Kiln Furniture Basics: Shelves, Posts, Stilts, and Kiln Wash

Kiln furniture is the set of shelves, posts, and supports that hold your work inside the kiln. Used correctly, it protects your pieces, your kiln, and your results. Here are the basics.

Kiln shelves

Shelves are flat slabs that create levels inside the kiln so you can fire more pieces at once. Choose shelves sized to leave an inch or two of space around the edges for airflow. Browse our kiln furniture.

Posts

Posts are the columns that hold shelves apart. They come in different heights, so you can stack shelves with enough room for tall pieces. Use at least three posts per shelf for stability, and make sure they line up so the load is even.

Stilts

Stilts are small triangular or multi-point supports that lift a glazed piece off the shelf. The points leave tiny marks you can grind off. They're useful for tiles, ornaments, and pieces glazed all the way to the bottom. Stilts come in different sizes, so choose ones that fit your piece. See our kiln room supplies.

Kiln wash

Kiln wash is a protective coating you paint on shelf tops. If a glaze drips, it hits the wash and not the shelf, and you can scrape or chip it away. Apply two or three thin coats, letting each dry, and renew it when it gets worn. Don't put wash on the bottoms of your pieces, and keep it off the kiln's heating elements.

Witness cones

Witness cones show you what temperature the kiln really reached. Place them where you can see them through the peephole. They are inexpensive and very helpful.

Basic loading tips

• Don't let glazed pieces touch each other.
• Keep pieces away from the elements.
• Wipe glaze off the foot unless you're using stilts.
• Check shelves for cracks before every firing.

For firing steps, see how to fire glazed ceramics. Shop kilns and kiln parts and accessories.