Firing Thick Pieces

[Tami]

I have a question I hope someone out there can help me with. I took a ceramics class that used thick slabs (3/4 in) to create art pieces. There is overlap in some areas of the pieces. I brought the pieces home with me for firing. I have spent several weeks drying them slowly and am now ready to fire them. I am concerned that due to the thickness and possible air pockets they may explode in the kiln. I have accepted this possibility but I do not want to damage my kiln. The pieces are about 18 in high and 8-10 in wide. I am relatively new to the firing process. If they explode will the force damage the bricks in my kiln?

 

Tami

[Cyndi]

I have a question I hope someone out there can help me with. I took a ceramics class that used thick slabs (3/4 in) to create art pieces. There is overlap in some areas of the pieces. I brought the pieces home with me for firing. I have spent several weeks drying them slowly and am now ready to fire them. I am concerned that due to the thickness and possible air pockets they may explode in the kiln. I have accepted this possibility but I do not want to damage my kiln. The pieces are about 18 in high and 8-10 in wide. I am relatively new to the firing process. If they explode will the force damage the bricks in my kiln?

 

Tami

 

Hi Tami,

I have had many things blow up in my kiln due to inexperience. I finally got help and was told to preheat for several hours. I preheat for 3 hours and this has stropped the disaster:))) Preheating allows ALL the lil pockets of maybe existing drops of water to dry before reaching boiling point. I do a lot of thick sculptures and pieces. Hope this helps.

[kennwitt]

I have a question I hope someone out there can help me with. I took a ceramics class that used thick slabs (3/4 in) to create art pieces. There is overlap in some areas of the pieces. I brought the pieces home with me for firing. I have spent several weeks drying them slowly and am now ready to fire them. I am concerned that due to the thickness and possible air pockets they may explode in the kiln. I have accepted this possibility but I do not want to damage my kiln. The pieces are about 18 in high and 8-10 in wide. I am relatively new to the firing process. If they explode will the force damage the bricks in my kiln?

 

Tami

 

 

 

Hi Tammi also set your piece on 1/2 or 1 inch shelf posts so the air can move under it in the kiln thru the whole firing .

Good Luck

Kenn

[Tami]

I have a question I hope someone out there can help me with. I took a ceramics class that used thick slabs (3/4 in) to create art pieces. There is overlap in some areas of the pieces. I brought the pieces home with me for firing. I have spent several weeks drying them slowly and am now ready to fire them. I am concerned that due to the thickness and possible air pockets they may explode in the kiln. I have accepted this possibility but I do not want to damage my kiln. The pieces are about 18 in high and 8-10 in wide. I am relatively new to the firing process. If they explode will the force damage the bricks in my kiln?

 

Tami

 

Hi Tami,

I have had many things blow up in my kiln due to inexperience. I finally got help and was told to preheat for several hours. I preheat for 3 hours and this has stropped the disaster:))) Preheating allows ALL the lil pockets of maybe existing drops of water to dry before reaching boiling point. I do a lot of thick sculptures and pieces. Hope this helps.

 

 

Thank you for your reply Cyndi, I decided to go ahead and try the firing and see what happends. I set my kiln on low last night to preheat and will start increasing the heat as the day progresses. I will just keep my fingers crossed. Did you ever have any damage to your kiln when things blew up?

[Cyndi]

I have a question I hope someone out there can help me with. I took a ceramics class that used thick slabs (3/4 in) to create art pieces. There is overlap in some areas of the pieces. I brought the pieces home with me for firing. I have spent several weeks drying them slowly and am now ready to fire them. I am concerned that due to the thickness and possible air pockets they may explode in the kiln. I have accepted this possibility but I do not want to damage my kiln. The pieces are about 18 in high and 8-10 in wide. I am relatively new to the firing process. If they explode will the force damage the bricks in my kiln?

 

Tami

 

Hi Tami,

I have had many things blow up in my kiln due to inexperience. I finally got help and was told to preheat for several hours. I preheat for 3 hours and this has stropped the disaster:))) Preheating allows ALL the lil pockets of maybe existing drops of water to dry before reaching boiling point. I do a lot of thick sculptures and pieces. Hope this helps.

