Help -- newbie...

I'm just getting into clay and am beginning to realize how ignorant I am! I
recently bought several different kinds of clay -- all cone 6. I have
access to a Skutt automatic kiln. I'm making some test tiles to eventually
use for testing glazes. Somewhere I read that bisque firing is around cone
05-06 rather than cone 6. Should I fire to 06 first, glaze, then fire to
cone 6 (or whatever the glaze needs), or fire to cone 6 before glazing?
Also, is it possible to glaze the greenware and only fire once at cone 6?

Thanks for the help. I really appreciate it. I know this is very
elementary for most of you...

Fred

fire to 05/06 first, add glaze, fire again to your cone 6.

it is possible to single fire, adding glaze at the dry clay stage. ~
but you'll have to test your self to make sure it works the way you
want.

see ya

steve

Fred wrote:
I'm just getting into clay and am beginning to realize how ignorant I am! I
recently bought several different kinds of clay -- all cone 6. I have
access to a Skutt automatic kiln. I'm making some test tiles to eventually
use for testing glazes. Somewhere I read that bisque firing is around cone
05-06 rather than cone 6. Should I fire to 06 first, glaze, then fire to
cone 6 (or whatever the glaze needs), or fire to cone 6 before glazing?
Also, is it possible to glaze the greenware and only fire once at cone 6?

Thanks for the help. I really appreciate it. I know this is very
elementary for most of you...

Fred


Usually you bisque to 06-05, apply glaze, then glaze fire to cone 6.
You can single fire only if the glazes tolerate it, which can only be
learned by trying. Some glazes will blister in single fire--usually
gloss glazes that are affected by gases which are more burnt out from
the double firing system. It's best for beginners to start with the
bisque fire--it makes the pots much less fragile for glazing.
Brad Sondahl

--
For my comics, pottery how-to videos, original art, music, pottery, and
literature, visit my homepage
http://sondahl.com

On Thu, 05 Jan 2006 21:47:20 GMT, "Fred" wrote:

I'm just getting into clay and am beginning to realize how ignorant I am! I
recently bought several different kinds of clay -- all cone 6. I have
access to a Skutt automatic kiln. I'm making some test tiles to eventually
use for testing glazes. Somewhere I read that bisque firing is around cone
05-06 rather than cone 6. Should I fire to 06 first, glaze, then fire to
cone 6 (or whatever the glaze needs), or fire to cone 6 before glazing?
Also, is it possible to glaze the greenware and only fire once at cone 6?

Thanks for the help. I really appreciate it. I know this is very
elementary for most of you...

Fred


To add to what others have said about
single-fire techniques, note that the biggest
problem is that if you try to apply glaze to
bone-dry greenware, the clay may absorb
too much water and expand, producing
serious cracks. Usually these cracks will
be obvious when the glaze dries, but it's
also possible that they will be internal and
will cause the piece to be weak after
firing.

Another problem is that while you are
applying the glaze, and the piece absorbs
water, it may become too weak to handle.
Glaze application by dipping is a big problem
because of this. Many folks who single-fire
thus either apply glaze by spraying the
bone-dry ware (which puts less water into
the piece) OR by applying glaze to the
piece at the leather-hard stage. In that
case, you may have to fiddle with your
glaze formula to get best results.

Best regards,



Bob Masta
dqatechATdaqartaDOTcom

D A Q A R T A
Data AcQuisition And Real-Time Analysis
www.daqarta.com
Home of DaqGen, the FREEWARE signal generator

Steve, Brad, Bob: Thanks! This is exactly what I need to know.

Fred

You can only green glaze tight clay bodies, like porcelain. For
other, more open clays, you glaze at leather hard.

--
� Lee Love 大
愛　　 　　 鱗
in Mashiko, Japan http://mashiko.org
http://seisokuro.blogspot.com/ My Photo Logs
http://ikiru.blogspot.com/ Zen and Craft

"The way we are, we are members of each other. All of us. Everything.
The difference ain't in who is a member and who is not, but in who
knows it and who don't."

--Burley Coulter (Wendell Berry)

We fire our bisque to 04 then glaze. Everything depends on the clay body
that you are using. Some have a heavier tooth than others. Porcelain is
fragile, stoneware with good frit will hold up to one firing. A friend,
graduated UW Whitewater 1974 has only ever done a single firing on any of
his work. On the outset, serious bloating, especially on platters. At
present, he fires to stoneware and spraypaints his work. All non-functional
of course. What is your objective with your clay work?
"Fred" wrote in message
...
I'm just getting into clay and am beginning to realize how ignorant I am!
I recently bought several different kinds of clay -- all cone 6. I have
access to a Skutt automatic kiln. I'm making some test tiles to
eventually use for testing glazes. Somewhere I read that bisque firing is
around cone 05-06 rather than cone 6. Should I fire to 06 first, glaze,
then fire to cone 6 (or whatever the glaze needs), or fire to cone 6
before glazing? Also, is it possible to glaze the greenware and only fire
once at cone 6?

Thanks for the help. I really appreciate it. I know this is very
elementary for most of you...

Fred

wrote:


that you are using. Some have a heavier tooth than others. Porcelain is
fragile, stoneware with good frit will hold up to one firing.

Poreclain is better for green glazing. But stoneware with grog (did
you mean grog & not frit?) will crumble when green glazed. Open
bodies, like fritted bodies, need to be glazed a leather hard.

--
Lee Love
in Mashiko, Japan http://mashiko.org
http://seisokuro.blogspot.com/ My Photo Logs

"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication."

--Leonardo da Vinci

Poreclain is better for green glazing. But stoneware with grog (did
you mean grog & not frit?) will crumble when green glazed. Open
bodies, like grogged bodies, need to be glazed a leather hard.

--
Lee Love
in Mashiko, Japan http://mashiko.org
http://seisokuro.blogspot.com/ My Photo Logs

"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication."

--Leonardo da Vinci

I'm making garden lanterns -- both electric and candle. Curently, I'm
experimenting with different clays but leaning toward stoneware that matures
at cone 6. I'd like to go for higher-fired clays but the only kiln I
currently have access to is a cone 8 max electric, so it's all oxidation
only for now. I expect to glaze more on the primitive side, probably not
glazing the entire piece. Maybe tops only or a partial dip for the bottoms.

I'm really new at this. Learning a lot!

Thanks,

Fred

wrote in message
.. .
We fire our bisque to 04 then glaze. Everything depends on the clay body
that you are using. Some have a heavier tooth than others. Porcelain is
fragile, stoneware with good frit will hold up to one firing. A friend,
graduated UW Whitewater 1974 has only ever done a single firing on any of
his work. On the outset, serious bloating, especially on platters. At
present, he fires to stoneware and spraypaints his work. All
non-functional of course. What is your objective with your clay work?
"Fred" wrote in message
...
I'm just getting into clay and am beginning to realize how ignorant I am!
I recently bought several different kinds of clay -- all cone 6. I have
access to a Skutt automatic kiln. I'm making some test tiles to
eventually use for testing glazes. Somewhere I read that bisque firing
is around cone 05-06 rather than cone 6. Should I fire to 06 first,
glaze, then fire to cone 6 (or whatever the glaze needs), or fire to cone
6 before glazing? Also, is it possible to glaze the greenware and only
fire once at cone 6?

Thanks for the help. I really appreciate it. I know this is very
elementary for most of you...

Fred