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CLAY SCHOOL HANDBOOK

CLAY SCHOOL HANDBOOK

STUDIO

See pics of studio HERE

CLAY 

Communal clay is included in the Workshop or Clay Club fee for use during class.

Instructions on how to care and keep the clay workable will be given. Clay is communal and how you take care of it, is what you get to use.

Clay may not be taken home. Outside clay may not be brought in unless approved.

Additional clay is available for purchase for use in class or open studio at $1 / LB in 10 Pounds chunks

Clay body / Tucker CCSS / A brown stoneware suitable for hand building & throwing.

Buckets for clay:

  • Moist Clay- Communal clay suitable for making. Will need to be wedged. If putting moist clay back, wedge first! 
  • Dry scraps- Put all clay that is too dry to wedge in here, in SMALL pieces. Clay hydrates better when bone dry
  • Slop Clay- Extra wet clay or slip, no hard or large chunks. 

*See below for a detailed studio WATER & CLAY PROCESS

EQUIPMENT

  • Electric Kiln
  • 5 Throwing Wheels
  • 2- 8' Handbuilding Tables
  • Slab Roller 
  • Wedging Table

GLAZE

The studio has a white slip and a range of underglazes & glazes to choose from.

In general, no outside clay or glaze can be brought into the studio for use, but will allow exceptions if approved.

  • Always put lids and tops on clay, glaze, slips, washes correctly to avoid drying out
  • Do not thin glazes or slips, if it seems thick, ask the teacher or studio tech
  • Do not glaze the bottom of pots or any area that will touch the kiln shelf

TOOLS

An assortment of tools are available for communal use on a first come first serve basis. 

Pottery tool kits are available to purchase at Clay School for $30 or you may order them here

Please put your name on all your tools, aprons etc. 

  • Tools & personal items may not be stored at the studio

Bailey Pottery is a great local resource for ceramic supplies located in Kingston NY.

ABSOLUTELY FORBIDDEN TOOLS – X-ACTO blades, small sharp instruments or any tool that has a removal blade, or sharp prong. Anything small and sharp that can get lost in the clay. NO EXCEPTIONS. 

Not provided at the studio:

  • Apron
  • Towel
  • Favorite tools
  • Respirator (when needed)

FIRINGS

The studio has 1 electric kiln

  • 10 Cubic Feet
  • Inside Dimensions: 27" Diameter x 28" Deep
  • 11 -  13" x 26" Half Round Shelves
  • Fire to Cone 04 to Cone 6 

1 bisque firing & 1 glaze firing is included in the workshop fee (some restrictions apply, see below) & firing dates are determined by the amount of work that is ready to load.

If you need your work before the next scheduled firing date, the fee for a single full kiln firing is $100.

Comp firing exceptions: 

  • Work over 12" tall and/or 12" wide

Cost:

  • Firing fees are .03 per cubic inch for a single firing and .06 for a double firing
  • Minimum firing fee is $1
  • All firing fees must paid in advance of firing

Work must be bisque fired before glaze firing. We will once fire work on a case by case basis

  • Do not let work pile up on greenware or bisque shelves, keep it moving
  • Bisque dry work, glaze bisque work, take home glazed work
  • Unclaimed greenware, bisque or glazed work that is not claimed will meet the green dumpster 2 weeks after the end of class
  • Work will not be fired until fully dry

Kiln is not available ‘for hire’ of outside work and we do not fire work made at home, or outside of Clay School

Clay School is not responsible for work that does not make it through drying or the firings ie. cracks, glaze issues etc. No firing fee refunds

STUDIO PRACTICE & CLEAN UP

Studio practice is an integral part of clay making and PART of your studio time, no exceptions. Leave studio as clean or cleaner than you found it

Sharing tools, materials, equipment & space are crucial to making a communal clay studio run well. Everything has a home, put it back where it belongs for the next person to find when they need it

We are here to have fun and make art, not to clean up after each other. Please be responsible for your own studio practice and conscientious of others, as well as forgiving. Everyone is capable of mistakes and oversights, so try be generous and clear in your communications

  • Do not store work on throwing bats, use the ware boards, or store directly on shelf to minimize shelf footprint
  • Put your name and date on the outside of your wrapped work each time you store it on the shelf
  • Do not leave work to languish
  • Do not handle or move the work of others, if something must be moved, ask the teacher
  • If you break something, please leave a note. It happens. And if someone breaks something of yours, please know that it is an accident
  • Do not 'borrow' someones personal tools without asking, use the communal tools
  • Do  not leave personal items at the studio. Please take your tools, clothes, aprons, underglazes, water bottles, phone chargers with you at the end of each class
  • Take care of materials and keep them 'workable'. If you have taken a container (glaze, slip, underglaze) or piece of clay to your table, cover or wrap it with plastic glazes- keep it workable and hydrated!  

