Magnolia Mud Research

IMHO the problems of thermal shock make this a highly "challenging" project. Not least because you will presumably be "guaranteeing" your customers that is safe to put these vases on top of their cherished woodwork.  However a couple of observations.
What sort of raku finishes were you thinking of using? Presumably the "crackle" ones demand a certain amount of thermal shock to start the crackle before smoking, while any thermal shock involve in "reduction"  is incidental and not necessary for the final effect. Indeed thermal shock of reduction pieces might be minimised by firing them in an (open-topped?) saggar, which could be taken out of the kiln and reduction materials added to the saggar.
OTOH the crackle finishes might stand up better the the ware-and-tear (and wetting) a vase is subject to.
I assume a liner glaze on the inside of a pot would be less subject to thermal shock than the outside of the pot.
I'll just mention an oddity that the raku artist Tim Andrews produced.

The glaze was a mid-fire crackle, which he fired and cooled as normal. He then re-fired/warmed the pot before taking it from the kiln and covering it with sawdust. Minimising the 2nd firing temperature, and presumably thermal shock, involved in smoking the already crackled pot.

Any chance you could just do a delicate sandblast to take the edge off the gloss? Or a mild acid etch?

Much of my teaching career was like being a good coach. You had to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of each student while they were working and pinpoint behavior/motions that would not allow them to succeed or improve and correct them in such a way that they understood without them becoming frustrated with your coaching or the task at hand.
 
best,
Pres

One of my favourite tools is a stone I picked up at the river. I've sanded it smoother so it's got for burnishing, and shaped it so one edge is sharper and a little pointed while the other side is rounded. It fits comfortably in my hand and I use it for pinch pots, smoothing clay into joins, burnishing and plenty of other bits and pieces. 

Practice with a coffee can/other round container that you can put a little weight into (some form of dry clay/grog) that mimics the weight of a pot. 

Can you tell if that shelf was hotter or cooler than the others? It could be as simple as that.

All this talk about wood firings being a long drawn out affair isnt necessarily so. IF you like the effects of a true natural heavy buildup of ash then a lengthy firing is what youll need. If youre like me and you like the warm toasty clay body reduction without the muddiness of ashes on your glazes then some type of "fastfire" setup is required. My kiln is a fastfire type but with major modifications from Olsens original. The 2 fireboxes and chimney are all on the same side making it easy on the stokers and stokemaster to see whats happening in each fire box. I would call it a crossdraft / downdraft hybrid.  The interior stacking space on mine is 80 cubic ft.... huge compared to most gas and electric kilns. This being said our last firing from dark to cone10 took 4 hours 50 minutes. the hottest parts gets well over over cone12.  Smoke is only a small issue early in the firing when temps are low and fuel to burn is more than the temp can handle.. thus the smoke that exits the chimney.  the total wood burned is around 1/2 cord ..all of it pine softwood. (Softwoods have a very long flame compared to the much shorter hardwoods) something to think about when selecting a fuel.

There are two types of shellac, regular shellac and dewaxed shellac.  Dewaxed shellac can go over or under and type of finish. Regular shellac should only go over a finish. 
If you paint shellac on clay then paint over it the paint will peel off. 
Think of regular shellac as a waxy resist

Wood kilns take time but if they are made right you can fast fire them-Olsen has a fast fire wood kiln in one of his books  it had two fireboxes if I recall . An local earthquake took it down the next year at my place.-we built it in the 70s and took about 24 hours. The wood type and dryness will make or break this speed.
Wood firing is a young persons deal as far as I'm concerned -just a bunch of long back breaking work-hey it ceramics right.

I'll put in a second for the Fred Olsen Kiln Book. His little Fast Fire kiln is easy to build and easy to fire. Plus, it's not too big, 10 cu ft. I helped build one years ago at the MN Ren Festival. Two fire boxes are a little tedious but it made it super easy to control.  Usually got to cone 7 just as the Festival was closing. (Once people were gone we'd throw in salt.) 
 

A thread with a few references
An online book 21st Century Kilns, and a few articles
http://www.clayartarchives.com/

I'm having these moments almost daily since I'm trying out a bunch of new hand building and decorating techniques. I'm amazed and proud of myself every time something works out the way I hoped it would, or I discover a way to make the process faster or more successful. I haven't had this much growth in such a short time since I first started making pots. I'm having a great time!

