How to pack greenware (glazed/unglazed) and glazed bisque pieces to a firing service.

[M5Pots]

I had a disastrous first attempt at getting my pieces to the local firing service. Broken - marred glaze etc.  I packed in cardboard boxes with cotton wool around each piece. 

How to pack greenware (glazed/unglazed) and glazed bisque pieces to a firing service? 

Would love your ideas - thank you for you time

[Denice]

The supplier that sells poured green ware would put it in a box and fill it with shredded newspapers.   I think newspapers are harder to find so you might drop by a store and find out how they handle it.   One time I took  some glazed sculpture pots with very delicate appendages on the to a gallery.   Instead of trying to pack them  I put a egg crate mattress topper in the back of my husbands truck.   If they acted like they would roll I would wedge some foam around them.   The thicker the egg crate mattress is the more cush you will have.     A used kiln was the first thing I bought for my studio,  in fact it was the first thing my husband and I bought when we got married.    Denice

[M5Pots]

33 minutes ago, Denice said:

The supplier that sells poured green ware would put it in a box and fill it with shredded newspapers.   I think newspapers are harder to find so you might drop by a store and find out how they handle it.   One time I took  some glazed sculpture pots with very delicate appendages on the to a gallery.   Instead of trying to pack them  I put a egg crate mattress topper in the back of my husbands truck.   If they acted like they would roll I would wedge some foam around them.   The thicker the egg crate mattress is the more cush you will have.     A used kiln was the first thing I bought for my studio,  in fact it was the first thing my husband and I bought when we got married.    Denice

Thank you, these are good ideas - the egg crate foam! Yes, would love my own Kiln. Will have to keep an eye out for a used one. 

[Callie Beller Diesel]

Another thing that’s a good idea is to bring a brush and a few sandwich bags with a little of your glazes in them for touch ups when you arrive. There’s always going to be little chippy bits.

I used to use newspaper when I transported, but the big trick is to make sure that with greenware you’re mindful of how the load is going to shift in the box. You want to make sure that things aren’t knocking together, and that there isn’t significant weight on top of a piece that will crack it in transport. Do the “ping” test on all your bisque ware when you pick it up: I can’t count how many times invisible cracks that occurred while transporting greenware revealed themselves in the glaze.

[Roberta12]

A friend who brings pots out to me for firing on occasion, packs them with the ever present plastic grocery bags.  The only problems I have noticed is if she stacks them on top of each other.  She also uses the foam that was mentioned.  

Roberta

[Rae Reich]

An advantage to putting each pot in a grocery bag before putting packing material around it - any pieces that might fall off are retained within the bag. 

Along with  small amounts of glaze for touch-ups, also bring some Magic Water for reattaching bits. 

[Roberta12]

On 6/4/2021 at 9:08 AM, Rae Reich said:

An advantage to putting each pot in a grocery bag before putting packing material around it - any pieces that might fall off are retained within the bag. 

Along with  small amounts of glaze for touch-ups, also bring some Magic Water for reattaching bits. 

I should have been more clear.  She doesn't put them in the grocery bags, she tucks the bags around the pots and uses it for cushioning.  Because they are flexible she can carefully wrap them around each pot.  That is only for greenware.  She glazes here at my shop.  But you are right, if she tucked each one in a bag, then all the pieces and parts would stay together. 

r.