neilestrick

Have you tried Standard 213? They call it a porcelain, but it's really not. It's basically a smooth white stoneware, similar to B-Mix. It throws and trims well, takes attachments well, and is quite white.

@midsomerjambo I've edited your post so the text is in post instead of an attachment.

I'd re-fiire them since you don't know how hot they got. The time does not control how long a firing takes to get to temp, it just shuts it down when it reaches 0. You'll need to do a firing with the timer set too long (like 14 hours), see how long it actually takes, and from then on set the timer about 1/2 hour longer than the expected firing time. It's just a backup in case the cone doesn't melt properly.

Speedball royal blue is a known problem, especially if thick. Their red does it, too. I use their other blues and reds instead.

No, you don't want this additional vent on the same duct line as the vent, as it will affect the draw of the kiln vent. The fan I linked to needs a 6" duct and the Envirovent needs a 4" duct, so if you wanted only one hole in the wall you could do a single 8" hole and use a Y duct that splits into a 6" and 4". Another option would be the 4" version of the vent, which would allow for a single 6" hole that splits into two 4" ducts. The 4" version has 1/2 the power of the 6" though.
The one I have in my shop is fairly quiet, but I don't know the actual db output. If you had a couple feet of flex duct between the motor and the hole that may help to dampen the noise.
Not plug the lid hole, but cover one of the holes in the cup under the kiln.  

No, you don't want this additional vent on the same duct line as the vent, as it will affect the draw of the kiln vent. The fan I linked to needs a 6" duct and the Envirovent needs a 4" duct, so if you wanted only one hole in the wall you could do a single 8" hole and use a Y duct that splits into a 6" and 4". Another option would be the 4" version of the vent, which would allow for a single 6" hole that splits into two 4" ducts. The 4" version has 1/2 the power of the 6" though.
The one I have in my shop is fairly quiet, but I don't know the actual db output. If you had a couple feet of flex duct between the motor and the hole that may help to dampen the noise.
Not plug the lid hole, but cover one of the holes in the cup under the kiln.  

@MochiFriendKilns the size of yours often seal better than bigger kilns, so the air flow can be restricted. My smaller kiln tended to smell a bunch, too. Before opening up the hole in the bottom, add another hole to the lid. If that doesn't help then add another small hole to the bottom rather than make it larger. That way you can plug it if there's a negative outcome from doing that. Another thing you can try is blocking one of the intake holes in the vent cup under the kiln so it will have more pull from the kiln.
All kilns will smell during wax burnout, around 500-800F degrees. It's unavoidable. There's just too much burning out for the downdraft to deal with.
One thing I've done for a couple of customers and in my own studio is to install a duct fan near the kiln, like THIS ONE. You would need to make a 6" hole through the wall for it and put a 6" cap on the outside just like a dryer vent. You can hang it near the kiln and connect it to the hole with a flexible duct. Keep the window cracked in the neighboring room for makeup air. At up 400cfm it'll help pull out any extra fumes and heat. Plus it's cheap.

@MochiFriendKilns the size of yours often seal better than bigger kilns, so the air flow can be restricted. My smaller kiln tended to smell a bunch, too. Before opening up the hole in the bottom, add another hole to the lid. If that doesn't help then add another small hole to the bottom rather than make it larger. That way you can plug it if there's a negative outcome from doing that. Another thing you can try is blocking one of the intake holes in the vent cup under the kiln so it will have more pull from the kiln.
All kilns will smell during wax burnout, around 500-800F degrees. It's unavoidable. There's just too much burning out for the downdraft to deal with.
One thing I've done for a couple of customers and in my own studio is to install a duct fan near the kiln, like THIS ONE. You would need to make a 6" hole through the wall for it and put a 6" cap on the outside just like a dryer vent. You can hang it near the kiln and connect it to the hole with a flexible duct. Keep the window cracked in the neighboring room for makeup air. At up 400cfm it'll help pull out any extra fumes and heat. Plus it's cheap.

Thanks. The angle and lighting of the photo was playing tricks on my eyes. I would say that the size of the ring is at least partially to blame. It's adding a lot of mass to the bottom so you have a wide thin platter with a thick area at the bottom. Clay prefers to be evenly thick throughout. There would be far less stress on the piece if the foot ring was much less bulky, like 1/4" to 3/8" thick. Also be sure you're attaching the ring when the slab and ring are at similar moisture level. It's also possible that the platter cracked or was at least stressed at the lip before it ever went into a kiln, and finally opened up in the glaze firing. But because the crack extends all the way into the foot ring it's probably because of the added mass there.

