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a once firing question

updated sun 5 sep 04

 

Paul Herman on fri 3 sep 04


Hi Sue,

No, you don't have to bisque fire it. Just make sure it's dry, and fire
it up. It will vitrify OK.

Paul Herman

Great Basin Pottery
Doyle, California US
http://www.greatbasinpottery.com/

----------
>From: Sue Beach
>To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
>Subject: A Once Firing Question
>Date: Fri, Sep 3, 2004, 4:29 PM
>

> I have a piece that is greenware with slip on it that I do not plan to
> glaze. I
> want it to be vitrified, however. Do I need to bisque fire this & then put it
> in a glaze kiln or can I just put it in a glaze kiln without bisquing first?
>
> Thanks.
>
> Sue Beach
> Muncie, IN

Sue Beach on fri 3 sep 04


I have a piece that is greenware with slip on it that I do not plan to glaze. I
want it to be vitrified, however. Do I need to bisque fire this & then put it
in a glaze kiln or can I just put it in a glaze kiln without bisquing first?

Thanks.

Sue Beach
Muncie, IN

William Melstrom on fri 3 sep 04


Safest thing to do is bisque first.
If you want to once-fire it, start off slow -- use your bisque schedule up
to your normal bisque temp., then use your high-fire schedule.

William Melstrom
www.handspiral.com

> I have a piece that is greenware with slip on it that I do not plan to
glaze. I
> want it to be vitrified, however. Do I need to bisque fire this & then
put it
> in a glaze kiln or can I just put it in a glaze kiln without bisquing
first?

Stephen on fri 3 sep 04


There is no need to bisque if it is slip usually applied to greenware, but
the firing should go slow in the beginning like bisque.
Stephen

Snail Scott on sat 4 sep 04


At 06:29 PM 9/3/2004 -0500, you wrote:
>I have a piece that is greenware with slip on it that I do not plan to
glaze. I
>want it to be vitrified, however. Do I need to bisque fire this & then
put it
>in a glaze kiln or can I just put it in a glaze kiln without bisquing first?



If you're not planning any additional
work on the piece (glazing, etc) there
is no reason at all to do an intermediate
(bisque) firing.

The only reason I can think of to do a
bisque firing when a single firing would
do, is if the final firings are done very
quickly on the assumption that all the
work in them is bisqued already. Any firing
containing greenware, whether a bisque
firing or final firing, needs to be fired
slowly through the early stages. If you
are relying on someone else to do the
firing, make sure they know the piece is
green, and that they will use a suitable
firing schedule. If they won't do this,
then bisque it first.

-Snail Scott