s6x

Looking to do the crackle effect on a piece, and finding few color options when it comes to ready made crackle glazes. Could a similar effect be achieved by using a color underglaze with CLEAR crackle glaze on top? I realize most to the best crackle effects are achieved in Roku firing, but would love to get a matte surface with crackle.... and electric kiln.

I'm firing test tiles in my test kiln to cone 6, and at 2100f it got a FtL /Fired too long error message and then temperature rapidly decreased to 1900 before I decided to restart it. it's now slowly trying to reach cone 6 temperature at 2232F again. Will these test tiles be unusable now? Or does it not really matter as long as it reaches the correct cone 6 temperature at some point? even if it reaches that temperature twice? or would accepting the 2100F render more accurate results?? Just trying to understand how this all works, so I know for next time. I think I might have gotten the FtL message because I set the target temp at cooldown to 32F. it says in the manual that "programming a cooling segment target temperature that is below room temperature can trigger the FtL message". Strange that it would give me the error message before I even got to that ramp hold segment. But anyway, let me know if you have any advice should this happen again in the future.

doing my first test tiles in a new test kiln. My test kiln has slow, medium and fast firing speeds. a bunch of hold options etc. etc. since these are just test tiles (I already bisque them), I feel eager to do a fast firing speed, but will this give me false glaze test results? considering the final pieces will probably be fired slow? How exact does the firing have to be? I'll be firing the final pieces at a communal ceramic studio, so not sure how much say I will have in how they're fired there. ...

yes. thank you!

Anyone knows how to achieve this texture/color? it looks like a mixture of a lava glaze and a cobblestone glaze. or maybe a slip?

Aneta Regel is the artist. I found a video and she talks about firing multiple times and adding natural rocks and slips. So I guess what I'm trying to understand still is how do you successfully add slip to an already fired and glazed piece without the slip simply falling off? I tried once adding slip to a bone dry piece and as soon as it dried it fell off. it didn't remain on the piece. Maybe the key is to fire it while the slip is still wet?

I know there are glazes that will crackle, but I would like to have some serious, deep crackling, like in this piece, which I assume was achieved by adding slip at some point... but how do you do this in a manner that will make the slip seriously crack, but not fall off? I like how the surface of the piece in the photo is red on the bottom, but the top crackling layer is white. Was this effect achieved by manually painting the cracks? or is it possible to apply a red glaze first, before a white slip is applied on top?

Can I fire a 27" tall piece in a 27" kiln? or how much extra space do I need to accommodate for airflow etc.?

thank you

thank you. I'm making urn/vase shapes, so the top is just a cylinder basically, while the bottom is irregular shaped. the top cylinder is also not a perfect fit after hollowing out, because as I'm turning it this way and that way its slowly changing shape... so when I put it back on, I have to get finicky with it, which adds addiontal stress on the bottom part. What is the max thickness you can go? I've been going half an inch thick, but if I could go 1" thick on the bottom, that would be helpful.

I am making 40" tall sculptures and having issues with them collapsing once I hollow them out. I split them in half horizontally, hollow them out, but when I put the top piece back on, they crumble. I'm thinking I need to make the walls thicker, but how thick is too thick? Any suggestions?

oh, sorry! I just realized how unclear my question was! The plaster in this case is a plaster mold. I'm pressing clay into a plaster mold to get a specific shape, but then I want to release the clay so I can continue working on it.

looking for release agent to separate clay from a plaster mold. I'm not doing slip casting. I'm pressing regular clay into a plaster mold to get a certain shape. Cooking oil, WD-40 and lubes have been recommended, but I often reuse my clay when whatever I'm creating doesn't work out. Will cooking oils and lubes in the clay interfere with the clay's "reusability"? If so, what is a release agent that won't interfere with the clay's integrity? Thank you!

I just called my insurance company to see if they would have an issue with me installing a ceramic kiln in my basement. They had no clue what a ceramic kiln was and couldn't give me an answer. I also called the building department of my town and they didn't know either what a ceramic kiln was, but told me I would probably need to apply for a permit and get an inspection. Has anyone experience in this area? I want to make sure I'm fully covered if there's ever a fire...