Firing schedules for Dummies

[milkymoonceramics]

Hello all.

 

I have recently purchased my first kiln, and am now just about ready to chuck it out the window before I have even used it. I have never fired a kiln before and am so confused about firing schedules, it feels as though the instructions that came with the kiln, and the entire internet, assume you pretty much allready know what you are doing. Where on earth did  others start to learn? I wonder if anybody is able to point me to a resource that might help me begin to have even the first clue about what sort of firing schedule I should be starting with?  (Or am I overthinking it and am I supposed to just whack a cone number into the controller and let the kiln figure out the rest? ) Or are there any kind souls that might start me off with an idea based on what I am trying to achieve?  I have a Paragon EXpress e12 and I intend to use it to fire small, kidney bean sized porcelain pendants, from bisque to lustre.  Any advice on where to start would be greatly appreciated. I'm starting to think there is a secret ceramicist guild that doesnt want you to learn any of its secrets!!

 

Thanks so much X

[Bill Kielb]

Don’t unpack the kiln yet……

Well you have mixed a few things in there that require some inquiry. Firing schedules are no problem but let’s start here:

• What do you intend to fire to, this kiln only goes to 2000 degrees so that would be lowfire. Clay or cone 04.
• you mentioned luster, which can have a very different meaning in clay, do you intend to glaze these items?
• Will you actually be using lusters which are typically an overglaze application?
• Have you chosen a claybody?

Not to overwhelm, but there are significant things to learn about working and firing clay which can be  overwhelming at first. Knowing the basics is pretty important but fortunately fairly easy and logical.

There are many articles on the web that provide an overview, here is one I just did a search for:  https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zsnbg82/revision/1

so to start, maybe post the answers to the questions above and of course search the web for informative material.

[oldlady]

hello, and welcome to the forum.   we have all been there or close to where you are doday.   it really is not as difficult as you think, it is just that as you are learning the alphabet, someone gave you shakespeare's macbeth.    yes, ther are programs built into your kiln.  you need to know more of the basics to understand your choices.  if you answer bill's questions you may find it is not so hard to know what to do next.  

could you say why you bought that particular kiln?   and btw, are you in the UK?  that is where stroud seems to be.  yet, the kiln is from the US.    see the possible confusion on the member's part?

[Hulk]

Here's some more readin'

Firing Schedules (digitalfire.com)

Firing Schedule (digitalfire.com)

Firing: What Happens to Ceramic Ware in a Firing Kiln (digitalfire.com)

3 Stages of Firing Clay – A Beginners Guide to Firing Pottery (thepotterywheel.com)

Firing Clay: The Lowdown on the Ceramic Firing Process (ceramicartsnetwork.org)

There are several threads on this forum that explore: what's happening as the ware heats up, critical temperature ranges (where important stuff happens), the rate of temperature change, etc.

https://community.ceramicartsdaily.org/topic/22103-red-body-clay-guide/

https://community.ceramicartsdaily.org/topic/24166-black-clay-and-pinholes/

http://community.ceramicartsdaily.org/topic/17903-critical-firing-temperatures/ 

http://community.ceramicartsdaily.org/topic/17882-blistering-bloating-coring/

Cone 6 Firing Schedule- Nerds - Page 2 - Clay and Glaze Chemistry - Ceramic Arts Daily Community

See also subtopics dunting, coring, holds, drop and hold

I'm not feeling very well today - there are several books in the other room I might recommend...

Your controller relies on pyrometer feedback; may I suggest placing pyrometric cones on each shelf, and keeping detailed notes, also watching target cone through the peep (wearing appropriate kiln glasses against harmful rays and any flying bits) - at least until you've a chance to learn from experience. I'm finding my notebooks to be rather handy.

Good luck!

[Babs]

And read whatis onyour bag of clay. What temp does it fire to.

What glazes do you have.

Are they compatible.

Bill mentioned a kiln which is for low firing c04.

Does your clay require higher temp/ cone to vitrify?

Get an orton chart..relates.temp to cone  number dependant on rate of firing

 

I'm guessing you have bern potting and getting pots fired by sone else?

Go ask questions there.

[neilestrick]

Once you've figured out what cone you're firing to, there's nothing wrong with using the pre-programmed slow/med/fast cone firing programs in your controller. They work well for 95% of what people do with a kiln. Generally medium speed works well for most things.

[Chilly]

It's a bit like baking.  Sponge cake vs Yorkshire puddings vs Christmas cake.  Each needs a different temperature and time.  Some need to start really hot, some can go in a cold oven and warm up gradually.

