Hulk

Yes, saves some time - can start later in the morning and still finish firing before four o'clock in the afternoon, when the electric rates go up.
I'm watching the portable pyrometer for the evening before ramp up; it's easy to run well past 200°F!

Hi AndrewB, Welcome to the Forum!
Is that a "flange mount" bearing assembly?
If so, is there a cartridge bearing that is replaceable, or must the entire assembly be replaced?
Bearing 6204 is familiar to me; it's common for bicycle hubs. I've used the double seal (designated by "2RS") type.
ABEC 5 seems a reasonable tradeoff between cost and durability, a worthwhile step up from ABEC 3, imo; I'd stay away from the "ceramic" type - high cost for a bit less friction and not necessarily more durable...
The Enduro brand is widely available and lasts better than other brands I've tried. Vendor WheelsMfg.com has been great ...they used to offer cartridge bearings via https://bicyclepartsdirect.com/ - however, I'm not seeing 6204 (or any other wheel/hub) bearings there now...
 
The 6204, however, is 20mm ID x 47mm OD x 14mm wide.
I'm not finding a spec of BPF6X30MM
Added: if there is a cartridge bearing to press in/out, a bearing press can be very handy, for
  a) it is important to apply force only to the outer bearing race edge (of the new bearing)
  b) it is important to maintain alignment throughout the pressing (in and out)
Once the bearing gets a bit tilted, it can be difficult to straighten out without damaging the bearing and/or the hub.
 
Added II: does it look somewhat like this?

Hulk, that has got to be the most informative and helpful forum post I have ever seen, wow!

Update!
Made a test batch of 1/2 ball clay and 1/2 epk and it's working great thus far as far as glaze cracking and coming off is concerned. Actually seems to be acting like a normal glaze. Also in the process of calcining some ball clay so am excited to try that as well. Will be able to fire both soon and see what happens! Thanks everyone, I'll repost once I've fired the new batches.

I'll try a small batch subbing epk for the ball clay, see how that goes, and if that doesn't react well I'll try half ball and half epk perhaps. I've gone back and forth on whether or not to wash the ash but I really like the color I'm getting now, but could still be worth experimenting. I learned the caustic lesson the first time I mixed this glaze, lost some layers on my hands for sure! Not fun. Thanks so much for the advice!

We had soft water at the last house.
Some clays settle faster than others has been my observation, but every clay I've tried will show some clear at the top within a reasonable time.
How much clear, that's variable; the ones that have just a few inches of clear at the top take much much longer to separate any further.

Skutt Stephen Hill model (circa 2016) on base legs.
This wheel has a heavy cast built-in splash pan. The wheel head is easily removable (never got in the habit of pulling the wheel head to clean...).
I sit on a low-slung wooden chair (with a plastic covered seat pad) pulled up tight against the wheel's front leg.
Within the pan:
   on the left, a one-gallon plastic bucket, a half grout sponge tucked between the bucket and the pan, and a piece of chamois clothespinned to the bucket
   on the right, two half grout sponges stacked in the corner, where I set the pointer tool and metal kidney; next to it, a glazed cylinder with throwing or trimming tools;nearby, two small sponge pieces
Outside the pan:
   on the right, the gas pedal is on the floor; next to it, a plastic pan I toss clay bits into; just behind and to the right of the gas pedal, a plastic crate, on which rests a piece of paper, a ballpoint pen, a glazed bowl for slip collection*, a razor blade, a backup pen, the sound system remote; hanging from the chair's arm rest, a rag towel or two**
   on the left, a small three level shelf thing, where rests the other tool cylinder, an array of occasional use tools (ribs, drill bits, rounding bowl, rounding tumblers, and other stuff); an old adjustable office/desk lamp mounted on a roll around - so handy! !!
Behind the wheel, a window with an adjustable shade. The light is nice! In Summer, the afternoon light and heat is too much...
Overhead, two four foot led fixtures. On the far right, two trouble lights.
 
I sometimes keep a second water bucket nearby for rinsing hands before toweling them off - then the rag/towel doesn't get filled with dust, and the hands are "clean"er.
*Handy for fixes, handles, knobs, etc. the next day. I scrape some off my hands and plop it in the bowl, then add some water before stepping away...
**There are times when damp/wet hands won't do. These get rotated frequently, for clay dust is baaad!
 

