Stilts for Stoneware

[RobustEnergies]

I just discovered that I shouldn't use stilts for stoneware because it might cause the piece to warp. I understand the concept of "dry footing" but say I would like to glaze the bottom or just be safe, do you have recommendations for what to use?

[Callie Beller Diesel]

There's more reasons to not stilt work at stoneware temperatures than to stilt them. It's extra work, it's more equipment needed, you already mentioned the warping, they take up a lot of extra space in the kiln, and if you're talking about functional ware, if the clay is vitrified, glazing the foot is of no benefit. If the clay body is mature and has less than 2% absorbtion, it's not going to weep. 

That said, I've seen some artists who work with really runny glazes, or who wood/salt fire make their own press molded ones that come to fine points on the contacts. There's no wire involved, and consequently there is some grinding and polishing work involved to remove the tiny marks.  They use a wadding recipe to make these stilts, and they're generally single use items. I don't believe they'll work well for wide items, like platters though. 

[Bill Kielb]

2 hours ago, RobustEnergies said:

dry footing" but say I would like to glaze the bottom or just be safe, do you have recommendations for what to use?

If you cut a deep enough foot ring you can certainly glaze the inside of the ring. We always glaze the inside on any high end thrown ware. If you work out the movement of your glaze it really doesn’t have to be cut very deep.

[Mark C.]

Low fire pots (cone 06) usually are the only wares with glazed bottoms. 

You do not need glaze bottoms on wares that mature so most all wares above cone 06 are not glazes on the foot. The foot is what the pots sits on. I glaze all my pot bottoms -just not the foot. 

I'm working at cone 10 on porcelain . The foot holds the pot off the shelve and gives it a better look. The bottom of pots are trimmed up to allow glaze to be underneath.

[Hulk]

Here the foot ring provides a bit more strength at that end, which be vulnerable, an easily polished point of contact - always a plus, and allows for glazing the bottom. The portion inside the foot ring is (should be) much stronger with the glaze on both sides, and might as well trim the thickness to optimal whilst at it, eh? Not heavy, not too thin - matching up with the thickness of the piece's other parts, and the overall scale. 

A ring, imo, improves handling, giving a place for fingers to catch. On the other hand, there's the bit of dishwater thing, takes longer to do than flat foot...