Get as many paper books on pottery as you can find from your county library - order them online as local branches (here in Essex anyway) have very little on the shelves.  Read the books like you would a novel.  Start on page 1 and read through to the end.  Read the next book.  Re-Read each book a couple of times.  Don't worry, much of it will not make sense the first reading.  Don't worry if the books are old, they will be more detailed about how to fire manually rather than with a computer!

On the third reading, write down the bits you don't understand, then come back here and ask those questions.

If you have a local class or group, ask them.  I did pottery at evening classes for a few years.  The kiln firing was done by the teacher, and the only involvement we got was to pass the pots along the line at unloading time.  By the time I bought my own kiln that class was long closed.  I had no-one to ask.  I joined a community class and the tutor there had been told "press this button" to fire the kiln.  She had no idea the kiln would fire anything other than lowfire bisque or glaze.  

 

[milkymoonceramics]

15 hours ago, Bill Kielb said:

Don’t unpack the kiln yet……

Well you have mixed a few things in there that require some inquiry. Firing schedules are no problem but let’s start here:

• What do you intend to fire to, this kiln only goes to 2000 degrees so that would be lowfire. Clay or cone 04.
• you mentioned luster, which can have a very different meaning in clay, do you intend to glaze these items?
• Will you actually be using lusters which are typically an overglaze application?
• Have you chosen a claybody?

Not to overwhelm, but there are significant things to learn about working and firing clay which can be  overwhelming at first. Knowing the basics is pretty important but fortunately fairly easy and logical.

There are many articles on the web that provide an overview, here is one I just did a search for:  https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zsnbg82/revision/1

so to start, maybe post the answers to the questions above and of course search the web for informative material.

It's a highfire kiln, one of the only ones I could find of that size that could fire that high! I mean that I will be doing a bisque fire, then a glaze fire, then an overglaze fire with lustre. I always use porcelain. 

The article that you have linked to, and almost every article that I have read seems to describe just about every other part of the ceramics process, and then stops sthort of an example firing shedule! I suppose that is why I am baffled. I will keep searching...!

 

[milkymoonceramics]

13 hours ago, Hulk said:

Here's some more readin'

Firing Schedules (digitalfire.com)

Firing Schedule (digitalfire.com)

Firing: What Happens to Ceramic Ware in a Firing Kiln (digitalfire.com)

3 Stages of Firing Clay – A Beginners Guide to Firing Pottery (thepotterywheel.com)

Firing Clay: The Lowdown on the Ceramic Firing Process (ceramicartsnetwork.org)

There are several threads on this forum that explore: what's happening as the ware heats up, critical temperature ranges (where important stuff happens), the rate of temperature change, etc.

https://community.ceramicartsdaily.org/topic/22103-red-body-clay-guide/

https://community.ceramicartsdaily.org/topic/24166-black-clay-and-pinholes/

http://community.ceramicartsdaily.org/topic/17903-critical-firing-temperatures/ 

http://community.ceramicartsdaily.org/topic/17882-blistering-bloating-coring/

Cone 6 Firing Schedule- Nerds - Page 2 - Clay and Glaze Chemistry - Ceramic Arts Daily Community

See also subtopics dunting, coring, holds, drop and hold

I'm not feeling very well today - there are several books in the other room I might recommend...

Your controller relies on pyrometer feedback; may I suggest placing pyrometric cones on each shelf, and keeping detailed notes, also watching target cone through the peep (wearing appropriate kiln glasses against harmful rays and any flying bits) - at least until you've a chance to learn from experience. I'm finding my notebooks to be rather handy.

Good luck!

Thank you, the top two articles have some examples of schedules which is a very helpful starting point!

[milkymoonceramics]

10 hours ago, neilestrick said:

Once you've figured out what cone you're firing to, there's nothing wrong with using the pre-programmed slow/med/fast cone firing programs in your controller. They work well for 95% of what people do with a kiln. Generally medium speed works well for most things.

Well this is good news. And if I do this, the kiln will rn the whole programme from start to finish? Or will I have to turn interfere to stop the firing and start the cooling process at  some point? Again, probably sounds like a really silly question but the manual just assumes you allready know all of this.

[milkymoonceramics]

10 hours ago, Babs said:

And read whatis onyour bag of clay. What temp does it fire to.

What glazes do you have.

Are they compatible.

Bill mentioned a kiln which is for low firing c04.

Does your clay require higher temp/ cone to vitrify?

Get an orton chart..relates.temp to cone  number dependant on rate of firing

 

I'm guessing you have bern potting and getting pots fired by sone else?

Go ask questions there.

