Rae Reich

@HenryBurlingame I own 8  of the 1/3 hp models and 1 of the 1/2hp models. I cannot tell the difference unless I have something really, really, really big on the wheel. I've centered 25 pounds on the 1/3hp models just fine. They can handle anything a Brent CXC can handle because they have a ton of torque despite the lower hp rating.
As for the controllers, there are 5 or 6 different adjustments that can be made in the Skutt controller, such as IR Comp, top speed, low speed and a couple others, so you can dial in the pedal exactly how you want it. If you like IR Comp then you can turn it up. It's there, they just turn it off at the factory. Brent only has top and bottom speed. The Skutt pedal also has a much longer travel, which gives you better control. Skutt parts will be cheaper, although you shouldn't need any parts for either brand for a long, long time. I don't know what changes they made with the new Red line, but they still offer the SSX drive, so it doesn't sound like they changed much.

I only use Brent wheels -I have a model A (1/3hp) for trimming and Model B (1/3 hp) and a model C 1/2hp to thrpw and a CXC for throwing .They use IR and I like it. I cannot imangine not having it. I have demonstrated on a whisper shimpo and it was super quiet but I could stall it with medium size clay and a load on it. I would never as a pro have one. Its a great beginner or lite use demo wheel.  I'm a brent fan and yes they make noise but its never been an issue as I like music and hear it fine and can talk just fine while throwing. I have zero red skutt experience.
 

HP rating are not all the same -that said 1/2hp is usually enough for all size pots one could ever what to make. The 1/3 hp is a bit weak for larger work

You have to use 4 posts under the full shelf so they line up with the half shelf posts. This is the problem. With 4 posts there's a good chance the shelf will rock, leaving one post not making contact and putting a lot of stress on the shelf there, resulting in cracking or warping. I really don't understand using a full shelf on the bottom and the rest half, but it's the way many people think it should be done. There's no benefit to having a full shelf on the bottom.

I like a full shelve on bottom in an electric supported at all stilt point off floor . With advancers  you have two options one is kilnshelve.com the other is Bailey ceramics which are the same as advancers but usually  alot cheaper. I have over 50 advancers in my gas kilns (selling 24 extra of these now on potters web) these are all 12x 24. I started testing Bailey Germany made advancers (not called that) years ago ands they are the exact same shelve only the corners are more rounded. I bought last fall 20 14x 28 from Bailey (about 7k) and have fired them  in 13 glaze fires to cone 11 and as the others are super flat -thin and pay for themselves in space right away. Consider them the same as any advancer. The deal with any of these shelves is the shipping pack up charges as that can add 30% to cost. Bailey came out way cheaper on that as well.

I have a full shelf on the bottom, but use half shelves after that.  I fire a lot of plates and platters, I have had no problems spanning the half shelves.  I appreciate the flexibility with the half shelves.  As well as being able to easily heft them into the kiln.
I use kiln washed cookies for my porcelain.

Yes, you just have to make sure they're sitting evenly. A waster slab across the joint is also helpful.

I prefer half shelves. More flexibility, easier loading, and half shelves tend to last longer. Posting gets awkward when using both full and half, because you end up having to use 4 posts on a  full shelf and they don't always sit evenly, which puts a lot of stress on them.

So how about a few full shelves and a few half shelves? That should give you the flexibility you may need or want...

I have one purchased set of half shelves,  eventually your full shelves  break in half.   I use them as half shelves,  I always end with steadier stack when I use full shelves.   Two half shelves cost more than one full shelf.  Denice

Great question, and as you see, there are reasons for different answers.  I dip all of my test tiles, so the are the same on both sides. Then I use small shot glass type testers to see if the glazes interact with each other in weird ways. . . . why the shot glasses?  Easy to throw off the hump, simulate a pot form and allows me to test inside and outside combinations. Finally if there are any weird interactions from different glazes that may cause the pot to crack, craze, shever or anything else, the shot glass shape is more stable and will keep the glaze from doing too much to the kiln. Lots of them can be fired as extras in any load.
 
best,
Pres

I haven't seen that, and would be interested if you have a ref.
But I have seen occasional references to needing to let the pot dry sufficiently between glazing one surface and the other.
... this seems to be more of an issue with dipped glazes than painted ones.

