New glazing area

Still need to tidy it up, but the hardest part is done. I installed (okay, Bob helped) a low shelf for glaze buckets. The same shelf is high enough so that an industrial mop bucket with a glaze bucket inside can slide underneath. Then a shallow shelf, about eye level is there for putting your pottery pieces. I tried it out today. I like it! The real test will be when students are here and doing the dance in the small space.

Updraft Gas Kiln for Sale-SOLD

SOLD






I'm switching to electric firing and so am selling my gas kiln and all that comes with it for $400 USD.

It's a 10 cubic foot updraft Crucible brand (Seattle Pottery Supply) Model 286G, 28" wide x 27" deep.
It's got the extra 4-1/2" blank ring (when installed kiln is 31.5" deep).
It's currently set up for propane, but burner nozzles can be changed out for natural gas.
Comes with burner/stand assembly, 4 burner Pilot Ring with Baso Pilot Safety System. Will also include 15 gal refillable propane tank, though it's happiest when you run it off something bigger.
I've been leasing a 120 gal tank through CHS and they come out to fill it. It was just here for the kiln. That gets removed this week.
Also comes with 9 half shelves, in good condition.

Includes hood vent if you need it and it works in your situation. I have wrapped the kiln with extra blanket and metal skin for slower cooling for copper reds.

3/4 full boxes of Orton cones 9, 10 and 11.

Kiln disassembles for easy transport.

Purge, day x:

My purge today was a pair of flip flops. They are half way worn thru. If not for this purge accountability I would have worn them all the way through, then wondered what else I could use them for.

Purge, day....not sure which day it is.

Yesterday I purged a little wood desk I'd been using in the studio. This wee desk has been with me since childhood. I think I, and maybe one of my brothers had carved stuff into it. I'd even started to dismantle it once last year, but nailed it back together, rationalizing that it fit well in a particular corner. It's now a casualty of my war on clutter. But really, it's in a happier place now. It's an organ donor.

Today I purged 8 art pedestals that I've used to show my pottery in my studio. They are SO in the way! Even though I only have quarterly shows they are always there. So, I installed a line of shelves, close to the ceiling and I've put all my lively lidded vessels way up there.



The pedestals are now listed on craigslist. If they are not claimed soon they will be hacked to pieces and burned. Stuff is FLYING outta here!

Pictorial tribute to my gas kiln, as I prepare to say goodbye

My updraft kiln is currently listed on Craigslist
Some early pics of me and the kiln when we first starting working together.
First pic, with the 3 section visible, before I added the 4.5" ring and before I added the insulating blanket. And, before adding a vent hood to it. And before I knew what the hell I was doing. And before my landlord knew what the hell I was doing.


This one is after I'd moved (me and the kiln) and added the ring, the insulating blanket, the kiln hood. This is the first firing in the new space.

I'm saying goodbye to my propane gas kiln

I've switched to electric firing so must part with my updraft gas kiln.


I got this kiln to do cone 10 reduction firings. Its small size worked for me. It's about 12 cubic feet with it's extra ring. Me and this kiln learned how to make copper reds together. We made some beautiful shinos (carbon trap, fantastic oranges), floating blues, green blues and pale butter yellows. But, I'm making the switch to electric, finding some wonderful glazes in that realm and saying goodbye to some beautiful reduction glazes. With that, I've posted it to Craigslist

Daily Purge and Studio re-org progress

Purge: A small glass disc that seems to have some from an old clock face. Thought it might be useful in the studio, but something had to go today. I casserole with no lid also left me.

Studio progress. The glazing shelf that should have taken a day to go in took a week, but now it's in. It's a little over knee high, the glaze buckets sit on top, in a nice long 8 foot row. Underneath are more glaze or rinse water buckets, and they sit inside industrial mop buckets so they can freely wheel in and out from under the shelf. Next shelf to go up will be 8 feet long, but only 8 inches deep, about eye level. One can put the bisque pieces they're about to glaze and set a glazed piece there till it's ready to move over by the kiln. Peg board will give easy access to glazing tools. Working out some of those details tomorrow.

Bob's birthday is tomorrow. Waffles for breakfast. We have very little else planned.

Weather inspired backpacking at Surprise Lake

Inspired by stellar mid-September weather reports for Monday-Wednesday, Bob and I worked through the weekend and left Monday morning for a two night stay backpacking in the North Cascades at Surprise Lake. We were rewarded with beautiful skies and the place to ourselves.

