Drying+firing question - beginner in pottery....

[Jessica Guenzer]

Hello everyone,

This is my first post on this forum – I received as a gift a manual (but temperature-programmable) kiln with temperature up to 1832F that can fire a small art piece. 

I am total beginner but I read many articles about how necessary is drying and how it is not recommended to make thich pieces.

Well, my grandchildren made a small duck - please see photo with tape for reference in centimetres - it is however around 2" US inches thick (and about 4" US inches in length - simply small piece of art, nothing big)

 

We made it on Monday 19th , so now it has been 4 days of drying. We very love this our first own piece!!!! 

 

1) Please what can I do for it not to make any explosion during the bisque fire? How long should it be drying - (please see photo = there is tape for reference in centimetres not inches)?

2) Would "candling" help? If so, how long and how to do it for this little present?

3) How to set temperatures for this manual kiln? And for how long to increase them or "hold" each phase?

 

I am user from Czech Republic, but my friends from the USA recommended me this forum. You would be very kind to give me any recommendation  and I am sending best regards to you all over the ocean.  Sorry for my English if some terminology is incorrect....

Jessica G.

[Kelly in AK]

Congratulations on your new kiln and welcome!

If the piece feels cold against your cheek then it’s still drying. It won’t hurt to let it dry more, but you could hasten the process by candling. I fire lots of student work, just as thick as this, always candling for several hours (4-6 hours) before the kiln really starts to heat up. That will prevent explosions, getting all the water out   

[LinR]

I did a lot of clay work with my grandkids when they were little.  Sometimes I had to make sure that joints were well enough joined and sometimes I would help them hollow out thick pieces.  All came through the firing  Lin

[Pres]

If this object is solid, I would use a drill bit to drill a series of holes in the bottom of it to allow for steam to escape. They don't have to be large, 1/4 inch or so maybe four or five where they would not be seen well space apart in the bottom.

 

Welcome to the forum!

 

best,

Pres

[graybeard]

Nice duck! Your grand kids did a great job.  I would give it 2 weeks before even thinking about firing. Go slow its too special to risk wrecking.  Good luck

Graybeard 

[Jessica Guenzer]

On 6/23/2023 at 1:44 AM, Kelly in AK said:

Congratulations on your new kiln and welcome!

If the piece feels cold against your cheek then it’s still drying. It won’t hurt to let it dry more, but you could hasten the process by candling. I fire lots of student work, just as thick as this, always candling for several hours (4-6 hours) before the kiln really starts to heat up. That will prevent explosions, getting all the water out   

 

On 6/23/2023 at 2:01 AM, LinR said:

I did a lot of clay work with my grandkids when they were little.  Sometimes I had to make sure that joints were well enough joined and sometimes I would help them hollow out thick pieces.  All came through the firing  Lin

 

On 6/23/2023 at 4:52 AM, Pres said:

If this object is solid, I would use a drill bit to drill a series of holes in the bottom of it to allow for steam to escape. They don't have to be large, 1/4 inch or so maybe four or five where they would not be seen well space apart in the bottom.

 

Welcome to the forum!

 

best,

Pres

 

10 hours ago, graybeard said:

Nice duck! Your grand kids did a great job.  I would give it 2 weeks before even thinking about firing. Go slow its too special to risk wrecking.  Good luck

Graybeard 

 

Hi everyone, thank you very much for your recommendations. I am happy we did our first piece from such useful material as clay. Hopefully one day we get better and make better work  It is just fun not to sit at home and do something useful 

Cheers everyone and thanks again!   

[Rae Reich]

Jessica, when you have some work to dry thoroughly, all the above information will help, although I’d be reluctant to drill holes in something so small.

If you have an oven with a pilot light that stays warm inside, or an electric oven that can be set to a very low temperature, you can put the charming bird to “candle” there for overnight or longer (remember to remove it when you cook!). Do this in addition to candling the whole kiln thoroughly before firing.
 

Best wishes!
 

