And speaking of bisque and green glaze firing

I have some pieces that were meant for a pit fire. They have been burnished
so if I fire them with my regular bisque (which I generally fire to cone 06)
then they are going to lose their shine. What do you all think of bisque
firing everything at the lower cone 010 (or even try pushing it to cone 09)
and then with the non-pit fire pieces doing a glaze fire with a real slow
climb or soak around cone 04? Donna

In the past I have always pre-fired ware bound for smoke firing to
either cone 015 or 014, either way just over 800oC. That way the
burnishing survives. Higher than 850oC it starts to go.

Once bisqued you can smoke them in any old metal container with sawdust
or paper etc. and all sorts of *interesting* additions!!!

Have fun

Steve
Bath
UK


In article , DKat
writes
I have some pieces that were meant for a pit fire. They have been burnished
so if I fire them with my regular bisque (which I generally fire to cone 06)
then they are going to lose their shine. What do you all think of bisque
firing everything at the lower cone 010 (or even try pushing it to cone 09)
and then with the non-pit fire pieces doing a glaze fire with a real slow
climb or soak around cone 04? Donna



--
Steve Mills
Bath
UK

Perhaps I should try again. I know that I can fire my pots to cone 010
bisque and maintain the sheen (have done it). My problem is that I have a
dozen pots that need fired to the bisque of 010. I have quite a few more
that I would normally fire to 06. I'm thinking of firing them all to 010
and then for those I that I will glaze fire then glaze fire at a slow ramp
around the bisque of 06 and then up to cone 6. Any ideas if this will avoid
pinholes (by putting on a hold at around cone 04 or by doing a slow ramp to
cone 04)?


"Steve Mills" wrote in message
...
In the past I have always pre-fired ware bound for smoke firing to
either cone 015 or 014, either way just over 800oC. That way the
burnishing survives. Higher than 850oC it starts to go.

Once bisqued you can smoke them in any old metal container with sawdust
or paper etc. and all sorts of *interesting* additions!!!

Have fun

Steve
Bath
UK


In article , DKat
writes
I have some pieces that were meant for a pit fire. They have been
burnished
so if I fire them with my regular bisque (which I generally fire to cone
06)
then they are going to lose their shine. What do you all think of bisque
firing everything at the lower cone 010 (or even try pushing it to cone
09)
and then with the non-pit fire pieces doing a glaze fire with a real slow
climb or soak around cone 04? Donna



--
Steve Mills
Bath
UK

DKat wrote:
Perhaps I should try again. I know that I can fire my pots to cone 010
bisque and maintain the sheen (have done it). My problem is that I have a
dozen pots that need fired to the bisque of 010. I have quite a few more
that I would normally fire to 06. I'm thinking of firing them all to 010
and then for those I that I will glaze fire then glaze fire at a slow ramp
around the bisque of 06 and then up to cone 6. Any ideas if this will avoid
pinholes (by putting on a hold at around cone 04 or by doing a slow ramp to
cone 04)?


"Steve Mills" wrote in message
...

In the past I have always pre-fired ware bound for smoke firing to
either cone 015 or 014, either way just over 800oC. That way the
burnishing survives. Higher than 850oC it starts to go.

Once bisqued you can smoke them in any old metal container with sawdust
or paper etc. and all sorts of *interesting* additions!!!

Have fun

Steve
Bath
UK


In article , DKat
writes

I have some pieces that were meant for a pit fire. They have been
burnished
so if I fire them with my regular bisque (which I generally fire to cone
06)
then they are going to lose their shine. What do you all think of bisque
firing everything at the lower cone 010 (or even try pushing it to cone
09)
and then with the non-pit fire pieces doing a glaze fire with a real slow
climb or soak around cone 04? Donna



--
Steve Mills
Bath
UK



Hi
Should be OK but do your slow firing up to 06 and a bit beyond... You
need to allow the crap to get out before the glaze starts to melt
(otherwise it blocketh der holes..) Not forgetting that in a "normal"
bisque crap is escaping (burning out) both on the way up and down so
gently gently... Basically "suck it and see"...
Good luck
Hugs
Eddie

Hi , I'm slightly puzzled about your burnished wares loosing their
shine. I have always prepared burnished work for smoke or pit firing
with an 'Orton' cone 06 firing and although the shine disappears the
fine smooth finish remains; after pit/smoke firing I polish the pots
with wax and the burnished apearance returns. Is the lower firing (cone
010 and there abouts) used to keep the body more open and recptive to
flashing and smoke?
As for bisque at lower than cone 06, I'm with Eddie on that one.

And let us know how this works!

--
Stephanie Coleman
University of Phoenix Online
email:
alt email:
"Eddie Daughton" wrote in message
...
DKat wrote:
Perhaps I should try again. I know that I can fire my pots to cone 010
bisque and maintain the sheen (have done it). My problem is that I have
a
dozen pots that need fired to the bisque of 010. I have quite a few
more
that I would normally fire to 06. I'm thinking of firing them all to
010
and then for those I that I will glaze fire then glaze fire at a slow
ramp
around the bisque of 06 and then up to cone 6. Any ideas if this will
avoid
pinholes (by putting on a hold at around cone 04 or by doing a slow ramp
to
cone 04)?


