Tip 47

Cool new things in the store!

* Mud Tools, very cool ribs which were a big hit at NCECA. Available in a variety of shapes and stiffnesses. They actually get better the more you use them. http://www.bigceramicstore.com/Supplies/mudtools.htm

* SlabMat, use instead of canvas with a slab roller or when hand rolling slabs. This way you don't get that canvas texture on all your slabs. http://www.bigceramicstore.com/Supplies/SlabMat.htm

* SlumpHump molds - more on those below http://www.bigceramicstore.com/Supplies/SlumpHump.htm

* A variety of items for displaying your hand painted tiles and turning them into gifts.
- Tables   http://www.bigceramicstore.com/Supplies/TileTables.htm
- Wood and Metal Trivets, Trays, Key holders, Mirrors, Boxes, and more.   http://www.bigceramicstore.com/Supplies/WoodTraysBoxes.htm
- And of course, 4 1/4" square, 6" square, 8" square and 6" round bisque tiles are available by the case. http://www.bigceramicstore.com/Supplies/Bisque/tiles.htm

* And finally, even though they aren't new, I have to mention the ClayShapers, because I keep finding new uses for them. First I was at a workshop where the teacher raved about using them for handbuilding, cleaning up seams, etc. Sure enough, it works great. While I had mine out, I realized they are also great for cleaning up the bottoms of leather hard pieces (you know those annoying little balls of clay they pick up?) And you can even use it like an eraser to smooth out the clay. For example, I had some lines at the bottom of some pots, where my rib didn't get all the way to the bottom. Not enough to be worth the hassle of setting them up for trimming, but enough to distract me. In the leather hard state I just ran the ClayShapers back and forth across the lines like an eraser and they disappeared! It can be hard to pick. I chose the tool #1, 06 size, and that cup round was what I used as an eraser. (This exact model no longer available. See others on page.)
http://www.bigceramicstore.com/Supplies/clay_shapers.htm

And since I don't have an editor, I am allowed to write the 4th in my series of 3 tips on plaster.

Tip #47 A few final ways to use plaster

1. In previous tips I talked about ways to use found objects for making plaster molds. But we also are now carrying the SlumpHump molds. These clever devices can be used one way for pouring a hump mold, or flipped over for pouring a slump mold. http://www.bigceramicstore.com/Supplies/SlumpHump.htm They are available in square, rectangle, oval, ellipse, etc. Perfect for platters and dishes.

2. At a recent workshop Crista Assad, and San Francisco potter, shared her ingenious use of plaster in making a damp box. You buy a large plastic (Rubbermaid-type) container (at Target and Wal-Mart for under $10.) Pour a couple inches of plaster into the bottom of the container. After the plaster has cured for a couple weeks, soak it with water. Now you can put pieces in there, put the lid on, and they will stay damp. This is great for pieces that you plan to assemble later such as parts of a teapot or sculpture, for handles, and in-process work. Every now and then the plaster will start to dry out, then just re-wet it.

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