Single fire/Once firings

[kevinpleong]

How you would fire your pieces to account for the once fire? I feel like you couldn't do it as quickly as would a bisque (biscuit) firing. Do you have to formulate your glazes any differently? Do you have to do much differently doing a once fire and can you use the same glazes and regular slips as you would normally? When would you glaze pieces for once firing?

 

Thanks in advance

[Bill Kielb]

The short answer is to fire the ware to planned cone but use a slow or bisque type schedule. Not all clay / glazes work for single fire so experimenting or testing is super important.

[Callie Beller Diesel]

Tagging @oldladyin this thread. She’s our resident single fire-er.

[oldlady]

hello, kevin,

i have been single firing for a number of years.  i use the clay and glazes that anyone else would.   i have not found any problems after i started spraying glaze instead of any other method.   i do not even spray the "accepted" way.   i can glaze a kiln load of my work in an afternoon.  it is an L&L kiln about 23x 27 (or so).  i always use the slow glaze that is built into the electronics.   i figure the kiln manufacturer knows more than i do about how to use the kiln to my advantage.

most of what i make is serving ware,  flat, not much higher than an inch or two and not difficult to make.   botanicals pressed into slabs and shaped using wood and foam rubber or pantyhose covered small bowls.   cracker trays and butterdishes.  they sell quickly and are so easy to make that i really do not do the things most throwers  do.  i can throw but at 82 my fingers do not have the same suppleness they did.  an afternoon of throwing might result in waking up to throbbing fingers that night.

the fun in what i make is the choice of botanicals, placement on the shape i use, lots of freeform stuff that dries inside old platters, bowls etc.    you might look at my photo albums .   click on my avatar and choose "my profile" and look for photos from 2016 holiday sale in november.   each of us has an album space available to show our work or an idea to share.  

if you want to try single firing the absolute RULE is   FIRE ONLY TOTALLY DRY PIECES, NOTHING THICK!