 

 

Thank you for your reply Cyndi, I decided to go ahead and try the firing and see what happends. I set my kiln on low last night to preheat and will start increasing the heat as the day progresses. I will just keep my fingers crossed. Did you ever have any damage to your kiln when things blew up?

 

 

 

No major damage; the usual chipped fire bricks and such (very slight). I was told and read, this is shocking to the new owner because when people usually have new things they want to keep them looking nice as long as they can but it is actually the opposite w/your kiln use. It does make a mess tho and has to be cleaned up immediately. The shards will end up in between the rows of bricks and elements and can wreak havoc. I have had other pieces in the firing messed up w/shards landing on and in them. UGH!!!! It is so a learning process and not as I have heard said "for the faint of heart"....

[Tami]

I have a question I hope someone out there can help me with. I took a ceramics class that used thick slabs (3/4 in) to create art pieces. There is overlap in some areas of the pieces. I brought the pieces home with me for firing. I have spent several weeks drying them slowly and am now ready to fire them. I am concerned that due to the thickness and possible air pockets they may explode in the kiln. I have accepted this possibility but I do not want to damage my kiln. The pieces are about 18 in high and 8-10 in wide. I am relatively new to the firing process. If they explode will the force damage the bricks in my kiln?

 

Tami

 

Hi Tami,

I have had many things blow up in my kiln due to inexperience. I finally got help and was told to preheat for several hours. I preheat for 3 hours and this has stropped the disaster:))) Preheating allows ALL the lil pockets of maybe existing drops of water to dry before reaching boiling point. I do a lot of thick sculptures and pieces. Hope this helps.

 

 

Thank you for your reply Cyndi, I decided to go ahead and try the firing and see what happends. I set my kiln on low last night to preheat and will start increasing the heat as the day progresses. I will just keep my fingers crossed. Did you ever have any damage to your kiln when things blew up?

 

 

 

No major damage; the usual chipped fire bricks and such (very slight). I was told and read, this is shocking to the new owner because when people usually have new things they want to keep them looking nice as long as they can but it is actually the opposite w/your kiln use. It does make a mess tho and has to be cleaned up immediately. The shards will end up in between the rows of bricks and elements and can wreak havoc. I have had other pieces in the firing messed up w/shards landing on and in them. UGH!!!! It is so a learning process and not as I have heard said "for the faint of heart"....

 

[Tami]

I have a question I hope someone out there can help me with. I took a ceramics class that used thick slabs (3/4 in) to create art pieces. There is overlap in some areas of the pieces. I brought the pieces home with me for firing. I have spent several weeks drying them slowly and am now ready to fire them. I am concerned that due to the thickness and possible air pockets they may explode in the kiln. I have accepted this possibility but I do not want to damage my kiln. The pieces are about 18 in high and 8-10 in wide. I am relatively new to the firing process. If they explode will the force damage the bricks in my kiln?

 

Tami

 

Hi Tami,

I have had many things blow up in my kiln due to inexperience. I finally got help and was told to preheat for several hours. I preheat for 3 hours and this has stropped the disaster:))) Preheating allows ALL the lil pockets of maybe existing drops of water to dry before reaching boiling point. I do a lot of thick sculptures and pieces. Hope this helps.

 

 

Thank you for your reply Cyndi, I decided to go ahead and try the firing and see what happends. I set my kiln on low last night to preheat and will start increasing the heat as the day progresses. I will just keep my fingers crossed. Did you ever have any damage to your kiln when things blew up?

 

 

 

No major damage; the usual chipped fire bricks and such (very slight). I was told and read, this is shocking to the new owner because when people usually have new things they want to keep them looking nice as long as they can but it is actually the opposite w/your kiln use. It does make a mess tho and has to be cleaned up immediately. The shards will end up in between the rows of bricks and elements and can wreak havoc. I have had other pieces in the firing messed up w/shards landing on and in them. UGH!!!! It is so a learning process and not as I have heard said "for the faint of heart"....

 

 

 

Thought I would update you on the outcome of the firing. I preheated overnight and increased the heat very slowly, I also fired down for about 2 hours after the cone dropped. To my amazment! nothing was cracked. I have several more of these pieces to fire and am hoping for the same results. Thanks for the comments and help.

Tami