AusBonsai

Bretts wrote:Any Tips on the Ovals would be greatly appreciated.

I noticed that you are having some problems with warping on a few of your pots and slumping on a few others. In regards to the warping, my best advise is that you can never dry a pot to slowly. I believe you made a mention of this earlier in the thread. This is one area that gave me fits when I first started making pots. I have lost more pots to my own impatience then to any other factor that I can identify.

Do you use foam inserts when you dry your pots? If not, I would recommend that you do. In addition, I will stack my pots two or three high while they are drying. The weight of the ware boards and pots will help keep them from warping. I will rotate the stack every two or three days during the drying process.

In regards to the slumping, you will need to support the areas between the feet somehow during the firing process. This can be a real pain if you are not loading your own pots into the kiln. If possible, get involved in the loading and firing process. You will have a better success rate if you do.

Bretts wrote:I have been applying the glazes by spraying paint brush and also sponge. I believe you guys where chatting about avoiding the obviousness when using brushes but I find I prefer this method at the moment. The sprayer tends to get out of control on me and makes so much more mess to clean up after.
I did give it some thought while painting it on this time(all of these where painted) and was a little concerned when I saw the first oval out of the kiln but I kinda like the effect I ended up with.
Why do you ask

Just curious.
From the photos you posted, it appeared like you were using a brush and I just wanted to confirm. One thing you might want to consider is checking the specific gravity of your glazes. I have found that my glaze application techniques have improved a great deal since I started tuning the specific gravity of the glazes I use to the method of application.

Here is a good article on this subject:
http://www.bigceramicstore.com/Informat ... Glazes.htm

I hope this helps.

Regards,
Paul

Thanks Paul
It is funny that my mate Pol that I introduced myself to because he does bonsai was also a member of the pottery club that I attend. He was not there the first year I attended in fact it was the ladies from the club that helped me track him down. Then I missed a couple of years and since returning he is there every week.
Just like when I was learning about soils of the Internet and drainage was all the go Pol was and still is using a very loamy clay soil with very little drainage holes, stating that's the international guys they have different climate to us. Again he leads a strange example for me. He makes a pot and sticks it straight out on the shelf uncovered to dry. The difference is he has very thick bases and they are VERY rustic pots. He can be very annoying when I was learning the crack effect he showed me how he does it by bashing the pot out of a block of clay, like a big pinch pot really. Then 15 mins later he would be practically ready to stick it on the shelf to dry. I gave him plenty of bad looks. I will see what I can do about taking some pictures of his work. I loved the one of his that just came out of the kiln The ladies taught me to cover with a plastic bag and gradually open it to let in more air. I have adapted this with your newspaper drying and continue to slow myself down.
The information you have given will be a great plan to follow and is exactly what I was looking for. The foam seems very practical as well as stacking. I have started using ceramic tiles as boards to dry on at the moment I guess they won't be too heavy.
When I talked to Pol the other day about putting bats under my pots when firing he suggested using clay balls that I make to suit the pot how does this sound? As most of my feet are the same it probably wouldn't hurt to have some bats specifically for the job. Pol has proved very proficient at packing the kiln so he is usually in charge and I am delegated to carrying stuff If I asked for my pots to be packed in a certain way I would be pretty confident it would happen.
Thanks for the article on the glazes I will print it out and show it to the club and see about checking the glazes.

On a side note Paul I am about to look up about proper bats for the pottery wheel. I often have trouble with slipping especially hard paper clay. I am using fibro board at the moment and wonder if a specifically made wheel bat will help reduce slipping.

bretts,
It's more technique than the bat that is causing the slippage, you slam it down hard enough it will stick. It's the downward pressure applied during the first moments of centering that seals the clay to the bat, drier clay will take even more force. I tend to use drier clay when doing crackpots and I rarely have it slip off any more, used to slip more frequently when I first started throwing. My preference is the miracle bat system but still use others, plastic, fibreboard, and laminate. The latter gets used more often for larger projects

http://www.miraclebat.com/

Those bats look intresting. Another intresting thing is I don't have pins in my wheel. This miracle bat states it does not use the pins but then states you must drill holes in your wheel if it doesn't have them. I have watched the demo vids and stuff but still can't work out how the adapter attaches to the wheel?
It does sound great though as alot of my slipping is from bat to wheel.
I am getting better at stopping slipping one big change was when I was very concious of keeping a straight line from my elbow to the centre of the wheel then it all came from there. I was wondering if better bats would help. Often the harder I slam the clay down the more off centre I have to start

Bretts wrote:When I talked to Pol the other day about putting bats under my pots when firing he suggested using clay balls that I make to suit the pot how does this sound?

