Firing
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Choosing a Pottery Kiln for Home – An Owners Review
Buying a pottery kiln for home use is very exciting. But making the right choice is important and there are some key things to consider. In this guide, I’ll walk through my experience of buying an at-home kiln. I will flag up any essential things to bear in mind when you are choosing, installing, and…
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Can You Fire Air Dry Clay? – Do’s & Don’ts With Air Dry Clay
Some air dry clay can look and feel a lot like regular pottery clay. But do they behave in the same way, and can you fire air-dry clay in a kiln? No. Most air dry clay, like DAS modeling clay or Crayola Air Dry Clay, cannot go in the kiln. However, there are different types…
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Saggar Firing – How to Make Simple Aluminum Saggars
Saggar Firing In the past, the term ‘saggar’ referred to a container that pottery was fired in. These containers were made of heat-resistant, refractory material. They were designed to protect the pots from the fumes, flames, and debris in the atmosphere of the kiln. Today saggars are often used for the opposite purpose. These days…
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What Temperature to Fire Terra Sigillata? | What Works Best?
If you are starting to use terra sigillata, it’s most likely that you have made your own batch. But perhaps you are wondering what temperature to fire terra sigillata. After all, if you have made your own, you won’t have any manufacturers firing guidelines! There is quite a variety of opinions about the temperature to…
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How Do Kilns Work? – All about How Pottery Kilns Fire Clay
There are different types of kiln, and each of them works a bit differently. However, regardless of design, kilns are simply chambers that are heated up to bake clay at high temperatures. In this article, I will look at the question, how do kilns work? I will consider some of the differences between types of…
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What is the Recommended Raku Firing Temperature?
Raku firing pottery is often described as a low fire fast method of glazing or finishing your pottery. But if you are thinking of firing raku, you might be wondering what exactly is the recommended raku firing temperature? In the context of a raku firing temperature, what does ‘low fire’ mean? Raku pottery is often…
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What is the Second Firing of Clay Called? – Glaze or Glost?
The most common practice when making ceramics is to fire pottery twice. The first fire is the bisque or biscuit fire. But what is the second firing of clay called? The second firing of clay is called the glaze fire. After the first fire, liquid glaze is applied to the bisque fired pottery. This is…
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What is the First Firing of Clay Called?
One of the first things that you will learn about firing clay is that it happens in two stages. These two stages have different purposes. This article is all about the first stage. So, let’s look first at what the first firing of clay is called… The first firing of clay is called the bisque…
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What Happens to Clay When it is Fired in a Kiln?
Usually, clay is fired two times. The first time is the bisque fire and the second time is the glaze fire. Clay undergoes changes during both of these firing processes. And this article is all about what happens to clay when it is fired in a bisque and a glaze fire. In essence, when clay…
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How Long Does It Take to Fire Clay in a Kiln? – Firing Tips
When you are starting out in pottery, most likely someone else is firing your pieces. Or perhaps you have a new kiln and you are wondering about firing schedules. Either way, you are probably wondering, how long does it take to fire clay in a kiln? This article is all about how long the firing…
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How to Fire Clay at Home – 7 Simple Ways to Fire Pottery
If you’ve started making pottery, you may be wondering how to fire clay at home. The good news is that you don’t need a fancy art studio to fire your own pottery. There are some simple, inexpensive ways to fire clay at home. This article covers 7 ways of firing pottery and some of the…
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What is Glaze Firing? – All About Glaze Firing Pottery
Firing clay is the process of turning it from clay into ceramic material. Most of the time pottery is fired twice, and the second firing is called glaze firing. So, what exactly is glaze firing? The first step in firing pottery is the bisque fire when clay turns into ceramic ware. After the bisque fire,…