Firings

Bisque Firing

This firing changes clay to ceramic. It removes both physical water, in the form of steam, and chemical water. It begins by rising by 25°C an hour until it reaches 400°C. After 400°C the temperature rises by 150°C an hour.

Hardening-on Firing 

The piece has to be soaked before the under glaze paints can be used. The reason for the firing is to burn off the gum Arabic in the paints as well as to stabilize the colour.

Glaze Firing
 The glaze turns to liquid glass in the kiln and with stick to anything it touches during this process. For this reason the kiln must be packed very carefully. The kiln fires to 1160°C by rising 100°C an hour. At 1160°C it is soaked, the temperature is kept level, for about 10 minutes. This is to give the bubbles that have formed time to heal while the glaze is molten. The kiln should not be open until it is under 150°C to avoid work cracking.