Comments | pharminatrix: Galactic Pot Healing: Part 3

pharminatrix

Galactic Pot Healing: Part 3

Nov 23, 2007 12:07

Oh, my darlings, I've been remiss. When I started all this pottery business, didn't I promise regular installments of updates and photos? I did, I know. But once I got inside, there I was inside. And what happens inside there doesn't pack too easily into words. I warn my friends that I've gotten very boring these days. I've considered carrying ( Read more... )

mudpit, cone 10, ceramics, alchemy, iron, blood, prima materia, throwing, cone 6, reduction, oxidation, pottery, class

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Nice Stuff vakratunda November 23 2007, 17:26:01 UTC

Let me get this straight, in NYC there are emissions regulations such that you cannot have a gas-fired kiln on your own property?

That's pretty fucking egregious.

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Re: Nice Stuff pharminatrix November 23 2007, 17:29:55 UTC

Apparently that's not the issue entirely. Because they do. I think it turns out to be more about what's allowable indoors and disposal-type issues.

Most people in the city don't have any PLACE to put a gas kiln. They converted an electric (hence the hybrid) but many gas kilns (as you may know) are about the size of horse stalls.

One more reason to go rural one of these days.

OK vakratunda November 23 2007, 17:33:22 UTC

That's nowhere near as bad.

Rural, yeah. Or buy up a city block and demolish the backs of all of the buildings a la Old Law Farm in "Little, Big".

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I.e. pharminatrix November 23 2007, 17:31:09 UTC

They happen to have a back outdoor area. Most studios in the city do not.

heavy salimondo November 23 2007, 17:49:53 UTC

The last time I seriously investigated serious fire in NYC, I didn't even get as far as emission regs because I was told flux-grade kilns were so heavy they'd punch through table, flooring and any apartments between me and the lowest possible point.

It turns out that given a building code of 150 pounds per square foot, some relatively small units are now feasible, but it would still be a nightmare to get them in and out of a walk-up even if the floors survive. A good argument in favor of the Brooklyn house eventually, since the basement is fallow.

Children's games pharminatrix November 23 2007, 18:00:54 UTC

plus, the kiln you linked to doesn't get nearly hot enough for my purposes. Cone 03? Puh-leeze. ;)

scroll down salimondo November 23 2007, 18:04:18 UTC

I see at least one 10 there.

Re: scroll down pharminatrix November 23 2007, 18:14:01 UTC

Oh ok. But I still have doubts about that one's reduction capacity, given its electric nature. I think you need actual flame for that.

I do hear exciting things about Cone 8. And Cone 6 has been fine so far. Plus, a good bisque kiln is always useful. It's just that I know my tendencies: once I go high-fire, I'll never want to come down again.

buncombe in the oven minniethemoocha November 23 2007, 20:07:09 UTC

Also, do feel free to talk to my mom and dad. Mom's electric kiln I think fired at 6 mostly, but she got some very interesting color effects out of it, however I wasn't interested in pottery and so I don't remember much about what she did to achieve them. She and Daddy mixed up basically all of the glazes themselves, and a bunch of the old standbys were ones they wheedled out of Vally.

I remember when Dad worked downtown, he'd always see big digs and building demo/reconstructions. Sometimes the excavators would bring out clay. He'd lurk around, get permission to heist some, and then whisk Mom down to the site to check it out and they'd pick up whatever they could carry home. Wonder what kind of treasures you could find in the great below.

Minus 300 points if "desire" ends next couplet or line pharminatrix November 23 2007, 20:17:32 UTC

I've been thinking about that, but I wanted to check with you first. Your mom appears to have used oatmeal-fired stoneware, among others, which is what we use primarily (although I'm flirting with the buff grog).

Does your mom have an email? What's your dad's?

Thanks for this. Just when I thought the flame of my obsession couldn't get any higher.

the real deal pharminatrix November 23 2007, 20:21:42 UTC

I think what's most exciting about all of this is how real and immediate it feels. I'm starting to be able to imagine having a ceramics studio of my own, as opposed to Going Visiting. Which is why I'm hoping to get deeply involved with glaze-mixing and kiln operation. Still, a long way off.

Now we're cooking with gas pharminatrix November 23 2007, 18:50:24 UTC

Now this is what I'm talking about.

Arguments for residence pharminatrix November 23 2007, 18:04:01 UTC

A good argument for Maine, too. Or, do you think Linda would let us set up a gas kiln in the back yard?

Re: heavy thisisjack November 23 2007, 23:29:44 UTC

the building code is only half the story.. after you determine that it is technically allowable you still have to convince a fire inspector of the same.

typically they veto anything at all unusual on principle, unless your willing ot throw buckets of money at it.

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