Always a tiring day, especially when mixing up two additional five gallon buckets of glaze before glazing and loading the kiln. Not so bad you think? Maybe, but the kiln is up a flight of stairs and out in the garage, making many, many trips up and down the stairs carrying a large plastic container of heavy pots. Yep, tiring.
I try to do things that make the little stuff easier. Take ‘The White Board’. 
This small magnetic whiteboard is placed just inside my studio door so it’s the last thing I see before I walk out the door. When mixing up glazes, if I notice I’m getting low on a chemical, it gets added to the whiteboard. That way, the next time I go to mix up the glaze, I don’t find myself short. I take a quick snapshot of the board with my phone before I make my trip to my clay supplier and that’s my shopping list for the day.
I wish I had a fancy Talisman Sieve but I don’t. I think sieves are a rip off in general and I won’t buy into the rip off by purchasing more than I n
eed. I use the basic hand sieve but come on, $32 for a cheap plastic bowl and a piece of metal screen? This is my own version – kind of a redneck talisman sieve. A regular hand sieve and ‘manually operated’ cheap toilet bowl brush 
Here you see it in action with my lovely crocus red glaze. Hey, it works.
One of the things on my ‘to do someday’ list is to make my own sieves. You can do so quite reasonably. This link below is to a video by a hobby potter and woodworker named ‘Tom’ and he’ll show you how to do it.
Here’s a few shots of my kiln being loaded. I take a snapshot of each section so I can remember what pots were loaded where. That way, if a glaze comes out kind of funky on one side and not the other (that HAS happened), I will know what it was fired near that may have altered the glaze. The large flower pots on the bottom are unglazed, which is why I am able to put another pot inside them. I’ve really never been taught to load a kiln and pretty much everything I do is from reading what others do. So, if you have any tips or advice, please let me know!
Bottom Shelf of Glaze Kiln Prior to Firing
The decorated jars that you see here are experiments somewhat. I’m trying to come up with a vitreous engobe that has a satin finish. I used a paper stencil on these pots after they were thrown, brushed the engobe on, then bisque fired. Then, placing wax resist over the engobe areas, they were dipped into glaze. This will work better when I’m able to order the Mobile Wax from Highwater Clay. Standard brand wax resist is in my opinion good for waxing the bottom of pots only and even then it sometimes leaves a lot to be desired. Once you use Mobile Wax, you’ll never go back to Standard.
Mid Shelf of Glaze Kiln Prior to Firing
I have a lot of test ’tiles’ in here that are actually extruded hollow posts that are stamped to show any glaze breaking. I’m eventually going to make a chart up with my studio glazes to see the different color combinations possible at a glance. The long basket with the ribbon handle is actually a vase, the ‘spring’ supporting the stems of each flower that is placed in it. Good for upcoming tulips and daffodils!
Staggered Half Shelving on Top
And finally, the top shelves are actually two half kiln shelves, staggered. I’m not sure staggering is necessary in an electric kiln as I’ve read differing opinions on this. Gas yes, but electric, the jury seems to be out. There is a teeny tiny bowl at the top of the right hand shelf that is big enough to hold 2 quarters. This is from hand dug clay I carted back from Aruba in my suitcase. I tested a small cone first and much to my surprise, it held up under 2200° kiln temperatures, having a somewhat iron glazed look in the end. Will be interesting to see what the mini bowl does.
Stay tuned for the results!
I operate a working pottery studio in Seven Valleys, Pennsylvania specializing in wheel thrown and altered functional stoneware pottery. Stoneware clay is durable enough for ovenware, yet just as beautiful to display. My pots are created with form, function and beauty in mind. The glazes you see are hand mixed and formulated for food safety, as well as being microwave and dishwasher friendly. Current pots may be purchased through the store or local pickup, and custom orders are encouraged.
Hi Nancy…just signed up for your blog…Hope you enjoy writing it.
Thanks Gail!
Nancy – so YOU are the one who makes and donates the wonderful basset hound pieces for the benefit of the various rescues! They are beautiful!
I am a bassetless Daily Drool member and a sponsor for Ohio Basset Rescue, also an occasional donor to several of the other state rescues. THANK YOU for your work on behalf of these wonderful hounds.
- Sue
Thank you to a fellow potter! I checked out your Etsy shop – you’ve got some nice things up there!
Thanks for looking, Nancy. As a part-time potter with the dreaded “day job” elsewhere, I think I can never get to where I want to be. I appreciate your feedback.
Saw your Clayart posting, looking at your loading.
Even though you have no glaze on inside of flower pots, the pots sitting in them could have issues with minor sticking or there may be minor affects on surface of pots sitting inside.
Can’t quite tell – are all kiln posts lined up one above the other? If not, this could lead to shelves warping. If you are going to mix full and half shelves, then use 4 posts.
If you plan on seeing the cones up in the 2200F range, you’ll need to leave a path behind the cones to where there is a element seen behind them.
I share this information from 40+ years in clay and firing and 33+ years teaching.
