6 replies to this topic

[PANDA]

I am creating some odd shaped items and none of the commercial stilts are working for me.
I also have made some long hanging curls to use for wind chimes and need something about 8 to 10 inches high to hang them from
I am thinking of useing some long nails in a very tall cone to hang them from to fire them, will this work?

[Marcia Selsor]

I have seen potters make their own stilts in Spain. They used only clay, three legs radiating out with clay pointy shapes on the top and bottom at the ends.
I have also seen them use cylinders with triangular holes in the walls repeated up the side. They insert handmade clay pegs with points aiming upward. These are plate setters. Three cylinders per set. I believe I saw this in Mula, Spain in the SE part of the country.

[PANDA]

THANK YOU , THANK YOU, THANK YOU!
I CAN'T WAIT TO GO TO MY STUDIO AND MAKE SOME STILTS!
PANDA

[JLowes]

Would a couple of fire bricks with a support between them work for you? The standard brick is 9 inches long.

John Lowes
Sandy Springs, GA

[Icyone2]

I had to use special stilt pins when making my stilts. Softer metal (nails etc) will just melt and bend (even some of the thinner stilt pins do under weight too) .

I found mine on ebay way back when I did it. I even got some 6" ones I use for small t-pot lids and such. I just drilled a hole in a shelf post and set them in.

If you google stilts there are a lot of results

[JBaymore]

Use a good refractory clay body (relative to your firing range) to make the clay base of the "stilt". For the upright "pins" get a small supply of straight Kanthal wire (the stuff used for electric kiln elements) from your supplier. Cut it into shot lengths with diagonal cutters and insert the short wires into the clay bases.

You can also insert the metal pins into a soft insulating firebrick, but be aware that a large solid thermal mass in close proximity to the base of the piece may cause a differential in heat work on the piece in question......particularly if you fire a fast cycle.

best,

..................john

[Seasoned Warrior]

Nichrome wire also holds up well to firing temperatures as inserts in the clay. I have some stilts that are very old and they still function well.