GEP

My suggestion is to use paper clay. Paper clay will allow you to make much thinner walls that don’t fall apart. Plus the small voids left behind when the paper is burned off in the firing will help make the fixture translucent.

@allenc27 What is the make and model of your kiln? I’ve honestly never heard of a combination electric/gas kiln for pottery. Someone can correct me if I’m wrong. My understanding is that a reduction atmosphere would be too corrosive for electric elements, unless you have very heavy duty elements which are generally considered too cost prohibitive for pottery kilns. Also, if your kiln is meant to burn gas, it should not be inside your house.

@motox you might want to try oil-based clay, otherwise known as “modeling clay.” Rather than air-dry clay or the water-based clays that need to be fired. Oil-based clay is used by sculptors. It doesn’t dry or shrink. It hardens when exposed to air or when it gets cold, but it can always be softened up again by warming it, I don’t know much about making fairing models, but the car industry still sculpts car models using oil-based clay.

I recently developed a need for a pincushion. I started shopping for one, and found that all of the ones you can buy either look like they are not very functional, or they are way too cutesy for me. Then I remembered that @Mark C. had posted his pincushion design with instructions on the forum. I searched the forum and found this thread. Now I have a new pincushion that is very functional and suits my tastes. All of the materials were already in my house, so it was free too. Thank you, Mark!!

Ok, my next questions are, what is your experience level at making pots? And how long have you used this particular glaze? Glazing is a skill that takes a lot of practice. Even those of us with a lot of experience know that when we start using a new glaze, it takes a while to figure out the best way to apply it. You are brushing on a commercial glaze, which indicates you might be a beginner potter. (nothing wrong with that ... we all started as beginners!) Brushing is the most inconsistent technique for applying glazes, because it's hard to gauge how thick you have actually applied it. I think what's happening to your pots is that the glaze on the inside is much thicker than on the outside. Even if you brushed on the same number of layers inside and out, trying adding another layer or two to the outside.

When you say “glaze layers,” how was the glaze applied? Poured, dipped, brushed, sprayed?

Smithsonian Craft Show. 20 years ago I thought it was an impossible goal. 20 years from now, I'll be thinking "I can't believe that really happened."

This is another area worth exploring. Overfiring some glaze/clay combinations by just a little can cause pinholes. I developed a pinholing problem when I switched claybodies years ago, The glaze worked fine on my old claybody, but pinholed on the new one. I tried a bunch of possible fixes, and the answer turned out to be to lower my firing temp from cone 6 to cone 5.75.

I agree that this is probably not a venting issue. And that I would like to see photos of your pinholes. Can you post some photos?

I have a Miele vacuum, and use their bags and filters,

I vacuum my studio once a year, during my big studio cleaning week. I use a vacuum with a Hepa filter bag, and wear a respirator while I’m vacuuming. Even if the bag isn’t full, I throw it away when I'm done, Then I leave the studio and don’t come back for at least 24 hours. I vacuum the floor and every horizontal surface, including the tops of the radiator pipes that run across the ceiling. There will be a fine layer of dust on everything. Without a vacuum I would not get things as dust free. After vacuuming I will wet mop the floor. The floor ends up much cleaner compared to not vacuuming first, because all the clay dust does not clog up the mop water.

@liambesaw have you tried a Ruling Pen?

I loved the glass blower show on Netflix! It’s called “Blown Away” for anyone who wants to watch it.

These hole cutters will cut square or rectangular holes, one corner at a time. The smallest one is 2 cm. I have this set. They take a little practice, but do work well. https://chineseclayart.com/Store/ProductVariant?pf_id=8

@liambesaw, the way I see it, it’s much better to start out with low prices, and raise them if the pots are flying off the shelf. Compared to starting out with overpriced pots, and having to lower the prices. Especially at a recurring market like a farmers market, where the same customers are going to see the evolution of your prices. Also, don’t let others pressure you into raising your prices. Especially from across the internet. We don’t know the area where you’re selling. Every location has different market forces. Base your pricing decisions on how fast your pots are selling. From across the internet, I can’t judge the weight and balance of your pots. But from what I can see, your pots are very attractive and of good craftsmanship. So present them with a sense of respect, not like bargain fodder. Which is related, but not specifically the same thing, as the number on the price tag. This market is a good choice for your first attempt at fair selling, due to its low booth fee. You can continue to do it this summer for the experience, but I would also start looking for something that is a step up. Where you won’t be selling pots next to snake oil.