I think there is a bit of confusion over my kiln, it fires to 1290 celcius which is plenty for the porcelain I use. It's not the temperatures so much as the schedules I am confused about. There seem to be very scant advice out there on timings, and where to start your guesswork with this.  I understand the principle, but I think if I tried to start a firing right now I would just have to enter any arbitrary number. For exampe,  Do I hold for 0 minutes? 10 minutes? 10 hours? Who knows?!?!?!?

Yes I have been having my work fired by a local pottery shop for a few years now, however `I have now moved out of the area and bought a kiln from another supplier so I am a litle shy about asking them!! 

[Bill Kielb]

2 hours ago, milkymoonceramics said:

It's a highfire kiln, one of the only ones I could find of that size that could fire that high! I mean that I will be doing a bisque fire, then a glaze fire, then an overglaze fire with lustre. I always use porcelain. 

When I look at the paragon website this kiln appears to be rated 2000 f (1093c)  cone 02 - 03 ish. All models I can see. I do see an interesting note that says you can order it “ possible to reach”  2250f (1232c). Since the written specification for all these models is 2000f (1093c) maximum, I assume this was designed as a lowfire kiln and was mainly designed for cone 04 work or lowfire clay and glaze  which …………is not porcelain.

The interesting note that says it can reach cone 6 using three inch brick implies to me it could be a cone 6 kiln at its very best. This also means it likely will only reach these temperatures in very new condition and after a few firings the elements will wear enough and not be able to reach cone 6. So first and foremost you intend  to fire porcelain which to me is cone 6 or higher. I would double check and see if this kiln will give you 50-150 cone 6 firings before element change. I am doubtful that it will but hopeful it will work as you planned.

I have added some typical schedules below, there are reasons for the speeds as clay changes during the firing process, definitely stuff you can research and read though over time. The reason often overlooked is the ending speed or where things mature properly. The schedules below are designed with ending speeds that correspond to the Orton table so that you fire to a cone or accumulated heatwork. More research and reading unfortunately,  but after awhile, second nature. These schedules were created to basically use the center column of the Orton chart.

Common  Bisque to cone 04 ( Celsius in red)

Common Glaze to cone 6 ( Celsius in red)

 

China paints and lusters

These can be a single segment firing as fast as you can go to the softening temperature of your glaze and hopefully the suggested temperature of the overglaze product you use. Generally cone 016 - 022. If you want to pick a  specific speed, then 300c per hour or faster is fine.

Finally to add, your kiln will cool on its own, so once the program has ended let it cool off to a reasonable temperature (near room temperature) before opening the door. 
 

Finally a few  firing schedules on the web

https://hotkilns.com/support/pottery-kiln-knowledgebase/standard-easy-fire-program-profiles-dynatrol

https://thepotterywheel.com/how-long-does-a-bisque-firing-take/

https://community.ceramicartsdaily.org/topic/19770-firing-schedule-for-cone-04-bisque/

https://skutt.com/images/BISQUE-ARTICLE.pdf

Hopefully these give you a reasonable start.

Paragon research E12 all models I could find

 

 

[neilestrick]

4 hours ago, milkymoonceramics said:

I think there is a bit of confusion over my kiln, it fires to 1290 celcius which is plenty for the porcelain I use.

What does the serial plate on the kiln say is the max temp?

 You'll get very poor element life if you fire your kiln to the max temp for glaze firings, so even if your kiln goes to cone 9/10, it's not a good idea to fire it that hot. You'll only get about 35-50 firings before you need to change the elements, and you'll wear out the bricks a lot faster than if you're firing to cone 6. So if it's a cone 9/10 kiln, it would be better to fire to cone 5/6. You can get porcelain bodies that vitrify at that temp and they look great. If it's a cone 6 kiln, then again you'll only get 35-50 firings from your elements if you're firing to cone 6. So in that case it's better to do low fire work. If you fire a cone 10 kiln to cone 6 you'll get 130-150 firings from a set of elements. If it's a cone 6 kiln and you fire to low fire temps you'll get a few hundred firings from your elements. Of course, if you're willing to do a lot of element changes then go for it.

4 hours ago, milkymoonceramics said:

Or will I have to turn interfere to stop the firing and start the cooling process at  some point?

You don't have to do a controlled cooling cycle. You can just let it cool naturally. Controlled cooling is not required. If you do want to do a controlled cooling than you'll have to do a custom program, in which case you can jsut copy the pre-programmed schedule for the first part of the firing, then add your cooling segments.

[milkymoonceramics]

3 hours ago, Bill Kielb said:

When I look at the paragon website this kiln appears to be rated 2000 f (1093c)  cone 02 - 03 ish. All models I can see. I do see an interesting note that says you can order it “ possible to reach”  2250f (1232c). Since the written specification for all these models is 2000f (1093c) maximum, I assume this was designed as a lowfire kiln and was mainly designed for cone 04 work or lowfire clay and glaze  which …………is not porcelain.

