I am delighted to offer an ad hoc firing service to local artists/ experienced potters.

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The basics:-

• Maximum work dimensions: 26 cm diameter, or 38 cm high (based on kiln size)

 

• Usual firing temperatures and cycles are bisque: 1000C, glaze: 1220C.  Other firing cycles/ temperatures on request

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• Commercial clays & glazes only (Delighted to discuss materials before you purchase).

My own clay kits and coloured slips are available to purchase (see website for details).​

 

• Sorry no paper clay, metals or other combustibles (too smelly for neighbours)

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More detail:-

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Costs

Standard pricing: £40 for whole kiln; pricing per % with a minimum of £10.  This is per regular firing, for either bisque or glaze firing.

 

My usual firing temperatures and cycles are bisque: 1000C, glaze: 1222C.  I am happy to arrange other firing cycles/ temperatures on request, but this will need to be a complete kiln load, and may incur different costs.

 

Variations which will require bespoke costings are

• Once firings

• Sculpture/ slow firings (with thick clay walls)

• High fire glaze firings (firings above 1222C will carry a surcharge of £15)

 

Charges will be approximate - depending on the space it takes up and what else I can fit in to a standard firing. Charges will be rounded to £10, £20 …. £40, depending on the rough proportion of space taken up in the kiln (1/4, 1/3  ½ etc or 100% ).

 

The assumption here is that you provide your own commercial clay & appropriate commercial glazes.  (Delighted to discuss materials before you purchase). My own clay kits and coloured slips are available to purchase (see website for details).

 

Dimensions & temperatures

I have a Rhode Ecotop 60 kiln.  It is a cylindrical top loader.  Maximum work dimensions: 26 cm diameter, or 38 cm high

 

Process

• Please bring your work ready for firing - already dried or already glazed.  Apologies, but I have very limited storage or drying space. Also to keep prices lower, I no longer do a drying firing.

• Please let me know if you have enough for a full kiln load so we can book a firing slot. 

• Please bring your creations in a secure labelled box (shoe box?) carefully wrapped.  Please enclose a completed Firing Drop Off Form (attached).  I will return your work in the same box/ wrappings.

• Please discuss all materials with me in advance – clay & glaze – to minimise possible problems to your work/ others work/ the kiln & furniture. Ideally provide links.

• No paper clay, combustibles, or metal - as these may upset my neighbours or spoil my kiln.

• Commercial glazes only. No glaze experiments or homemade glazes (sorry - mistakes are easy and costly)

• Depending on the fragility and size of your work, or quantities involved, I may ask you to load or unload the work yourself.

• I will notify you when your work is ready. Please collect within 3 days, or earlier if possible. 

• Please discuss if you are working to any significant dates (birthdays etc) and I will try and accommodate. Unless you are doing a whole kiln firing, I will batch fire once I have enough work. 

• Payment to be made on/ before collection, via BACS (bank transfer)

• Where possible, glaze work may be fired on sand / sand trays.  This may mean that work can take up more space than you envisage or have sand on the bottom (which you may need to sand off).

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Terms & conditions

I do not expect the following to occur – however just to be clear: -

• Your work is left here at your own risk. Although I am very careful, accidents may happen. 

• I am not liable for any damage/ problems with your work arising from the firing process.  Cracks are not unusual; glazes often do not behave as you expect, even commercial ones …

• Damage to kiln/ kiln furniture/ other work caused by your work will need to be paid for/ repaired or replaced by you.  Typically, this is caused by using inappropriate glazes or clays which then melt all over the kiln and shelves. Or by poor making & drying processes (eg a solid lump of clay may trap water and explode).

• I reserve the right not to fire something if I am uncomfortable that it may cause damage.  For example – a solid lump of clay or something which has glaze on the bottom.

 

 

This firing service assumes a basic understanding of working with clay.   I assume you know

• How to join clay – scratch & score

• Importance of clay not being too thick (ideally less than 1cm)

• Importance Drying – air bubbles & joins, hollowing out forms; making holes in spheres

 

I am very happy to discuss methods/ process/ anything if you are unsure.

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