Babs

I read that you are in a very frustrating position in life. So instead of slamming Simon Leach, let's focus on the positive. What videos do you recommend? Take care.

Oh right! thanks Neil, I never did, or had to??? Touch the plate, I mean. Too late for me but there you go, @suz davis

Yes the timer has to be seperate from sitter . Cuts the electricity to kiln after a set number of hours. I used to set mine 1/2 hr aftr my estimated firing time ended, in case I slept etc. Nursing a sitter, the only way.

@glazenerd Have you worked on this? Thanks.

It is usual to adjust on the rod which passes from outside to inside of kiln and sits on top of the cone, not the plate. There is a thingie, guage, you can get which will hold that pin and cone support in correct position for adusting to. If plate is dropping too soon, it may be that that rod is worn on the kiln side. Adjustment by moving the "peg " along the rod, towards kiln body, to allow the plate to sit more vertically and thus drop later has to be done with caution as if too vertical it may not drop and so kiln stays on... Have you got a cut off timer seperate from the kilnsitter?

@Dani dowling A re you damp wiping your pots to get rid of dust prior to glazing? Are youR hands oil free? Are you measuring temp/ cone your kiln is reaching with cones? Is this happening all over your kiln shelves, every firing or what? Cone 08 is way low for a bisque or a glaze firing. What cone are your glazes maturing at? Dull unshiny glazes often means required maturation cone not reached. What is your firing schedule? Start making a log book recording your firings and results. Exciting, eh?

You can make your dark rutile light by putting it through a bisque firing , I think. Just need to burn out a few gremlins.

You would sell the pots with frog attached with the F. Clay? Just thinking of doing a batch. Not sure, seems lots of " individual" frogs out there.

"Haven't got time to write you a short letter, so I'll write you a long one" The OP often wants just a yes, personally I like to receive and read the reasons why, and poss results etc. Have learned so much from others questions and answers given. The only short answer..."It depends" Such openness and generosity are amazing @Mark C. such irony!

@Bill KielbThanks Bill. Sounds good stuff for local Com Gallery too. @Min thanks. Takes the drying process of different thicknesses off the page prior to firing.

What does this product do? Wax??? Non slip? Will look for equiv in Aus.

Do those who make shallow pots for flower arrangements attach the frogs or are they loose in pot?

Post images so folk can see what you are writing about. Same effect throughout kiln? Same clay body ? Other glazes ok? Reds and greens...underglazes or reduction firing? Same glaze batches?

Yes, I havemade small terracotta pots for a eucalyptus distilery for 30 plus years. Local folk, also do small slipware bowls and trinket plates with euc leaf design Easy and nearby. Pocket money

When are you opening the kiln? Looks like dunting. Waster slabswill help with this too. A photo of the profile of broken piece would help re thicknesses of pieces

If ongoing, why not build a couple of saggers from clay?

If beginning, I'd go to local library and borrow until I was a bit down the road. Emmanuel Cooper Kenneth Clark John Colbeck Peter cosentino

Sounds exciting indeed.

Electric or gas?

A streamlined setup! Wonde how manyvtonnes of clay you have transformed since starting out. Better add writing the book pnto that list.

@Callie Beller Diesel does this. She may reply here. Slipware artists do this all the time. Slip and body shrinkage has to ve compatible and applied to work at a certain dryness, but all doable.

I use a fan brush for majoica, dry on dry almost, bt hve to play. Waxresist can be quite thick, not runny like v hot wax..

Another thought is you run a dry straggly brush loaded with wax lightly across the top of your saucer, thus screening the high bits from the wash when you then apply the underglaze, or stain to your piece. The high points, well most, would be coated with wax resist, the wash would be taken up by the low bits only??? Maybe, i e like dry on dry watercolour technique, or masking with a stiff sparse brush...

Right so a visible saucer does need the attention you are giving it. Your glaze is very opaque and does not move? Your glazed pot could be sintered, then stain aplied and wiped. If glazr is very opaque, underglazing won't work, you'll ned an onglaze technique. Could try adding low temp frit to the onglaze stain to add to its flow and melt and thus it will pool

Perhaps photos will help solve ,help this. Just how much of the saucer will be visible? A pedestal style may take less away from the moonjar. Low fired saucer will weep onto whatever surface it is placed on. Avoid the Frenchpolished Grand piano.