In the wee hours of Tuesday morning we woke in our tent to an unusual amount of light. The moon was big, in a cloudless sky and the grand white rocks in our campsite we're well illuminated. It was relatively warm and we were able to wander around as if in daylight. Bob took some fantastic moonlight pictures.




Tuesday we day hiked up to Glacier Lake, for lunch and a swim. It was cold, icy cold. Back at Surprise Lake we had another swim. It may have been a few degrees warmer but they were both invigorating. The dog loved it all. He's such a water baby.

Wednesday morning we pack up and head out. On the way down we resolve to pack lighter, next time.

Purge, days 14, 15, 16: Purged some stress cause we were out camping!

Purge, day 12 & 13

day 12: a little plastic elephant that I picked up on a walk. In front of what appeared to be an artist's house was a little box that said "treasures, take one". Being me, I did. The cute little elephant is now in the zone. He'll go to Goodwill.

day 13: Something called a "Moonjar". A nifty biz up on Capitol Hill's 19th Ave, Moonjar makes little colorfully illustrated boxes that teach children how to "Save, Spend and Share". Love the concept and have given these to friends with kids. This is my last one, goes to either goodwill or another parent.

NOTE: Everyday I'm throwing out more than my one-a-day, but I believe it is in large part because I start the day with looking for my one-a-day.

Purge, day 11

Purge for the day: Food processor from the '80s, maybe earlier. Hamilton Beach brand. Got it from a friend's mother. Repaired the gears early on. Pretty flawless operation. A roommate cracked the container part. Still worked fine. I became a potter, it migrated to studio to grind my dry clay. What a workhorse. I stopped grinding the clay, just recycled big dry chunks instead. Food processor did more than it's fair share for one lifetime. Retired. Put it out to Food Processor Pasture. Really don't like our present food processor. It complains.

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Kiln has some new elements. They glow. Will try trial firing tomorrow. Then hopefully I can get down to business! If this electric kiln works then I offer my updraft gas kiln on Craigslist. It's still hooked up to the tank so I'll be able to show how it works. Having to say goodbye to some lovely glazes with that kiln, but I'm loving many of the new glazes.

Day in Tacoma

"Let your fingers do the walking" was the Yellow Pages' tagline. But it's so apropos to Google now. Anyway, that's what I did when I was desperately trying to find parts for my kiln. First I had to figure out what to call these tiny parts, then go searching for them. "kiln element connectors with screw, no crimp" was my starting place. Finally located a possible source, Clay Art Center, in Tacoma, WA. Happy me, I could figure out another reason to go to Tacoma. Jennevieve and I needed to visit the space we are planning to exhibit our art in this coming December. She also needed to get more mold making materials, from Clay Art Center. So, with Jennevieve there as my casting guide, I bought my first non-clay sculpting materials. Stuff that doesn't dry while you're sculpting it. Am excited for the unknown materials, and not having to keep it under plastic, sneaking in under it to make changes. AND, the exhibition space is great. Very nice feel to it, perfect size.

Purge, day 12. A paddle handle. I stir my glazes with a kid's paddle and this extra handle has been kicking around. Landfill for this one.

Kiln saga, purge day 10

Kiln elements ARE hard to replace. I feel like I'm damaging my kiln walls with every more I make. Driving to Tacoma tomorrow, to Clay Art Center to get some barrel connectors so we don't have to crimp the wires and elements. I think I'm soooo smart going this route. We'll see.

Purge, day 10: A dreadful little clip with a magnet. Both clip and magnet are completely anemic. What the hell possessed me to keep it? It's now in "the zone". It should go straight to landfill so some other fool doesn't keep it thinking it's worth anything. See, now I feel sorry for it. THAT'S why I keep those things!

Kiln element replacement and Purge, day 9

On my new-to-me kiln I pulled out one old element, recreated some bricks that are grooved to hold the elements (using some extra bricks and sculpted it with a sureform blade), and laid in one new element. The element wire is really hard to cut. I thought I had strong hands from pottery, but I just couldn't cut it. Bob has to do it.


Purge, day 9: Besides adding more thing to "the purge zone"
www.43folders.com
I found an old numbering stamp to get rid of. It's not old enough to be cool and I don't need it.

Studio re-org

The studio is looking so promising in terms of ergonomic, accessibility layout. It LOOKS bad, but not worried about the aesthetics just yet.

