Kiln brick repair is often much simpler than replacing an entire kiln wall. Small cracks, chips, holes, and gouges in insulating firebrick can often be patched, while badly damaged bricks may need to be replaced. The important part is knowing the difference before you fire again. A kiln is not supposed to look perfect forever. […]
Category Archives: Equipment Guides
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Sep
Sep
Kiln wash is one of the cheapest things you can put in a pottery studio, but it protects one of the more expensive pieces of kiln furniture you own: your kiln shelves. Its main job is simple. If glaze runs off a pot during firing, kiln wash creates a refractory barrier between the glaze and […]
23
Sep
Sep
Kiln shelf spacing looks like a small detail until you start getting uneven firing, crowded shelves, tall pieces that will not fit, or pottery sitting too close to the elements. The basic idea is simple: kiln shelves are separated by refractory posts, and the height of those posts determines how much vertical space each firing […]
23
Sep
Sep
Choosing the right pottery kiln size comes down to three things: the size of your work, how much pottery you fire at once, and how often you fire. Buy too small and you may spend your time running half-empty firing cycles because your work no longer fits. Buy too large and you can end up […]
Slab roller vs rolling pin is not really a question of which tool makes better pottery. Both can produce good slabs. The real difference is how much clay you process, how consistent your slabs need to be, how often you make them, and whether the cost of a slab roller is justified by your workflow. […]
The best pottery wheel for large pottery needs more than a powerful motor on paper. When you start throwing 10, 20, 30 pounds of clay or more, torque, stability, wheelhead size, pedal response, and motor performance under load become much more important. A wheel that feels excellent with three pounds of clay can behave very […]
The best pottery wheel for left handed potters does not need to be a completely different machine from the one used by right-handed potters. The most important feature is usually reversible wheel rotation, followed by comfortable controls, smooth speed adjustment, adequate torque, and a setup that allows you to throw naturally. Many left-handed potters can […]
The best pottery wheel for small studio spaces is not necessarily the smallest wheel you can buy. In a compact studio, the right machine needs to balance footprint, stability, throwing capacity, noise, storage, cleanup, and the amount of clay you actually work with. A wheel that saves 12 inches of floor space but struggles under […]
Best pottery kiln for cone 6 firing depends on more than whether a kiln can technically reach the temperature. For most potters, the important questions are chamber size, electrical requirements, controller quality, element capacity, insulation, firing frequency, and how much room the kiln gives you as your studio grows. For Cone 6 stoneware, an electric […]
Buying a used Skutt kiln can save you thousands of dollars—but it can also become one of the most expensive mistakes you’ll make if you don’t know what to inspect. Some used Skutt kilns continue producing beautiful pottery for decades with only routine maintenance, while others require costly repairs almost immediately after purchase. The good news is […]