Bisque Firing Temperature For Raku Clay

[Samia88]

What is an ideal bisque temperature for raku clay before raku glazing? Will bisque firing temperature will have effect on results of Raku glaze? please help.

[~janie]

What is an ideal bisque temperature for raku clay before raku glazing? Will bisque firing temperature will have effect on results of Raku glaze? please help.

 

 

I am not the most experienced person to be teaching anyone, but I will share what I have been taught.

 

Bisque is bisque, regardless of the clay. Clay is formed, dried and dried, then fired to bisque, usually between 1700-1800 degrees, although we fire a bit higher, at cone 06. The point where clay becomes ceramic (the ceramic change) occurs at 1112 degrees, however.

 

I cannot imagine that the bisque temperature would affect your raku glaze. It will only be affected by what you do after you put the glaze on your piece. We fire all our raku at cone 06- 1830 degrees, and use glazes formulated for that temperature.

 

If I have got this backwards, I would appreciate being set straight, too.

[Marcia Selsor]

I agree.I bisque anywhere from ^06 to ^04 for Raku.

I like to take my slabs a little hotter than the Raku firing just for extra strength.

Marcia

[Potterstu]

I bisque at C/04 and fire raku at 07 to 06. This helps in two ways. I agree with Marcia that bisquing higher than the final firing helps ensure strength, and I sometmes like to burnish my clay and by firing cooler than bisque, I don't loose the burnish.

 

Stuart

[Kiln-man]

What is an ideal bisque temperature for raku clay before raku glazing? Will bisque firing temperature will have effect on results of Raku glaze? please help.

 

 

The ^06 to ^04 is what I have seen most people use. The only restriction is the clay body temperature.

Do not exceed it.

[Deb Evans]

I always found ^ 04 bisque was sturdier for fragile pots (tongs can break soft bisque), than glazes were for ^05,06 firing

[Axel]

Here is my take on this interesting question. The combination of clay bodies, glazes and firing conditions are endless. On top of that the techniques or combinations that you submit your work to are endless. As a general rule most people bisque at 06-04 however firing a bit lower will give you a "thirstier" bisque that may be better for naked raku or a combination of color slips and underglaze art on a raku vessel. I have been very resistant to test firing due to limited studio time, but I've learned the hard way that testing is key to satisfying results. The more the scientific approach and documentation we do the less the frustrations.