Another "thank you" mug, for the mech at a local bike shop who bled the brakes on my new bike. The spring is from an impression from an eleven-tooth bike sprocket. The key fob/charm is a "proof of concept" bit. It's been on the shelf for quite a while now. I'll be needing new brake pads soon, so... White stoneware reclaim will likely be ready to bag by tomorrow; it's hot and dry today!
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Last week's bisque load.
There's glazing to do! The buff clay gets bumpy when pushed much beyond a soft cone 6. The IMCO Red Velvet Classic and DC 3-5 clays take going a bit hot just fine. All the lids - except the wide mouth mug to the right, with the white lid - are 80mm (wet). Standard sizes can be really helpful! Several factors can influence the final dimension, e.g. how damp the clay was when the ware was thrown, how thick it is, how curved the walls are, in which direction the final adjustment/tweak was made, the clay batch... Hence, extra lids are handy - match them up to what they fit. With practice, the final size is getting more consistent. 80mm dries and fires down to just over 70mm or so; up to a "large" hand can reach in for cleaning, a Melita filter holder is well supported, one's nose is within whilst sipping, but field of vision is only partially obstructed. iow, it's a good size! For those with larger hands, for soup, for a very large mug (well over a pint), a larger opening makes sense. Red Velvet* reclaim set out to dry earlier this month.
It was ready to bag early the next day, wow, that was fast! ...we've had some warm dry weather lately. Above is evidence of teapot exploration/practice/refinement... *IMCO clay Red Velvet Classic, a cone 5/6 clay, which I really like! Medium mug (Variegated Blue) and bowl (Cuesta Red), red clay, tokens of thanks for dental hygienists.
Have been practicing up on teapots - mini on the shelf above, small and medium below. Some of these will be glazed and fired...
I'm confident now that small and medium teapots in the red clay will work! ...transitioning to red tomorrow or the next day A fellow potter had asked about my "cheat" to get a sharp transition from glaze to the bare clay foot ring. When trimming the foot, I cut a small groove where the foot ring meets the body. That groove provides a guideline for the tape and it fills with glaze. The foot ring on the red mug, above, has taken a "flash" or "blush" of color. Below depicts my use of masking tape for foot rings. Note the tape end is turned over, which makes it easier to find at pull off time - pull the tape whilst the glaze is still damp for much less dust! I grasp the tape with both hands - same grip as below - and push the ware upside down into the glaze, the lift it out again. The tape is plenty strong enough... The transition from outside to inside glaze at the top edge, that's another story! Here's that same mug - neat clean edge.
It's been warm in the Studio these last few days.
Below, jars on the left, newly trimmed and drying. To the right, teapot bodies and spouts. Above, mini teapots on the right; newly glazed wide mouth mugs and jars on the left. The wide mouth items are thrown to 100mm diameter opening. Everything else here is thrown to 80mm diameter opening... Tea cups in progress, top shelf; wares awaiting inspection, foot polishing and washing, bottom shelf.
I was pleased with the five tea cups that are nearly the same size and shape! They will be paired with new teapots... Over the last two weeks, I'm having better luck with repeat bowls. Across the top, medium/large bowls very close in height, width, and shape, which would go well with the servers on the right, below. Looking forward to bisque firing these, then glazing in the green! ...I'd been struggling with repeats after breaking my shoulder (October 2022). I could get a few in a single session, but matching up in subsequent throwing sessions has been a challenge. Medium mug in white stoneware from recent glaze fire, sent in a Get Well package. This glaze is repurposed "scrap" from wipe away, clean up, et cetera; over the last several years, about three gallons of glaze. I like the color, it goes on well and seems to behave well in firing. Catching up!
These two large bowls, a wedding present - they aren't two years late yet! Variegated Green glaze over IMCO red clay has blue stipple marks - haven't seen that before - I like it. White stoneware reclaim.
The plaster slabs absorb water from the sticky goop; here the blobs have been turned the first time... |
Tom MurphyArchives
May 2024
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