Firing Services

Opening times for drop off and pick up of fired work: Friday afternoons 2-4pm and Saturdays mornings 9.30-11am (please check our socials for exact times, other days and times may also be available dependent on volunteer availability).

We are not open on most public holidays or weekends that are close to a public holiday.

We do bisque and glaze firing, using our electric kilns.

• Bisque Firing 942°C

  This equates to Cone 08 (or 942°C) when using Large Orton Pyrometric Cones fired at 60°C per hour in the last hour of the firing cycle.

  Some people prefer to fire their bisque to 1000°C or Cone 06, however we find that the lower firing gives better glaze coverage.

• Glaze Firing 1282°C

  This equates to Cone 10 (or 1282°C) when using Large Orton Pyrometric Cones fired at 60°C per hour in the last hour of the firing cycle.

Clays, underglazes and glazes - what can I use?

Sometimes materials in pottery are referred to as Earthenware, Stoneware and Porcelain. Or low-fire, mid-fire and high-fire. These titles refer to the type of clay, the appropriate materials (underglaze, glaze, stains, etc.) to use with those clays AND the names also refer to the firing temperatures used with each of the different groups.

At Castlemaine Clay we can bisque fire any clay and material to 942°C. See above.

But we only use Stoneware, high-fire or porcelain clays and materials for glaze firing to Cone 10, or 1282°C.

This means you must use clay and other materials that can cope with this high firing temperature if you want to pop them into our glaze kiln.

If you wish to work with earthen ware, low-fire, mid-fire or materials that do not have a top temperature of 1282°C then please send us an email.

Prices

Weighed before firing, we charge:

• $10 per kilo for bisque firing

• $13 per kilo for glaze firing

• $15 per kilo for glaze firing using our studio glazes

There are a few conditions for our firing service:

• We ONLY glaze fire stoneware (any clay for bisque firing)

• Work can only be glazed using our glazes (members only) or commercial glaze (with packaging shown on drop off)

• If you cannot identify the clay and/or glaze, we will not fire it

• All work must have a logo or initial on it, for identification purposes

• Firing needs to be paid for upon drop off via debit or credit card (no cash)

• If your work looks like it has glaze on the bottom we will not fire it

For members only, we currently offer the following glazes:

• Tenmoku – dark brown/black, breaks to a light brown

• Celadon – Straw

• Clear

For the full terms and conditions click here

You may need to complete a Firing Form for your work, this can be done when you drop off your work.

If you have any questions about the firing services, please email us castlemaineclay@gmail.com