Chilly

I never put them in. On both top loader and front loader.

It's not expansion of air that causes explosions. It's expansion of water.

Absolutely. Too cold/damp in winter. Too hot/bright in summer. But then my studio is in a greenhouse. I make do as best I can. I have insulating mats on the floor. I wear rubber gloves most of the time while hand-building and always while glazing. Last summer I put a gazebo up in front of the greenhouse to provide shade and worked outside.

I thought you were slowing down ????????

1. Greenhouse where the pottery started to take over. 2. Electronic controller for third-hand manual kiln.

I don't throw. I stand for 99% of the time, moving around from this bench to that, finding a tool, stamping my feet to warm them in the winter. Moving in or out of the shade in summer. I sometimes sit when glazing, but not in my studio, only at the centre. I did sit last summer, but only because I put a low table under a gazebo to create shade when it was really bright.

In my early days, I read whatever I could get from the local library, or was available in the pottery room at the local community centre. Now, I'm more choosy, but most of my reading is this forum, and the rabbit holes (links) provided by everyone here.

I only slab build: If new/previously recycled clay is cold (8 months a year) I cut and drop on the concrete paving greenhouse floor to warm/wake it up. I do wedge recycled slurry as it comes off the plaster drying blocks. But only just, and small amounts. I do make new students wedge clay, straight out of the bag/recycled. It's good practice, as otherwise they are not aware of the feel of clay.

Wow @Pres, you posted this question 21 hours ago and no-one has yet replied...... For me, the answer has to be "both". I like ^6, but my little kiln doesn't. The one at the community centre likes ^6, but no-one else does, or needs ^6. So, for some purposes, ^04 is fine, the glazes are more plentiful (UK), they come in every colour including special effects. They suit the users at the community centre, and make my life as the advisor and firing tech much easier. But for mugs, outdoor pots, bonsai pots, casserole dishes, I still want ^6. Or higher and wood fired.

Can't comment much, except that when my Pottery Association offers a wood firing weekend, I sign up without hesitation.

Whole shelf on small posts. 1/2" or 1" - don't remember. I only have whole shelves - 13" diameter.

And here are the finished vases, not on the workbench, but on the hearth.

I made some pots a week or so ago and now they're dry. So today's task was to load and fire the kiln. Before that could happen, of course, I had to make space to roll the kiln out from under the greenhouse staging, and into the middle of the floor. So I also had to move stuff away from the kiln, and from on top of the kiln. Also had to lift and store the anti-fatigue mats that keep my feet warm. Then had to sweep the floor. Silver birch seeds get everywhere!

Sticking dry clay "chips" back on Eating/drinking in the studio Finessing after I've removed my apron

What @Hulk said! Front/thicker pot is probably underfired.

This week's effort: Somewhere in there is a matching set of 4, to replace the set that are too friendly with gravity!

I do this too. If not in a hurry, spray, stack and wrap in a damp towel, then in plastic.Wait 24 hours. If in a hurry, I slam wedge - stack, drop onto floor, squat, pick up, cut in half (like a sandwich), stack, drop, squat............. Do that 20 times and it really evens out the moisture. If you drop onto a piece of plastic, you can grab the side edge of the plastic and roll the clay into the other hand.

Cut off top of a plastic bottle. Cut the bottom off a funnel. Yoghurt pot. Flower pot. Blah blah blah