KEEP CLAY DUST TO A MINIMUM
(A clean studio is a healthy studio)

• Clean in the wet stage.

• Mop instead of sweep.

• Wipe your work area and all surfaces used with a large sponge and clean water, then dry off with a clean towel at the end of your session

• Bring a clean towel (and apron if you use one) to use, then take it home to wash… …never bring a towel with dry clay on it back into the studio.

• If you forget your towel and use one of ours, bring it home and wash it before returning it next time you come.

• Never use sandpaper inside the building for dry clay or glazes - it creates fine dust that hangs in the air and can cause permanent health issues. Step outside and wear a mask if you are sanding.  If you know you’ll be sanding, you should consider bringing your own, we do not replenish ours often.

KEEP THE PLUMBING WORKING
(Clay clogging our pipes can close the studio down)

• At the beginning of class, get a small bucket of water to use. It works best if it’s filled up 3/4 of the way so clay can drop to the bottom, leaving relatively clean water at the top.

• Wash all your tools and brushes in it at the end of class.

• You’ll get a 15-minute warning before the end of class so you can wrap up and get your area cleaned up.

• Dump dirty clay water into the water slop trash can and refill with clean tap water for a final wipe down of pottery wheels at the end of session then wipe out the bucket before returning it with tools in it.

• When glazing by hand, dump the dirty water from your bucket in the “glaze slop” pan in the sink -NEVER the clay slop.

KEEP WORK AREAS ORGANIZED AND CLEAN

• At the beginning of class inventory your tools. Do the same at the end of class.

• CLEAN and return all tools and project boards to their designated location.

• If you bring your own tools, mark them with your initials.  Anything left behind that is unmarked will become ours.

• Sponges: we have 3 types:

• The round ones are used for clay work.

• The large oval ones are used for clean-up

• The bin of odd-sized sponges above the sink are used to support clay as it is drying.  It is OK to cut them to a size that you need if you cannot find on that works for you.

• Clean your workspace before leaving.  Use a large oval sponge to wipe down the area, then immediately dry off with a clean towel. Mop the floor around your workstation if it needs it.

• Your instructor or the monitor will advise you as to where to place items you leave needing to dry.  Never handle another person’s work, especially at the greenware stage.

IF AN ACCIDENT HAPPENS, AND SOMETHING IS BROKEN, PLEASE ADVISE THE INSTRUCTOR OR MONITOR SO WE DON’T SPEND HOURS LOOKING FOR IT IN THE FUTURE.

GLAZING

• Do not use the dipping glazes during Open Studios unless you have had a class that included dipping.  Underglazes and brush-on clear glazes should be used as directed on labels and posted signs. 

• Cookies should be used for any pot that could have a “runner” glaze that might damage kiln shelves. If you do not have a cookie, leave a note for the Tech, warning that it may need one.

• Pots that did not fit into a kiln are being moved on trays to the upper “ready to be glazed” shelves, and marked as such, to be first in on the following load.  Please respect that and do not move the trays or add new work to them.  Fill in from the top down, so work is fired in the order it was completed and placed on the shelves. 

• Make sure your work is initialed.  If you missed it in the greenware stage, you can use underglaze to mark it before glazing.

• Before leaving the glazing area, be sure all the tools you used are clean and returned to appropriate holders.  Wipe the counter down with a large sponge, followed by a dry towel to get all the dust.

• Glazed work will be posted on the “TAH Potters” fb page.

MAKING THE MOST OF OUR LIMITED STORAGE SPACE

The 30-day rule:  Items must be marked with a name and date while it is “in progress” (this can be a piece or paper or tape) if wet and waiting to be trimmed.  Items not marked will be removed from the shelves.  If neglected for over 30 days on the greenware shelf,  your work will be repurposed or reclaimed, depending on the quality. You can come in and change the date if you are still working on it. 

• Bisqued and Glazed items are being loaded “top-down” on the shelves next to the slab roller and at the front of the studio, ie the newest on the upper shelves and those that came out earlier moved to the lower shelves.  At some point, a penciled date will go onto work that appears to be forgotten and after 30 days boxed for disposal.

• Choose the smallest wareboard possible to fit your work before placing on shelves to conserve space - especially if it’s covered with plastic (so folks aren’t uncovering to find out what is inside the “tent”)… a piece of tape with a name and date will eliminate the need to check inside.   On the flip side of that, please respect other work on the shelves and move as little and as carefully as possible.

We are only using white clay in this studio. Any clay not purchased from TAH must be approved by the Pottery Coordinator or Technician prior to use.  If you are using your own clay you will need to purchase glaze and pay firing fees.

If the type of clay and glaze you are using is not ours you will need to provide a cookie (a bisqued disk for it to sit on while firing to protect our kiln and a note stating what is being used (such as: Laguna, 5/6 B-mix or AMACO potters choice). 

If you bring your own tools, mark them with your initials or some identifying mark.  Anything left behind that is not marked will become “studio”.

ITEMS THAT CAN BE PURCHASED

• Clay is $5/kg., which covers the cost of glazing and firing by TAH.

• Basic tool kit: $18.

Failure to follow any of the above guidelines will result in not being able to attend classes or studios, without refund for unused classes.

Read, heed, and share the below article - Your health is worth the effort!

!! THE PROBLEM WITH CLAY DUST !!

Silicosis, a chronic illness commonly known as Potter’s Lung or Potter’s Rot to the pottery community. This damaging disease can easily be prevented with safe practices in the pottery studio, and these precautions will also save the quality of pottery projects.

Silica dust is a common component in rock, sand, and clay, making it especially relevant to pottery activities. This very fine dust can contain other kinds of elements such as copper and chemicals from the clay itself, which can have their own dangerous side effects on your body. To put it plainly, silica dust is almost everywhere within the enclosed space of a pottery studio, making it hard to avoid. It floats up in the air while mixing dry clay, settling on shelves, tables, floors, and the potter, himself. Silica dust is produced in jobs involving construction or masonry, too, though these have the advantage of being in larger facilities and outdoor spaces that give the dust more room to disperse; a small pottery studio creates a concentrated environment that traps in the dust, which puts a potter at greater risk of breathing in the silica while working.

There are a few practices that should become standard for you to perform as a smart potter to lessen your chance of developing Silicosis, and you might be able to save the quality of your pottery while you’re at it. The first step is to make a routine of cleaning your studio, especially after mixing clay. The key to limiting the amount of dust you kick up in the air while cleaning is to take the wet approach. Mop floors instead of sweeping to trap the dust within the wet mop. The same goes for wiping down surfaces, which can be done using a large sponge or wet cloth. With more regular cleaning of all surfaces, a potter can minimize the amount of silica accumulation throughout a studio, reducing the degree of exposure the potter will experience and the build-up of dust on unfinished work. Another good practice to remember while cleaning is to avoid any excessive shaking of towels and aprons within your studio to prevent extra dust from entering the air space.