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Firing Service Fees


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Guest JBaymore

Make sure to factor in kiln unit depreciation and repair and maintenance and labor into coming up with the cost per cubic inch/foot.  Too many people think the firing cost is simply electricity (or gas) and a little for labor.  Every firing takes a bit of life off the kiln and elements and shelves and posts and such.  You need the 'money in the bank' when those need attention.

 

best,

 

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

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the cubic inch grid is a way to make it visible to anyone who wants to have you fire for them.  if you make an inside corner of plywood with marker lines drawn horizontally and vertically at one inch increments, you can see the size easily.  put the pot into the corner, note the height and the width at the tallest and widest point and multiply times the agreed upon $ amount.

 

this is a long term item, if you only do this occasionally, use a cardboard box with the lines drawn the same way.  write the $amount per cubic inch.  

 

for tiles (which hardly reach the half inch height)  post an exception that states minimum height is 2 inches.  an example helps.

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Our studio charges by the cubic foot and our tech just estimates for small items. $12 for high fire. probably too cheap.

 

We have large gas cone 10 kilns. Once in a great while someone brings a piece to fire and its lowfire clay and ruins shelves and other work.

 

So we now make people sign a form identifying the type of clay, warranting that its highfire, and agreeing to pay for damage if the clay turns out to be lowfire.  So if you take in pieces from others and type of clay is an issue, consider doing something similar. rakuku

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(Once in a great while someone brings a piece to fire and its lowfire clay and ruins shelves and other work.)

This is why I gave this up long ago myself.I have been at this a great while myself and have seen this many times.

The fee never covers this part.

Mark

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I do what is called custom firing at my local city run arts centre. This is what they call it when someone wants to come in just to use the kilns without taking a class or being part of the members studio. They charge $50 for a full 11 cu ft electric kiln, plus a $40 loading fee. For the 32 cu ft gas kiln fully loaded, they want $350, and I think the loading fee is $50. They pro-rate the price based on how much of the kiln you fill. They will also waive the loading fee if you load the kiln yourself, which you are only allowed to do if you have a proven level of competency. This means you either have a degree, you have gone through the training though the member's studio, or you are known to the techs. If you wreck kiln furniture you pay for it, although not too many people do this.

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