Maintenance
4 details of home kiln setup mistakes people miss
Four home kiln setup mistakes that ruin pots include no vent, guessed clearance, firing damp greenware, and dry cleanup that lifts silica dust into your lungs.
Archive
September 2026
Reviews
Home kiln setup materials: clay, cones, glaze and testing
Home kiln setup materials in order: a mid-fire clay body, matching Orton cones, dinnerware-safe glaze, shelves and kiln wash, then tile and leach tests.
Reviews
Home kiln setup buying guide: cones, shelves and a log
Home kiln setup buying guide: Orton cone numbers, cordierite shelves, high-alumina kiln wash, gloves and a firing log that records cone, time and result.
Industry
Home pottery studio rules, OSHA silica dust and firing logs
A home pottery guide to studio rules, OSHA silica dust, reclaim habits and firing logs, with lessons that keep clay work safe and repeatable.
Features
Firing exercises that test what your kiln can actually do
Five small firing exercises that each answer one question about your kiln, from a cone pack to a bisque test, with the temperatures they turn on.
Reviews
Which work surfaces earn their cost in a home pottery studio?
Which pottery work surfaces are worth buying, which are worth making yourself, and why plaster is the cheap material that has no real substitute.
Costs
Where do direct costs end and overhead begin for a beginner pottery batch?
Sorting pottery supply spending into direct and indirect costs, tracking what a batch really consumes, and the pricing methods that apply once you sell.
Guides
Setting up a small room for home pottery without the mess
Lay out a spare room for home pottery so clay dust stays out of the house, clay stays workable, and the kiln sits where electrical code allows.
Reviews
Plaster earns a place in a home pottery studio that wood and canvas cannot
What each pottery work surface actually does, why canvas is a dust problem, and how to choose a table when no product test exists to lean on.
Guides
Why can a weekend of pottery studio practice only finish one form?
Two days of pottery practice that respect how slowly clay dries: what to make, what to skip, and what has to wait until the following weekend.
Industry
Six questions to ask a pottery studio before joining a class or membership
A framework for choosing between a pottery class and a studio membership: what to check in the studio, six questions to ask, and how the two options differ.
Guides
Beginner pottery wheels: how to photograph finished pots
Beginner pottery wheels: how to photograph finished pots with one overhead light, a curved sweep, fixed white balance, and consistent records.
Reviews
Beginner pottery wheels storage: a dry, dust-free routine
Beginner pottery wheels storage, from lidded slip buckets to bat stacking and an end-of-session cleanup that keeps clay dust out of your home studio.
Industry
Small ceramics projects expert tips: recycle clay, control dust
Small ceramics projects expert tips for home studios: recycle clay properly, run one clay body, and control silica dust with wet methods and simple habits.
Reviews
Clay and Glaze Materials for Small Ceramics Projects
Clay and glaze materials for small ceramics projects: how silica, fluxes and alumina work, which raw powders are hazardous, and why glaze fit decides.