Babs

In first post of the topic, Mark. Looks like been used for pottery re surface of bottom shelf... bisque kiln?

Or prhaps you would put stilts at the points where the half shelves stilts are to sit above this level but may cause more problems later...

How are you stilting the full bottom ahelf given the half shelves will need different positioning?

Do you sit platters across half shelves with success, asking as I get older and older and full shelves heavier and heavier..

You can get small digital pyrometers, hand held devices, not very expensive in the scheme of things. I would install a timer set at about 1/2 hr post target cone drop. This is a backup, essentialimo, inxase the sitter bar doesn't drop for some reason. Long time potters, eg @Pres can guage the temp according to colour if kiln interior but until colour shows you're in the dark. :-))

Search Joseph Fireborn on these forums , Gallery and elsewhere, he posted some great pots using an electric kiln as have many, many others. I suggest getting to know a potter who uses gas and spend time in their studio. John Britt has extensive material online showing and teaching the effects possible in an electric kiln at C6 Still missing my gas kiln here after many years though....

Are you brushing, spraying or dipping your glazes? Are you waxing the bottom? Damp piece of short pile carpet is effective to rotate the pot on, or used as a batt.

Cone 06 glaze for your clay will mean it will be quite porous ware. Can you get a majolica glaze recipe maturing at C 1?

Ah I remember you posting abiut that process.

That is a pretty low bisque...250°c/hr ìs very aggressive, what type of kiln is it? What clay body? I thought cone017 was for enamel work..

Now sounding like, in my brain, " what's on your table" topic at start of Covid lockdowns. Amazing bread, Neil. Wouldn't last long around here

Not knowing the clay you use, or the kiln, here's my bisque in °C. And, Callie the expert, so listen to her. If bisqueware dry and of good thickness i.e not thick sculpted pieces 50°C / hr to 100°C 100°C/hr to 600°C 150°C/hr to 1000°C Soak for 10 minutes. Target is C06. I pack bottom shelf with taller stuff, rest of kiln is tumble packed. Soak at end for me is to allow kiln temp to even out and tumble stacked ware to get to the cone target. Seems brutal but works

Ammonia can give a " urine" smell. Vetter friend up with those in the neighvourhood to see if others affected and over what area. WonderIng what was on this site before "developed".

Cobalt being v expensive I wonder if your glaze could handle less. 2% seems a high amount of cobalt oxide.

Covalt oxide or cobalt csrbonate? Photo of glaze and recipe will help folk answer. I would not use chrome on inside of functional ware. Lots of folk use liner glazes because of ingredients. Havent heard of folk worrying about Zinc Oxide. Wearing gloves and proper mask would protect you when mixing glazes and applying glazes.

250°C way too fast! I'd go 150°c / hr to about 80° below shut down then slow down to 80° C / hr to target temp. The lower target and soak at end you write about is prob more economic fuel wise and kinder on your kiln, some glazes will love it too.

Lots of glazes can handle not being soaked but like a slower heat increase towards target temp. Let us know how you get on. Exciting!

Point 2 and 4 in the red font manual above tells you that. 2 says to put the toggle either way but point 4 states make sure it is on cut off or it will soak, maintain target temp for ever! Reads like you can put it to soak at end when you are there to witness close to end of firing. Don't trust the cut off .

Ok, if clay is rated to cone02, then a subsequent glaze and fire to C06 to suit the glazes could mean a difficult beast to get a layer of glaze to adhere to? Don't know the glazes or the clay or tge method of glazes so assumption on my part, sorry.

My point was, given Min's info on clay, at a bisque to C03, your clay would be not very porous do would not take up much glaze if dipped,

Not knowing kiln you , and being a find out scenario, put it on cut off pos0ition . This,I think, would mean the kiln shuts off on reaching set temp. You MAY be able to switch to soak at that time because if no timer to set length of soak,you'd have to be there to shut off kiln at the time you want to soak for. Hope that is logical? Still look for a manual, must be around, post some images in this forum, folk have lots of info. I am only giving you the " usual" procedures. Kiln experts will give you exact for your kiln and the way it should ve linked to your electri uty supply for a kiln that size.

Have you fired a kiln before? Is it connected yet? If so you need to look at the firing ramps suggested in this forum or in books/ online. Get a book to use as a firing log booki'd put shelves etc in. Turn kiln on Set temp to ,say 1000°C or equivalent F. Set energy regulator, say, 20% Put toggle on cut off Note after 1hr the temp, (has your kiln got a pyrometer?) NOTE ON LOG BOOK You're aimIng for about 100deg C till about 600drgC Adjust the energy level to medium and so on till reach top temp noting temp reached every hour. Gives you a guide. May need to invest in a seperate cut off timer if one not installed and set that to about 1/2 hr after expected length of firing... Anyone aroubd who is a potter, dad's friends?

Looks like from Min's post that tge pinholes whete thicker in the texture indens. Maybe you're applying too thick also. C 03 bisque would say to mre that you wont be able to glaze too thickly :-))

Dampen every surface, lessen risk of cracking. Read of sone one who dunks pot in bucket of water then puts in damp box with wet sponge in tgere too for a couple of days.... not tried by me but tempted when my wheel work gets a bit dry to turn, usually I turn to chattering

Call a plumber, could be pipes cracking. Hss there been flooding or drought in your area. Used to be a " cabbage" smell added to gas to alert folk of leakage