HELP, I've Fallen and I...

Clay workers, you know those little plaster (?) stars with the metal points, so called stilts for supporting work in the kiln? They're the only kind of stilts I have. I don't usually use them unless I find I've needed to glaze the bottom of a piece and I don't want it to stick to the kiln shelf when the glaze melts.

I didn't think that those little metal points might not be strong enough for heavy pieces. It says right there in the product description in the catalogue, but you know, it's been years since I bought the little guys, and I just didn't think... so we know what happens next.



There was a big mother of a pot that actually, for unknown reasons, had its bottom sliver off partially in the bisque firing and therefore I thought, "let's glaze the bottom and then it will be stronger!" Brilliant. Give it two stilts and therefore 6 little puny metal points to balance on, and into the kiln it went with the golden globe and its stand, and the weird sculptural incense burner and holder I made for my son.

Yesterday working in the garden outside the studio during the glaze firing I heard a thump. Was it something in the studio that fell down (I hope, I hope) or did that sound come from the kiln? My dread increased as I saw all in its place in the studio.

This morning the kiln was cool enough to open and when I did, I saw fortunately nothing had exploded, but there was the big mother pot, leaning on and stuck to the globe stand and the incense holder. It snapped off the stand pretty well, but it took some prying to get it off the incense burner, and of course, the scars were left behind on all three objects.

The golden globe when lifted out of the kiln was found to have its stilt's little metal prongs totally collapsed and the plaster base stuck smack up against the glaze. With a hammer and spatula, I managed to separate the two, but ouch. There was a big "Owie" left behind.

And more pain: the stilts made for heavier objects are only sold by the gross. Over $150 to buy them on Amazon. But I bought them because I need them. Chalk it up as a lesson learned.