Thanks for the replies everyone. Glad to hear it's not much of an overfire. I figured kissing the shelf would be a big difference from level with the base for a self supporting cone. I'll try firing with a full kiln before I look at doing any offsets. 
 @Bill Kielb I don't believe the cone was damaged prior to firing. I have Advancer shelves and the cones stick slightly when fired directly on the shelf, so it took a bit off when I pulled the cone out.
@Hulk The red (plainsman M390) and white (standard 182) clays weren't bothered at all by the additional heat. The brown bear did pin hole on on several glazes I tried. I may have to try firing that one lower.
 

I have a Brent half a horse powered wheel.   I have a small commercial table with wheels  on one side.  It holds a small bucket of water and a bucket of tools. not very big but it is the right height.   On the other side is a plastic shelf unit with grid shelves  I can space  them for the height I am working with.  My wheel came with a MDF square bat system with 2 dozen bats,  I haven't been able to use it the bats keep moving around.   I  just throw on the wheel and cut it off and place it onto the bat and then the shelf,  they get moved to a drying cabinet later.   I keep a 5 gal bucket near by for trimmings and throwing water.  My throwing area may be just a little too comfortable,  I have to remind myself to get up and move around.   Denice

Here's the little tray. I chickend out & didn't do much w/the manganese-I did wipe on then off, but very lightly & used it for the outlining. I'm happy-he's cute!

As most of you know, I have a Brent CXC wheel. You may also know that I built a trimming box to fit on it when trimming to catch the scraps, and that this box sets upright at the front of the wheel when not in use. I have a metal tray of tools that sets on the box end over the wheel deck, with a bucket on the wheel deck for water. The tray has a sponge in it for needle tools and several compartments for wooden, metal or rubber ribs and other tools. This is pretty much all that I use for wheel set-up until it comes to trimming.
QotW:What is your set up for throwing on the wheel?
 
best,
Pres

I’ve always been a fan of using more than one opacifier in a recipe for aesthetic reasons, but the cost offset is nice too. Zircopax and tin lowers the amount of tin you need, and titanium and tin have the potential for a lot of visual depth. Zircopax and titanium give a lovely blue undertone variegation, and some nice visual depth.
The former tech at the studio I work at chose one of Joe at Old Forge Creations’s chrome tin pink recipes for some shop glazes.  The recipe cuts the tin 50/50 with titanium, and works a treat. I don’t super recommend it as a studio glaze if you’ve got mostly beginners, or inadequate glaze room supervision. You have to add epsom and darvan to keep everything dispersed enough for poor mixing to not mess up your bucket chemistry, and that’s a nuisance. But if I liked a lot of opaque bubble gum pink, I’d use it in my own practice without the additives. It’s been pretty well behaved. 

IMHO that really does looks like a bloat/bleb from an air bubble in the clay wall. When the glaze melts it seals the clay over so the gas can't escape and you get those bloats/blebs. 
After wedging your usual way try slicing a few chunks of clay up into thin slices and look for air pockets. Keep doing this until you can wedge without getting them. Try cut and slam wedging also if you don't already do this.
I'ld also suggest doing some absorption tests on your claybody given it is being fired below it's maturity, how to that here if you need it, about 2/3 the way down.

Thank you to Madeleine and Callie Beller Diesal for your thoughtful replies, this is really helping me to understand the limits and benefits of the glaze softwares. I think I will take your advice and test both the direct 1:1 sub and the Glazy target and solve recipe! I'll do my best to report back what I find.
 
 

Hi Lindsay, welcome to the Forum!
Slowing your bisque - allowing more time to burn out impurities may help.
Choosing clay(s) that mature at your target temperature, I'll recommend that!
Are you firing your wares twice - bisque fire, then hotter glaze fire? 
...or are you single firing?
Either way, faster ramp up to target temp means less time to burn out impurities; your prior kiln allowed much more time.
Slowing your bisque fire, particularly around 1500-1800°F might help.
Adequate oxygen may also be important*.
If the clay hasn't changed, and you're firing to the same target temperature (verified by cones), the firing schedule is a likely culprit.
I'm seeing much less defects** since adding significant delays (on the ramp up and the ramp down) to my bisque schedule.
Bloating (digitalfire.com)
* Note the last sentence here: Kiln venting system (digitalfire.com)
**bloating in dark clays, particularly where the walls are smidge thicker;
"large particle defect" - random craters;
pinholes
 

