neilestrick

I've got a very busy week ahead of me. I currently have 101 pots under plastic that I will have to start trimming and decorating tomorrow, including 2/3 of a dinnerware set, a bunch of mugs, cups, tumblers, oil bottles, and soap pump bottles. I've got a show on Saturday, so my goal is to have it all done by lunchtime Friday so I'm ready to fire for the next show, when I'll need all of this work. Wish me luck!
                

I've got a very busy week ahead of me. I currently have 101 pots under plastic that I will have to start trimming and decorating tomorrow, including 2/3 of a dinnerware set, a bunch of mugs, cups, tumblers, oil bottles, and soap pump bottles. I've got a show on Saturday, so my goal is to have it all done by lunchtime Friday so I'm ready to fire for the next show, when I'll need all of this work. Wish me luck!
                

Busy day glazing today! These are all waxed and ready to dip.
 

These photos are a good example of aesthetics vs good function. The white mug is by far the one that looks the best, and takes the best picture. The proportions are spot on, the visual flow impeccable. The finishing details are beautifully thought out. The glaze is a minimalists' dream of everything calm, subtle and soothing, and it's well suited to the form. It's stunning, and I love it. But...
It's uncomfortable as hell. The sharp edge on the handle digs into the side of your finger when you lift the cup. It takes a bit of fiddling to find a way to balance it in your hand without burning yourself, because the spacing between the handle narrows too closely to the mug body at the bottom attachment point. The handle angle is wrong for it to be a two finger mug, and it's not large enough to be a three finger mug.  The handle is too wide. It's a piece made with aesthetics, not ergonomics in mind, and you would never know that unless you held the thing. I also kind of hate it. 
The blue mug is definitely less sexy.  The slip trailed decoration is a bit physically sharp, and probably a bit trite. The glaze job doesn't take as much advantage of the red clay it's on as it could. But it is a proper three finger mug, and you can use it without burning yourself.  There is a very subtle thumb spot on the top of the handle near the join that is smooth like a stone. It's a suggestion to use it, not a demand.  The edges of the handle are rounded, not sharp, and it's not too wide or too thick. And you would also never know any of that from the photo either. 

Last pot on the bench today, carved vase.

When you have a cylinder that is open on the bottom, as it tries to shrink it will catch on the shelf and warp. By putting a slab under it, the slab will shrink with the cylinder, allowing the cylinder to shrink freely. I've even had tall foot rings on large bowls warp.

Busy day glazing today! These are all waxed and ready to dip.
 

Busy day glazing today! These are all waxed and ready to dip.
 

When you have a cylinder that is open on the bottom, as it tries to shrink it will catch on the shelf and warp. By putting a slab under it, the slab will shrink with the cylinder, allowing the cylinder to shrink freely. I've even had tall foot rings on large bowls warp.

Busy day glazing today! These are all waxed and ready to dip.
 

Busy day glazing today! These are all waxed and ready to dip.
 

I'm with Callie- why the iron? There should be plenty of CO produced by the charcoal. Iron is sometimes used in copper red glazes (although tin is much more common) to provide a nucleus for the growth of the red crystals. I'm not sure how it would affect the glaze by being in the saggar, though. Plus it'll goober up the bottom of your saggar,  which should otherwise last for many firings. I would run the same test without the iron and see if there's a noticeable difference.

There is no age limit. Kiln bricks can sit for a hundred years and still be good as new as long as they have stayed dry. If the bricks look good and aren't turning yellow or dark- which happens when they've been fired a bunch- then they're good. The wiring can get brittle over time, but that's cheap to replace. The contacts on the sitter itself can also corrode, but you can always pull it apart and clean it up. I've worked on kilns that have been fired weekly for 40+ years that are still good.

There is no age limit. Kiln bricks can sit for a hundred years and still be good as new as long as they have stayed dry. If the bricks look good and aren't turning yellow or dark- which happens when they've been fired a bunch- then they're good. The wiring can get brittle over time, but that's cheap to replace. The contacts on the sitter itself can also corrode, but you can always pull it apart and clean it up. I've worked on kilns that have been fired weekly for 40+ years that are still good.

As long as that controller has the functionality you need, then just use it till there's a problem. If it does not have the functions you need, then I recommend the Bartlett V6-CF. The Bartlett might not fit into the same hole, though, so you'll have to cut the box or add a piece of sheet metal to make it fit.