oldlady

Re wax, I still use melted wax for most pieces. A bit of damp carpet, in shallow plastic container, placed next to the warm wax pan , tip from @oldlady,  is used to wipe any glaze goobs from bottom of pot

gosh, i just read all these posts and mine again.   realized that what i said did not include this line  "i do find flaws, maybe one in two or three firings"  those are the ones i was talking about.  the original post sounded like they happen every day.  not so.

Thanks for the comments. I bisque at 04 and glaze fire at cone 5 holding for 5 minutes. I will try keeping the rim a little thicker. I pull my handles and let then dry for about an hour before attaching to the pot. Probably my biggest problem was not keep the lid in place while attaching the spout and handle. Here are some examples of my teapots.

contact similar businesses in other cities to ask what you need to know.   other cities so you do not irritate the competition where you live. 
those businesses had the same questions you do so they should be helpful.   first ask if you can make an appointment to speak to them by phone at their convenience.  plan your questions in advance and have a space to write an answer so you can refer to the replies later.

I will use my Business as an example.
I never listed it with google but if you type in Liscom Hill Pottery in google up pops about 5-6 solid pages of hits about myself or pottery or what I have done in the past with shops and shows and the like. On the right hand side of the 1st page is a sidebar about my location and some reviews . In that sidebar one is called (suggestions or do you own this business) and thats where you can make some edits on what type of busines it is and hours if you like ( I do not want customers coming here so I did that edit to discourage folks) I have some reviews as well and there is a place you can edit that as well
Since I have been here  in this location for 50 years this coming May google found out about me somehow as its common knowledge in these parts -and some customers (which came  to buy pottery via a phone call to come over wrote reviews thinking this would help me ) I do not have many folks here anymore  for sales in the past decade as I really do not want to have the public here anymore.
I still get calls wanting clay materials or pots as folks never read much anymore and just call thinking I'm a store.
I did have  had 19 straight years of  two studio sales  a year at this location but stopped in 1992 before the google world took over. I sent out 1,000 postcards on a mailing list and before that I had a bulk mail permit for a single page mailer when that was cheaper . I stopped taking customers info in the 90s as I do not need to business wise. 

contact similar businesses in other cities to ask what you need to know.   other cities so you do not irritate the competition where you live. 
those businesses had the same questions you do so they should be helpful.   first ask if you can make an appointment to speak to them by phone at their convenience.  plan your questions in advance and have a space to write an answer so you can refer to the replies later.

i have sold things with very minimum flaws, reducing the price if it is one of several standard shapes and sizes.  there is always a label next to the flaw with an arrow pointing out a less than half inch crack that does not go through or a small blister that did not heal if it is not in a critical area.     if it is a $22 butter dish and has anything i can see, it gets a flaw notice and a price of $19.  they always go.  
anything worse meets mr hammer or goes into my kitchen.

Ok I showed up at noon and others where walking thru house buying up stuff. Looks like a small amount of my work had sold . . But the tables where still stuffed.I told the fellow for me its all or nothing deal. I made a quik  rough list and  and down sized my offer to 450 $ cash. I said I have the boxes and paper and will take only my work as there was other ceramics mixed in especailly on the floor under tables (not in the photos)He took the offer which is about 16 mugs for me sales wise these days. I boxed it into 6 Banana boxes  full and dollyed it out feeling great. The womans sister spoke to me and said the lady (her sister) had a stroke and was in full time care now in North Caralina.I said she had the most work of any customer I ever knew  of and gave her my card to thank the sister . I have never met here as 99% of all the work was from a few outlets and they all had the price labels and cards inside of them. Not my own show price labels but those of my Eureka outlets. The largest amout of stuff was from a co-op organic market I pulled out of a year ago as I am slowing it down with a plan. I put a care and feeding tag in every pot  then and all those where still in every pot. Now I have a nearly a 35 cubic feet whole  kiln worth of new old stock. Its insane really. In my 50 years I never in my dreams would expect this to happen. I'm selling the stock twice this time without having to make or glaze or fire it.  Of couse prices have risen since I sold this  originally so I'm really ahead . I'm making 4 dinner plates for the friend who sent me the info last night. She really came thru for me.
There where two tables of pots  like the one photo  as well as a bunch on the floor
Just when you think you have seen or heard it all   -boom something new surfaces .

