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grinding,stilting, and refiring

updated sat 7 may 05

 

Michelle on thu 5 may 05


Hi all,

I work in a studio with about 100 studio assistants, students and renters combined. I am
interested in seeing how other studio's with similiar situations deal with a few issues.
We charge three cents per cubic inch firing fees at bisque only and glaze fire to cone
six, if that makes a difference for anyone.
Here are my questions.
1. If you refire pieces, in either bisque or glaze, do you charge again?
2. What do other places do about pots that run onto the shelf. We do have a reglaze
shelf for pieces that are obviously to thick, too close to the bottom etc, but obviously
that does not catch all of them. Is there a seperate charge, do you make them clean the
shelf?
3. Do alot of studios allow people to have their pieces stilted? (I hate stilting
especially when people don't understand what stilts are for). What do you do when a stilt
get stuck to a piece(besides cursing them and throwing it away)?
4. When pieces run do you allow students etc. to use an electric grinder to "fix" the
piece or are they told they pissed off the kiln goddess and they need to take their
punishment and toss it?

Thanks in advance for any input.

Michelle



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Earl Brunner on thu 5 may 05


The firing charge is presumably to cover the cost of firing. Does it cost any less to refire? Wear and tear on the kiln, and energy consumption can not differentiate whether the piece is a refire or not.
We have a "reject shelf" with posted reject codes we use to explain why something has been rejected. We also require the teacher to sign off on pieces ready for firing. You might give some thought to having people make "cookies" to put under their work. These are simple slabs or tiles of clay of various sizes that have been fired and kiln washed. We have classes make them from time to time as needed and then the kiln loader can stick one under a pot that "might" run. We have a dry foot policy and I will NOT mess with stilts. If they want to glaze their stuff so that it needs stilts, they can get their own kiln.

As an aside, if something sticks to the shelf really bad, I use a hammer to remove it.....
Michelle wrote:
Hi all,

I work in a studio with about 100 studio assistants, students and renters combined. I am
interested in seeing how other studio's with similiar situations deal with a few issues.
We charge three cents per cubic inch firing fees at bisque only and glaze fire to cone
six, if that makes a difference for anyone.
Here are my questions.
1. If you refire pieces, in either bisque or glaze, do you charge again?
2. What do other places do about pots that run onto the shelf. We do have a reglaze
shelf for pieces that are obviously to thick, too close to the bottom etc, but obviously
that does not catch all of them. Is there a seperate charge, do you make them clean the
shelf?
3. Do alot of studios allow people to have their pieces stilted? (I hate stilting
especially when people don't understand what stilts are for). What do you do when a stilt
get stuck to a piece(besides cursing them and throwing it away)?
4. When pieces run do you allow students etc. to use an electric grinder to "fix" the
piece or are they told they pissed off the kiln goddess and they need to take their
punishment and toss it?

Thanks in advance for any input.

Michelle





Earl Brunner
e-mail: brunv53@yahoo.com

SageWood Pottery on thu 5 may 05


Hi Michelle,

I have worked as a studio assistant in two different studios and they
handled situations differently. At one studio, if the glaze ran and it
was unable to be fixed up with a Dremel, they were told they had to
deal with it pretty much - unless they had a grinder of their own. At
the current studio I work in they have a grinder there and recommend
trying to fix it if it's something that the student wants to do.

I know for both studios, if there is to be a glaze refire, they are
charged for it. I know neither of them made the students clean the
shelf - the owners and studio assistants took care of that. As for the
stilts - not many pieces are stilted there - and if they are, the
people loading the kiln take extra effort to be sure that those pieces
won't run - of course there is always the chance that they do - if
that happens, the student usually ends up with a piece connected to a
stilt (not a lovely addition).

