Studio

●      Enter through the main front door – remember to sign in – folder is in the main studio at Omega Centre and at the main front desk at Imagination Refinery.

●      You may bring a friend to one session, however they must pay for the session and there will be no tutor available for them. Cost will be £30 (payable in the studio), You will be responsible for ensuring all guidelines are followed during their visit. You must email info@makers-guild.com to inform us that you are bringing a guest along. We recommend the Open Sessions for non-members.

●      Make sure floor has been damp mopped around the wheels if you’ve used them and work surfaces and wheel heads are clean. Clean up any spots of clay that has been spilt

●      Use the towels to dry hands and tools rather than the paper towels

●      If using the wheels check the overspill buckets at the side to ensure they’re not too full, inform the studio supervisor if there is a lot of water in them.

●      Leave some time to make a couple of coasters for any future fired work, take this from the waste clay slab.

●      At the end of the session

○      Ensure you have cleaned and put away any items you’ve used from the studio

○      Check that all work surfaces including wheels are properly cleaned.

○      Ensure no clay is left in the sink.

Kilns and firing

●      Please do not enter the kiln room, if an item is required from the kiln room then let the studio supervisor know

●      If putting items on the shelf for firing, ensure the correct tag is added and a tag for a coaster if needed – if a coaster is required please ensure you make additional coasters to replace the one/s used

●      Ensure all your work is clearly marked with your initials or makers mark – unmarked work may not be fired.

●      No experimental firing – if any additional raw materials are added to your commercial glazes please detail this in a note and always add a coaster, this applies to any glazes you may have made at home – we will require full details.

●      If you are using any type of kiln wire, ensure the information is added to your piece when sent for firing, if there is no information the piece will not be fired

●      Ensure any supporting paper etc is removed from work before sending for firing.

●      Any pieces that stick to the kiln shelf during a glaze firing will now be charged for either repair or replacement.

Sale items

●      Items can be purchased via cash or card

First Aid – for serious incidents call 999

·       Please see the studio supervisor for the location of the medical box if required

·       Accident book/folder should be filled out following an incident.

Things to remember

·       Our studio would not run as it does without our team of volunteers, however, they are not there to clean up after you. Please ensure the studio is left as clean or cleaner than you would wish to find it.

·       Our studio supervisors take work to the kiln, load kilns, come in out of hours to deal with firings and other issues, bring clay up from the shed, pug recycled clay, run sessions and answer queries, mix and test studio glazes, do constant stocktaking. Any cleaning a studio supervisor does is as a result of members not cleaning up after themselves.

·       Coasters are extremely important, they don’t last long – quite often one firing and they’re done, so we need them made constantly, glazes are unpredictable and we want to avoid expensive damage to the kiln shelves