Learn to fire the electric kiln

Are you interested in taking the next step in your pottery journey and learning to fire an electric kiln?

Canberra Potters offers members the opportunity to learn to fire the electric kiln and obtain a licence to fire our electric kilns onsite.

Our ‘Firing the Electric Kiln’ Courses are offered twice a year. Members can apply for a place in one of these courses by completing the ‘Electric Kiln Expression of Interest Form’ below. There are 8 positions available in each course.

Canberra Potters do not maintain waitlists for any classes.

Prerequisites for course entry:

• Have maintained a valid membership at Canberra Potters for a minimum of one year.
• Have demonstrated pottery experience.
• Completed the online Electric Kiln Expression of Interest Form below. Please note your place will be confirmed and an email with payment details sent once your EOI is reviewed.

Once the course has been completed, participants may apply to have an ‘Electric Kiln Licence’.

To receive a full Electric Kiln Licence participants must:

• complete the course and test successfully and complete two mentored firings within six months of the course.
• These firings must be checked and supervised by a Canberra Potters approved mentor at the commencement and conclusion of the firing to ensure correct procedure has been followed.
• These mentored firings are additional cost of $150 per firing to cover the cost of the mentor. We recommend you arrange three to four people for a buddy firing to share the cost.
• Your licence is valid for three years as part of an up-to-date Canberra Potters membership.
• Once your full licence is granted participants must undertake a minimum of two firings per year and maintain an up to date firing log to maintain currency. Your log must be available onsite when you are firing for staff to view on request.
• To ensure the safety and wellbeing of staff, students and members CPS reserves the right to refuse kiln booking requests and ask members to retrain if currency is not maintained.

COURSE OUTLINE

Session One 

Participants will learn:

• The kiln – What it does, how it works, how it is constructed
• Packing for a bisque firing
• Packing for a glaze firing
• Firing temperatures – different clay bodies
• What happens to clay in the firing
• What happens to glaze in the firing
• The use of pyrometric cones
• Firing with and without a (Harco) controller update
• Care and maintenance of the kiln and furniture
• Programming the Harco controller update
• Firing and health and safety requirements
• Troubleshooting your firing

Session Two

Participants will work with the teacher to learn to pack an electric kiln using their own bisque fired and glazed work. The kiln will be set to fire.

• Participants should bring 6 to 10 medium sized pieces and we will attempt to pack everyone’s work or fairly share the kiln space between participants
•  For this course all work must be glazed with Canberra Potters Cone 6 glazes.

Session Three 

Participants will:

• Unpack kiln and discuss the outcomes and issues related to the firing including troubleshooting any faults
• Learn how to clean the kiln
• Prepare kiln wash and kiln wash shelves
• Understand how to repair kiln shelves where glaze has damaged them including use of an angle grinder to grind off clay.