Hope that helps!
Melanie
~*SageWood Pottery*~

On 5/5/05, Michelle wrote:
> Hi all,
>=20
> I work in a studio with about 100 studio assistants, students and renters=
combined. I am
> interested in seeing how other studio's with similiar situations deal wit=
h a few issues.
> We charge three cents per cubic inch firing fees at bisque only and glaz=
e fire to cone
> six, if that makes a difference for anyone.
> Here are my questions.
> 1. If you refire pieces, in either bisque or glaze, do you charge again=
?
> 2. What do other places do about pots that run onto the shelf. We do h=
ave a reglaze
> shelf for pieces that are obviously to thick, too close to the bottom etc=
, but obviously
> that does not catch all of them. Is there a seperate charge, do you make =
them clean the
> shelf?
> 3. Do alot of studios allow people to have their pieces stilted? (I ha=
te stilting
> especially when people don't understand what stilts are for). What do you=
do when a stilt
> get stuck to a piece(besides cursing them and throwing it away)?
> 4. When pieces run do you allow students etc. to use an electric grinde=
r to "fix" the
> piece or are they told they pissed off the kiln goddess and they need to =
take their
> punishment and toss it?
>=20
> Thanks in advance for any input.
>=20
> Michelle
>=20
> __________________________________
> Do you Yahoo!?
> Yahoo! Small Business - Try our new resources site!
> http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/resources/
>=20
> _________________________________________________________________________=
_____
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>=20
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>=20
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at melpots@pclin=
k.com.
>=20


--=20
~*Melanie*~
SageWood Pottery

william schran on thu 5 may 05


Michelle wrote:>1. If you refire pieces, in either bisque or glaze,
do you charge again?<
I'm in a school situation, but I also teach a class for a community
college in a privately owned clay studio where non-credit classes are
also taught. Students pay a premium price per bag of clay to cover
cost of firing and glazes. This covers one bisque and one glaze
firing per pot. Refires are only for pots were kiln screwed up.

>2. What do other places do about pots that run onto the shelf. We
>do have a reglaze
shelf for pieces that are obviously to thick, too close to the bottom
etc, but obviously
that does not catch all of them. Is there a seperate charge, do you
make them clean the
shelf?<
No damage to shelf, no charge. Damage to shelf, $5.00 fee. Collected
fees purchase new shelves.

>3. Do alot of studios allow people to have their pieces stilted?
(I hate stilting
especially when people don't understand what stilts are for). What do
you do when a stilt
get stuck to a piece(besides cursing them and throwing it away)?<
No stilting done at cone 6 where I am, suggest no stilting at high fire.

>4. When pieces run do you allow students etc. to use an electric
grinder to "fix" the
piece or are they told they pissed off the kiln goddess and they need
to take their
punishment and toss it?<
Students are provided access to bench grinder with silicon carbide
grinding wheel. It is set up outside and students must wear face
shield and are encouraged to wear respirator.

Bill

UU KRC on thu 5 may 05


the fact that you actually are kind enough to consider
some of these options is impressive to me. The last
large group studio I was in you had to replace
anything damaged beyond repare. Plus if it was
reparable and you did it more than once you had to
replace it. Came out of a deposit you put down when
you started using the facilities. Once your deposit
ran low you were handed a check for the remainder and
ask to remove your belongings. Most people were really
good about it - but we did see a few people asked to
leave.

Of course we weren't as big as you are describing.

JW


--- Michelle wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I work in a studio with about 100 studio assistants,
> students and renters combined. I am
> interested in seeing how other studio's with
> similiar situations deal with a few issues.
> We charge three cents per cubic inch firing fees at
> bisque only and glaze fire to cone
> six, if that makes a difference for anyone.
> Here are my questions.
> 1. If you refire pieces, in either bisque or
> glaze, do you charge again?
> 2. What do other places do about pots that run
> onto the shelf. We do have a reglaze
> shelf for pieces that are obviously to thick, too
> close to the bottom etc, but obviously
> that does not catch all of them. Is there a seperate
> charge, do you make them clean the
> shelf?
> 3. Do alot of studios allow people to have their
> pieces stilted? (I hate stilting
> especially when people don't understand what stilts
> are for). What do you do when a stilt
> get stuck to a piece(besides cursing them and
> throwing it away)?
> 4. When pieces run do you allow students etc. to
> use an electric grinder to "fix" the
> piece or are they told they pissed off the kiln
> goddess and they need to take their
> punishment and toss it?
>
> Thanks in advance for any input.
>
> Michelle
>
>
>
> __________________________________
> Do you Yahoo!?
> Yahoo! Small Business - Try our new resources site!
> http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/resources/
>
>
______________________________________________________________________________
> 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.
>



