HaleyChoice Posted March 11, 2021 Report Share Posted March 11, 2021 Hi Everyone, I have been throwing at a friends studio for 3 years now and decided to buy my own wheel during the pandemic. I have been taking my pieces to her to fire for a small fee and don't have much firing experience of my own. Since I have a wheel and a decent sized shed... I'm considering buying a kiln and having an electrician to come to set up power in the shed. My hope is to have a small business someday. The shed is basic, no insulation, AC, lighting or power - a perfect blank slate for me to design. Being a novice, and realizing this is going to cost a lot, I'm looking for feedback, tips, things to consider/avoid, and others experiences. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hulk Posted March 11, 2021 Report Share Posted March 11, 2021 Hi Haley! Read, research, practice, practice ...get out and look at others' pots and visit with potters when you can. In the meantime, there are more online videos, forum threads, books and magazines than one could ever read/watch. Looks like late April to early October might be fairly comfortable up there; a shiver shed is the the first thing that jumps out at me, but I don't tolerate cold as well as I did just a few years ago. You'll want to be comfortable. Any road, kiln being "next," may I suggest: provide enough current to run at least a seven cubic foot unit, even if you start smaller; from there, supply current to run all your other stuff; plan for excellent ventilation, including dedicated kiln vent, the downdraft type, and overhead heat and fume vent as well*; pyrometer for real time feedback; kiln glasses. Take your time. Do it right - electrical, dust control, safety an' health. Plan for efficient movement o' wares - shelving, carts, ware boards, counter space. Throw a lot! *If you plan to be in the same area/room where the kiln is any longer than you can hold your breath! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat B. Posted March 11, 2021 Report Share Posted March 11, 2021 I just got my first kiln recently, it's also in an unheated, uninsulated shed. It already had power, but not enough for a kiln. The electric was not cheap. We already have a 50 amp line that supplies our RV about 40 feet from the shed so we extended that line to the shed. Hubby is very handy and did a lot of the work. He rented a trencher to bury the line from the RV to the shed (cost about $150). Then we had an electrician connect the 50 amp line and put in the outlet ($350 including materials). The 50A limited the size of the kiln I could get. Originally I was going to get an L&L e23t (23"wide, 27"deep), but you need 60A for that. So I got an L&L e23s instead (23"wide, 18"deep). Turns out I like the smaller size. I'm a hobby potter and don't produce a lot of work quickly, so it would take longer to fill the larger kiln and I'm too impatient to see my work to have to wait! My back also appreciates not having to reach down inside a deeper kiln. We also put cement board on the walls and floor around the kiln for safety. I got an inexpensive all metal shelving unit to put next to the kiln for holding posts and non-flammable stuff. I recommend getting a downdraft vent. It has to vent through the wall where there is no door or window within 4 feet. Consider where you will direct the vent hose so that you are not tripping on it whenever you load/unload. We ran it up the wall behind the kiln and out under the eaves. Also make sure to install a regular outlet for the vent motor. We already had power in the shed so hubby just put in an extra outlet where it was needed. If you haven't decided on a kiln supplier, I recommend buying through Neil Estrick who moderates the equipment forum. He kept me fully informed during the process and promptly answered all my questions on accepting delivery, installation, and the first few runs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denice Posted March 11, 2021 Report Share Posted March 11, 2021 This might be a good time to consider building a small shed next to the larger shed for your kiln. I have a kiln room attached to my studio, I have a Skutt ventilation system on the kilns, a duct fan in the ceiling , a window I can open and a door I can close. Often I can not work in my studio because of the kiln firing. When I am firing my big Skutt the room is getting too warm despite all of my ventilation I have to open the door. It can get to cold here to open the window so I have to leave the door open. I can always do some chores or run a errand on that day so it doesn't bother me but some potters get really anxious if they are unable to work in their studio. Denice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Callie Beller Diesel Posted March 11, 2021 Report Share Posted March 11, 2021 The part that twigs me, and makes some difference in the approach to studio setup you use, is the fact that you mention you want to grow this into a business at some point. Looking at it with that firmly in mind, my suggestion is to set up any sales and equipment acquisitions as though you are already a business. Buy what you need as you need it, and not *too* far in advance. Note that this means getting a kiln if you’re at the point where you need to control your firings, if your need of your friend’s kiln is becoming inconvenient for them, or if you’re filling it yourself on the regular. If you’re not meeting any of these criteria, consider continuing firing with your friend, because the overhead is more cost effective in that instance. If you’re still building, you’d be better off prioritizing making your working space much more comfortable to be in. Insulate and heat your shed first, so that you don’t cringe at the thought of putting your hands in a throwing bucket because of the ice rime on it in November. You spend more days making work than you do firing it. Lay in electrical for a 7 cu ft kiln as Hulk suggested before closing the walls, but if you don’t have the budget for the kiln, don’t do that part yet. Make some pots and sell them, and use that money to buy your kiln and any other things you need. Set up a separate bank account now, so that you can easily keep pottery spending separate from your personal finances, and so you can see and get excited about your pottery generated income! Definitely do some planning that will allow you to expand and scale easily when the time comes, but don’t go out and buy All The Things at the outset. It takes a lot of time to get yourself established as a potter and to have enough demand for your work to make a full time living from it. It’s kind of exacerbated because the craft itself takes a long time to become really proficient in. But this can be a big benefit, because it allows you time to research your preferred business model and plan how you want to lay