What a Grind!

Stuck wads and dragon's eyes, those luscious fat drips that result when the glaze flows down to the space betweeen the pot and the kiln shelf, are a regular feature of my firings now. I'm not complaining; I can usually smooth them over sufficiently that the function is not compromised. But I'd be lost without my bench grinder.

It wass my dad's bench grinder, actually; he bought it at a yard sale for $5, just weeks before he went into the hospital for the last time. He didn't have anything specific in mind for it. Like me, he loved yard sales and bargains, and often bought items on the cheap that just looked as though they might have a use. He never did get to use the bench grinder, but I use it often, and silently thank him each time.

Of the pots in the photo above, none were a complete loss, and only one will even be a second. (Other potters have different standards; mine is that runs and drips are part of vapor-glaze firings like wood and soda, and if a ground drip is not ugly and doesn't interfere with function, then it's not a flaw.)

In other news, my new camera has arrived. Obviously. And it's a sunny day, perfect for re-arranging the living room to shoot the best pieces from the last fiirng. Stay tuned!