Me watching this with full interest even though I’m never gonna do pottery or anything like that. 👀

You’re such an inspiration! I’m a 21 year old potter and my biggest dream is to making it my job. Excellent work as always Jon keep it up! 👊🏻

You’re so right, I bought my first kiln used for super cheap (kiln sitter model) and it’s small like the Skutt 818. Still takes me a good amount of pots to fill it up. So glad I didn’t buy a big one right off the bat!

Love your videos 🌹 You are not only a fantastic potter but also an amazing teacher 👏👏

Thank you for making this video! Answered so many questions

I’m just now looking to buy my first kiln & your info was super helpful! Thanks for always keeping it interesting!

Your explanation of how to decide about sizing of a kiln was quite helpful. Thanks, Jon!!!

I also have advancer shelves and love them 💘. They are so light and thin and as you said they clean off easy. I bought one of your mugs a few months ago and it is my favorite of all the mugs I own.

Thankyou for this video! I learn a lot from you! Amazing kiln explanation

John, thank you very much for your efforts and art. I love watching your videos. 😎👍

Just got the small skut used but as a gift. So excited.. thanks for all your videos!!

Thank you so much for this video!!!! How you explained everything definitely help me a lot to understand more about kilns!!! Your amazing! Also, really enjoyed your book!!! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻😉

Omgoodness that's awesome. Thank you for sharing!

Thank you so much for this video, I am a student wanting to continue my passion after high school and have been very interested in buying a skut 8-18 and now I am certain it is the best beginning kiln for me.

such a great video!!!! thank you Mr. John

Just got my first kiln! Love your channel and mug! 😎

Thank you! That answered so many questions for me.

This is perfect timing. I am literally shopping for my first kiln and it is so confusing. This helped a great deal! Thank you. I also love the videos with you and Matthew Kelley! Both are wonderful artists and teachers!

good morning From Hastings....Love your videos...Keep it up!!! Looking forward to your next sale. :-)

Wow. I have been potting for over 20 years, off and on. But I really thought I needed another kiln but I really don’t think I do after hearing this. Thank you. Also, I thought those shelves were absolutely insanely expensive but I didn’t know it repelled glaze!!! I think I’ll get one every 6 to 8 months or so.

A lot of really useful info here, thank you.

Thanks Jon. I’m a new potter and I love my Skutt 818. I’m opening a glaze firing inI a few hours... so excited. I was able to fit 14 bowls in there!

Thanks, this is super helpful. My Skutt km 818 is arriving in July so this is great info.

SOLD! I am going to buy advancer shelves. Just wrecked some shelves with runny glaze.

Hi Jon, I got onto your videos only a few months ago and I’m binge watching! I am totally hooked! I follow three other potters and am trying to get as much theoretical knowledge as possible as I haven’t been able to take classes etc. I can’t wait to put my hands to clay! I just bought my first kiln, well ordered it (Skutt KM818 with touchscreen controller). I never had space to have my own workshop until now so as soon as I am settled I’m getting on with getting the practical knowledge and skills and experimenting. I have been wanting to get into pottery for so long but work etc always got in the way. I want to show people that’s it’s never too late to get into something and carry on learning. You’re such an inspiration! Will let you know how I get on once my workshop is ready. Best.

Love this breakdown and it came at the perfect time because I am about to take the plunge and buy my first kiln. Looking at the KM822!! Can you talk about kiln loading tips?

Raku pottery can turn out so cool and it's cheaper to do than the other options so that's what you should try next!

Love you Jon! Youve probably seen this but there's a video out there with this Korean man making a Kimchi pot the old fashioned way. It was interesting to see after watching your channel. He used the rope method like you did on your large pot. His koln was large, wood burning and baked for a couple days. Came out beautiful though. His channel name is Eater.

JTP getting into the gas/wood kilns! love it! all about that cone 10 :)

Love your videos! News follower. I am a Jrhigh art teacher in TX. Planning on writing a grant for a pottery wheel to introduce throwing to my students to inspire future potters. We have a Skutt Kiln and love those shelves you showed. I may add those to my grant. Thank you for sharing what you know!

Awesome! And no kiln wash either! Love those!

