People occasionally ask for start up tips. Here's one: store your glazes in containers with good seals. Duh! In trying to save money and not having a source of larger buckets with sealing lids, I have most of my glazes stored in old food containers many of which don't seal. So I waste tons of time rehydrating glazes. You, newbies learn from me! Spend money or effort and get containers that won't let your glazes dry up.
grumble grumble Now where am I going to find some containers so I can take my own advice?
i use paint cans I buy new (empty) from the local paint store. theyre about $1.00 each, and store glaze very well. for extra money you can get the enamel/epoxy lined ones which are chemiclally impervious to nearly everything.
you can usually get sealing metal 5 gallon pails too, hose are very nice for making up gaze base... I use a paint squirrel cage mixer that attaches to a drill and works extremly well with these cans...
Go down to your local supermarket that has a deli or bakery section, and ask them if they will be willing to save some old plastic containers for you.
A huge assortment of containers are used in food preparation. Have a look at what they use. Some of these are harder to clean out than others; some (pickles, etc) may have a residual odor that causes no harm. Bakery frosting comes in a nice container (at least the place I got mine).
Note that your request may be an inconvenience for them, since they probably don't have a good place to store the empties. And they won't want to leave smelly, food-laden containers laying around to attract vermin, so they may need to wash them out before they stack them up for you. You should try to coordinate pick-up to minimize their effort, but this is hard unless you visit them every day, since their usage isn't usually totally predictable. You might offer to make them a nice vase or something for their counter top... maybe a bowl or dish to display cheeses or cookies? Who knows, if you make a great one you might even get some sales inquiries from their customers!
Best regards,
Bob Masta dqatechATdaqartaDOTcom D A Q A R T A Data AcQuisition And Real-Time Analysis
Another place to try is Swimming Pools (Chlorine granules comes in these really groovy tubs with ever such sealable lids).... It's either you or landfill usually... Hugs Eddie
cloride buckest MUST be triple rinsed and dried before using it for anyting. you may not (under OSHA standards) use Cloride buckets for food safe materials. there are the same type of buckets avaialble at the hardware store... and much safer to use
When I can't get new ones, I use food grade buckets from the local Deli/Bakers/Burger takeaway/etc; they always have good sealing lids and only need a good wash. Most are one UK gallon, but occasionally you can get bulk containers to the same standard that are a lot bigger!
Good suggestions from all. Although I sumetimes find it difficult to tell which buckets will reseal well and which won't. Even some that contain spoilable food products may not seal well as the products must be only kept kept for a limited time in refrigeration. One of my best containers, about half gallon size, was for potato salad. It seals well and has never chipped or cracked. As an environmentalist and as one who sort of understands design, my thought about that container is: how can such a sturdy well made product be designed for disposal? Oh well, I'll happily re-use it.
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