Plan a glaze kiln load
Glaze loading is completely different from bisque loading. The golden rule: glazed surfaces must not touch anything.
The planning exercise
- Arrange your glazed pots on a table (outside the kiln)
- Check every piece: no glazed surface touches another piece, a shelf, or the kiln wall
- Leave at least 5 mm clearance between pieces (glaze can bubble and expand)
- Sketch your layout plan
Key differences from bisque
- Pieces cannot touch (glaze fuses them together permanently)
- Pieces cannot touch shelves where glazed (hence waxed feet)
- Pieces should be placed where heat is appropriate for their glaze (top is hotter in most kilns)
Things to double-check
- All feet are waxed and glaze-free
- No drips on the bottom half that could run to the shelf
- Kiln wash is fresh on all shelves (insurance against accidental drips)