Rebekah Krieger Posted January 29, 2014 Report Share Posted January 29, 2014 I am anxious to try out my larger kiln. I don't think I quite have enough pieces to run a bisque fire. How many pieces do you put in your bisque firings for a standard 7cubic foot kiln? Anyone have pictures of their bisque loads they would like to share for eye candy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benzine Posted January 29, 2014 Report Share Posted January 29, 2014 Here's a link to a thread on tumble stacking. Mark's kiln load, pictured in the first post, may blow your mind: http://community.ceramicartsdaily.org/topic/1993-tumble-stacking-the-bisque-electrics/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bciskepottery Posted January 29, 2014 Report Share Posted January 29, 2014 Fill the kiln up; no sense in wasting space and electricity. How many items depends on size and how well you load. This is a bisque load of ikebana vases . . . starting from the top: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kohaku Posted January 29, 2014 Report Share Posted January 29, 2014 I 'like' to pack my kiln as full as possible... thermal efficiency. However, I'm often limited by placement of complex forms. In addition, my kiln is pretty big (10 feet square)... so I sometimes run partially loaded if a specific project is time sensitive. Technically, you're losing money and efficiency if you don't maximize your load... but it shouldn't cause you any other problems to run a partial load if you're eager to go. I know the feeling! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted January 29, 2014 Report Share Posted January 29, 2014 I suggest filling the kiln with as much as you can if you pack it tight. It will not all fit back in the glaze fire if you stuff it-so you will have left overs. The bills about the same fuller or partially. Just wait till you have a load-like laundry . Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcia Selsor Posted January 29, 2014 Report Share Posted January 29, 2014 Yep, fill it. Pack it with s much as you can squeeze in. It is better to not get everything in than to not fill it. Marcia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted January 29, 2014 Report Share Posted January 29, 2014 The firing cost is not so different if it's full or empty. If you have to fire due to a deadline, then do it. But if you're just impatient, suck it up and make some more pots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biglou13 Posted January 29, 2014 Report Share Posted January 29, 2014 Fill the kiln up; no sense in wasting space and electricity. How many items depends on size and how well you load. This is a bisque load of ikebana vases . . . starting from the top:bisque1.jpgbisque2.jpgbisque3.jpgbisque4.jpg Are those slips, engobes on your ikebana pieces? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pugaboo Posted January 29, 2014 Report Share Posted January 29, 2014 I fill my small kiln but I don't pack it. I do most of my painting in greenware and bone dry pieces and have found that the underglazed paintings can be a bit fragile and even transfer from 1 piece to another if packed too tightly. If I have a bunch of pieces with no painting on them I stack them much tighter and try to fire them all in one load so the shelves are packed as evenly as possible from top to bottom. Terry Ps. I'm just glad my kiln is small I'm not sure I could wait to fill up a monster sized kiln! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norm Stuart Posted January 29, 2014 Report Share Posted January 29, 2014 Even though more people use our kiln, I'm glad it's only 3.5 cu/ft. Otherwise it would take a long time before you saw your work again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babs Posted January 29, 2014 Report Share Posted January 29, 2014 First time, just fire it! I get frustrated because I have to bisque fire often, small shed, not much room, and feel I don't get enough time on the wheel before I have to stop throwing to fire again. Trying to solve this prob. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bciskepottery Posted January 29, 2014 Report Share Posted January 29, 2014 Fill the kiln up; no sense in wasting space and electricity. How many items depends on size and how well you load. This is a bisque load of ikebana vases . . . starting from the top:bisque1.jpgbisque2.jpgbisque3.jpgbisque4.jpg Are those slips, engobes on your ikebana pieces? There is a combination of slips, porcelain slip colored with mason stains, and underglazes. The platters were done playing around at a brush workshop with Joe Campbell; I was mostly trying to get tone shades and variations of the black underglaze by mixing black with different amounts of white slip. The square ikebana are kohiki slip technique. The square ikebana -- I start with a base layer of a colored white slip, then use a sponge to add the contrasting/complementary colors from either underglazes or colored slips. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChenowethArts Posted January 29, 2014 Report Share Posted January 29, 2014 I have a small (2.6 cf) kiln that I like to use for firing mugs. I pack it pretty tight with 5"-6" tall pieces and the number of pieces ranges from 30 to 45...I could probably do more if I tumble stacked, but that is a little beyond my comfort zone. I'd like to be around someone who does that well a few times before venturing into tumble world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clay lover Posted January 29, 2014 Report Share Posted January 29, 2014 I pack it really full, only dif, I put larger plates flat things, on the bottom, with thing stacked in or on them. It seems to help with warping issues if I keep them flat , supported on the bottom, in the bisque. smaller flat things get put every which a way. I do keep air flow in mind, tho, seems to help with burn out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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