Transporting Bisqueware For Glaze Firing

[IVY]

I need to transport glazed bisque for firing. I heard that wrapping the pieces in saran wrap will prevent glaze from rubbing off during transportation.  Has anyone tried or used other methods? Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

[Mark C.]

My salt kiln buddy always brings cardboard boxes of glazed ware packed in what I call bunny fur which is that white fine padding thats used in packing .Its fluffy and artificial feeling-seems to work great -it does not rub glaze off and seperates the ware in a box.This has worked well for 10 years

Mark

[Biglou13]

I'm very interested also.

 

Just this morning I mixed a batch of shino, and glazed it kiln site,

 

I suppose your question will vary depending on glaze. But I'm inclined to think that glazing at kiln site is best. It's hard enough keeping things flaw free with that. Not to mention breakage, in transport. Don't ask me how I know.

 

Ivy please tells more about you where are you from etc etc, picture of your work.... Eg fill out profile......

 

And welcome to here.

[bciskepottery]

I want to recall that someone previously suggested using hair spray to give glaze a harder surface while transporting. 

 

For tall vases, I use a wine box and put each vase in a separate section.  I place newspaper plastic bags over items to protect the surfaces.  I also have a large box of foam strips and blocks that I use to separate items while in transport.  I also put thin foam on the bottom of a container.  You can buy foam or recycle cushions from chairs and sofas; if you soak the foam in water and then freeze it, it cuts nicely with a saw.  After cutting, thaw, dry and use. 

[GEP]

I do this every year with my students when we go to a wood-firing about an hour away. We spritz the glazed pots with hairspray, then wrap them in plastic sheets. I use a thin plastic tarp that I cut into pieces. Dry cleaner bags would also work. Saran wrap might be too clingy. The plastic tarp slides easily over the pots and doesn't disturb the glaze.

[Diane Puckett]

I was told that mixing Karo syrup into glazes makes them smudge less.

[TJR]

I was told that mixing Karo syrup into glazes makes them smudge less.

Diane;

Karo syrup rots and makes an amazing stink. I used to use "spooze", which is clay, vinegar, and syrup. Could only be used once and not stored.

TJR.

[TJR]

Iyy;

I  have been glazing and transporting my biqued work to be fired low these past 35 years. Not only does my work have unfired glaze on it, but it has brush decoration on top of that!

I do not use plastic, I use newspaper.

I nest one pot inside another with a square of newspaper in between. I do not completely wrap the work as that is how things get smeared.

I used to have to carry my work down a flight of stairs as well.

All work is nestled into boxes for transport with flaps closed so that other boxes can be placed on top.

See my gallery for images. No smearing.

TJR

[Guest JBaymore]

Back in the day while in undergrad at UMass we had ALL our gas kilns shut down for a year while they changed over to natural gas from propane.  One of the professors built a big gas kiln at his home (using the school's budget... smart man!) so that we could continue to fire.  it was about 20+ miles one way. 

 

The packing solution that worked for both greenware and glazed ware was fine DRY SAWDUST. 

 

Put a layer of sawdust in the bottom of a cardboard box.  Place pieces into the box with a bit of space all around.  Fill in the box with the sawdust.  Done.  At the other end, just pull the pieces out of the sawdust.  Shake them off.  Any sawdust adhering to the surface simply burns off in the early stages of the firing.  Reuse the sawdust over and over.

 

Works like a charm. 

 

best,

 

..........................john

[Nancy S.]

I have to transport both my greenware and my bisqueware to a community studio for firing. I just lightly wrap them up in some of those plastic bags that grocery stores put your stuff in. Then I put them in an tote bag (the insulated ones offer some additional padding) or a box (usually an old clay box) and use extra bags or crumpled newspaper for dunnage. I've had very few problems with the glaze chipping or the greenware breaking. Just bring a little extra glaze with you to the site in case you need any last-minute touch-ups!

 

I also secure the box/bag with a seat belt so that it doesn't slide around while I'm driving.

[Conniefi]

Since my studio is in my apt and my kiln 5 miles away at my sons, I have become expert at carrying pots. I used to have breakage all the time. Now I use a Ikea bag and newspaper shreds... long ones not the tiny shreds, at bottom of the bag. I use the big plastic bubbles to secure the sides of the Ikea bag and between the pots. Then I bubble wrap each pot. This helps me to carry them down a flight of stairs. Sometimes I carry two bags, one for small pots the other for larger ones. In case I have a tray or very large bowl I carry them by hand and hope I do not trip. I place them in the back seat with plastic on the seats, and large bubble wrap in front.