Mame pots on a mini pottery wheel

[ABCarve]

After searching for a while I managed to find a place out in Cali that sells pure rice straw, I ordered a small bale and now need to burn it to collect the ash. I also managed to find Ulexite powder in Canada.......impossible to find in the USA as a powder!

So I'm getting close to having everything I need to make the Hagi glaze. @ABCarve I would love to trade a pint of Hagi glaze for the glaze you used on this pot. If you're interested let me know.......cause i'm interested, lol!

The Hagi glaze is at Cone 5/6 oxidation and should look like this.......
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Here's the bale of pure rice straw.......
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Sure no problem. I'm still figuring it out though. You're welcome to have some. There is another pot (2nd shohin) that has it and looks completely different. It's a minimum cone 9. It does get old after its mixed. Wood ash is a flocculant.

 

[Pitoon]

Sure no problem. I'm still figuring it out though. You're welcome to have some. There is another pot (2nd shohin) that has it and looks completely different. It's a minimum cone 9. It does get old after its mixed. Wood ash is a flocculant.

Excellent, when I'm ready I'll let you know. I will probably have to make some pots dedicated to this glaze to get it to the Cone 10 community kiln. I wonder if the glaze flocculates could one add sodium silicate or Darvan 7 to deflocculate it and make it useable again? Or would it disrupt the chemical make up of the glaze?

 

[Pitoon]

Finished this one last night........ @Mayank this one should be around 2" if it survives two rounds in the kiln

 

[Mayank]

Finished this one last night........ @Mayank this one should be around 2" if it survives two rounds in the kiln

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Can't wait to see your little pots with some cool glazes applied

 

[Pitoon]

Heres a little beefy one. I think it would fit nicely with a thick mame pine or juniper.

 

[Pitoon]

Yesterday's pot......I think this pot would pair nicely with dwarf bamboo or dwarf mondo grass in a shitakusa role.

 

[Pitoon]

Finished this one last night. Right now it measures 1 7/8" across and after a Cone 10 firing with 14% shrinkage it should be very close to 1 5/8". For some reason I just keep seeing a little mame bunjin style pine in this pot.

 

[penumbra]

You do a brilliant job of trimming your little pots.

 

[Pitoon]

You do a brilliant job of trimming your little pots.

Thanks!

I have a majority of the items in for the new mini wheel project build. Still trying to figure out what to use as the splash pan though.

What's your thoughts on L&L kilns? I've got my eye on the small test kiln they have.

 

[penumbra]

Thanks!

I have a majority of the items in for the new mini wheel project build. Still trying to figure out what to use as the splash pan though.

What's your thoughts on L&L kilns? I've got my eye on the small test kiln they have.

L&L kilns are pretty good though I prefer Skutt. This is primarily because I much prefer servicing ie replacing elements and such. On a small test kiln this is probably not a concern.
How large a test kiln are you getting? Have you checked to see what there might be in a used kiln? I worked for the Kiln Doctor here in my town of Front royal for at least 6 years repairing and rebuilding kilns. I think he pretty much always has a few rebuilt kilns for sale. It is particularly handy when buying a larger kiln because he delivers and sets up the kilns, new or used. My Skutt is a beast, a 1227. I had 60 pieces in in bisc firing last week.

 

[Pitoon]

L&L kilns are pretty good though I prefer Skutt. This is primarily because I much prefer servicing ie replacing elements and such. On a small test kiln this is probably not a concern.
How large a test kiln are you getting? Have you checked to see what there might be in a used kiln? I worked for the Kiln Doctor here in my town of Front royal for at least 6 years repairing and rebuilding kilns. I think he pretty much always has a few rebuilt kilns for sale. It is particularly handy when buying a larger kiln because he delivers and sets up the kilns, new or used. My Skutt is a beast, a 1227. I had 60 pieces in in bisc firing last week.

I have an older Duncan kiln that's rated up to Cone 8, 18" x 22" if I recall. It uses a kiln sitter and temp controls are dials (old school). Yes, your Skutt is a beast for sure.

