warping platters

[Donna Ferrara]

Hi All

I fired a student's oval platter (cone 6) on triangular stilts.  It warped, I think because I placed the stilts incorrectly. I was thinking of refiring it with out the stilts.  Has anyone had experience refiring something like this?  will it flatten out?

[Kabe Burleson]

Well that's a bummer Donna. I have never used stilts so I do not know the preperation involved when someone is glazing. My first concern would be if the foot was glazed or not and if it was to be refired would it stick to the shelf. As far as it flatting back out seems like it might. I think I would pray, light incense, chant a mantra, sacrifice a fat chicken and maybe even face Mecca first, just to be on the safe side and to make sure I had all the bases covered.  It may depend on the memory of the clay. Tiles don't lay down if they are warped but often that has to do with how they were handled before the firing, not because of the firing. Good luck, Merry Christmas, and Happy firing.

[Donna Ferrara]

thanks for your thoughts!  I think it might flatten out some too....the bottom was glaze free, but my student (12 yr old) decided to take it home...I gave her a few old posts to prop it with , and if she likes the way it looks, she'll glue them to the bottom for legs....it's hard to know how much the piece was manipulated during the making...another girl's came out perfectly