Yes, mostly ought to be fine. One color can influence another a bit I suppose on occasion but folks use liner glazes different than their exterior glaze all the time. Folks often dip their tiles … 3 second, 5 second dip …. 1 coat, 2 coats. So using test tiles and brush applying each side has its drawbacks.
With respect to glazing the outside and not the inside or Vice versa this can create an unbalanced stress in the clay as the glaze often squeezes the clay so to speak. This tiny bit of compression can increase the strength of the ware significantly. So one side glazed and the other not can cause unequal stress in the ware. End result - more fragile ware occasionally breaking suddenly when someone puts hot coffee in a cold mug for instance. Fully glazed well matched - glaze and clay- generally enhances the durability of the ware.

That link only reveals what has been in my cart. Not sure it is working as intended. With respect to. Safe products you can buy food grade epoxy.

It might just be as simple as thinning down the underglaze with water and applying 2-3 coats to get the opacity of colour you are looking for. If underglaze is applied too thick it can definitely lift from the clay. 
What works for me is putting the first coat on fairly thin then when that layer is dry I apply another 2 coats to get an opaque coverage. I mostly use Spectrum underglazes but have also used Crysanthos, Velvets, Speedball, LUGs and homemade underglazes.  The only time I don't water an underglaze down is when doing an underglaze transfer.
 

Shivering is generally considered a clay body problem, the exception being one glaze out of many that shivers while the rest fit.
With slip (the added kaolin is not helping), underglaze, and glaze, you’re working on making four things play nice. If you’ve dropped the slip, you've narrowed it down.
The application and gum are unlikely to be the source or solution of your problem. Adhesion at room temperature counts for very little in this equation. It’s the clay bodies. Wildly different coefficients of expansion from either the glazes or the underglazes. Continue eliminating variables, you’ll solve it. 

just remember that the "chemicals" are ground rocks of differing kinds.   rocks are found in even hotter places than NC.

Hi and welcome!
Not a silly question at all. The good news is, hot won’t affect materials, but humidity might make a few things like soda ash or dolomite clump. Anything that is prone to this can be dried out on a baking sheet at about 175 F in a kiln or oven if it’s a nuisance. 

If you are firing in the cone 10 range and these clay items are just sculpture then Laguna's WSO is the most forgiving clay I have ever found.I feel Bmix with grog is not your best sculpture clay no matter what temp range-get a more loose body
It's more like a cement feel than clay and very tough to crack. I made a 3 foot wall fish from it and it came out fine spanning 3 -12x24 kilns shelves on a waster slab

Are you certain the cracking is clay related, or is it process related?
 
best,
Pres

helena, i noticed that you referred to several cones beginning with zero.  are you working with stoneware or porcelain?    do you have access to a chart that tells you the temperature associated with those cone numbers?   i ask because so many people have been confused and think a higher number following the zero is hotter than the lower numbers.  there are some earthenware clays that are bisqued to 06 and fired to 06 but stoneware finishes much hotter because of its higher density.
the numbers read from  high (cool)  numbers upward to zero and single digits upward toward very high (hot).   my stoneware is mature at cone 6 and i bisque at cone 04 to burn out impurities, the temps are approximately 2240 for cone 6 and about 1850 for bisque 04.   (books out in the studio with accurate #s.)

just FYI, slip made from the same clay as the body of the pieces you make works very well while the piece is still damp from forming.   clay slip soaks into the clay body then but it cannot do that once the piece has dried.
if you read the labels you will find that stroke & coat is a glaze, not an underglaze.
 

Min has a great point especially if it does not perform well. It’s hard to change the weight of the glaze that way, unless ….. it’s not stirred really well. So if you are just skimming water off the top when measuring, make sure it is mixed well and not a whole bunch of ingredients are at the bottom of the bucket.

If the SG was 1.36 to start with but seems thinner now it's probably just because some of the solubles in the glaze deflocculating it.

Most glazes thicken over time if the water is allowed to evaporate. My thought is this was mixed with a lower specific gravity at some point. You could allow this to evaporate to get to a preferred SG. It’s a commercial glaze so no way to know what is in it and if it likely will perform as expected without testing once restored to your preferred SG