[Denice]

I would let it dry  another week,  that is a thick ball of clay,  you might also get a clean up tool and remove the jagged and sharp areas of clay.   Once it is fired those pieces of clay become little knives,  you also can grind them off in the bisque stage easily with a Dremel tool.  I always candle sculptural work even if I think it is totally dry.    Denice

[Chilly]

2 minutes ago, Denice said:

remove the jagged and sharp areas of clay.

This is such a good thing to do.  My usual saying is "It won't come out of the kiln any smoother than it goes in". 

You could also try gently wiping with a barely damp sponge.

[Denice]

I also wanted to mention that you buy the lowest fire clay you can find.   A low fire Raku clay is the lowest I know of,  most people don't realize how important it is to work with a clay that fires to the same temperature your kiln does.   Denice

[Jessica Guenzer]

3 hours ago, Rae Reich said:

Jessica, when you have some work to dry thoroughly, all the above information will help, although I’d be reluctant to drill holes in something so small.

If you have an oven with a pilot light that stays warm inside, or an electric oven that can be set to a very low temperature, you can put the charming bird to “candle” there for overnight or longer (remember to remove it when you cook!). Do this in addition to candling the whole kiln thoroughly before firing.
 

Best wishes!
 

 

2 hours ago, Denice said:

I would let it dry  another week,  that is a thick ball of clay,  you might also get a clean up tool and remove the jagged and sharp areas of clay.   Once it is fired those pieces of clay become little knives,  you also can grind them off in the bisque stage easily with a Dremel tool.  I always candle sculptural work even if I think it is totally dry.    Denice

 

2 hours ago, Chilly said:

This is such a good thing to do.  My usual saying is "It won't come out of the kiln any smoother than it goes in". 

You could also try gently wiping with a barely damp sponge.

 

2 hours ago, Denice said:

I also wanted to mention that you buy the lowest fire clay you can find.   A low fire Raku clay is the lowest I know of,  most people don't realize how important it is to work with a clay that fires to the same temperature your kiln does.   Denice

 

Wow, thank you everyone – I follow this thread and check on regularly and your insights are very helpful to me  The kiln I have has maximum firing temperature 1832 F.

[LeeU]

If you would like a bit more of a smooth finish, around the eyes, where there are some little clay burrs making rough spots, just take a little piece of sandpaper, or even a good scrubby, and give it a wipe-those burrs once fired can feel quite sharp to little fingers. 

[Rae Reich]

13 hours ago, LeeU said:

If you would like a bit more of a smooth finish, around the eyes, where there are some little clay burrs making rough spots, just take a little piece of sandpaper, or even a good scrubby, and give it a wipe-those burrs once fired can feel quite sharp to little fingers. 

A soft and worn scrubby is a gentle abrasive that is more flexible than a new one.

[Jessica Guenzer]

On 6/27/2023 at 4:35 PM, Rae Reich said:

A soft and worn scrubby is a gentle abrasive that is more flexible than a new one.

 

On 6/27/2023 at 3:26 AM, LeeU said:

If you would like a bit more of a smooth finish, around the eyes, where there are some little clay burrs making rough spots, just take a little piece of sandpaper, or even a good scrubby, and give it a wipe-those burrs once fired can feel quite sharp to little fingers. 

Good recommendation - yeah, we have done it. Thank you for sharing valuable inputs  

[PeterH]

May I suggest that you make a few more birds, a little practice/experimentation goes a long way.

Then maybe try for a hollow bird
How to make a hollow bird form using thumb pots

... Make a small through hole with a skewer to let any steam generated during firing escape.

You can make some bowl-ish items by draping thin class clay slabs over a balloon.
e.g. clay over a balloon https://www.pinterest.co.uk/jazzdd76/clay-over-a-balloon/
... which also mentions a few projects, such as

More balloon ideas at Pottery Ballon Technique https://www.pinterest.ca/black3200/pottery-ballon-technique/

Edited June 30, 2023 by PeterH