Saturday, September 12, 2009

Waxing Philosophical


For some reason I always enjoy waxing day in the studio. It's a sort of mindless task that falls between making and glazing, one which only requires a small portion of my attention, leaving the rest of my mind free to wander over hill and dale. Tomorrow is glazing, a much more active task, physically and mentally. 

And, while I am humming, and waxing, and thinking about chaos theory, and evolutionary psychology, and a million other things, Doug is finishing up the kiln roof, yay! 


6 comments:

DirtKicker Pottery said...

I see the elec fryer. What kind of wax are you using?

Lori Watts said...

I use paraffin, the kind you can buy at the grocery store, in the canning supplies.
When my kiln was indoors, it was a bit of an issue, as it makes a strong smell when burning off -- noxious but not toxic. If I still fired indoors, i might be tempted to switch to water-based cold wax, as there is no burn-off smell.

Linda Starr said...

Hi Lori, I had heard about potters using the hot wax but have never tried it myself. The cold wax seems so messy, do you think the hot wax is easier to apply and less messy? I hope your shoulder is better. Your kiln area is looking great.

DirtKicker Pottery said...

Lori, Do you add baby oil or any other oil to your wax? What temp do you set your fryer to?

Lori Watts said...

I just use the wax straight out of the box, and keep the pan on simmer.

terraworks said...

This is exactly how they do it at local college (pottery). It is a great way to wax the bottoms before glazing. I use cold wax for finer details as I do not have a hot plate or else... I would be tempted (;