Brett,

I think that would work very well. If you remember from my tutorial, I use left-over pieces of the foot ring to support the areas between the feet. If you are going to use the clay balls, I would recommend that you dry all the pieces together before you put them into the kiln. Another idea would be to use wadding for support. This is something I am currently experimenting with.

Bretts wrote:Thanks for the article on the glazes I will print it out and show it to the club and see about checking the glazes.

You are most welcome.

Bretts wrote:On a side note Paul I am about to look up about proper bats for the pottery wheel. I often have trouble with slipping especially hard paper clay. I am using fibro board at the moment and wonder if a specifically made wheel bat will help reduce slipping.

I mainly use plastic bats when I am throwing. Some brands come with a textured surface which does help a little. However, as Keith indicated, it takes a bit of practice to get the hang of using a bat.

Here is a photo of some of the bats that I use: All the bats are keyed to fit the bat pins that are inserted into the wheel head as shown below. Keep up the good work. I look forward to seeing more of your work.

Cheers,
Paul

Bretts wrote:Those bats look intresting. Another intresting thing is I don't have pins in my wheel. This miracle bat states it does not use the pins but then states you must drill holes in your wheel if it doesn't have them. I have watched the demo vids and stuff but still can't work out how the adapter attaches to the wheel?
It does sound great though as alot of my slipping is from bat to wheel.
I am getting better at stopping slipping one big change was when I was very concious of keeping a straight line from my elbow to the centre of the wheel then it all came from there. I was wondering if better bats would help. Often the harder I slam the clay down the more off centre I have to start

I had to drill holes in the wheel head to attach the adapter, if you have bat pins then you remove those and screw down the adapter.

A lot of what causes slipping is water and air in between bat and clay, make sure bat is wiped dry before attaching clay. That's where slamming coming in. What help me center when throwing the clay into the bat was marking circles in various diameters so i can see where the center is. Doesn't work every time but helps a lot. Practice, practice and more practice

HI Brett,
Been very busy lately and haven't been around much. It looks like you are doing well. What I use for supporting things is a mix of clay and sand. It dosen't stick, just mix it up 50:50. I use BRT and coarse sand, make sure it doesn't have any salt in it.
I really like the one you say is made out of yamadori clay. What did you mean by that.
My new kiln is ready for delivery I should have it any day now, can't wait.
Lynette

I collected some clay from a friends farm so I called it yamadori clay Lynette

Thanks again for all the advice and help everyone
Looks like I will need it all and be busy back on the wheel soon. I sold almost every pot from the last firing over the weekend. It was very unexpected but great to have your work wanted

Bretts wrote:I collected some clay from a friends farm so I called it yamadori clay Lynette

Thanks again for all the advice and help everyone
Looks like I will need it all and be busy back on the wheel soon. I sold almost every pot from the last firing over the weekend. It was very unexpected but great to have your work wanted

Where's the website you're selling your pots on, Brett?

well done bretts. you do nice work why shouldnt you be in demand ?

Finaly got around to making a few more pots but they are still green
I might even be able to call myself a real potter now as I have a secret technique to create the pot to the far right

Oh and the little one was made especialy for Mrs Pup

Most of the pots in this thread are now in others hands. Specificly the Guy's out at SA. Still waiting for the day my song is played on the radio.
How about it any of my pots with trees in them yet?

Bretts wrote:Finaly got around to making a few more pots but they are still green

pots.jpg

I might even be able to call myself a real potter now as I have a secret technique to create the pot to the far right

Oh and the little one was made especialy for Mrs Pup

Hey Brett heres a big sluurpy kiss for ya from Mrs Pup well I was looking for the sluuuurpy ones had to settle for whats here.

She is now waiting with baited breath.

Kilkenny and Chivers mate,

Hey Brett,

Any chance of a pic of the last one fired up?? And the middle one too

Matt

G'day Brett,

Good to see you back at the pots again mate.

I look forward to seeing the finished products.

Cheers,
Paul