"Steve Mills" wrote in message
...

In the past I have always pre-fired ware bound for smoke firing to
either cone 015 or 014, either way just over 800oC. That way the
burnishing survives. Higher than 850oC it starts to go.

Once bisqued you can smoke them in any old metal container with sawdust
or paper etc. and all sorts of *interesting* additions!!!

Have fun

Steve
Bath
UK


In article , DKat
writes

I have some pieces that were meant for a pit fire. They have been
burnished
so if I fire them with my regular bisque (which I generally fire to
cone
06)
then they are going to lose their shine. What do you all think of
bisque
firing everything at the lower cone 010 (or even try pushing it to cone
09)
and then with the non-pit fire pieces doing a glaze fire with a real
slow
climb or soak around cone 04? Donna



--
Steve Mills
Bath
UK



Hi
Should be OK but do your slow firing up to 06 and a bit beyond... You
need to allow the crap to get out before the glaze starts to melt
(otherwise it blocketh der holes..) Not forgetting that in a "normal"
bisque crap is escaping (burning out) both on the way up and down so
gently gently... Basically "suck it and see"...
Good luck
Hugs
Eddie

I wont be doing the glaze firing for 6 months buy I will definitely report
in the results (will be using Randy's Red, Weathered bronze, Floating Blue,
generic satin white and Honey so there will be a wide range of glazes to
check on how it works). I'm off to California and other parts of the world
for a bit (one of the reasons I've decided to do both bisque fires
together - no way to build up enough of both before leaving and I would have
images of all sorts of disasters striking greenware...)

Thanks one and all! Be speaking to you from the sunny state.

Donna

"Stephanie Coleman" wrote in message
...
And let us know how this works!

The pots keep their shine if not fired above cone 010. Of course the
pitfire does not mature the clay any further than the bisque fire so you are
left with pots that are more fragil than had they been bisqued fired higher.
If it was a real pit fire (not bisqued first) it would be less mature so I
guess 010 is a good compromise?

I tried the wax and didn't care for it and really do like the soft shine I
get brushing on terra sig and then buffing with a soft rag. So many
different ways to skin a cat (sorry roomies - getting evil stares from my
felines).

I just saw a pit fire kiln made out of house bricks (basically a square box
with 1/2 spacing between bricks for air). I'm looking forward to trying the
idea out when I get back. Do you think the cement board they use for tiling
would work as a lid?

"plodder" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi , I'm slightly puzzled about your burnished wares loosing their
shine. I have always prepared burnished work for smoke or pit firing
with an 'Orton' cone 06 firing and although the shine disappears the
fine smooth finish remains; after pit/smoke firing I polish the pots
with wax and the burnished apearance returns. Is the lower firing (cone
010 and there abouts) used to keep the body more open and recptive to
flashing and smoke?
As for bisque at lower than cone 06, I'm with Eddie on that one.

Thanks Steve, that answers my puzzlement well. I don't often get the
chance to do smoke/pit firings, but next time I do I shall have a go at
the lower temps bisque.'cheers,Andy.

DKat wrote:
The pots keep their shine if not fired above cone 010. Of course the
pitfire does not mature the clay any further than the bisque fire so you are
left with pots that are more fragil than had they been bisqued fired higher.
If it was a real pit fire (not bisqued first) it would be less mature so I
guess 010 is a good compromise?

I tried the wax and didn't care for it and really do like the soft shine I
get brushing on terra sig and then buffing with a soft rag. So many
different ways to skin a cat (sorry roomies - getting evil stares from my
felines).

I just saw a pit fire kiln made out of house bricks (basically a square box
with 1/2 spacing between bricks for air). I'm looking forward to trying the
idea out when I get back. Do you think the cement board they use for tiling
would work as a lid?

"plodder" wrote in message
oups.com...

Hi , I'm slightly puzzled about your burnished wares loosing their
shine. I have always prepared burnished work for smoke or pit firing
with an 'Orton' cone 06 firing and although the shine disappears the
fine smooth finish remains; after pit/smoke firing I polish the pots
with wax and the burnished apearance returns. Is the lower firing (cone
010 and there abouts) used to keep the body more open and recptive to
flashing and smoke?
As for bisque at lower than cone 06, I'm with Eddie on that one.




In my 'umble experience if you raw fire clay in a ground type kiln then
it picks up colour well, whereas if you bisque it (bisquit Tee Hee)
first then it doesn't pick up the colour so well.. Really it's a
compromise (as usual with clay (pottery the art of compromise!!!))
between the look and the strength... I don't really like the "Wax
polished afterwards" effect either... Maybe somewhere there's a matt wax
poloish that does the job well....
Hugs
Eddie