May 2004 Newsletter, and Tip
61
Tip: 5 things I wish I had
done from the start
I recently took some time
off from ceramics. When I went back to it, a few things were very obvious
to me.
1. Get a good stool. I used
to use an old office chair but the hydraulic system was not good so I was
seldom at the right height for what I was working on. A good adjustable
stool is worth it's weight in gold.
2. Don't skimp on banding
wheels. Glazing goes much faster, decorating is easier, and pieces are
easier to handbuild when they are on a banding wheel. I particularly
noticed the difference when I went to the raised style. Getting the piece
off the table and more at eye level really helps. as do the concentric
circles that many of them have. And yes, the more expensive, heavier
banding wheels do work much better than the cheaper laminate ones. Their
mass keeps them spinning while you glaze or decorate your piece. But for
handbuilding I like the large diameter laminate style.
3. Make test tiles. I had
gotten in the habit of making test "bowls". It does give you a
really good picture of what the glaze will look like on a piece. The
problem with that they take up a lot of space in the kiln, and the good
ones walked away (usually given to people who admired them). The bad ones
stuck around until I couldn't stand looking at them or needed the space,
then they were thrown out. Not very helpful to have test bowls that aren't
around! What I realized when I started making test tiles was not only that
you could keep them around forever, but that they are extremely freeing.
Test tiles can be squeezed into almost any kiln load. They are so fast to
make that you begin to experiment much more. What if I layer this glaze
over that? What would this look like really thick? What would this look
like on red clay? Does this glaze look good on a textured piece? Does this
glaze look better at Cone 5 or Cone 6? These are all questions your start
asking yourself, and actually finding out the answers to, when you use
test tiles. In the tip archive (Tip #25) we talk about many different
styles of test tiles people. Find the one that suits you and gives you the
information you want to know. http://www.bigceramicstore.com/Information/tip25.htm
4. Keep a notebook! No
matter how much you think you will remember how thick you put on a glaze,
what your firing profile was, or even what glaze you used to begin with,
you will forget! And scraps of paper get lost. So use a spiral notebook or
a 3 ring binder. Write down everything you do, as you do it. I number my
pieces so I can write down all the details of a particular piece. But what
I have learned over time is that I never write enough. I always look back
and there are things I wonder, things I wish I had written down. But I am
getting better. I am writing down more and more details while I am making
and glazing a piece. I am trying not to let a piece leave my studio until
I have recorded the results. And in many cases I am taking a photo of the
piece with a digital camera. These things are already paying off.
5. Use witness cones, even
if you have an electronic controller. If your glazes are not picky about
temperature, you can probably get away with not using witness cones in
every firing. Or if you get lucky and things never go wrong. For example,
if a glaze comes out weird and you have no witness cone in the kiln, it is
almost impossible to know for sure whether it was fired to hot, too cool,
etc. There are so many cases where I am glad I have used a witness cone.
In fact, in the past I just put self- supporting cones inside the kiln so
I could tell after the fact what happened. Did the kiln get to the right
temperature? Was this shelf a little cool or hot? But now I am actually
placing the cones so I can see them through the peep hole with my kiln
glasses. And it is surprising how often my controller stops either a
little cool or a little hot, depending on the firing profile I use and how
the kiln is loaded. By watching it, I can stop the kiln early or let it
run longer, as needed. It really is worth it to do this at least at few
times with your kiln. Then you can decide if it is worth it for you to
continue. OK, there are my 5 most recent realizations. They may seem
obvious to you. Maybe you've always done what you're supposed to instead
of cutting corners like me :-) Maybe you have a different set of advice.
Send me yours, and I'll combine them all and publish a list. Then we'll
all learn from each other.
Don't forget the Glaze
Gallery
We are looking for photos of
pieces made with glazes that we carry. Just email us your digital photos
along with description of how the piece was glazed and fired. Glaze
Gallery: http://www.bigceramicstore.com/GlazeGallery/glazegallery.htm
Clearance Section
If you really like bargains,
check out our clearance section. We have discontinued colors (glaze,
underglaze, overglaze and acrylics) up to 45% off. Other items on
clearance include decal paper and FIMO polymer clay. We also have some
books priced extra low to clear out inventory, and even a pottery wheel.
Clearance Pages: http://www.bigceramicstore.com/clearance.htm
Copyright 2004 Cindi
Anderson, BigCeramicStore.com May be reprinted if credit is
given.
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