How Dry Am I??? or How Dry I Am

This is a short video to address a couple of questions beginner potters may have. I hope it helps someone!

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• pottery
• glazes
• glaze
• recipe
• clay
• throwing
• handbuilding
• slab
• firing
• kilns
• bisque
• cone
• ceramics
• pots
• bowls

[pensandcalls]

@jcrefas > I like the KISS principle, as you can tell! Winters here in N. Ga are COLD with many days down in the teens or below. AND we even get one or two snows a year. The good part is that the next day MAY be in the 50's. Judging from how terribly hot this summer has been, nothing seems to be NORMAL anymore.

[DASRAY]

I use old fridges like them alot. Take out the veggie drawers. I spritz walls down once in awhile with bleach and water solution to keep down molds & foam pads in bottom. The freezer compartment works too, keep smaller extra parts up on top. At school we keep odd colored clays. I put some supplies like plastic bowls lids and extra shower caps ( clear type for coloring hair) on the doors. Have one of those small green house kits for 2nd damp box on chest of drawers. Real cheap Garge sale stuff.

[pensandcalls]

Those are GREAT ideas for damp booths. I used a small refrigerator for a smoker. With the insulation built in, it really worked well with a small hot plate in the bottom.

[DASRAY]

Sure nice to put a face to the voice Tom!

Nice video too!

I look at the color alot to tell dryness the coolness tip doesn't work all the time because my kiln room is pretty cool in winter and being the basement doesn't heat up terriably until I fire.

I waite a couple of days before I'll put stuff in kiln room if I think it will dry them out to quickly, I'm very finiky about drying pots.

Like your thickness trick for

newer potter's

Thank you for sharing.

DebraRay

[pensandcalls]

Hey, thanks for the comments! I'm in the same boat as you because my workshop is always on the cool side too. I'd rather be SURE about dryness and, for me, the scale is 'idiot proof' (I need that!!) For drying, I bought a couple of plastic wall cabinets and I put the pots in there along with a wet towel in one corner. They dry very slowly that way and no cracks...... so far.....

[pensandcalls]

Thanks! One tip on the 'Leach eared pot' - if the walls are too thin, when you push out the clay to pinch it, you can easily put a hole in it when you pinch it. Maybe Simon knows the 'secret' to prevent that.

[jcrefasi1]

Too cold for me!! I'd have to stay in the house till spring. Lol. My cousin is in between Dalton and Calhoun 1 mile off I 75. Beautiful area and great soil for gardening

[jcrefasi1]

Very sensible solutions!! Good old common sense is invaluable. I'm always amazed at how hard people try to make things that don't need to be difficult

I have relatives that live in North Georgia close to Tenn. Lovely rural area. I want to move there but not sure I like their winters.

[toy2day]

For a very known popular Greek song based on "how dry I am" from back to the 30s, try to find the song Mpoufetzis" (or "Boufetzis") by Giorgos Mpatis (or Batis), a Rembetiko song. Find it in youtube with the greek name: "Μπουφετζης". I have it also live by Marika Ninou from 1955. Very popular in Greece!!!

[credenza1]

Good to see you on cam. Thanks for the helpful tips. The Leach eared pot look pretty good, too