u/nstan

Thank you for the input! I hadn't considered the secondary legends as a tell.

Very pleased. Surprised myself a bit by getting this set, I'm not much of a minimalist, but I did want something that wouldn't raise too many eyebrows at the office.

They're marketed as having a "skin like" texture, which I don't know I agree with; they do have a distinct texture compared to the keycaps that came stock, but they're still pretty smooth. They feel very solid too, if that makes sense.

It's also nice that you get a full set with tons of options for novelty keys.

So, I'm pretty green to the ins and outs of the hobby still, but regular, windowless number keys also came with the set. These are for a numpad maybe? Or maybe they're just an option for people who like them.

I wanted the windows because the keyboard has a backlight setting where only the key you press and a halo of keys surrounding it light up, the others stay dark. It's my favorite setting, and I wanted to see it in the num keys. I might switch the regular ones in yet for a more consistent look, still deciding.

Wild coincidence. I was just searching for pictures of this boat online because my partner was asking to see some. Google sent me to your post.

I was on one of her Atlantic crossings, from St. John's, Canada to Falmouth, England in 2012. She was the Taniwha then.

That was a long time ago, so no advice, but take care of her! She kept us safe in some insane weather. Glad to see she's still afloat.

Bakelite, I'm pretty sure, with a glass inkwell.

Quite literally - Atlantic Canada and QC contain the "Appalachian Uplands" of the Appalachian mountains range.

These basically are coils; I've made flatter handles, but went with coils here to reflect architectural elements these two mugs are inspired by.

I roughly rolled them out, then laid them on a counter top and rolled them with a cutting board instead of my hands. The large, flat surface of the cutting board rolls more consistently and makes a more uniform coil than my hands and fingers.

There's been a few comments here re compression- I'm not familiar with compressing clay or when it's appropriate and when it's not (I've heard both in different contexts), but I'll do some research! Thank you for the input.

My other handles- and ones I've had more success with- do have a flatter shape. Both of these are cylindrical to reflect elements of the architecture that inspired them. One is for a pillar on a clock tower and the other is for a cable on a suspension bridge (i actually have two of these small "suspension" handles side-by-side on the mug, and I'm nervous about uneven pressure when the mug is eventually being used leading to breakage, but happy to live and learn in this case!).

This seems to be the consensus! I'll do this (and some of the other suggestions). Thank you!

OK, much longer process than I've been giving it! Our community kiln has a bisque fire every two weeks, so I'll try and reorganize my builds to account for protracted drying times.

That's the best compliment I could receive! I've had -so much- trouble trying to roll consistent handles, but i had a eureka moment where I decided to roll them with a cutting board against the table. It allows for a smooth, consistent form, much nicer than what I was doing with my hands.

I'll try and dry the handles a bit before attaching! This could solve the other concern i had in a different comment about handles sagging after I attach them.

This is a great idea! And I have a tub of wax too, I'll try this.

This and the wax suggestion are a great idea! I'll try these.

Not as much as I should! My partner and I (we started this hobby together) have a few great plastic boxes w doors now that reaalllyyy slow the drying process. The white mug with the cracks was in there for 2 or 3 days and hadn't gotten close to leather hard, so I took it out. After a day or two of drying, when I looked again, the cracks had appeared.

It could be! It looks like it in the dark clay in particular, where the texture is showing some minor splitting as well. I'll try and keep it more damp!

Is it safe to blow dry after its attached? I've been doing that a bit once they're attached to fix the shape so it doesn't sag while drying.

I'm not sure! Not certain how to feel out compression yet. But I slammed the wedge I wired off the clay fresh from the bag a few times before shaping it.

These haven't been fired yet, but this is great advice for the next step!

Thank you for the quick response! I appreciate the info.