Set up a practice shelf with posts - Practice

Kiln loading is part engineering, part Tetris. Before loading real work, practice the fundamentals.

The exercise

Select three kiln posts of equal height (appropriate for your tallest pot)
Place them in a triangle on the kiln floor (or a table, for practice)
Set a kiln shelf on top and check with a level
Practice placing and removing pots from the shelf without bumping neighbors

Key principles

Three posts always create a stable platform (four can wobble)
Posts go directly above each other on stacked shelves (load-bearing path to the floor)
Leave a finger's width between the shelf edge and the kiln wall (heat circulation)

Why practice outside the kiln first?

Kiln interiors are cramped and hot (if recently fired). Training your hands with the right movements in open space makes you confident and efficient when it counts.