Thank you so much for your thorough and generous explanations! I am a somewhat “experienced” potter but still have so much to learn and I do learn a lot every time I watch your videos! Cheers from Montreal, Quebec! :)
I love your videos, and learned about a new type of kiln shelf today! The studio I belong to uses the thick shelves which we’re very careful to coat well with kiln wash. And since we have lots of students and members who are still learning (like me, lol), in addition to using stilts, we sometimes use thin bisqued clay “cookies” under glaze pieces that have particularly thick or potentially runny glaze.
Hi. This video was so interesting and informative. I'm only a hobby potter, so I only use earthenware clay. I bisque to 1000 degrees Celsius, and depending on the glaze I'm using at the time, I glaze to either 1000 degrees or 1080 degrees Celsius. My kiln is a very large Tetlow with a Harco external controller. The controller frustrates me so much. Anyway, thanks to your videos, I'm learning all the time.
@Vsmithpots Hi Vaughn. Yes, sometimes pieces craze. I was thinking that it might have been because of dust on some pieces. I'm careful to cover them until it's time to fire. Some glazes that are meant for an 06/05 glaze don't mature or sometimes burn out. I usually have a good outcome, but I'm not a fan of using a harco controller, but that's what I have, so I have to deal with it. I've made your whales and fish with success, so thank you for that video as well.
Hello again, the crazing is because earthenware clays are not vitreous. That is why I fire to 01 bisque. It vitrifies the clay or almost does, the principle is to put the glaze under compression so the glaze is not expanded by the clay when it gets washed. It absorbs water at 04 or lower and expands stretching the glaze, causing it to make minute cracks, crazing. My clay can fire to cone 4 but it is chocolate coloured and ugly at that temperature, way too brittle. I experimented, asked the clay manufacturer and figured somewhere between cone 04 and 2 would stop the crazing, so my first guess worked at 01. The clay is dense but still a nice colour. The glaze takes all day to dry and I thicken the glaze enough so you have to shake or vibrate the pot to remove excess glaze, I still need the clear glaze to be thin or it goes cloudy. I glaze to 04 with a 30 minute soak. Hope this helps.
Hi Vaughan! Delighted to find this Kiln loading for beginners! I am attached to a studio where the owner does all bisque and stone/earthen wares firings. But wish to have my own kiln, although I have not done any business for the 6 pottering years. I am more keen to produce glaze perfect pieces. Hence am learning more about different types of kilns such as gas, electric & soda firings. Gas kiln seems more expensive than electric but has a reduction setting while electric is oxidation. Someone told me that electric kiln can also set to reduction firing but altering the setting and temperature is the harder bit. Also gas kiln has to be present in each stage of firing. Just couple of questions, as beginner is there a standard gauging of temperature to follow for bisque and stone/earthen ware firings as well as cooling? Does a soak or hold duration increase kiln temp after reaching peak reduction? For achieving crystallization, is there also a standard set of temperature/time guide too? Many thanks! Apologize such lengthy questions.
Bisque between cone 06 to 04, I use 06 for stoneware. As a beginner you should fire Electric oxidation, electric kilns do not like to be used as reduction kilns, it damages the elements. Soaking at peak temperature increases the heat work and makes glazes run, I soak 11 minutes at 6F below cone 6 and then natural cool to 2000F, then fire down at 145F to 1750F where I soak for 1hour, then fire down to 1700F at 145F per hour. That makes crystals. Hope this helps.
@@Vsmithpots I had recorded the above contents and will hope one day I get to do firing my own. When programming for a stoneware cone 6 mid firing, will it varies from potters to potters? Pls forgive my curiosity. Most appreciated.
Thank you so much for your thorough and generous explanations! I am a somewhat “experienced” potter but still have so much to learn and I do learn a lot every time I watch your videos! Cheers from Montreal, Quebec! :)
Thanks, you can have your warm weather back now, it finally got hot here.
