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Firing Services

Canberra Potters Firing Rates

Firing and Clay Services 

General Firing Information

All work needs to be weighed by a teacher or a staff member. There is a weigh point in the clay storeroom for students and teachers during class time. Members can bring work in to the weigh point at the Shop. Work is to be paid for at the time and will be stored at the weigh point, ready for firing.
Due to the number of members and students putting work through the kilns, there is a 10kg limit on how much one person can drop off at the shop in a week. This is so everybody has a fair chance to get work through the kilns in a timely manner. All pieces must be smaller than 30cm tall or wide.

You must be a Canberra Potters member to have non-classwork fired.

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Firing fees for students & members

Member bisque & glaze $10 per/kg
Non-Member bisque & glaze $12 per/kg (enrolled term students)
Member bisque or glaze only $6 per/kg
Non-Member bisque or glaze only $7 per/kg (enrolled term students)

Access to Canberra Potters glazes

Canberra Potters Glazes: Member use and recipe access

As part of our service to our members we provide an extensive range of pre made glazes for use on your pottery projects. The glazes have been specifically developed to provide consistent and reliable results when used in our kilns. These glazes are provided for use by members (and term class students) during class or member access sessions.

 As you develop your pottery practice we encourage you to experiment and develop your own glazes to give an original and individual style to your glazed work. Using our recipes as a base starting point can be part of this process. For those members who have reached a level of making where they are producing work for sale through shops or markets we do ask that you mix your own glazes using your own raw materials. As a not-for-profit association our resources (physical and material) are unable to cater to commercial demands. We appreciate your uderstanding and look forward to seeing your work develop.

Available firings for members and students

  • Bisque firing: 1000°C (Cone 06)
  • Midfire Glaze firing: 1200°C (Cone 6): N.B. All standard CPS glazes are midfire. Canberra Potters’ Society only uses midfire-appropriate clays and glazes in all classes (excluding specialty courses or special teacher-run firings).
  • Cone 6 is the maximum temperature allowed in the electric kilns. Members wanting to fire to stoneware temperatures can only do so in the gas kilns, when they have completed a gas kiln firing course at CPS and received a gas kiln license.
  • We also offer private kiln hire for members with a valid kiln licence. For more details please visit Kiln Hire.

If you are unsure about your clay or glaze type, please contact a staff member for help.

 

Firing Guidelines

We will NOT fire
  • Work over 30cm tall, long or wide.
  • Work that is wet or damp. Work must be ‘bone dry’ when it is placed on the trolleys to avoid evaporating moisture and/or explosions in the kiln.
  • Work that contains foreign materials (metal, wood, etc.). The burnout can damage elements and cause noxious fumes.
  • Glazed green ware (raw clay).
  • Work with glazed bases. This will stick to the kiln shelf during firing. Any work found to have glaze on the base or deemed otherwise unsuitable to fire will be placed on the ‘REJECT’ shelf in the kiln shed.
  • Solid or extremely thick pieces. Anything thicker than 3cm MAX has the potential to explode.
  • We will not fire work that is unstable or has a rounded bottom if it is glazed. All work needs to be able to stand unsupported without a risk of movement in the kiln.
  • Work that is hazardous to the staff or our kilns.
PLEASE DO
  • Wax and wipe the bottom of all of your pots to ensure there is no glaze there.
  • Make sure that your work is paid for at the time it is weighed.
  • Poke a hole in your piece if it is hollow and fully enclosed. This WILL explode if you don’t.
  • Write your name or uniquely mark your work to more easily identify and collect from the trolleys. This also helps to prevent accidentally collecting someone else’s work.
  • Bring your own box & packing material when you pick up your work as we do not supply these items.
PLEASE DON’T
  • Touch or move another person’s work.
  • Approach the kiln packers with questions or requests. They are only paid to pack the kilns not to teach or assist.
  • Ask the kiln packers to fire your work. All kiln packing is done as per the schedule set by the kiln manager. Class work must take priority.

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