Keeping the Sculpture upright in the kiln for glazing

[Zeynep Gedikoglu Sculpture]

Hello y'all,

I am so happy to find this community. I have been sculpting since 2006 and have a question. I like to build tall sculptures that are thin at the bottom and larger at the top. Therefore I am looking for a way to glaze my sculptures so that all Sides look great! However because they are not standing without a metal wire insole display I can't glaze fire them. So the question may I put wax on top of glaze at the places they are going to touch the kiln. Would that prevent from sticking?? Thanksss

[Min]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

2 hours ago, Zeynep Gedikoglu Sculpture said:

So the question may I put wax on top of glaze at the places they are going to touch the kiln. Would that prevent from sticking??

Nope, when the wax burns off the glaze will melt to whatever it's touching.

Could you post a few pictures of your sculptures to give us a better idea of the problem? 

[Zeynep Gedikoglu Sculpture]

Thank you Min. I am sharing one pic. I still couldnt figure out how to keep these sculptures standing in the glaze firing. 

 

[electramom]

im extremely new to this process but have seen these stilts would they work for these 

[Min]

@Zeynep Gedikoglu Sculpture, are these lowfire? Wondering if you could insert a really thick bead rod into a hollow cavity as far as possible then have it embedded into a large lump of bisque fired clay with a snug hole that a few inches of the rod would fit into? How heavy is the piece? Thick walls?

[Magnolia Mud Research]

On 10/13/2022 at 10:21 AM, Zeynep Gedikoglu Sculpture said:

I like to build tall sculptures that are thin at the bottom and larger at the top. Therefore I am looking for a way to glaze my sculptures so that all Sides look great!

I have made similar tall sculpture with small base of the sculpture part.  The solution was to make a clay base big enough to prevent the sculpture from falling and attach such base to the sculpture; that is the base is a part of the sculpture.  some were just a half inch thick flat piece of clay.  If the final base is to be wood, provide holes in the clay base to attach the wood foot.  

LT
 

[Zeynep Gedikoglu Sculpture]

Thank you for your time.  Will try!

[oldlady]

not a sculptor but i wonder if it is possible to suspend the piece upside down somehow?

electramom, the stilts shown are usually used for low fire earthenware clay.   stoneware or porcelain would likely melt over them at the high temps used to reach maturity of those clays.

[Callie Beller Diesel]

You can get stilts that are made from Kanthal instead of the usual nichrome wire, which will do cone 6. But read the label carefully. I think the rod idea is the best one though. Either that, or going with a cold finish of some kind.

[Zeynep Gedikoglu Sculpture]

Thank you Callie!