JohnnyK

Have you checked to see if you are missing a dog or cat or pet hamster? There's a good probability that you are not going to die...was there any kind of residue in the kiln when you opened it up...or have you even opened it up yet?

Like Tarheeler above, I'm a craftsman, tradesman, artisan, potter...farmer, photographer, plumber, electrician, carpenter, painter... and on a number of occasions I've been dubbed "Renaissance Man"...I can go with any of them or all of them...and now that I'm "retired" I can be any of them or all of them...whatever floats your boat...

Have you thought of using fiberglass, resin and Bondo (body filler)? I rebuilt a riding lawn mower motor housing using body filler and window screen wire. You might also consider plaster to make the mold for the fairing for your motorbike...

The black speckles on the brown could also be something as simple as dipping a stiff brush in a black glaze and spattering it over the brown. I've used this technique before on some of my work. It takes some practice to get the spackle pattern right, but it is doable and nothing exotic...

I think it would be better to bring the bat with you to see if the pin fits, then there will be no question about the fit and could save multiple trips to the store...

Since there are no cracks in the plaster, spray it down with some bleach which should wipe out the mold. wait a couple of minutes to see what happens to the mold. Wipe the plaster with some clean water to remove some of the residue. If the mold persists, spray with bleach again. Wear rubber gloves and some old clothes for this process so you don't ruin good clothes if you happen to get bleach on them. Wipe with a damp cloth and let the plaster dry. If you want a smooth surface, sand it wearing a mask. The surface has to be dry otherwise the plaster will clog your sandpaper more than it normally would. You might take a heat gun or a fan to the plaster to assure its dryness. JK

I tend to agree with LT in this case that the effect is more due to washing the lines, probably after they are somewhat dry to get the watercolor effect of the underglaze bleeding...

An electric motor repair shop should be able to replace the bearings without too much difficulty. It would be a heck of a lot cheaper than a new motor...

The way I see it, Shelly, one of three things may happen. 1: nothing, the piece will be fine. 2: the glaze will melt and the expanding air in the piece will blow it out of the hole, venting the piece. 3: the piece will explode. If the piece is that important to you , I would guess as to the place you think the hole might be and clean the glaze off to reveal the hole, put a toothpick or whatever fits in the hole, reglaze, unplug the hole and fire. How are you supporting the piece to keep the glaze off the kiln shelf when you fire it?

For those who might be interested...Where are you located?

It does sound like the clay is too soft to effectively hold in place without distortion, particularly since you are gripping at 2/3 up. If you are just basically trimming the bottom of the mug, you might consider installing the handles if they don't rise above the rim of the cup. As you said, the timing is critical...use Pres's suggestions above... JohnnyK