Bill
Thanks for taking time to take a look and give me your comments! I do appreciate it. I used 3 posts in tripod format for the full shelves. The bottom full shelf has 2″ posts raising it from the kiln floor. This is the first time I’m using the half shelves and I used 3 posts for each half shelf lining them up with the posts underneath. I saw this on a Skutt video so that’s the way I went with it. By 4 posts, you mean 4 posts on the full shelves? I don’t usually fire anything inside one another as everything is usually glazed. This is the first time I did it because the flower pots were a request from my husband for his plants and I wanted to fit everything in. That won’t be the norm. Yes, the kiln will go to 2185 and hold a bit before I have it cooling down. I didn’t realize about the path to the cones – no wonder I often have a hard time seeing them. Do you think it’s necessary to mix the shelving or will I get the same results with full kiln shelves only. Again, I appreciate your looking!
Too bad you don’t have a Talisman. After teaching full time for over 30 years, and mixing 10 gallons at a time, the Talisman has saved me days and days of sieving time through the years. Time is, actually, all we have…
Get one. You’ll love it! It is low tech… Twice through, WOOSH! In a big jiffy. You are worth it!
Hey Nancy,
Sure like the way you loaded that kiln! Nice and dense! After forty five years of firing both gas and electric kilns, I am convinced that the denser the load the better the results. Bill, however is right: leave a clear path behind the cones or you’ll have a hard time seeing them. I do not know if you have a pyrometer… best investment you can make. As for staggering shelves: I was taught to do it as much as possible so heat can weave in and out and throughout the kiln. When you are firing to 2185 (my temp) and soak a bit at the end your glazes will come out even better. I was taught to always use THREE kiln posts on either half round shelves or square ones. In my experience the triangular pattern seems to lessen warpage of shelves. Commercial: you might be interested in my kiln book…. see the website!
Thanks. Most of what I do is done because of trial and error…lots of errors along the way so it’s a tough learning curve. I’m checking out the website now. Lots of good info on there! I don’t have a pyrometer but it is on my list to get. I think I may need new thermocouplers but I don’t know how to check. It’s just that the kiln seems to be taking longer and longer to get through the firing schedule. I’m not sure if the cold weather (it is in the garage but I run a heater) has anything do do with that. I have a used automatic L&L. I need to call them.
Nancy, I just want to tell you that my husband just loves the basset mug I bought from you at the BROOD Ramble. I think I will have to order more and have a set of 6!
Glad he likes them, Liz – just let me know when you need more! I have 3 mugs and a plate headed out to the post office tomorrow for the Sweetheart Waddle in Florida
” …I have a used automatic L&L. I need to call them.” Nah, Clayart is the way to go!
, you just need some basic kiln understanding… : Elements and thermocouples “burn up” in time. That’s the nature of the beast. Elements will take longer to produce the same amount of heat that they did when they were new. How old are they? Firing to 2185 will be hard on old elements.Thermocouples burn up in time and become less accurate, so give the computer the wrong info. Check the end of the thermocouple first. Is it sort of rough and burnt up looking or is it nice and smooth? If smooth it’s still good, if rough you should replace it. ( My kiln book, the guy said…) You have what is known in the trade a “Hobby” kiln. Means that the walls are not very thick (as opposed to “school” kilns) Nothing wrong with hobby kilns, but they do lose a lot of heat especially when fired in a cold garage. You could wrap your kiln in a blanket of kaowool, that would make it a lot more efficient. My book, my book he said again.. 
BTW I Like your work!
Rogier
Well, I’ve had it for a year and a half – 2 years and have used it pretty regularly. The lady that I bought it from used it 3 times and you could tell. It looked brand new when I got it and the kiln shelves looked like they were never used. Thermocouples definitely look course and blackened. The one on top doesn’t stick out of the protective covering as much as the other two do. I’m wondering if that could be why it’s not reading the temp correctly? The witness cones say it’s only going to 5 tho. Thanks for the nice compliment about my pots. I’ll check out the book but nothing is bought except supplies until after the first spring art fair
Hey Nancy,
…Thermocouples definitely look course and blackened. The one on top doesn’t stick out of the protective covering as much as the other two do. I’m wondering if that could be why it’s not reading the temp correctly?…
This is why having a pyrometer is so important. Yes, if one thermocouple looks different than the other(s) the computer may very well get wrong messages. When the time comes to purchase a pyrometer…. they cost around $225.00… that’s just the pyrometer-no thermocouple… running around schools the way I do, I usually have used pyrometers laying around. Less expensive! Like $ 125.00…
Rogier
It’s so refreshing to read a blog with down-to-earth comments, so thanks for the insights and shared feelings about overpriced gizmo-tools we potters see on the market. I really enjoyed your snap shots of makeshift tools and don’t they work great! No need for the fancy stuff.
I’ve just discovered your blog via the fcbk site for Glaze Recipe Sharing. Having fun just reading other potter’s stuff now that i got myself a wee laptop. Happy potting & love your stencil work.