Entries by Mike Sievers

What is the Orton Cone Chart?  

The Orton Cone Chart was developed by Edward Orton, Jr. in the late 1800s. It is based on the use of Pyrometric cones to measure heatwork in a kiln firing. Prior to their development there was no scientific means for indicating when to stop a kiln firing for optimal maturation of a clay body or […]

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What Are The Best Kilns For Schools?

Choosing a kiln for your classroom is both exciting and a little scary. This is certainly one of the largest capital expenditures an Art Teacher will make in their career, and you want to get it right.   We created a great document that addresses everything you need to know about choosing the right kiln. […]

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How To Set Up A Home Pottery Studio

So, you have taken classes at a local teaching studio and feel that you want to take your craft to the next level or even turn it into career. What now? Most people find they not only want more convenient access to the equipment and tools used to create their work, they want to choose […]

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How To Choose A Pottery Wheel 

Choosing a pottery wheel that best fits your needs appears at first glance to be a fairly simple proposition. When you actually dig into all of the details associated with your choice it can be a little daunting. Hopefully this article will bring a little focus to the decision-making process.  One of the primary factors […]

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How to Buy a Kiln for Home Use

Having access to your very own kiln changes the game for any potter. The freedom to fire your kiln when you want and how you want will bring your art to a whole new level. No more risk of damage from transporting fragile bisque or incorrectly programmed kilns Freedom to explore new firing effects like […]

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Kiln Room Wiring

Now that you’ve confirmed your power supply with an electrician and ordered your kiln from your local distributor (https://skutt.com/shop/distributor-locator/), it’s time to get the wiring installed.  When the electrician comes to your home to install the wiring and receptacle for your kiln, you should inform him or her of the following important information recommended for […]

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What is IR Comp and Why Should I Care?

The best analogy for IR Compensation is the Cruise Control on your car. When you want to keep your car speed at a specific MPH you set your cruise control. When you come to a hill your car needs more power to climb the hill so your Cruise Control gives it the right amount of […]

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Ceramic Hot Keys

If you own a Skutt Kiln with a KilnMaster Controller you may only be using a fraction of the features available to you. Some of the coolest features are accessed while the kiln is firing. We call these Hot Keys. Most of these give you diagnostic information that is helpful troubleshooting your kiln or just […]

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Troubleshooting Glass Defects – Thermal Shock Cracks

There are few things more disappointing than opening your kiln and finding your glass project destroyed by a cracks, bubbles, divitrification, foreign objects, or other reasons. We do not consider ourselves glass experts (although some of us love fusing glass), but as kiln experts we have chased down a lot of solutions to imperfections through […]

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Top 5 Ways to Extend the Life of your Kiln Elements

Let’s face it, elements are expensive and there are plenty of things you would rather be doing on a Saturday than spending an afternoon replacing them. Unfortunately, just like the brakes on your car, you are eventually going to have to replace them. The good news is that, also just like brakes, there are a […]

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