Just a thought.
When I had problem with pin holes in my glaze it was caused by out gassing because my bisque fire was not complete (not hot enough?) When I raised the bisque temp that took care of it. Like I said, just a thought.
Stay safe, Graybeard 

That is pretty close in rates I doubt it will matter. As with everything though, best to test before you commit to a ton of production work.
I make a slip out of a clay body that I dry and then grind down into a powder form so I can mix it with other additives. All of my work uses this slip over another clay body.
I love slipping pots this way, it adds a lot to the final form if done right. I am not sure exactly what you are after, but the best thing to do is try applying you slip to different stages of the green ware in the drying process. Find which one you get the best results with for what you are after, and then repeat that process a few times before committing it it.

I would not expect the kaolin to be the problem. It could be that the glaze was simply under-fired. IMO, If you're firing quickly like a typical raku firing, the best way to do it is to actually watch the melt rather than relying on a set temp, at least at first. The glaze will bubble up and then settle down and gloss over. At that point it's ready to pull. Note the temp on the pyrometer at that point and then you can fire by temp from then on. I've also found that raku glazes mature at a fairly wide range of temps since many of them are not real glazes, and that the white crackle glazes tend to like more heat than the copper patina types.

I am not much of a tool maker but I do collect little wood ice cream spoons.  You can easily reshape them with a knife or dremel tool and make a tool to  smooth a odd corner when you are doing a sculpture or hand building.  They eventually break apart,  popsickle sticks will work but the spoon gives you more options.   Denice

I used to do guided practice in the dark, my room was without any windows so complete darkness. I would walk around the room calling out the steps to a pinch pot, and they would work on their 1-2#ball of clay. This actually got much better results than the previous exercises, but then it was the third exercise at pinch pots. However almost every one of the students had  thinner more consistent walls with better form.  My reasoning for the exercise in the dark was tactile pinch control, and being able to trust the touch to the thickness of the walls. Sometimes other senses get in the way of touch.
 
best,
Pres

Truth be told Kakes you are exactly a "typical ceramic artist".  No need to apologize. The major ceramic companies, Duncan and Amaco, designed their product lines to serve customers just like you. The ceramic choices at 06-04 are much more diverse than the choices at cone 6/10.
I work with a number of young people, recent ceramic grads, who are not concerned with durability or process but instead with simply making "interesting/unique" ceramic objects. I applaud their ambition as I applaud yours. 
Your results may not be, exactly what you want them to be, but if you lower your expectations a notch you will find some amazing results nonetheless.

I think Roberta has the better suggestion. The depth of the fabric makes it very challenging to plaster. Rather than have that challenge just roll the fabric into a soft clay slab first and see if you like that. 
 

Put a single layer of Saran Wrap or similar thin plastic film over the silver bowl to protect it from possible chemical reactions with something in the clay. It is probable that nothing untoward would happen with the clay in the bowl, but don't take the chance on the unknown.

@Jes, I have reconstituted pieces by placing them in a large plastic bin with a lift underneath them so they don't sit in water. Spray several times a day, but don't allow much water to sit in the bottom, keep lidded, keep watch and hopefully will come back. Some people will pour or place a plaster of paris floor in the bin to absorb excess water and provide long term moisture. This process could take a month of patience to bring it back.
Process works for thrown pieces, but for this might not. Only other option I would give you is to suit up wear a mask, and use an electric drill with a variety of bits to remove as much of the clay as possible from under the base of the piece.
 
best,
Pres

another question about using stains.  in the past, i have glazed a white bisque piece with a clear glaze, and then applied the stain designs.  would it work the other way around.  i know with under-glaze, i do the under glaze first and then the clear.  since i am ready to try that, will just go ahead and do 2 one way and 2 the other!

I have created this texture by dipping the bowl in glaze, and immediately roll the bowl in a container of dry sand or crushed white dried claybody.  The wet glaze will capture the dry material and "glue" the dry material to the surface during the firing.  A similar effect using a slip of the bowl's claybody on the bowl surface followed by the dry material.  My experience has been that the a "stiff" melted glaze works better than a runny one, but both will work if the ratios of glaze and dry material are worked out by testing.  
LT
 

I have created this texture by dipping the bowl in glaze, and immediately roll the bowl in a container of dry sand or crushed white dried claybody.  The wet glaze will capture the dry material and "glue" the dry material to the surface during the firing.  A similar effect using a slip of the bowl's claybody on the bowl surface followed by the dry material.  My experience has been that the a "stiff" melted glaze works better than a runny one, but both will work if the ratios of glaze and dry material are worked out by testing.  
LT
 

I have created this texture by dipping the bowl in glaze, and immediately roll the bowl in a container of dry sand or crushed white dried claybody.  The wet glaze will capture the dry material and "glue" the dry material to the surface during the firing.  A similar effect using a slip of the bowl's claybody on the bowl surface followed by the dry material.  My experience has been that the a "stiff" melted glaze works better than a runny one, but both will work if the ratios of glaze and dry material are worked out by testing.  
LT