Hi Lindsay, welcome to the Forum!
Slowing your bisque - allowing more time to burn out impurities may help.
Choosing clay(s) that mature at your target temperature, I'll recommend that!
Are you firing your wares twice - bisque fire, then hotter glaze fire? 
...or are you single firing?
Either way, faster ramp up to target temp means less time to burn out impurities; your prior kiln allowed much more time.
Slowing your bisque fire, particularly around 1500-1800°F might help.
Adequate oxygen may also be important*.
If the clay hasn't changed, and you're firing to the same target temperature (verified by cones), the firing schedule is a likely culprit.
I'm seeing much less defects** since adding significant delays (on the ramp up and the ramp down) to my bisque schedule.
Bloating (digitalfire.com)
* Note the last sentence here: Kiln venting system (digitalfire.com)
**bloating in dark clays, particularly where the walls are smidge thicker;
"large particle defect" - random craters;
pinholes
 

Hi Lindsay, welcome to the Forum!
Slowing your bisque - allowing more time to burn out impurities may help.
Choosing clay(s) that mature at your target temperature, I'll recommend that!
Are you firing your wares twice - bisque fire, then hotter glaze fire? 
...or are you single firing?
Either way, faster ramp up to target temp means less time to burn out impurities; your prior kiln allowed much more time.
Slowing your bisque fire, particularly around 1500-1800°F might help.
Adequate oxygen may also be important*.
If the clay hasn't changed, and you're firing to the same target temperature (verified by cones), the firing schedule is a likely culprit.
I'm seeing much less defects** since adding significant delays (on the ramp up and the ramp down) to my bisque schedule.
Bloating (digitalfire.com)
* Note the last sentence here: Kiln venting system (digitalfire.com)
**bloating in dark clays, particularly where the walls are smidge thicker;
"large particle defect" - random craters;
pinholes
 

This looks like one of those miracle clays but is really a cone 9/10 clay to get full verification. So it ought not bloat at cone 6/7. Can you post a picture or pictures of the defects you are seeing?

Good question!
If temporary, a large vinyl flooring remnant could be an option?
Where the edges are well away from the activity, a damp mop makes cleaning up easy.
If the edges turn up at the wall/baseboard (wall to wall!), then doing something at the door(s) to mitigate the tripping hazard remains.
If permanent, vinyl might still be an option, but putting something flat, dense, and smooth under is likely required.

Thank you all for your advice! Still doing some research on how much of each material to mix in, and I’ll reply with my findings.

I use cmc gum in all my glaze formulas and I dip and spray. When spraying I add water so it goes thru the sprayer easier.  I didnt know there was a problem with gum and spraying and dipping for that matter.  My philosophy is this... its all just one big experiment and thats how we learn.

When I've used Nerd's reclaim mix, a very small amount (a quarter cup to about three gallons of reclaim slurry; OM4 is the ball clay I'm using...) makes a discernable difference.
Verticals cracks shortly after throwing - Studio Operations and Making Work - Ceramic Arts Daily Community
 

Cowley Double Drive, hmm, made in New Zealand?
"Double" - perhaps on account of familiar cone and drive ring speed is reduced by pulleys and belt to the wheel head shaft...
Which model? ...there may be a model and serial number somewhere.
Here's an "Operating Manual" dated 2018 cowley_wheel_manual.pdf (bathpotters.co.uk)
Newer manual includes parts diagram and list, alas, no wiring diagram MASTER Pottery Wheels Owners Manual Jan 2024.pdf (wsimg.com)
The vendor (firedupkilns) may be able to help, however.
 
 

Good question!
If temporary, a large vinyl flooring remnant could be an option?
Where the edges are well away from the activity, a damp mop makes cleaning up easy.
If the edges turn up at the wall/baseboard (wall to wall!), then doing something at the door(s) to mitigate the tripping hazard remains.
If permanent, vinyl might still be an option, but putting something flat, dense, and smooth under is likely required.

Good question!
If temporary, a large vinyl flooring remnant could be an option?
Where the edges are well away from the activity, a damp mop makes cleaning up easy.
If the edges turn up at the wall/baseboard (wall to wall!), then doing something at the door(s) to mitigate the tripping hazard remains.
If permanent, vinyl might still be an option, but putting something flat, dense, and smooth under is likely required.