Hey, I'm trying to do a few videos that show some of the processes other than throwing or making pots. Here's one I shot earlier in the week that shows me waxing a plate. The main point I want to make in these videos is that there are a lot of skills involved in being a potter. Making the pots is a very, very small part of what we do. In this video you'll see me tap the plate on center. That skill alone is something that most people have a very hard time with. It took me quite awhile to learn to do it but now it's nothing to me. I totally take it for granted. Anyhow, here's the video. Look for more to come. Thanks so much for visiting the blog. ~Ron
wax resist
Coming to the End of a Cycle
I'm at the end of this cycle of making pots and it feels like it's just in time. I felt a relief today as I knew I had just a couple boards of pots to finish up and then it was on to waxing and glazing. I'll have one more bisque to fire before I can load the soda kiln. Hopefully things will dry out over the next few days enough for me to do a slow bisque before the weekend.
Waxing out areas on pots is one of the more time consuming things I have to do. It's pretty straightforward though. I don't do this sort of thing on every pot but I do enjoy having some areas that are glazed against the slipped surfaces. Combined with any texture this is even better I think.
It's pretty ugly in this state. I add some green food coloring to my wax resist so I can see where I am putting it. Working with wax is great until you get it somewhere it doesn't belong. I'll have to bisque the cup below to burn off all the wax since I dropped a big blob right in the middle of the panel that is to be glazed.
I took a few photos of the area beside the treadle wheel to give you an idea of what tools I mainly use. I have most everything I need for throwing within arms reach.
The ceramic bird was made by Peter Rose and it's sitting on a sagger from Bill Gordy's kiln. I don't really use a lot of different tools and honestly I could get rid of more than half of this and still do just fine making pots.
Tomorrow I'll get on with glazing what pots I have left.