Wax the foot ring of a bisque pot

Wax resist on the foot ring is what prevents your pot from permanently fusing to the kiln shelf. Non-negotiable step.

Steps

1. Make sure the foot ring and bottom are clean and dust-free
2. Apply wax resist evenly to the entire foot face and about 3 mm up the outer wall
3. Let it dry (5–10 minutes)

The water test

Dab a wet finger on the waxed area. Water should bead up completely and roll off. If it absorbs, you missed a spot; re-wax.

Watch out for

• Drips onto the pot walls (wax repels glaze, so drips = bare spots)
• Missing the outer edge of the foot (glaze will run down and fuse to the shelf here)
• Applying too thin (one coat should be opaque when wet)

This takes 2 minutes per pot but saves hours of grinding fused pots off kiln shelves.