Purging is going very well, many thing are getting caught up in the current. I may not have anything left in a few months. FINE!

Purge, day 8: Bike fenders. I don't need three I'm quite sure. I rarely, if ever ride in the rain, anymore. Did that only when I commuted and I don't do that anymore! Nice to remember THAT!

Kiln Work and Purge, day 7

I've got a new-to-me-12-year-old kiln that I just tried to run. It wouldn't reach temperature. I ordered new elements as that's what electric kiln users do when they can't reach temps. (I've been running mostly a propane kiln for my 8 year clay career so new to the routine). After ordering the elements I open the computer panel on the kiln and see that one of the terminal connectors has fried itself. So maybe it's not the elements. I'm learning much about electric kilns, rapidly. Still going to replace the elements as the old ones look old and tired. And I've already paid for the new ones. I was going somewhere with this story.....

Purge, day 7:
An old hot plate, goes to Goodwill. Actually, I throw out, recycle, reuse many thing in a day, but the purge entails scouting about for something I have to think twice about getting rid of. It's got to hurt just a little. That's a new rule, as I started out with no rules. I reserve the right to change that rule too.

Swimming again

Any day now could be the last day to swim in Lake Washington for the season. I expect it will soon be too cold. Sunny today, had the urge, so took the dog and hoped for the best. I did wear spandex leggings, in lieu of a wetsuit, for added warmth. I can feel it's a little cooler, but was able to warm up rather quickly. I think the leggings helped! Most times I'm there now, someone with a wetsuit shows up. I'm pleased to see how many people are swimming in the lake, instead of a pool at a club. Wetsuit people I talk to seem to think one can swim until November (if you've got a wetsuit). They talk of "brain freeze" if you don't have the little hoody.

PURGE, day 6: I'm trying to decide between two pairs of hiking boots to give up. Can't remember which one is the more comfortable. I often wear Tevas to hike in, or pull on boots so haven't worn either on a serious hike for awhile. eek it's almost midnight!

Just found this www.43folders.com
doing a googling search for "clutter purge"
For now I'm continuing my one-a-day purge, but it got me a little excited reading it. I hope I'm not breaking any rules linking to this person's blog. Please let me know if I am. Hopefully just a note and not a subpoena.

Purge, day 5

Today's purge was a box of ceramic glaze tests. Working in ceramics I've tested a number of glazes, so have accumulated a bucket full of test tiles. I usually save them because I may wish to revisit those glazes (never have and I've had those test tiles for yeeeeears). Recently I changed the way I fire so none of those glazes are good to me anymore. I just threw them in the garbage. Then of course I read about some fellow potters who give or sell them to mosaic artists. Bad Barbara, adding to the landfill. It was good to be rid of them.

Purge day 4

Day 4: 2 years ago, bought a sandblasting "kit" thinking I was going to spray my kiln with ITC, a protective refractory coating. Didn't realize it required an expensive air compressor. Offering it up on Craigslist for $4. I think I'm doing rather well so far!

Purge, days 1, 2, 3

Three days ago I decided that every morning I'm going to scout around for something to get rid of. 365 days from then I should have gotten rid of 365 items. I'm not putting any restrictions on the item. None, though that may change. They can be recycled, trashed, donated, sold. Could be a scrap of paper. Looking to establish a habit here.

Day one, I agreed to sell the dog crate we first got for our dog, who we got in November. The crate turned out to be small so we got a larger one. Don't know why I held onto this smaller one. Dog's not going to shrink.

Day two: We have two boot cleaners at the back door. One is falling apart. I dismantled it, some parts can be burnt as kindling, the other parts had to be trashed.

Day three: That's today. I have some kangoo jumps that didn't feel right on my feet. Am offering them to a neighbor who's knees have been bothering her, but still wishes to run. If she doesn't want them they're off to Goodwill or Craigslist.

All caught up now. Will try to keep abreast of the great purge!

first day of September

Oh! Look how much time has passed since my last post!
My new-to-me kiln and kiln vent are running, right now. Jerrod Smith and Eric did the rewiring for me, did a fantastic job, passed the inspection easily. The kiln looks like it was born in its new spot. Surrounded safely by concrete walls and floor, nice little corner, shelves settle in around it nicely, I can access everything. Even easier to load than my propane kiln. I will post pics of kiln and will see if I can post Jerrod's info. Highly recommend that electrician team!