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Th-INK-ing about Crackle Glazes? Here's how to try them for your work. Our new cone 6 crackle glazes are getting positive reviews from customers all over the country. Along with the raves for color and crackle, we've also been asked about how to darken the crackles so they really show up like our sample pieces. It's an easy technique with surprising effects as it totally transforms your pieces! We've created a technique sheet to show how we did it. If you've been th-INK-ing about how to do it...
And Speaking of New Techniques... Have you heard of Ceramic Arts Daily (CAD)? It's an e-mail newsletter, sent out roughly every other day, from the publishers of Potterymaking Illustrated and Ceramics Monthly. Each email contains a link to an article or video about a specific aspect of working with clay. The topics could be anything from business to firing to sculpture, and they come at every level from beginning to advanced. Recent emails have included:
CAD also sends out weekly summaries so you can catch up with ones you've missed or would like to see again. For more information or to sign up visit...
Keep The Treats for Yourself: Classes Start at End of October ...Or take the opportunity to work on gifts for the holiday season coming up fast! Or would you like to have some new showpieces on your table when the family gets together? Some of these classes will actually be interrupted by Thanksgiving, so that shows how quickly we're moving toward that time of year. Our second fall session of pottery classes starts on October 26th. Come join us to create: we have room for you in many of our classes. Signing up is as easy as a phone call: call us at 503.283.1353 or 800.999.CLAY. (Available
seat counts are current as of noon on September 28th, and will change
as classes fill up.)
It's hard to believe, but September is almost over! It's that time of year when our race against time begins: we only have so many hours to finish so many firings for our projects, whether they're for school, gifts, or in anticipation of holiday shows and sales. This is the time to stop for a moment to assess the health of your trusty kiln. It's also a good time for you, as the kiln operator, to review your firing techniques. Over the past few years the kiln manufacturers have made firing electric kilns easier and more reliable than ever, but it's still up to you to check the mechanics of the machine itself. You should visually check these inside your kiln:
As the operator of your kiln, you're the driver. It's up to you to have a clear road map of where you want to go in your clay journey and confidently set the course. Paying attenton now to the mechanisms that operate your kiln can save you a whole lot of grief when all you want is for your kiln to do its magic. When you're setting up a firing, CHOOSE YOUR CONE TEMPERATURE CAREFULLY. Clays have specific temperatures for both bisque and glaze firings. Where you see zeroes in the cone numbers, remembering them is crucial! We've had many calls over the years from teachers and artists asking what they can do because the kiln overfired and their work is ruined. What a difference a zero can make!
SPEED OF FIRING is also important. Bisque firings should be done slowly, to rid the clay of water and natural impurities. The more fully packed or heavily loaded your kiln, the slower you need to fire. Glaze firings should be smooth and even. Most commercial glazes mature at the temperatures on the labels with no fuss. Unless you *know* that your kiln fires unevenly, which means testing and verifying it with witness cones throughout the kiln, you do NOT want to set a hold time. How you LOAD YOUR KILN contributes to the outcomes of your firings, too! Whether you have a thermocouple or a kiln sitter in your kiln, you MUST leave 2 inches of clearance all the way around the thermocouple or kiln sitter. Respect the mechanism that is responsible for shutting off your kiln! These devices need to act and react with the ambient temperature of the radiant heat of the kiln. Placing ware or a kiln shelf too close to these devices presents too much heat face to these controllers, which alters the results. You will definitely have deviant results from your firing. Loading your kiln and controlling the rate of temperature climb in your firing go hand in hand. A kiln that is tightly loaded with tiles, stacked plates or other very small densely packed pieces needs the heat brought up more slowly. When you have lots of "mass" in the kiln, it really takes a while for each piece to heat evenly. Kilns are often hotter near the top as heat rises. When you load the bottom very densely, therefore, you need to slow your firing rate, especially in the early stages of firing. Your goal is a slow, even firing. A longer firing costs far less in time and money than having to redo it, or even remaking your ware after a firing loss. Give your kiln a thorough checkover to see if all is in working order, and give yourself the time to do it right. The pressure is building at this time of year to do more and faster, but the best results come with a little slower pace. Happy Firing!
Kiln
Shelves, Posts and Stilts On Sale in October
And at this busy time of year, what better products could we choose to put on sale than kiln furniture? Kiln shelves sometimes seem indestructible, but they're subject to all the same temperature and firing stresses as any other piece in the kiln. Not to mention that, you know, "stuff happens" in the studio or classroom...
New from Mayco: Stamp Sets & Ruby Slippers
We buy and trade for used equipment from artists, studios and schools who want to upgrade and improve their equipment. Right now we're flush with used equipment in good condition, so it's time to sell it at hot prices. If you're interested in these kilns or wheels, call Bob Logue at 503.283.1353 or click on the item number to email him.
Now Showing in Our Gallery: Pat Brame
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