So last night I got a message on facebook from a fellow Board member (art show board)
Seems a hoarder with money passed away and their is an estate sale this weekend. The photos show a few huge tables of packed to the gills with my work as well as a large floor area . The Estate guy was posting lots of photos of tons of collected stuff  as this women had  passed away and collected huge volumes of work . I called him an hour after the post went up to ask whats the deal. He said he was in a huge time crunch to emepty the house . He was not autioning it but hoping to sell it piece by piece ,nothing is priced. I let him know i made all that pottery . Looks to be about 8-12 boxes full. I said if the price was right I'll take it all. He siad any reasonable offer he would take. Now In all my ceramics life I =have never bought my work back from anyone. The pots look all new and not used as there was too much volume to use -she was collecting not using. He said since you are the maker how about coming a day early and see what you want so today at noon I'm going. My plan is buy it for about 25%of retail tops. . Then just put it into my inventory . I have a pile of cash to sweeten the deal. Tbis may all go south today just as easy so its far from a done deal but its one heck of a strange deal. The forms are glasses ,mugs and bowls of all sizes from stacks of large serving to cereal bowls. I can see few pots that are not mine (not interested in) in the mix as well. I'll post the outcome.
This is the most work of any one single customer by far and it looks like it was mostly bought at my gallery outlets.I can tell by the colors (some now discontinued) and color combos of when the work was made. I had no idea anyone custiomer pould ever own this much stuff from me. I'm hoping I may have known her as well. we shall see today-its a strange world out there.

you might look for a totally different job, starting today.   and report the business to whatever health organization controls such places.   you do not want the next person to be affected by this ridiculously wrong ignorance.    the employers need to be stopped.

you might look for a totally different job, starting today.   and report the business to whatever health organization controls such places.   you do not want the next person to be affected by this ridiculously wrong ignorance.    the employers need to be stopped.

we have some kiln experts here but they would like to see photos of the kiln and thermocouples and anything else that might be printed on the label.   i have never heard of that brand name and wonder if anyone else has.   the more info you give, the better the answer.

our guild holiday show was last weekend, the saturday and sunday after thanksgiving.  we set our stuff up early on saturday instead of friday as in the past.  started at 7, all of a sudden there were strangers all over the place.  i asked another potter where they came from and she said it is 10:15.  doors opened to the public at 10.   i left through a crowd.  got down the road a little way and realized my wallet was under the table so i returned.  
crowd at the front door, i went to the side and a customer let me in after a dozen of them pointed to the front door.   the crowd was thick and i had to squeeze through .   my purse was 10 feet away and i must have answered 10 questions before i reached it.  our customers mostly know what they see and what they want.  if not, they know that if they ask they will get a full discussion if they like.   and yet, there was some young girl who looked at my display while her mother asked a question.  the daughter's eyes opened at some point and she said  "you made all this by yourself?"   
i want to think she just realized she could do stuff on her own and her mother would let her.
 

our guild holiday show was last weekend, the saturday and sunday after thanksgiving.  we set our stuff up early on saturday instead of friday as in the past.  started at 7, all of a sudden there were strangers all over the place.  i asked another potter where they came from and she said it is 10:15.  doors opened to the public at 10.   i left through a crowd.  got down the road a little way and realized my wallet was under the table so i returned.  
crowd at the front door, i went to the side and a customer let me in after a dozen of them pointed to the front door.   the crowd was thick and i had to squeeze through .   my purse was 10 feet away and i must have answered 10 questions before i reached it.  our customers mostly know what they see and what they want.  if not, they know that if they ask they will get a full discussion if they like.   and yet, there was some young girl who looked at my display while her mother asked a question.  the daughter's eyes opened at some point and she said  "you made all this by yourself?"   
i want to think she just realized she could do stuff on her own and her mother would let her.
 

our guild holiday show was last weekend, the saturday and sunday after thanksgiving.  we set our stuff up early on saturday instead of friday as in the past.  started at 7, all of a sudden there were strangers all over the place.  i asked another potter where they came from and she said it is 10:15.  doors opened to the public at 10.   i left through a crowd.  got down the road a little way and realized my wallet was under the table so i returned.  
crowd at the front door, i went to the side and a customer let me in after a dozen of them pointed to the front door.   the crowd was thick and i had to squeeze through .   my purse was 10 feet away and i must have answered 10 questions before i reached it.  our customers mostly know what they see and what they want.  if not, they know that if they ask they will get a full discussion if they like.   and yet, there was some young girl who looked at my display while her mother asked a question.  the daughter's eyes opened at some point and she said  "you made all this by yourself?"   
i want to think she just realized she could do stuff on her own and her mother would let her.
 