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Mike Gordon on thu 5 may 05


Michelle,
You are charging for shelf space, per firing, if they fire the same
piece ten times they pay each time.
#2 They clean the shelf themselves to your satisfaction or they replace
the shelf.
#3 if they want to stilt something they provide the stilts, then if
they stick to the pots it's theirs anyway.
#4 If you are grading them on craftsmanship as part of their
grade...... an "F" if they want to grind it down, fine but do it over
for a grade.
Mike Gordon
On May 5, 2005, at 6:27 AM, Michelle wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> I work in a studio with about 100 studio assistants, students and
> renters combined. I am
> interested in seeing how other studio's with similiar situations deal
> with a few issues.
> We charge three cents per cubic inch firing fees at bisque only and
> glaze fire to cone
> six, if that makes a difference for anyone.
> Here are my questions.
> 1. If you refire pieces, in either bisque or glaze, do you charge
> again?
> 2. What do other places do about pots that run onto the shelf. We
> do have a reglaze
> shelf for pieces that are obviously to thick, too close to the bottom
> etc, but obviously
> that does not catch all of them. Is there a seperate charge, do you
> make them clean the
> shelf?
> 3. Do alot of studios allow people to have their pieces stilted?
> (I hate stilting
> especially when people don't understand what stilts are for). What do
> you do when a stilt
> get stuck to a piece(besides cursing them and throwing it away)?
> 4. When pieces run do you allow students etc. to use an electric
> grinder to "fix" the
> piece or are they told they pissed off the kiln goddess and they need
> to take their
> punishment and toss it?
>
> Thanks in advance for any input.
>
> Michelle
>
>
>
> __________________________________
> Do you Yahoo!?
> Yahoo! Small Business - Try our new resources site!
> http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/resources/
>
> _______________________________________________________________________
> _______
> 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.
>

Gail Dapogny on fri 6 may 05


In our guild, we ask that students fire pots on wasters that they and
we make from time to time. Occasionally one gets away, and, for that
matter, occasionally a member goofs also and has a runny pot. Our
students pay a fee (close to $200) for a 16 week class complete with
lab time, clay, maximum 13,000 cubic inches of firing, and
wear-and-tear of equipment. It may seem foolish to you all, but we
understand that they are learning -- often the hard way, as we all did
-- and we don't charge for mistakes that run onto shelves. Also we
kind of live by the philosophy that one learns by trying stuff (stilted
pots included) so we try not to be too restrictive unless it will be a
matter of safety or damaging someone else's work or our equipment. And
we members who stack the kiln, check the student pots for obvious
lurking glaze problems, clean bottoms, etc. and leave pots out of the
kiln with appropriate notes.

We request that students participate in any shelf cleanup unless it is
clear that it requires more expertise or grinding with a cup grinder,
in which case some member does it for points. (We have a members'
points-per-job system that coordinates with cubic inches fired. In
other words, we members ALL work in order to fire our pots.)

As for refires, we discourage them with students with some exceptions,
but for members we "charge" half-points.

Gail

Gail Dapogny
Ann Arbor, Michigan
gdapogny@umich.edu
http://www.claygallery.org/
http://www.pottersguild.net/

On May 5, 2005, at 4:40 PM, william schran wrote:

> Michelle wrote:>1. If you refire pieces, in either bisque or glaze,
> do you charge again?<
> I'm in a school situation, but I also teach a class for a community
> college in a privately owned clay studio where non-credit classes are
> also taught. Students pay a premium price per bag of clay to cover
> cost of firing and glazes. This covers one bisque and one glaze
> firing per pot. Refires are only for pots were kiln screwed up.
>