STUDIO AMENITIES

  • Wifi
  • Restroom / Private All Gender
  • Parking
  • A/C & Heating- note the kiln runs cold in the winter (cement floors, poor building insulation) even with the heat on. Please dress accordingly!

OPEN STUDIO

Clay school is a working studio during the week and no open studio is available at this time

CLAY DUST

Clay dust is a safety hazard, always clean up scraps & spills when clay is still wet or leather hard. Do not wait until it is dry. If it does become dry, clean with a wet sponge, and NO dry sweeping 

  • Rinse sponges before and after use
  • Wipe down sink
  • Tables, bats, ware boards, and banding wheels should be cleaned before being put away
  • Canvas should be wiped down and hung to dry
  • Dirty dusty plastic should be wiped down, plastic with holes should be tossed
  • Potter Wheels should be wiped down and cleaned, shut off and splash pans washed and put back
  • Floor around your working area should be clear of clay bits and splashed material - Clean up spills as they happen
  • Do no sweep dry clay
  • Sanding dry greenware, glaze, bisque ware is FORBIDDEN. If you must sand, do it outside

During the final 15-30 minutes of the last class of the session all students will participate in a group clean up, when there is no time to create new work

WATER & CLAY PROCESS NO CLAY DOWN THE DRAIN!! This is vital to the studio health. Chunks of clay go down the drain and clog it! Watery clay goes down the drain and the grog settles and the sediment accumulates and creates clogs. NO BUENO! 

Here is your clay and water cleaning up process:

  • Bucket 1 / First Clean- Clean all clay dirty tools, squeeze out clay dirty sponges. Do not drop tools in there! We put our hands in there and do not want to grab any sharp instruments. IF you drop something in there, get it out or ask for help. This clay will settle and accumulate on the bottom and we will reclaim it for future use. So CLAY ONLY
  • Bucket 2 / Final Clean- Rinse everything you just cleaned out in Bucket 1
  • Bucket 3 / Slop Clay- This is for CLAY ONLY in slip-ish form ie slop from throwing trays 

STUDIO SAFETY

  • First Aid Kit located in the bathroom
  • Do not enter kiln area
  • Use of slab roller only after orientation from teacher
  • No sharp objects may be brought in the studio such as detachable razor or X-ACTO blades, homemade pin tools, thumbtacks, needles, glass shards
  • Shoes must be worn at all times
  • Tie long hair back
  • Do not thrown with metal ribs

CLAY SCHOOL- GENERAL STUDIO GUIDELINES

  • We have a studio dog, no outside pets allowed
  • Attendance is only permitted for the class & session you are registered for
  • Library Rules
    • Keep conversations quiet
    • Phone calls must be taken outside
    • Music in earplugs / without sound leakage
    • Use of a hair dryers for drying clay must be minimal
  • No Storing of personal possession at the studio, on class shelves or under tables, all personal tools and supplies should be taken with you at the end of class
  • Any recycling or food waste must be taken with you
  • Clay School is not responsible for the loss or damage of work or personal property
  • Clay School is smoke free, alcohol free, drug free
    • Intoxicated students will be required to leave the studio
  • No students are permitted to remain in the building after closing
  • Clay School is not a production studio and cannot accommodate large volumes of work due to limited materials, shelf space and kiln space
  • Not provided at studio, please bring for personal use
    • Phone charger

CANCELLATION POLICY

If you signed up for a class, workshop, or Clay Club a credit will be issued up to 2 weeks from scheduled start date. Credits must be used within 1 year of issue. We do not offer refunds

MAKE-UP POLICY

We are a very small studio with limited class offerings and do not offer make-ups for missed classes. However, we will do our best to find a time for you to make up a maximum of 1 class per session, within the dates of the enrolled session, but it is not guaranteed

Email any and all questions about firings, workshops or any other concerns to clayschool@mquan.com

LET'S HAVE FUN 😁

*All studio rules are subject to change