@@Vsmithpots 🤣🤣🤣 no we’re good, you can keep it! ;)
thanks Vaughan, I am slowly building my tiny home studio. this was very helpful.
Glad I helped.
I love your videos, and learned about a new type of kiln shelf today! The studio I belong to uses the thick shelves which we’re very careful to coat well with kiln wash. And since we have lots of students and members who are still learning (like me, lol), in addition to using stilts, we sometimes use thin bisqued clay “cookies” under glaze pieces that have particularly thick or potentially runny glaze.
Thanks for watching, the shelves are great.
Hi. This video was so interesting and informative. I'm only a hobby potter, so I only use earthenware clay. I bisque to 1000 degrees Celsius, and depending on the glaze I'm using at the time, I glaze to either 1000 degrees or 1080 degrees Celsius. My kiln is a very large Tetlow with a Harco external controller. The controller frustrates me so much. Anyway, thanks to your videos, I'm learning all the time.
Hi Carolyn, are you having any crazing in your pieces?
@Vsmithpots Hi Vaughn. Yes, sometimes pieces craze. I was thinking that it might have been because of dust on some pieces. I'm careful to cover them until it's time to fire. Some glazes that are meant for an 06/05 glaze don't mature or sometimes burn out. I usually have a good outcome, but I'm not a fan of using a harco controller, but that's what I have, so I have to deal with it.
I've made your whales and fish with success, so thank you for that video as well.
Hello again, the crazing is because earthenware clays are not vitreous. That is why I fire to 01 bisque. It vitrifies the clay or almost does, the principle is to put the glaze under compression so the glaze is not expanded by the clay when it gets washed. It absorbs water at 04 or lower and expands stretching the glaze, causing it to make minute cracks, crazing. My clay can fire to cone 4 but it is chocolate coloured and ugly at that temperature, way too brittle. I experimented, asked the clay manufacturer and figured somewhere between cone 04 and 2 would stop the crazing, so my first guess worked at 01. The clay is dense but still a nice colour. The glaze takes all day to dry and I thicken the glaze enough so you have to shake or vibrate the pot to remove excess glaze, I still need the clear glaze to be thin or it goes cloudy. I glaze to 04 with a 30 minute soak. Hope this helps.
Hi Vaughan! Delighted to find this Kiln loading for beginners! I am attached to a studio where the owner does all bisque and stone/earthen wares firings. But wish to have my own kiln, although I have not done any business for the 6 pottering years. I am more keen to produce glaze perfect pieces. Hence am learning more about different types of kilns such as gas, electric & soda firings. Gas kiln seems more expensive than electric but has a reduction setting while electric is oxidation. Someone told me that electric kiln can also set to reduction firing but altering the setting and temperature is the harder bit. Also gas kiln has to be present in each stage of firing. Just couple of questions, as beginner is there a standard gauging of temperature to follow for bisque and stone/earthen ware firings as well as cooling? Does a soak or hold duration increase kiln temp after reaching peak reduction? For achieving crystallization, is there also a standard set of temperature/time guide too? Many thanks! Apologize such lengthy questions.
Bisque between cone 06 to 04, I use 06 for stoneware. As a beginner you should fire Electric oxidation, electric kilns do not like to be used as reduction kilns, it damages the elements. Soaking at peak temperature increases the heat work and makes glazes run, I soak 11 minutes at 6F below cone 6 and then natural cool to 2000F, then fire down at 145F to 1750F where I soak for 1hour, then fire down to 1700F at 145F per hour. That makes crystals. Hope this helps.
@@Vsmithpots I had recorded the above contents and will hope one day I get to do firing my own. When programming for a stoneware cone 6 mid firing, will it varies from potters to potters? Pls forgive my curiosity. Most appreciated.
@@xm3364 Cone 6 should be the same everywhere depending on the cone 6 bending the same, it all depends on the length of time a firing takes.
@@Vsmithpots Understood. Thank you very much.