Just wanted to give some updates on what is coming to Clay with Trey Online in the next few days/weeks! Sorry I’ve been quiet the last few days- the end of the semester had me running around like a crazy person. But today I shot a bunch of new tutorials that y’all had asked for and those will be in the classroom shortly. I also have figured out enough stuff to be able to do some live class time! I’m aiming for every other week right now but 8PM EST on Tuesdays I’ll be going live here on Skool for Q&A, demos, and just hanging out. We will also have a new community project in the month of February that I have been brainstorming on. Excited to keep growing this thing and I’m genuinely grateful for you all! See you soon- Trey

Our first community project is finally here! If you check out the classroom there are two brand new tutorials for making either a hand-built or wheel-thrown version. My hope is that you would run wild with this project and make it completely your own. This thread is for questions, comments, and brainstorming. Feel free to ask questions, answer questions, and post progress pictures. Have fun, be encouraging, and make something you love!

What’s your favorite part and least favorite part about making pots that isn’t part of the making process? My favorite is brainstorming crazy ideas. I draw little pots on everything! My least favorite is probably just cleaning up after myself… or maybe shipping. I despise shipping.

For the first time in 9 years I'm changing the stamp that I use for my "maker's mark" It feels a bit strange but I'm excited to have an official Clay with Trey stamp. The change got my wondering how you guys sign your pots? Is it your name or a symbol? Do you carve it or stamp it?

Here are just some of my thoughts on buying a used kiln since it had come up recently. The hard part about buying a used kiln is that for some reason the person selling it often knows very little about the kiln. They either inherited it or barely used it, but their information is sparse or maybe even incorrect. The very first thing I do when looking at a kiln is to check the identification badge that shows the type of kiln, specs, and identification numbers.(picture included of mine) This way you can look up the manufacturers manual and get all the info you need about that kilns specifications. This won’t tell you the state if the kiln, but at least will let you know things like what type of controller it has, its firing range, and capacity. You can use this to be able to tell if you’ll be able to even use that kiln with the type of power hookup you have or the space available. Keep in mind, a manual kiln (one without a computer) will need to be babysat and adjusted during the entire firing. Next you’ll need to check the condition of the kiln. This is the difficult part, but the first thing to check is the bricks. Kiln bricks are basically the only thing that can’t be replaced, so check that they are in tact and have minimal chipping or cracking. A few cracks are ok, but anything excessively crumbly will not fire properly. Make sure to check the base of the kiln, the walls, and the lid. The most common place for damage will be around the rim where people lean as they load the kiln so check there too. Next check the elements. These can be deceptive because I’ve seen some wonky looking elements work completely fine, but check for looping or obvious breaks. Also check for broken pieces of clay lodged in the coils. If they are dull or broken pieces of clay, that means the previous owner didn’t take great care of their kiln or clean it much. Bad elements aren’t a deal breaker, but they should lower the price! If you have the opportunity you can even turn on the kiln at full blast and test the elements by touching them with a piece of paper and seeing if it burns, but your average seller probably won’t let you do that.