[Mark C.]

This is not for everyone-If you fire a lot than this will make sense. I have a friend who invested in these for his cone 10 electric and they are great.
Even if cone o6 to 6 is your thing if you fire lots of times in a year than these will make more space for pots and makes economic sense over a short time by the extra space they create for work.
http://kilnshelf.com...-electric-kilns
When I switched to them in my gas kiln they paid for them selves in about 2 years from the two extra feet of pottery I could fit in due to them being so thin.(average load is 35 shelves)
Some things to keep in mind are they need to be kept dry-do not store directly on concrete floor(put some wood down) as they will explode if wet.
Once you use a few you will never go back to heavy thicker shelves.They are very light so your back will like them as well.
Again these are not for everyone.
Mark

[Matt Oz]

they are expensive, but I can see why they would be worth it for a production potter. Maybe when I decide to get busy, a couple shelves a year.

How smooth are they?

[INYA]

thanks for the info!

[OffCenter]

Thanks for the info, Mark. Can't afford them now but maybe soon. Matt, click on the link for prices.

[Mark C.]

Matt they are very smooth and stay that way for your lifetime as well as flat forever.
Mark

[Marcia Selsor]

My back is aching after these last couple of weeks of intense loading and unloading at the school. I am thinking of these for my home studio. In fact I am thinking of downsizing from my huge oval kiln that is too deep for me to easily load. Thanks Mark. Good idea.
Marcia

[Pres]

Marcia Selsor, on 30 April 2012 - 06:18 AM, said:

My back is aching after these last couple of weeks of intense loading and unloading at the school. I am thinking of these for my home studio. In fact I am thinking of downsizing from my huge oval kiln that is too deep for me to easily load. Thanks Mark. Good idea.
Marcia

Is your oval kiln sectional? If so rig up a pulley system to lift the top section for loading. This makes a lot easier for that bend over deep load. I did it for an older kiln at HS and used if for about 10 years. I used cable for the pulley system with brackets attached to side walls of the kiln. Overhead make certain pulleys are attached well.

[Mark C.]

Marcia
I do not have weights for electric sized shelves but for a 12 x24 in a 1 inch dry press English shelve(33#) which is was I used after my years with silicone carbide shelves.
The advancers 12x 24 are 9#s each.
My back really likes them.
Mark

[Diana Ferreira]

It looks amazing, but if that is the price per shelve, I will not even be able to afford one per year. Are they available in square or rectangular shelves too?

[DirtRoads]

Thanks for this information .... I've seen looking into to these shelves.

35 Shelves ... what size/type kiln is that?

[Marcia Selsor]

Pres, on 30 April 2012 - 07:25 AM, said:

Marcia Selsor, on 30 April 2012 - 06:18 AM, said:

My back is aching after these last couple of weeks of intense loading and unloading at the school. I am thinking of these for my home studio. In fact I am thinking of downsizing from my huge oval kiln that is too deep for me to easily load. Thanks Mark. Good idea.
Marcia

Is your oval kiln sectional? If so rig up a pulley system to lift the top section for loading. This makes a lot easier for that bend over deep load. I did it for an older kiln at HS and used if for about 10 years. I used cable for the pulley system with brackets attached to side walls of the kiln. Overhead make certain pulleys are attached well.

not sectional. The shelves are 14 x 28 for the rectangular and the semi -round are 14 x 28. It is a big oval.

[Mark C.]

DirtRoads, on 01 May 2012 - 06:45 PM, said:

Thanks for this information .... I've seen looking into to these shelves.

35 Shelves ... what size/type kiln is that?

Gas Car kiln
about 35 cubic stacking space

[GailD]

What about those hollow shelves that came out just a few years back? Very lightweight, excellent quality, and much cheaper.

[Mark C.]

They work great but are thicker and heavier than advancers-they cost less and if space and weight is not a concern I recommend them . I know they stay flat at cone 6 from someone who fires to 6.
Mark

[Mark C.]