things out for the future, and that sets you up for more wins. Figure out how you want to market your work (different than sales!), and start an email list now. If you want to use social media as part of your business plan, get in on whatever platform you think will work for you, and start experimenting and learning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roberta12 Posted March 11, 2021 Report Share Posted March 11, 2021 6 hours ago, Callie Beller Diesel said: The part that twigs me, and makes some difference in the approach to studio setup you use, is the fact that you mention you want to grow this into a business at some point. Looking at it with that firmly in mind, my suggestion is to set up any sales and equipment acquisitions as though you are already a business. Buy what you need as you need it, and not *too* far in advance. Note that this means getting a kiln if you’re at the point where you need to control your firings, if your need of your friend’s kiln is becoming inconvenient for them, or if you’re filling it yourself on the regular. If you’re not meeting any of these criteria, consider continuing firing with your friend, because the overhead is more cost effective in that instance. If you’re still building, you’d be better off prioritizing making your working space much more comfortable to be in. Insulate and heat your shed first, so that you don’t cringe at the thought of putting your hands in a throwing bucket because of the ice rime on it in November. You spend more days making work than you do firing it. Lay in electrical for a 7 cu ft kiln as Hulk suggested before closing the walls, but if you don’t have the budget for the kiln, don’t do that part yet. Make some pots and sell them, and use that money to buy your kiln and any other things you need. Set up a separate bank account now, so that you can easily keep pottery spending separate from your personal finances, and so you can see and get excited about your pottery generated income! Definitely do some planning that will allow you to expand and scale easily when the time comes, but don’t go out and buy All The Things at the outset. It takes a lot of time to get yourself established as a potter and to have enough demand for your work to make a full time living from it. It’s kind of exacerbated because the craft itself takes a long time to become really proficient in. But this can be a big benefit, because it allows you time to research your preferred business model and plan how you want to lay things out for the future, and that sets you up for more wins. Figure out how you want to market your work (different than sales!), and start an email list now. If you want to use social media as part of your business plan, get in on whatever platform you think will work for you, and start experimenting and learning. @HaleyChoice This will be a fun venture for you!! I agree with Callie's comments and advice. I followed that path almost exactly. I didn't have a shed/shop/outbuilding for a kiln so I continued to fire at a local studio for about 2 years. I bought all my equipment a piece at a time. The only mistake I made was overbuying on dry chemicals for glaze mixing. I made a list using the glaze supplies that were in the community studio and now I have a couple of large tubs of dry chemicals that I have barely used. But that is the only misstep I feel that I made as far as setting up my studio. We did build a shop and I have part of it for glazes/spray booth/dry storage/kiln. I still throw and hand build in the house. Since I live 5 hours east of you I do understand what your winters are like. If you can insulate, that would be awesome! And upgrading electrical can be expensive. I have a 7cu ft L&L kiln. Good luck to you!! Roberta Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hulk Posted March 12, 2021 Report Share Posted March 12, 2021 You might like having glaze components at yesteryear's prices down th' road tho'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roberta12 Posted March 12, 2021 Report Share Posted March 12, 2021 42 minutes ago, Hulk said: You might like having glaze components at yesteryear's prices down th' road tho'. I have actually thought about that @Hulk The one I haven't used forever in a day is the big tub o Alberta Slip. Maybe I need to explore more Alberta Slip recipes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HaleyChoice Posted March 12, 2021 Author Report Share Posted March 12, 2021 Wow, Y'all, I am overwhelmed with gratitude by your insightful responses! Feeling very lucky to be part of this uplifting community. Thank you @Hulk for setting the bar with your awesome suggestions! Great call on the pyrometer! @Pat B. Your husband sure does sound handy! Can I borrow him? haha Thank you for connecting me to Neil Estrick, you rock! @Denice I never thought about having a separate shed for the kiln... something for me to think about and might even be possible. @Callie Beller Diesel So much to consider! Thanks for tuning into my business venture dream. I feel so supported @Roberta12 Yep, the winters can be tough - I made the decision to insulate for sure thanks so so much! extra glaze components sounds like a great opportunity for some fun experimentation Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldlady Posted March 12, 2021 Report Share Posted March 12, 2021 there is one thing you might find helpful when you set up your workspace. you do not have to buy all new things. sometimes you can find a used kiln that is perfectly fine for your use and will last for a long time. do not be afraid of getting something that might appear "OLD" and send frightening shivers up your back. a kiln is basically a box made of firebrick that has electrical connections to produce heat inside the box. if the brick is in great shape but the wires need replacement and if the price is good, buy it. sometimes people get a really big kiln but find they are not as interested in making pottery as they had assumed when the kiln was bought so they sell it. there are lots of ways to save when you set up a studio. if you would like some ideas, look at my two studios, one very large one and one in a 10x16 shed. click on my avatar and you will find albums of photos showing the alternatives to spending lots to buy what can be had free or for very little money. might give you some ideas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denice Posted March 12, 2021 Report Share Posted March 12, 2021 I over bought the first time I bought chemicals for the studio, I was following a list I had found for setting up a studio. The only large bags I have to move around in my old age are bags of plaster, I buy much smaller bags when I refill my chemicals now. Denice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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