My daughter's cat eats her meals on several of them.
We have been testing a set in the house... getting daily dishwasher
treatment and rough handling by family member.
I have figured some ways to make firing easier.....
I bisque fire my plates but sometimes they are not totally dry
so I don't fire them vertically. I do stack them though.
I made clay balls and stagger 3 - 5 of them on each plate then
add plates. I have stacked 4 plates high using this method
with success. It allows good air circulation around and under each
plate.
I candle according to how dry/wet they seem.
I bought several 8"x12" kiln shelves and if I stagger them correctly
can glaze fire 6 plates maybe 8 on a shelf.
I use the middle section of the kiln as
that always seems to fire hotter and faster.
I now wipe off the undersides of kiln shelves
so no stray "boogers" fall onto the plates surfaces.
I made a drying cart out of a wire shelving unit by covering it in
heavy plastic the plates dry very evenly now.
Bonnie Staffel's video was a great tutorial.... Thanks Bonnie.
Fortunately the clients I took commissions from last December..... (Oye...)
are very understanding and happen to be good friends. I will gift them
for their patience with a platter when their orders are delivered.
The longer they waited the better they turned out.
So why am I still at this keyboard......
Off to the studio with me.....
Gayle Bair
Bainbridge Island, WA
http://claybair.com
Gayle Bair
Bainbridge Island, WA
http://claybair.com
Mark Strayer on thu 23 sep 04
Hi Gayle,
Very interesting...thanks for sharing. I too have been learning about pl=
ates.
I think your point of not being sloppy on the glazing is critical. Have
a nice thought out plan and execute well.
Mark
North Star Pottery
Lamar, MO
>-- Original Message --
>Date: Wed, 22 Sep 2004 12:08:08 -0700
>Reply-To: Clayart
>From: claybair
>Subject: Plate learning curve
>To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
>
>
>This year's learning curve subject has been plates.
>I've made at least 80 maybe 100 of them... I stopped counting.
> It has been intense.......do I do anything other wisely?
>
>Some of my mistakes......
>Rough handling removal from wheel =3D warping
>Premature trimming =3D warping
>Uneven drying =3D warping
>Making changes in known successful recipes =3D seconds/trash
>Testing on good plates =3D seconds/trash
>Sloppy trimming & glazing =3D seconds/trash
>
>I think I have finally learned I should not be so cavalier
>with some things.
>
>My daughter's cat eats her meals on several of them.
>We have been testing a set in the house... getting daily dishwasher
>treatment and rough handling by family member.
>
>I have figured some ways to make firing easier.....
>
>I bisque fire my plates but sometimes they are not totally dry
>so I don't fire them vertically. I do stack them though.
>I made clay balls and stagger 3 - 5 of them on each plate then
>add plates. I have stacked 4 plates high using this method
>with success. It allows good air circulation around and under each
>plate.
>I candle according to how dry/wet they seem.
>
>I bought several 8"x12" kiln shelves and if I stagger them correctly
>can glaze fire 6 plates maybe 8 on a shelf.
>I use the middle section of the kiln as
>that always seems to fire hotter and faster.
>I now wipe off the undersides of kiln shelves
>so no stray "boogers" fall onto the plates surfaces.
>I made a drying cart out of a wire shelving unit by covering it in
>heavy plastic the plates dry very evenly now.
>
>Bonnie Staffel's video was a great tutorial.... Thanks Bonnie.
>
>Fortunately the clients I took commissions from last December..... (Oye.=
..)
>are very understanding and happen to be good friends. I will gift them
>for their patience with a platter when their orders are delivered.
>The longer they waited the better they turned out.
>
>So why am I still at this keyboard......
>Off to the studio with me.....
>
>Gayle Bair
>Bainbridge Island, WA
>http://claybair.com
>
>Gayle Bair
>Bainbridge Island, WA
>http://claybair.com
>
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