you might look for a totally different job, starting today.   and report the business to whatever health organization controls such places.   you do not want the next person to be affected by this ridiculously wrong ignorance.    the employers need to be stopped.

you might look for a totally different job, starting today.   and report the business to whatever health organization controls such places.   you do not want the next person to be affected by this ridiculously wrong ignorance.    the employers need to be stopped.

so glad it will work!  my problem with that small space for lifting is that when i empty the kiln, i need the gloves that came with my kiln.  i think they are kevlar?  anyway, they make my fingers so fat that only the tips can reach under the shelf and lift it to the edge of the kiln.  rest a second or so, grab the shelf properly and pivot it into the stack of shelves.  yes, lee, i really would like advancers or some other brand of the same thing.   at 82 i am not sure i will be working for many years to come and their cost would not be an investment, just a price.
kswan, glad to know you cut the shelves you have easily.   one of these days when the 6 months of ignored housework is done, i will find the grinder and whatever disc cuts shelves.  power tools are wonderfully fast and i have only drilled into the palm of my hand once, years ago and cannot even find the scar now.

so glad it will work!  my problem with that small space for lifting is that when i empty the kiln, i need the gloves that came with my kiln.  i think they are kevlar?  anyway, they make my fingers so fat that only the tips can reach under the shelf and lift it to the edge of the kiln.  rest a second or so, grab the shelf properly and pivot it into the stack of shelves.  yes, lee, i really would like advancers or some other brand of the same thing.   at 82 i am not sure i will be working for many years to come and their cost would not be an investment, just a price.
kswan, glad to know you cut the shelves you have easily.   one of these days when the 6 months of ignored housework is done, i will find the grinder and whatever disc cuts shelves.  power tools are wonderfully fast and i have only drilled into the palm of my hand once, years ago and cannot even find the scar now.

I'm glad someone has answers about cutting a small part off a shelf. I have the same problem as @oldlady with my shelves fitting in my newer 3" brick kiln. My shelves are rounded, not octagonal, so I put my fingers on the shelf where the kiln bricks make a corner. It's a squeeze, but I can get them in and out.
My bigger problem is the square shelves I use as plate setters. I could get them two across in my old kiln. In my newer kiln, the corners almost touch the bricks. I just lopped off two corners to make it easier to fit them in! The other two corners can stay, since they are where I place the posts for the next plate shelf. Thanks to people who suggested using an angle grinder. We got one of those from a family friend who passed away, but I'd never used one before. I watched a bunch of videos, bundled myself in every bit of safety gear I own, and got the two corners cut off of all six shelves. I asked my husband to be nearby in case he had to rush me and a severed finger to the hospital, but I still have all my digits and limbs intact. 
 

what kind of decal are you looking for?   if it is a single use, you can use underglaze to paint a picture and do it on newsprint.   once the thing is dry, you just put it in place and wet the back.  Kim Kirchman who teaches at st petersburg college in florida does beautiful work that way.   if you look at one of my albums, the one with the red trumpet vines, i describe how she demonstrated the technique.  click on my avatar and look for albums.
i  just checked and found that the photos are gone, no numbering and i have no idea how to fix this, it takes a computer expert.

well gang, i just finished firing the last load (actually it was also the first load since may, i think)  and i found myself using 9 shelves, thick,  full rounds.  it helps that i put a permanent bottom shelf in at 2 inches above the kiln bottom.   added a thick piece of lumber to the floor in front of the kiln.   found the hardest part was controlling the lid going both up and down.   it leans slightly against a metal  "handicap bath bar" attached to the wall.    finding space for my fingers is very difficult  since the shelves were purchased for a 2 1/2 wall thickness.  this kiln has 3 inch walls so i want to find a way to slice a 3-4 inch off opposite sides of each shelf for finger space.  one shelf is damaged a little on one side and i use it for deep down there.
anybody know how i can remove just a few inches without breaking the shelf?  somewhere, i have one of those 4 inch circular grinders, will that do it?  it would be great if i could take a bird's mouth bite out of 3 of them to fit around the thermocouples.
 

just to be clear, if someone is going to print from newspaper PAPER, use a clean, never touched pad of paper not some printed stories already inked onto the paper by the newspaper presses.  that paper is called newsprint   BUT it has not been inked.

just to be clear, if someone is going to print from newspaper PAPER, use a clean, never touched pad of paper not some printed stories already inked onto the paper by the newspaper presses.  that paper is called newsprint   BUT it has not been inked.

Maybe stilts like this but missing the round sticks for the base with round holes?