A Sculptor’s Smart Solution for Loading Heavy Work

Sculptor Chris Corson creates large-scale ceramic pieces that demand careful handling during firing. Like many artists working with top-loading kilns, he faced the challenge of safely lifting a heavy lid while positioning delicate sculptures inside. To solve this, Chris engineered a clever mechanical device that allows him to lift the lid of his L&L kiln with ease, improving both safety and efficiency in his studio.

This blog post provides a detailed examination of his innovative setup, accompanied by photos and explanations of its operation. It’s a great example of practical problem-solving that many ceramic artists—especially those working solo or with physical constraints—can appreciate and learn from.

Here an image of the pulley system I rigged to lift my kiln's lid out of the way.  The parts came from Home Depot and Tractor Supply.  My wife helps me with the rings.  I just use the pulley system for the lid -- so it gets lifted up and suspended out of the way while I deal with the rings.

My work is figurative sculpture, mostly standing torsos and seated figures.  You can see them at www.chriscorsonsculpture.com.  My standing figures are why I bought the Pull-Apart.  I needed interior height and a safe way to get bone dry pieces in place.  The Pull-Apart system makes it easy.

I've attached an image of a piece I completed yesterday (28" tall).  Still green, it will be the next thing to go in the kiln.

Christopher Corson

NOTE FROM L&L: Here is a link to the PULL-APART Jupiter kilns mentioned in this post.