75. I’m back! Kiln Unloading - Lamps, Mugs - Using Red Glaze with Copper Wire Amaco, Terracolor.

After a break I am at last back in the pottery. I’ve put together this kiln unloading. I also have videos to show you what they looked like glazed before they were fired. Enjoy!

[@user-nl3or2sd9z]

Brilliant on the use of the gold and metallics on the lamp base! I have all of those glazes, but frankly was stumped on how to use them! Now I know. Thank you so much for sharing, now I must watch how you glazed them. 😊😊

[@janeneh.3093]

I love how you show and explain what you have done. Very helpful !!!👍👏Love your videos ❣

[@Mariede425]

Welcome Back! SO HAPPY to see your videos once again. Hope all is well, please stay that way ;-)

[@cyndien5011]

I’ve enjoyed and learned so much from you. Thank you from Arizona.

[@maryfisher2582]

So glad you are back. I have been working on a totem pole. A diversion in creativity. Long term project.

[@LoisHook]

We are hoping to move and I will have so much more space. Even room for Raku. But the garden needs some ceramics !!

[@lindaking8035]

So glad you’re back. I enjoy your videos.

[@abennion4516]

So glad you're back! I've missed your videos!

[@carolkinney4143]

Miss you so much! ❤️❤️

[@patcostarr]

Happy to see you back!

[@cyndien5011]

I’d love to learn more about lamp base making.

[@noreenwerdal8238]

hi...really enjoyed the video...LOVE that orange red lamp with the copper wiring...thanks for showing how you did that...

[@lorrainecliftonceramics]

Nice to see you back!

[@marycarlino347]

Welcome back! Looking forward to seeing more of your work… especially glazing. You have helped me so much with my glazing!! Thanks Lois.

[@sandymccollum8592]

I'm so glad you're back - I've really missed your videos! Your new lamp shapes are really interesting and I love your glaze combinations.

[@marciasilviajohnson6461]

It is me again. Lois just check the black clay with the company makes it. Some of the black clay has a lot of manganese to make it black, if is the case the firing is very toxic for you, you should fire with the door open and wait for 2 days after the fire to use the studio and black clay is not for microwave also, just check with the supply.

[@LoisHook]

Thanks

[@sharewaterglass]

Pinholes, for me, are reduced by slow cooling. The glass in the glaze bubbles but cant come back together and heal over if it cools too quickly, it is in a molten stage. So I cool slowly, about 200f per hour, from peak temp (about 2160f), to 1900f then let it cool completely. Additionally, things get worse for me, as the elements get tired, because they take longer to get up to heat. That causes more heatwork to be done to the work than usual. Heatwork is temperature -vs- time. SAlso, make sure you are bisquing to cone 04. I have a 10 min hold before turning off. This is to burn out any organics in the clay, every clay may be different. I use the same kiln as you, but a bit older.. The elements should last ... at cone 10, 80 firings. At cone 5/6 I get about 150 firings. For me, I replace them about every 18 months. They are an expendable. I replace relays at the same time.

[@LoisHook]

Thanks for all this. I do realise I haven’t been keeping a full record of all my firings like I did at the beginning. I appreciate your thoughts on the pinholes. The bit I find difficult is when I’m the issue is with one pot out of say 20. I did look at the record on the kiln and it seems to keep a record of a number of firings and then it’ll you can see a change.

[@LoisHook]

I will when I move and have some time have a go a working with glass… your name suggests you do that as well. Email me on [e-mail] and let me know about what you do. Maybe some pics. Cheers.

[@marciasilviajohnson6461]

Hi Lois the pin holes could be from the clay, some clay has to be bisque fired to cone 04 to take out all the organic matter, also could be that clay needs to be fire in the end with a hold for some time even 20 min , but your kiln is firing hot you can program with 32 F less to make cone6 or you could fire cone 5 and add a hold for 15 min in the end to make the glaze a chance to close the molten. If was my kiln a doing one thing first and fire some pieces and see the results first. Don’t change everything the same time or you won’t be able to tell what is going one, also the clay maybe be your problem, but for sure you can adjust the cone firing. 🤗

[@LoisHook]

Have done a cone 5 and have done holds. I use a pre programmed kiln KMT 1018 skutt I love the glaze reactions at the preset. Also if you have a success rate like I have why change for the odd one that does it work. I was told by a gent from Corby kilns when I was stressing about everything it like baking a cake if you find the right formula even if it’s not the norm don’t change.

[@marciasilviajohnson6461]

@@LoisHook I just try to help. The pin holes and crawling the glaze out of the pot could be the fire 🤗

[@LoisHook]

It wasn’t supposed to be a criticism just that I was there at the beginning of my pottery journey questioning everything I did and asking myself why. Could I do better and I became transfixed on the negative instead of the positive. I have done that exact bowl before in an earlier video and it was amazing. Same kiln same preset. I know looking at the bottom of the clay I used a different one and just put it down to that. It was a shame but overall the other pots had not running and not no pins. Hope you understand what I was trying to say.