@Joe HUsually is the key word here. Most of the time they don't, but if your clear glaze is fluid enough it can cause them to bleed a bit, which is actually a really nice effect in some cases. Black seems to be the most likely to bleed, but blues can do it as well. I personally haven't really seen it happen in other colors, but there are a lot of variables at play.

No worse that any other forced air system. Follow basic cleaning guidelines (wet cleaning- mop, sponge, etc) and you shouldn't have anything to worry about.

It looks like your cone 6 firing got to about cone 7. Your 05 bisque firing was just slightly over fired, probably not enough to worry about. It's not uncommon for them to fire a little hot at the cone 6 range for some reason. I have to program my kiln to 2190F for cone 6 instead of 2232F. You have several options to dial it in:
1. Set a thermocouple offset. I wouldn't do this, though, because the bisque firing was pretty close to where it needs to be.
2. Set a cone offset for cone 6.
3. Do a custom program, setting the peak temp to whatever it needs to  be at to be accurate. I would start with it about 20-30 degrees below cone 6 (2232F). You can copy the firing schedule in your manual for most of the firing. Just be sure to set the last 200F degrees to a rate of 108F/hr.

Mug rims need to be rounded, and you should never sponge the rim or it will get rough (if you're using stoneware). The sponge removes the fine particles in the clay and exposes the larger particles. If you do have to sponge it, go back over it with your finger and a tiny bit of water. Also make sure the lip has a good glaze layer. A thin rim is more comfortable to drink from, but too thin and it won't take glaze well, especially if you're dipping, because it can't take in enough water to leave a good deposit of glaze.Too thin a glaze layer and it'll feel rough.

I describe underglazes as being somewhere between a slip and a glaze. They melt/fuse more than a slip, but don't don't totally melt into glass like a glaze. Also, commercial underglazes can be applied at any stage of the process- wet, leather hard, bone dry, or bisque. When to apply them depends on how you're using them and the brand you're using.

Mug rims need to be rounded, and you should never sponge the rim or it will get rough (if you're using stoneware). The sponge removes the fine particles in the clay and exposes the larger particles. If you do have to sponge it, go back over it with your finger and a tiny bit of water. Also make sure the lip has a good glaze layer. A thin rim is more comfortable to drink from, but too thin and it won't take glaze well, especially if you're dipping, because it can't take in enough water to leave a good deposit of glaze.Too thin a glaze layer and it'll feel rough.

I would order whatever you want from an online source. I'm a big fan of Speedball underglazes.

No worse that any other forced air system. Follow basic cleaning guidelines (wet cleaning- mop, sponge, etc) and you shouldn't have anything to worry about.

I would order whatever you want from an online source. I'm a big fan of Speedball underglazes.

That type of crack is likely to continue to get worse, especially in the glaze firing. Sometimes it's best to just move on and make another one.

Any fix on bisque is a gamble. If it's applied to the surface it will probably flake off. In the crack it will probably hold if the crack doesn't get bigger, but it can't prevent a crack from growing. Whether or not a crack grows depends on what caused it in the first place. Post pics.

That type of crack is likely to continue to get worse, especially in the glaze firing. Sometimes it's best to just move on and make another one.

Congrats! If one of the switches goes out again, replace them with 240V infinite switches with the element pairs wired in series. Better control, simpler wiring. Have fun!

Well, I put it all back together carefully this afternoon. After attempting some of PeterH's solid multimeter testing advice but becoming more confused the more things beeped at me, I gave up and just fired it up.
It VERKS! It fired up and the correct elements turned on and got orange.  I actually have no idea what the magic sauce was in rewiring or grinding down that switch hub. We'll see if it lasts through a glaze firing tomorrow. I will admit the brand new element gets a little hotter faster, but they all got there. Resistance is close to the same on all of them, so I don't think I'll replace them all. 
Thank you all for your help and I'll wager that this is not my last time with a pottery related problem. My wife and son have taken up pottery as a hobby, and I have apparently taken up electrical engineering, induction motor repair, refractory masonry and material science along with various other brain growth activities to keep them at it.
As payment for your assistance, I colorized the wiring diagram for us all. 

could it be impending bankruptcy?

I describe underglazes as being somewhere between a slip and a glaze. They melt/fuse more than a slip, but don't don't totally melt into glass like a glaze. Also, commercial underglazes can be applied at any stage of the process- wet, leather hard, bone dry, or bisque. When to apply them depends on how you're using them and the brand you're using.