Appreciate everything I'm learning on this site so am passing on some of my learning and hope this helps with pinholes/dimples in Slow Cool Firing cycle -- a suggestion that helped me was to use the DIGITALFIRE addition of the drop and soak ramp about 100 F below peak. For me peak is 2195 for a ^6 firing so I soak at 2195 for 15 min then 9999 to 2100 and soak for 10 min. This solved the problem for most of my glazes. For my most dimpled glaze I did another soak at 1900 for 10 and I also lowered that glaze's SG to 1.40 and Viscosity to 12 (single dipped) to allow for easier off-gassing of talc. I fire in a Skutt KM1018 kiln.

I love all your information

We converted a few old electric kilns into gas down draft kilns, not hard to do to get your feet wet on gas firing.

Cone 10 reduction firings are great because there are nice deep copper reds that you can get but it needs to be in reduction. Generally looks like an oatmeal-ish grey in oxidation. But might still combo well with other glazes in cone 10O.

This was really helpful.

Thank you again.

Raku! And a fling into cow by-product. Seems local enough...:)

My KMT-822 was just delivered and I am SO excited! 😆😆 I’d love a follow-up video of how to work with an electrician to install the kiln, and installing the vent systems (like, how do you cut holes in your wall?!) Also tips for your first firing; what to look for. I’m having trouble finding resources to help me go from buying my kiln to feeling confident firing it for the first time. Love your channel and appreciate all your help so much Jon!! So excited to see why you’ll achieve in new kiln styles this year.

Thanks for the great kiln video. Do you vent your kilns and/or your studio in general? Love your work!!

Great tutorial thanks need to know more about cones and temperatures have a scutt 1022

Hello from Australia! I love how different it is compared to us in aus . Here we almost always fire stoneware to cone 9/10 . I work in a pottery supply store and can always tell when someone has been inspired by a USA channel because they want cone 6 clay and glaze 😂. We usually have to steer them towards cone 9/10 just because we do a in-house reduction to around 1280°c. None better than the other just makes me wonder where the difference began. Love your channel BTW

Love wood fire kilns. The last two I have fired where both built and designed train design by Ted Neal. Nothing like it, great results and great for people who enjoy a big community. Last firing we did got to almost done 12.

So informative! I was wondering if you leave the peep holes open during bisque or glaze firing?

I’ve been thinking about these specific subjects.

In a couple of years watching your videos, I’ve always wondered why you never seem to use kiln wash on your regular shelves. It’s a simple step that makes cleaning up runny glaze so much easier!

Thank you so much for sharing your 818 experience with us . Ive been working with much larger kilns at work and for the first time , we were able to purchase a kiln to have at home, we got the 818 30 amp which meant we could use our dryer plug with an adaptor, we just got it a couple of days ago and we are waiting for the vent adaptor to arrive before using it. Are you using any vents? I look forward to getting the advancer shelves one day too ! Thanks so much for your fabulous videos I’ve been subscribed to your channel since about 2006 and I appreciate your kind spirit, and generously sharing your talent on KZfaq. Congratulations on all your success, Im really looking forward to seeing you experiment with a gas oven and learning all about it with you!

Love this! Considering my first kiln and have been looking at the skutt 818. You've confirmed my thinking about size. Questions: 1. Once you've dripped on and scraped away the advanced kiln shelf, is that area still going to be as "nonstick" the next time? 2. I've read that you need lots of room around kilns but you have yours so close together...any tips? 3. I've been told that electric kills should be in a separate shed because they can cause condensation of chemicals that affects metal in the room and makes it rust. Have you had that happen? (Considering a separate shed). Thanks!

I love cone 10, my glaze and kiln tech class is purely at cone 10, sometimes we wood fire bc my professor builds wood kilns all over the country. that’s actually the second part of the class, building a wood kiln! really natural results, I love it :) nice video

Wow thanks soooooo much

Well done

If you ever do Cone 10R try an amber celadon glaze over a copper red glaze. Moderately runny so just have the celadon on the top 1/3rd of the piece at most. But it looks fantastic

I'm in the process of setting up a home studio, and this was super helpful in thinking about what kiln I want to invest in. After watching this video, I think I'm set on the Skutt 818. How long did it take to get yours with their current demand?

