flowerdry Posted December 1, 2014 Report Share Posted December 1, 2014 This didn't happen to me, but got me to thinking and looking for an answer. A potter friend found an old piece she made a long time ago and bisque fired but never glazed. Now shes not sure if it's low fire or high fire. I can't imagine a way to figure this out but thought I'd ask if anyone out there knows. At any rate, it would be okay to apply low fire glazes and fire appropriately, correct? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benzine Posted December 1, 2014 Report Share Posted December 1, 2014 It's porosity maybe give you a clue. Low fire clay is bisqued closer to its vitrification point, than a mid to high fire clay is. So if it seems relatively absorbent, then it might be a mid to high fire clay. Also, color can be a clue, in some cases. Many stoneware clays have a pinkish color, after the bisque. If it's a white clay body, it will be tough to tell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted December 1, 2014 Report Share Posted December 1, 2014 I suggest you do not high fire it now no matter what. I have seen this mistake many times and it always turns out worse than yoiu you think. You could put the whole piece into a larger bisqued high fire bowl and then fire to cone 10 and when it melts its all contained in the bowl. Thats the only way to avoid a disaster.If you low fire a high fire clay it can leak if its a funtional piece-if its sculpural-no harm. If she does not care about vitrifcation then low fire it also with no harm. My motto on this is when in doubt throw it out-but thats just my 2 cents if you are thinking high fire. I had a rule about low fire in my high fire studio-I would not store it inside-I had a bag outside for about 10 years -thenone day I had a pice melt and run in my high fire kiln-I will not say who threw this into the load and with a spotty memory it may have been me, but now my rule is no low fire on the property. Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Coyle Posted December 1, 2014 Report Share Posted December 1, 2014 You could put the whole piece into a larger bisqued high fire bowl and then fire to cone 10 and when it melts its all contained in the bowl. Thats the only way to avoid a disaster Like Mark says... Long ago I thought it would be neat to paint pictures on the surface of some commercial tiles I bought. They looked like high fire to me, besides I was just firing to cone 6... what could go wrong. Well when I opened the kiln, there were no more tiles, only blobs firmly melted into the kiln shelf. Betcha I don't do that again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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