The hollow core mullites are almost as light as my advancers ( I lifted some 12x24 and 12x28 a few days ago-the are a bit thicker 5/8s.) They will soak glaze up vs advancers which never can.
But keep in mind I have not been doing this long enough to point anyone into a direction I would hate to have a person think I learned this and it did not work well for them.I would like you to consider this whole thread I started and how little i know on this stuff after all these years and firing. from the 70s to now.
Lets let some real old timers chime in some cutting edge stuff with some other ideas as mine are all untested and maybe out dated.
Mark

This comment above was for offcenter
Its really just in jest

[LilyT]

Wow, this thread has gotten nearly a million views! That's a lot of potters.

[Mark C.]

Lily
I'm honored to have so many look sees. Until I read your post I had never paid much attention to views on the side -I'm not sure I even new that existed.
I wonder if anyone has got these shelves for an electric and found out they can fist a lot more work into the kiln??If you fire a lot they pay for themselves very quickly. Glaze does not stick to them and the thermal mass is less to heat as well.The biggest feature is more work in kiln which pays off soon.

Mark

[LilyT]

Mark C., on 20 August 2012 - 09:29 PM, said:

Lily
I'm honored to have so many look sees. Until I read your post I had never paid much attention to views on the side -I'm not sure I even new that existed.
I wonder if anyone has got these shelves for an electric and found out they can fist a lot more work into the kiln??If you fire a lot they pay for themselves very quickly. Glaze does not stick to them and the thermal mass is less to heat as well.The biggest feature is more work in kiln which pays off soon.

Mark

Actually, I'd never noticed that feature before, either, but Chris pointed it out as a way to
help figure out if people are looking but don't have anything to add... she actually advised
popping an inquiry back up to the top in that case to get more attention and it worked!
Someone noticed and answered another post I had up.

And your topics are pretty popular, its always nice to read about someone sharing
their experience and hard earned methods and pearls. You should blog or do a book,
eh? (I know, you're BUSY already, lol.)

-Lily

[Mark C.]

LilyT, on 21 August 2012 - 01:02 AM, said:

Mark C., on 20 August 2012 - 09:29 PM, said:

Lily
I'm honored to have so many look sees. Until I read your post I had never paid much attention to views on the side -I'm not sure I even new that existed.
I wonder if anyone has got these shelves for an electric and found out they can fist a lot more work into the kiln??If you fire a lot they pay for themselves very quickly. Glaze does not stick to them and the thermal mass is less to heat as well.The biggest feature is more work in kiln which pays off soon.

Mark

Actually, I'd never noticed that feature before, either, but Chris pointed it out as a way to
help figure out if people are looking but don't have anything to add... she actually advised
popping an inquiry back up to the top in that case to get more attention and it worked!
Someone noticed and answered another post I had up.

And your topics are pretty popular, its always nice to read about someone sharing
their experience and hard earned methods and pearls. You should blog or do a book,
eh? (I know, you're BUSY already, lol.)

-Lily

No time for that-to much to do while I can still do it
Pottery diving and fishing and more pottery
Life is short and you must live it large.
I come from a family of teachers (parent and siblings) and have learned to share what I have learned or discuss what I do not know and need to learn.
Thanks you for the kind words
Clay has been good to me and I feel its good to give back if you have the chance and this forum has given me that chance. I found this foruem right after my wrist surgery when I had lots of down time-now its working about 80%.
My busy season is just ahead and I will be here less very soon till after x-mas
5 more shows and x-mas make for lots of wheel/glaze/kiln time
Mark

[Marcia Selsor]

Pres, on 30 April 2012 - 07:25 AM, said:

Marcia Selsor, on 30 April 2012 - 06:18 AM, said:

My back is aching after these last couple of weeks of intense loading and unloading at the school. I am thinking of these for my home studio. In fact I am thinking of downsizing from my huge oval kiln that is too deep for me to easily load. Thanks Mark. Good idea.
Marcia

Is your oval kiln sectional? If so rig up a pulley system to lift the top section for loading. This makes a lot easier for that bend over deep load. I did it for an older kiln at HS and used if for about 10 years. I used cable for the pulley system with brackets attached to side walls of the kiln. Overhead make certain pulleys are attached well.

Not sectional and 42x30x30