Tools & Equipment
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Easy Tips on How to Clean Your Kiln After Pottery Explodes
If you are reading this post, most likely some of your pottery has exploded during firing. My condolences…it’s sad when it happens, isn’t it? But it’s not the end of the world, it is possible to clean your kiln after pottery explodes. Here are some tips that I have picked up about cleaning a kiln…
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Pottery Kiln for Beginners –12 Tips on Buying a Kiln
Buying a pottery kiln can feel a little overwhelming. There are lots of models and types of kilns and it can be hard to know where to start. So, what is the best pottery kiln for beginners? This article aims to look at your options and help you decide which kiln will suit you best.…
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How Long do Kiln Elements Last? – How Many Firings?
One of the inevitable costs of owning a kiln is changing the elements now and then. But how long do kiln elements last? And how much will it cost each time you need to change them? These are good questions if you’re trying to work out how much it’s going to cost to maintain your…
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Kiln Wash on The Kiln Floor? – Does it Protect Your Kiln?
When I first looked into kiln maintenance, I heard it was advisable to put kiln wash on the kiln floor. Whilst I could understand the point of this, painting anything on my kiln made me feel nervous. Kilns are an expensive piece of kit and I didn’t want to ruin the kiln brick. So, I…
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Wheelchair Accessible Pottery Wheel – What are the Options?
I had been thinking about running some pottery classes. And one of the questions on my mind was how to provide a wheelchair accessible pottery wheel. So, I started looking into it and this is what I found out. You can buy a wheel that is specifically designed to be wheelchair accessible, however, these are…
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Table Top Pottery Wheel – Shimpo Aspire or Speedball Artista
I decided to buy a table top pottery wheel. The two most highly recommended table top pottery wheels I could find, are the Shimpo Aspire and the Speedball Artista. But which one is the best? I wanted a table top pottery wheel that I could put in the back of my car, and transport easily. …
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Sawdust Kiln Firing – Build a Brick Kiln for Sawdust Firing
A sawdust kiln is one of the easiest ways to fire clay at home. The kiln can be made using a simple brick construction. It can be used to bisque fire pottery, or to create lovely smoked effects on already bisque fired ware. Here is an easy to follow step-by-step guide on how to build…
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DIY Propane Kiln Ideas – 4 Easy Ways to Make a Propane Kiln
Making a DIY propane kiln is a great way to start firing your own pottery. A lot of the time DIY propane kilns are used to glaze fire pottery using the raku technique. But some can also be used to bisque fire pottery. There are lots of different ways to make a DIY propane…
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Pottery Plaster Vs Plaster of Paris – Which to Use?
Plaster has lots of uses for potters. For example, it can be used, for mold making, casting, and making damp boxes. But there are a lot of different types of plaster. And if you are trying to figure out which one to use, it can be confusing. In particular, you might be wondering about the…
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What is a Kiln Sitter? – And How do Kiln Sitters Work?
When you are firing pottery in a kiln, you need to control the temperature that the kiln reaches. You also need to control how long it takes for the kiln to reach that temperature. So, what is a kiln sitter? There are three main types of kiln controller. They are the fully manual controller, the…
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Kiln Maintenance – 19 Tips on How to Look After Your Kiln
When I bought my kiln, I was so excited to use it, I didn’t think too much about kiln maintenance. But kilns are like cars, they have parts that wear out and need replacing. And the more you use them the more quickly they will need replacing. Also, like a car, if you look after…
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Buying a Used Kiln – 12 Top Tips on Second Hand Kilns
Buying your first kiln is exciting, but it can also be confusing. A lot of times when you look at listings for used kilns, the information in the advert can be patchy. However, even buying a used kiln can be a big investment. So, it’s good to have an idea of what to look for. …