I'm looking at the L&L test kiln the smallest one that they sell that is rated for Cone 10, 9" x 11". I like how they have the coil holders makes it easier to change out the coils. If I do get it, it will be a special order to have the Genesis touch screen controller. I want the kiln to be fully digital so I could have more control when firing.

It would literally take over a year of making mame pots to "maybe" fill my Duncan kiln. I would have to make other ceramics to help fill it to make the firing worth it.

I'm really hoping the mame pots will fund the new kiln......well that's my plan at least to have the hobby pay for itself.

 

[penumbra]

I have an older Duncan kiln that's rated up to Cone 8, 18" x 22" if I recall. It uses a kiln sitter and temp controls are dials (old school). Yes, your Skutt is a best for sure.

I'm looking at the L&L test kiln the smallest one that they sell that is rated for Cone 10, 9" x 11". I like how they have the coil holders makes it easier to change out the coils. If I do get it, it will be a special order to have the Genesis touch screen controller. I want the kiln to be fully digital so I could have more control when firing.

It would literally take over a year of making mame pots to "maybe" fill my Duncan kiln. I would have to make other ceramics to help fill it to make the firing worth it.

I'm really hoping the mame pots will fund the new kiln......well that's my plan at least to have the hobby pay for itself.

My Olympic kiln is about the size of your Duncan. I use a kiln sitter on it though I have had a controller for years but have not installed it.
I don't know about the L&L test kiln, but Skutts are actually easier to change elements once you get the hang of pinning the coils. Skutt elements are preformed and sized with creases for the bends. L&L elements need to be stretched. It is easy to overstretch them and then it is difficult to compress them. Also the way L&L kilns are wired is more work than a Skutt kiln. I think a lot of people like the L&L system but when you have done dozens, or even hundreds of element changes, the Skutt is quite a bit easier. L&L has some nice features and the element holders, though not impervious, are pretty sturdy and will last awhile. Of course when you need to replace a few it is an additional expense. As to the companies themselves, Skutt is much easier to work with than the L&L people are.
Still, they are both top rated kilns.

 

[Pitoon]

My Duncan kiln.....I picked it up from a guy in northern Virginia. He bought it for his wife from a college. Neither his wife nor the college used it, its practically new inside.

 

[penumbra]

Nice. I am very familiar with this kiln and have rebuilt several of them. Unfortunately parts are hard to find.

 

[Pitoon]

Nice. I am very familiar with this kiln and have rebuilt several of them. Unfortunately parts are hard to find.

Yes sir they are hard to find! Paragon has the rights to sell some parts that are still available. The biggest drawback with this kiln is that I believe it has 8 elements....imagine how much that costs to replace if they all go out at the same time.

 

[penumbra]

Yes sir they are hard to find! Paragon has the rights to sell some parts that are still available. The biggest drawback with this kiln is that I believe it has 8 elements....imagine how much that costs to replace if they all go out at the same time.

Yet I can tell you, as a kiln repair person, that it is never good to replace an element or two without replacing them all. Of course there are occasionally circumstances that warrant replacing less than the full battery of elements. You can do it and I have done it. If you pay someone else to do it you have multiple service calls.
A vented kiln will always have longer life to its elements than a non vented kiln. This is particularly true in the final glazing stage. Most glazes and wax have some corrosive elements to them.
Good luck my friend. May your elements live long and prosper.

 

[sorce]

I try to convince folks to buy a whole second set of elements with the kiln, especially if you can get a deal on em up front.

Sorce

 

[Pitoon]

Finished this one yesterday.......

 

[Pitoon]

Finished this one last night.....my eyes were really tired after doing this one. There's a continuous bead that drops and loops at each foot. I see a nice chojubai in this pot, what do you think would look good in this pot?

 

[Carol 83]

Finished this one last night.....my eyes were really tired after doing this one. There's a continuous bead that drops and loops at each foot. I see a nice chojubai in this pot, what do you think would look good in this pot?

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Very nice, I really like the bead detail.