The interesting note that says it can reach cone 6 using three inch brick implies to me it could be a cone 6 kiln at its very best. This also means it likely will only reach these temperatures in very new condition and after a few firings the elements will wear enough and not be able to reach cone 6. So first and foremost you intend  to fire porcelain which to me is cone 6 or higher. I would double check and see if this kiln will give you 50-150 cone 6 firings before element change. I am doubtful that it will but hopeful it will work as you planned.

I have added some typical schedules below, there are reasons for the speeds as clay changes during the firing process, definitely stuff you can research and read though over time. The reason often overlooked is the ending speed or where things mature properly. The schedules below are designed with ending speeds that correspond to the Orton table so that you fire to a cone or accumulated heatwork. More research and reading unfortunately,  but after awhile, second nature. These schedules were created to basically use the center column of the Orton chart.

Common  Bisque to cone 04 ( Celsius in red)

Common Glaze to cone 6 ( Celsius in red)

 

China paints and lusters

These can be a single segment firing as fast as you can go to the softening temperature of your glaze and hopefully the suggested temperature of the overglaze product you use. Generally cone 016 - 022. If you want to pick a  specific speed, then 300c per hour or faster is fine.

Finally to add, your kiln will cool on its own, so once the program has ended let it cool off to a reasonable temperature (near room temperature) before opening the door. 
 

Finally a few  firing schedules on the web

https://hotkilns.com/support/pottery-kiln-knowledgebase/standard-easy-fire-program-profiles-dynatrol

https://thepotterywheel.com/how-long-does-a-bisque-firing-take/

https://community.ceramicartsdaily.org/topic/19770-firing-schedule-for-cone-04-bisque/

https://skutt.com/images/BISQUE-ARTICLE.pdf

Hopefully these give you a reasonable start.

Paragon research E12 all models I could find

 

 

 

How confusing! I think its posible the kiln I have is made specificaly for the UK dealer I bought from, so differs slightly from the US model you are looking at. The manager assured me that this kiln can fire porcelain and this is also quoted on the (extremely  unfriendly!) website.  https://www.paragonkilns.co.uk/xpre.htm

 

Thanks so much for your help, I am glad I can just whack on a cone firing and let i do its magic. Fingers crossed!

 

 

[milkymoonceramics]

10 minutes ago, neilestrick said:

What does the serial plate on the kiln say is the max temp?

 You'll get very poor element life if you fire your kiln to the max temp for glaze firings, so even if your kiln goes to cone 9/10, it's not a good idea to fire it that hot. You'll only get about 35-50 firings before you need to change the elements, and you'll wear out the bricks a lot faster than if you're firing to cone 6. So if it's a cone 9/10 kiln, it would be better to fire to cone 5/6. You can get porcelain bodies that vitrify at that temp and they look great. If it's a cone 6 kiln, then again you'll only get 35-50 firings from your elements if you're firing to cone 6. So in that case it's better to do low fire work. If you fire a cone 10 kiln to cone 6 you'll get 130-150 firings from a set of elements. If it's a cone 6 kiln and you fire to low fire temps you'll get a few hundred firings from your elements. Of course, if you're willing to do a lot of element changes then go for it.

You don't have to do a controlled cooling cycle. You can just let it cool naturally. Controlled cooling is not required. If you do want to do a controlled cooling than you'll have to do a custom program, in which case you can jsut copy the pre-programmed schedule for the first part of the firing, then add your cooling segments.

The serial says max temp 1290 Celcius

Thats a great tip, thanks so much! I'm not sure what temperature the bag I am working through is, but the supplier I use has plenty of porcelains that fire at cone 6 or so, so I will grab some of that instead next.  Thanks again!

[PeterH]

1 hour ago, milkymoonceramics said:

the supplier I use has plenty of porcelains that fire at cone 6 or so

I have a vague memory of somebody complaining of a lack of UK porcelains that vitrify at cone 6. Can anybody confirm/refute or supply more details?

Perhaps it was this:

 

[Bill Kielb]

4 hours ago, milkymoonceramics said:

How confusing! I think its posible the kiln I have is made specificaly for the UK dealer I bought from, so differs slightly from the US model you are looking at

Yes! Good deal, appears to be the same wattage as those on the US website  but 3” brick, so ought to work. I did read about the sentry 3 key control from the UK website  and it says it supports cone fire, so mystery solved, no need to manually program segments, just pick a cone and speed.