Mark C.

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

Laguna will be carring these potassium feldspars .Mahavir and Vardham from India and G-200 depending on availability

Gillespie borate is still around at some places as well as Custar-just need to look harder and stock up. IMCO in Sacramento Ca has the gellespie for cheap cost

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

Got a notice about this thru a few sources. Laguna has 2-3 other choices with Mahavir Feldspar being the go to Hard to say if this is permanent or will change again-if You like custar and need custar buy oit now while you can find it.-Last call

small forms like mugs and other with no feet are thrown on plaster bats and no leveling is needed as the clay pad is flat and so is the plaster bat. If the form is not lever we tap it level on a plater bat. Trimmed foot forms are do not need any adjustment ever . When I switch to larger forms not on plaster bats (over 8#s ) I use a wire to cut and trim the bottom foot. This all is second nature after a few decades in the business

(After thinking long and hard about what you have said and after reading through all my glaze books I think I just need to go gas, I can’t help myself.) Welcome to my world

No permit and easy for gas then I suggest gas but I am a cone 10 gas potter myself so I am a bit bias. Learning with gas and cone 10 is a big learning curve but very doable.

I love the L&Ls -not to famailar with Canadian cone arts to much. LL has the great element holders and has well thought out details like cooler held off controls. Just a note about cone 10 in an electric-if thats the goal (cone 1 firings) then spring for the high cost elements or plan on replacing them a lot even with the high price ones they wear fast at cone 1O. Also consider the S thermocouples for better life . Neil here has the most experience with them and I'm sure will advise.-He is also a distributor in the east.

kyanite is something I use in my home made ITC mix and comes in many mesh sizes. Does not shrink The crystals are long and its one of the strengtening things say in mulite kiln shelves It great stuff

My hoarding has paid off in spades so far. Out of Kingman feldspar after burning thru 3,000#s in 40 years now I'm using custar instead but have 1,000#s

Custar is back now Dick at least from Laguna locations

I bet they made some small hobby doll kilns and the like in the UK that ran on 120 like they did here

This is several solutions all in one from Jeff who I had the pleasure of meeting a few weeks ago. Dealing direct with the manufacture on seconds or even a pile of used ones is really a lead worth exploring . I know of several huge piles of them in my area from tow sources as most potters are long gone and the hoarders (I only have a small pile) do not know how to get rid of them here now. Rent a heavy duty truck and go pick them up in MO or have them trucked to you from the factory. I have moved more hard brick in my life than I will ever need. I built several kilns with them ,my salt being the last.

I could have mailed those 4 #3 bricks to you from my hoarder fire brick pile.

If this is in the UK? then we need to know more on what the electrical voltage is in the UK. Maybe some UK potters can chine in with this tec info

I have seen lots of hard brick over the years on many sites from potters web to craigslist and others-search a thread here thats old on ceramic sites for sales ( not facebook marketplace) They make the bricks in the east where you live by the way.

also old mills that used bricks in say kiln drying or boilers can be a source.

classic fast firing with wet wares after you clean up the shards from kiln use a soft brush on a vacuum to suck small pieces from the element grooves -be gentle doing this.

Always my key tool with plaster is the jiffy mixer -also drop the bucket hard a few times to get the air bubble to rise to top before pouring also is a good tip

Laguna now sells a flameware body so you can get a 25# at Laguna/Aftosa location in Fl

I should add I put my large shallow porcelain sink and water setup with high ball valve pipe and hose setup in studio from a salvage yard in 1973. The sink is shallow but large.That was 51 years ago. Lot of water thru the screens since then.

I used 2 old fashion galvanized hoops with brass screens for decades with two sticks over a bucket until I bought a Talisman. Now I have three if them hanging -bought two used from other hobbyists who sold out. I have one for white glazes and one for dark and one that just hangs. Many people buy one and find their set up cannot clean them well. The trick is a tall faucet in studio with a rubber or in my case silicone hose as I can put a 5 gallon bucket in sing or spray out the sieve when done with it. Once you master the plumbing they work fine. in a small sink its to hard to clean them. I have been to NZ to the factory on the north Island in thge 90s and bought spare parts as well. I have about 30 years now in using them and never looked back. Now the other day I was doing smaller than 1000 grams and used one of the tiny smaller Talisman from Laguna clay baby sieves .These are made from PVC with stainless screen. I use an 80 mesh for all sieving as well no matter what the sieve. The Talisman is made for large batches like 5 gallon buckets or larger. I do not consider it a hobby size deal as its to big.

When I was a student I used a metal lunchbox-still have it.easy to clean and when open it was easy to access

So I am testing some new liner glazes today to look for one to replace my go to I have used for 40+ years. I opened my glaze book and found one TRJ emailed back in the day from this site, also wishing me a Merry Christmas . For those that do not recall him he was another professional full timer like me from Canada. After a few years of back and forth emails we were going to meet at an upcoming NCECA but alas he got sick and passed away. His posts live on here just like mine will when I'm gone. He shared info freely as many do on this site. I mixed up his liner cone 10 reduction glaze today and will test it in coming week. It was good today thinking about a man I never met and what may have been. Now I may be using his liner glaze on a zillon pots if I like it. Thanks TOM akaTRJ On that note I did meet another Potter last week at a Crafts Fair in Saint Louis and we did a mug exchange . I was there twofold to visit with my wifes sister who moved 1 hour south of STL last year. Also we drove south 3 hours to see the eclipse which was fabulous with clear skies our second one in the past 7 years. It was a joy to meet another potter from this site and share stories and ideas.I had my coffee in his copper red mug this morning.Its a small planet really.