For your older simple shelves try an angle grinder with a diamond bit .. Amazing at cleaning up .I have been doing some alkaline cone ten work lately in my outdoor sprung arch kiln and with a drip or two it is a great tool for cleaning up .. We also use setting rings with sand or ground insulating brick dust at cone 10 . Something refractory up at white hot ..I have 3 older Skutt 1227 s . I try to fire every day but at 71 it works out 3 to 5 times a week .I make 25 to 35 tons of flowerpots a year .. . We make unglazed flowerpots stacked inside each other so no shelves needed on the skutts .. 90 one pounders or 60 two pounders or 36 4 pounders or 28 six pounders or 22 twelve pounders or 16 16 pounders or 8 24 pounders (with fillers ) The yields are right around $900.00 to $1500.00 a load retail of 500 to $750.00 wholesale fiiring at cone 02 .. Keep enjoying yourself .50 years at the wheel and I smile every day .. Yours Guy

Jon, perhaps your new clay body could benefit from a longer and/ or higher bisque to burn out impurities. It could be it is relasing gases in the glaze firing that are being trapped in in the molten glaze. And for anyone looking for a kiln (or wheels), always keep an eye on Craig's List or other such auction sites. There are a couple sites here in the States that public schools use to auction off old equipment. You can get really good deals, because they are more realistic about what they have, and sometimes just want to get rid of it.

Using the gas kiln at school would always give me anxiety!! Esp if it was filled with other people's pieces too .

It is fascinating what Simon Leach has accomplished with old ruined electric kilns and Harbor Freight weed burners. But you have your own style. So I'll be absolutely fascinated to see how you approach gas.

eyyy im one of skutts kilns builders, i probably built that new one! im glad you are satisfied with my work xD

Please make a video about slow cooling!

Dude! That's do cool!

You should do one about wheels next!

I have a paragon B88B which is about the size of 818. It takes a lot of me to even fill it up

I kind of was hoping you would talk a little on ventilation and what you do/don’t recommend for people using them in a garage ? Yeah? Maybe? Thanks!

My pottery studio is closing. It's in suburban Philadelphia and they're selling their electric kilns for half price. Except I'm still too poor to afford them haha. If anyone lives in suburban Philadelphia, they're also selling their wheels for half price.

Can you try an updraft kiln video?

Kiln wash? I thought that was supposed to prevent, or at least help reduce, sticking pots from glaze run off. Great video! Want to have a home studio in the next year. The kiln is the least I know about so I learned a bit more to help figure out what I need. Thx

Have I missed the statement where Jon mentions degrees (Celsius or Fahrenheit)? USA is the homeland of social networks...and it uses Fahrenheits only. ...the imperial measurement system too, but that is for another video (1 mile = 1.60934 km = 1760 Yards = 5280 Feet; 1Kg = 2.20462 Pounds = 35.2739199982575 Ounce ...). Sorry...I know it sucks...That is why specifying the measuring system is important for us who want to do something ourselves.

Hey, Jon, thanks for the kiln video. Been doing pottery for 20 years, (Silly Sister’s Pottery) and was getting ready to replace my kiln furniture, so your info on Advancer shelves was timely!

Can you make an episode about glazing and firing porcelain clay?

I'm using a old 181 skutt kiln, everything manual, to teach students and myself. Jealous of those kilns

Idk if it would be possible to do a more in depth video of the process🥺? Like how you set up the temperature for the firing and how to install electric kilns and idk, a step by step of how you set the little screen and all that haha

Did you ever look up at the Clayart kilns? Im in the market for a kiln.

Nice brief introduction to kilns. I am thinking about getting a smaller one like you’ve shown. Do I need to put a vent to the outdoors next to where the kiln is located in the basement?

I want to make some cave holes for my fish and thinking to build them myself, the say use terocota clay, but how long the need to be in the oven and on what degrees?

Do you know how much electricity it pulls to run/fire your 818 kiln? And do you have a cost comparison to running the smaller kiln vs. the bigger ones? Trying to figure up the cost it would take to fire the smaller kiln size, if I were to purchase one for a home studio. As always, very informative video and love your channel.

Instead of throwing them out you could do a second chance sell and sell them at a cheaper rate. That way they won’t go to waste

If your kiln is 18” wide, should you order an 18” kiln shelf or a 16” kiln shelf to leave room for manouvering?

