Byrd

Thank you for the thoughtful responses! I’m using a brown body clay, so I think it may be beneficial to cook off some of the extra organics. I will look at the Duncan thread (thank you @neilestrick !!) I plan to get a pyrometer and start using a cone pack to track my kilns temp throughout a firing more closely. @Hulk Thank you for the link to the bisque info!

I’m unsure how hot it got after the two hours on low. I’m assuming not very high. But then the instructions said to turn it up to high after the initial two hours on low, so it reached cone 05 very quickly. I emptied the kiln today, and all the pieces are fine! Nothing broke and melted. I’m just unsure if they fired completely.

Im new to ceramics. I recently purchased a used Duncan kiln and did my first bisque fire today. The instructions in the owners manual stated that bisque ware should be fired in low for two hours, then turned up to high for the remainder of the firing. I aimed for cone 04/05 for this firing. After firing at low for two hours, I turned the kiln up to high. An hour or so later I checked my self supporting cone and it had melted, and the kiln sitter had shut the kiln off. I was reading online that a bisque firing can take anywhere from 8-12 hours. Mine only lasted 3.5 hours from start to finish. Looks like I reached the goal temp way too fast. Is it necessary try to bisque fire again? Or can I move on the a glaze fire, since the pieces did technically reach out goal temp? Not sure how to move forward with these pieces. I’ve never done a bisque firing, but it seems that in the future I should have a more gradual step up to goal temp. thank you!