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Throwing Cake Stands on the Wheel (Update)
Last week I posted “Throwing Ruffle-Edged Cake Stands“. I attempted to fire too quickly, and the one from the demo blew up in the kiln. Upon inspection, I could see where the ball used for the pedestal connected to the plate. If it had been bone dry, there wouldn’t have been an issue, but it still led me to throwing as one solid piece another to prevent any weak spots. Right as I was starting back at the process, my hair dryer bit the dust. It may have even melted out the outlet on the power strip. I suppose clay and electronics do not mix well. I ended up picking…
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Throwing Ruffle-edged Cake Stands
I’ve been on a quest to develop a simple, elegant process for throwing cake stands on the pottery wheel. They are not difficult to throw as one piece, but I was encountering several problems as they dried. First, the edge was curling up, meaning when the plate was turned right-side-up, the top slightly slumped boding immanent disaster for buckeye balls or round fruit. The other issue was that the compression under the cylinder was slightly different, leading to a ring or two rather than a smooth surface. I was able to correct the slumping by righting the plate while still somewhat still wet, securing the base and attempting to throw…
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Upcycled String Trellis
Even after I’ve planted my veggies beds to full capacity, there’s always one more packet of seeds I’m drying to make room for. Yesterday it was the handful of French Climbing Beans I saved from my vines last year. They didn’t grow well because the Purple Hyacinth Beans and Turkey Craw Beans choked them out. So instead of eating the few beans that grew, I let them dry on the vines to save for this season. Because these can be trained up a trellis, I decided to plant them at the fence behind the potatoes and corn, where the beds are too deep to reach. I mounted a rooster weather…
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DIY Plant Stand with Grow Light
Being a frugal gardener, I don’t have the money to shell out on upwards of $200 plant stands with grow lights. I have a window with a decent amount of afternoon light, but the seedlings do tend to get leggy as they strain for the sun. Today, I put together a system using a shelf I already had and a light that cost me only $17. The shelf was from Target, and originally cost me another $17. So the total cost was $34. Here’s how to make your own plant stand with grow light: I started with this three-shelf mini metal shelving from Target. They are currently on sale for…