Anothet great video. 😃

Is your walls in the kiln room bricks? Or reg wall? Also, do you have a special floor? I have a 1027 and I have the electrician coming today to install my plug in out new house in the basement. But our basement is not brick. Thank you!

hi jon

A question specific to the #AdvancerKilnShelves. Someone told me they will cause your electric firing to go into reduction. Any input on this??

I am actually studying Ceramic Engineering and I want to follow you.

I just now well this afternoon received my wall mounted controller which has the exact same features as the scut counts and I'm using it with an old Vulcan kiln. I mean I redid All The brick in the Vulcan I found a local source for kiln brick and made a jig for my Mill and I mailed out all the tracks and cut the angles for the brick they turned out absolutely perfectly perfect and then I wound some brand new coils out of A1 kanthol 16 gauge wire so basically the part of the Kiln that matters is all brand new. I'm firing it right now but I'm just doing basically an empty Kiln with a bottom layer of cups just to see how it turns I can't really justify filling and killing 100% and firing it 100% full when I don't even know what I'm doing with the controller. I was having trouble with the Kiln sitter and I had a very cheap analog pyrometer so I just bit the bullet and decided to get the controller that way I would have a good pyrometer built in and be able to control everything without actually using cones. You can overshoot a cone you can't overshoot the electronics that are controlling the relays for the speed of the Ascension or Ascension so I figured I'd get a lot more accurate temperatures. Basically those wall mounted controllers are awesome they take any cheap Kiln as long as it's intact and it works and turn it into a awesome kiln All of a sudden and out of the blue I'm getting pinholes all the time and I don't know if I'm overshooting or undershooting my temperatures. I know the cones will eventually melt even if they don't reach maturity temperatures for the glazes so who knows I'll find out now cuz I'll be able to see what temperature it went to

Hello, is there a turning wheel you can recommend. I'm new to all. Than you

Do you recommend any resources for those starting out on using a kiln. I was thinking about buying a small skutt kiln as my first kiln. The price difference between the touchscreen and normal controller is high. Is it worth it????

Can you use wax resist with those newer kiln shelves?

What about 110 volt kiln. 11” wide and 9” deep. What are they good for

How do you know if your kiln needs new parts?

My problem is that I do not have access to 220 high amperage circuits. Too bad for hobbyists and beginners that there are so few kilns that will run from a 15 amp 120 circuit.

How about that glaze crackling sound? Isn't it bad? Like bad for the quality of functional ceramics? I'm just starting with pottery. Thanks

What is a good beginner pottery wheel?

Hi, I'm trying to find a recommended recipe. We are firing ceramic to 1050 Deg. C, cone 10 right? We take a lot of time ramping and dwelling to get there, 60 hours, and then once we dwell at 1050C, we literally turn the furnace off. I think that sets us up for dunting and internal stress. I'm generalizing because of our proprietary material, but am I right that this is NOT the way to fire ceramic? We should gradually ramp the temperature back down until about 500C before we just turn off the kiln right? Opinions would be greatly appreciated.

I have a 8:18 Scott that I've been using forever I just got those new shelves that you're showing off in this video I was just curious if you have any guidance on how close we can get to the element and the thermostat rod. And do you turn them off before you take the shelves out? Thank you

I’m curious about how it works to refire a mug upside-down...do you silt them up and have those unfortunate marks on them or do those super stellar shelves leave them with a nice enough finish once you pop it off?

How do you make pottery a career? Do you only do pottery to as a means of living or do you have a 2nd job as well?

Ive taken pottery classes my whole life tryna be a potter than realized I don't know enough about kilns to do independent firings

i noticed that i have been getting micro pin holes as well.... and I'm at a loss. i have been forced to use B mix recently due to my supplier's mixer/pug being broken down. i am not impressed at all with bmix..... i wonder if the clay is causing this??? i always thought that it was the glazes?

If I were to buy a kiln, starting small of course, would I need to set up a ventilation system? And also, would I need to upgrade my electricity unit?

Can you make enough money making pottery? If you wanted to make 60k a year, worked M-F, 48 out of 52 weeks in a year, and made one fine piece per day, you would have to sell it for $250. To cover the cost of the materials, kiln, and electric however, you'd need to sell it for a bit more. Is there really a market for stuff at that price? I feel like you'd have a better chance at making specialty pieces like that than cheap plates and cups which most people will just buy from local retail stores.

Vents?