Caring for your pot

willhopper

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I saw a video today of a bonsai master pruning a tree. When he was done he used what looked like a stone of some sort to clean the edge and outside of the pot. I think he said it was an “emory” stone. How do you treat your pots? Is there an oil for the unglazed ones? Is there a stone that you use?
 

Dav4

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I’ve applied oil to unglazed pots prior to showing, and I’ve periodically applied oil to all my pots as a means to improve the development of patina and prevent calcium deposits. That, along with a periodic wipe down with a wet rag and me and my pots are good.
 

willhopper

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What kind of oil? I found a video that said chamomile oil or WD-40, and it wasn’t an Emory stone, it was emory rubber?? I have no idea what that is.
 
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petegreg

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Dav4

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How much does he charge for that service?
Is it pay by the hour or by the pot?
Does he make house calls?
Is satisfaction guaranteed?
Honestly, @Adair M is pretty careless with it. He pretty much let anyone borrow it at the ABS show last year and I think it went missing for 24 hours or so. I think he might keep a spare in the Tesla, though.
 

willhopper

Shohin
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Thanks, though those are sanding blocks and sharpening blocks. Not sure that’s what he was using to clean pots.
 

Dav4

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I only "clean" my pots with water +/- some soap and a cloth. Some have mineral deposits on them from years of use and I'm not going to do much about that. Applying oil prior to a show will darken the pot and make the deposits less visible. Also, routinely oiling the pots will hopefully prevent further buildup.
 

GrimLore

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That, along with a periodic wipe down with a wet rag and me and my pots are good.

Have you tried the Mr. Clean Magic eraser pads for calcium removal? I added some to an order yesterday to try as an alternative to cloth. Thinking I will try one with vinegar, one with soap, and one with oil on some clay pots that look pretty rough.

Grimmy
 

Brian Van Fleet

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I only "clean" my pots with water +/- some soap and a cloth. Some have mineral deposits on them from years of use and I'm not going to do much about that. Applying oil prior to a show will darken the pot and make the deposits less visible. Also, routinely oiling the pots will hopefully prevent further buildup.
This^
I’ve tried most everything, including burying a pot in the ground for a year, since that seemed to be a frequent recommendation made without any accompanying experience. Instead of Creanmate, I tried a Sandflex block; same thing. It will work, but could lead to some scratching of the glaze, and definitely will remove any patina. Read here:
https://nebaribonsai.wordpress.com/2015/01/24/removing-calcium-deposits-from-pots/
 

Vindeezy

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CBC3B882-325D-47CA-BAE3-7C99FB5B7FF7.jpeg
I saw a video today of a bonsai master pruning a tree. When he was done he used what looked like a stone of some sort to clean the edge and outside of the pot. I think he said it was an “emory” stone. How do you treat your pots? Is there an oil for the unglazed ones? Is there a stone that you use?
This is the oil I use on my unglazed pots works real well.
 

JudyB

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I've used those tool cleaning blocks with decent results on pots that had some bad calcium buildup. Watered the surface and sanded gently. After that I have done maintenance with an oil rag, and that has kept the deposits from reforming, and allowed the patina to rebuild. Don't use this option on a really great old pot.
 

Adair M

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Honestly, @Adair M is pretty careless with it. He pretty much let anyone borrow it at the ABS show last year and I think it went missing for 24 hours or so. I think he might keep a spare in the Tesla, though.
At the Shohin show, Kathy Shaner asked to borrow my nut sack, and I lost count of how many times she used it! Word must have got around that it works pretty good, because at the Silohette Show, Tyler Sherrod (who has styled a Kokofu Prize tree), wanted to use it. I told him it had petered out, but might still do the job. It did, and when he returned it he said it was a “pretty worn” old nut sack! It becomes a problem when the sac gets so thin the nuts start to fall out! You sometimes can extend the life of a worn out sac by rubbing some oil on it, but that gets kinda messy. After a while the old nut sack just gets too mushy to mess with and you have to go find a new sack with fresh firm nuts!
 

M. Frary

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At the Shohin show, Kathy Shaner asked to borrow my nut sack, and I lost count of how many times she used it! Word must have got around that it works pretty good, because at the Silohette Show, Tyler Sherrod (who has styled a Kokofu Prize tree), wanted to use it. I told him it had petered out, but might still do the job. It did, and when he returned it he said it was a “pretty worn” old nut sack! It becomes a problem when the sac gets so thin the nuts start to fall out! You sometimes can extend the life of a worn out sac by rubbing some oil on it, but that gets kinda messy. After a while the old nut sack just gets too mushy to mess with and you have to go find a new sack with fresh firm nuts!
So much to work with here!
I'm just going to let this one alone.
What a wordsmith.
I bow to your use of puns and innuendo.
 
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