[@MARIELEE8]

Great to you again! Gorgeous glazing works!

[@allenfitz1]

glad to see you back. your glaze combos are inspiring!

[@cutgrove5942]

Great to see your amazing glaze combinations. Thanks for sharing.

[@denisenoble4010]

love the colouring of the glazing, please show us the shade colour if you decide to keep it, you have so many colours to choose from, wlll almost as hard choosing the shade as it did to add the glaze combo. have a look through your vlogs and cant find the one you said you did when you glazed the piece, could you send me the link. please keep up the mixing and matching, your pottery is amazing TIA

[@LoisHook]

I haven’t put it up yet. Soon.

[@micheledickey4066]

My goodness!!! Your work is absolutely incredible!!! I can’t believe how amazing every single piece is! The lamp with all of the glazes is my absolute favorite!! The glazes are so perfectly melded together. I’m so happy that you got time for yourself and we’re able to go on vacation. I pray your mother is doing well. I am truly happy to see you back. Your videos are incredibly inspirational!

[@LoisHook]

Thankyou for your kind words.

[@helentaylor9062]

Great to see you back, your hair is looking fab

[@lindyashford7744]

Glad to see you back! Love your recent pieces, the lamps are gorgeous.

[@robinweisz2810]

The iPhone had trouble focusing when you got close. Hard to tell if it is due to the mode?? No flickering lights. Yay!

[@LoisHook]

I have to edit the video asking for the focus location to change. I’m not convinced it’s better for this as the focus is still not perfect.

[@jandlisa600]

Agreed! Work is beautiful but focus up close is a bit blurry. Thanks for sharing!

[@dottypottery3460]

Try wiping ink over the crackle.This will hi-light any crackle

[@LoisHook]

I had no crackle with the crackle glaze need to investigate why. It will be to do with the firing.

[@rokoroo]

I think you will not get the crackle look with the Mayco Crackle White glaze at your firing temp. The Ceramic Shop's website shows 2 tiles, and the one fired at Cone 6 looks a lot like your result. They say Cone 06 "creates a white cracked surface and allows underlying designs to show through." and Cone 6 gives you "Finer crackles". The "finer crackles" are barely visible.

[@LoisHook]

Thanks so much...my glazes are in boxes as I'm in the middle of moving but i will have a good look and re read the jar when its found.

[@lisadewyngaert9028]

Very happy you are back. Incidentally, I have been really struggling with TT lately. It is definitely behaving bizarrely and doing alot of the same thing to me. Bare spots and slipping off peices. I wonder if it has something to do with my bottles being new? Anyway Super happy to see you are back and now i feel inspired to make another lamp! cheers!

[@LoisHook]

And interestingly it was a new bottle. Not one that had stood. Kiln unloading later today so we can see

[@ladeefire]

@@LoisHook did you film it? Can’t wait to see results!

[@LaurieParkhurst]

I’ve heard to use Indian ink to bring out the cracks?

[@lenmey1]

Hi Lois, I need to get one of the Japanese brushes you use can you tell me the brand and size or link me to where I can get one? Love your videos !

[@LoisHook]

I bought them from Amazon. I don’t have an idea of size or brand I’m afraid.

[@gaspazha7045]

Welcome back! Lovely video. We have missed your experiments. 👍 Textured turquoise: I have only seen this in studio from glazes not mixed well enough… Crackle glaze? Do you need to fire a bit higher or lower to get the effects? I would like to try this glaze.

[@cindypope6122]

Just did my first layering on grogged clay and my textured turquoise slipped just like this😢

[@marciasilviajohnson6461]

Did you try to rubbing India ink, see if the crackle appears, maybe is to small for you to see, just a suggestion. I did in my and works, the crackle was very small and show up after I rubbed the ink

[@LoisHook]

No crackle. On looking at the pot it says come 5-6 but my kiln is a hot cone 6 nearly 7.

[@gillbalfour6807]

The photos are a bit blurred, when close uo!

[@TheresaRichard]

how high was that fired?

[@LoisHook]

I have a skutt KMT 1018 and use the preset cone 6 firing. I did have big items so did a slow fire. I have done a new kiln and the Textured Turquoise still with a slow fire and did still see a slight issue with cover. Only subtle. New pot. So maybe a mixing issue at Amaco.

[@TheresaRichard]

@@LoisHook thanks Lois, you do beautiful work

[@denisedooley7670]

Hi can I ask about the size of the hole at the top of the lamps? Does it just have to be big enough for the wire and not the lamp fitting? 😊

[@LoisHook]

I do about 15mm. It has to be big enough when it’s shrunk 12% for the metal bar that the lamp fitting fits onto.

[@denisedooley7670]

@@LoisHook thanks its something I've been thinking about but never seen any being made 😊