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Fire It Once

Single Fire for Fun, Profit, and a Smaller Carbon Footprint

Members: 57
Latest Activity: Oct 12, 2021

Single Firing in the Cone 5 - 7 Range

Maybe it's time for you to kick the bisque habit. Let's talk about why Single Firing might be good for you and your pots.

Discussion Forum

Why Single Fire Instead of Bisquing & Then Glaze Firing?

Started by George Lewter. Last reply by Jack Boyko Aug 9, 2016. 3 Replies

Firing cycle for single firing

Started by Bill Curillo. Last reply by Melissa Mead Sep 7, 2015. 19 Replies

Survey: Once Fired Ceramics

Started by Margaret Davies. Last reply by Margaret Davies Mar 2, 2015. 2 Replies

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Comment by John Lowes on August 19, 2010 at 5:09am
I agree. I did nothing to adjust the glaze for single firing, and since it was a commercial glaze, I would have been guessing anyway. But single firing did allow me to complete the set. I was very pleased with the other pot, which was not part of a set. I plan to go deeper into the technique and to be able to use it for most work, rather than the exception.
Comment by George Lewter on August 18, 2010 at 7:21pm
I've been taking a break from pottery to be outdoors more this summer, but I do have some single fire tests coming up, and will post results here. John L., welcome to the group. The experience you had with single firing is to be expected. The interactions between clay and glaze are different enough that you should never expect the same results from the same glaze on the same clay when single firing vs. glaze firing bisqueware.
Comment by John Lowes on August 17, 2010 at 6:54pm
To anyone following this group, it looks like it has been a while since a posting. I am new to Electric Cone 6, Mid-Fire Potters and was glad to see something about single firing, but perhaps this group has slowed down too much.
Anyway, I have single fired only once, fairly recently, and used a mid-range porcelain. I was pretty happy with the result on one pot and not so much on the other. The not so happy pot was to be part of a set of four where only three made it into a first firing and this one was single fired to go to a show with the first three. The issue was that the gloss of the glaze did not match the three conventionally fired pots. I found time to add some glaze and refire, but it was still somewhat mismatched. I am looking forward to the next single fire.
Comment by George Lewter on December 21, 2009 at 9:54am
Please try to keep this Area focused on Single fire issues. There are some good discussions going on, but texturing, for instance could be a discussion topic for the whole network, and is not specific to this group. If we discuss everything everywhere, no one will be able to find or follow a conversation
Comment by Robert Seele on December 17, 2009 at 8:02pm
A hacksaw blade is a little on the light side, but will work if clay is a little on the soft side. I tend to use the 5/8 inch blade the most. I got the 5/8 and 3/4 inch at two local machine shops. Both had old blades around, in the trash. I traded a pot for each blade. Use a grinder to cut them off, and grind the teeth off. Heat the blade to bend at a 90 degree angle. The blade must be sharp to work good. Grind the end to a 45 degree angle. After that .... practice.
Comment by Robert Seele on December 17, 2009 at 10:43am
Thanks for your comment. I like making textured and exstrem textured pots. The tool you mention, I think it is what I call a "Chattering Tool". I make them out of 1/2, 5/8, and 3/4 inch metal cutting band saw blades. I use them some, mostly on the outside of bonsai pots. Once I chattered the inside of a large soup bowl. Bad idea. Its hard to use a spoon over the chatter marks. ;) I made a new photo album showing textured pots, including 4 new photos.
Comment by Robert Seele on December 17, 2009 at 8:44am
I posted several photos of single fired pots .
Comment by Robert Young on September 7, 2009 at 4:57am
I would definitely be interested in this technique, as it would give my students more time to create more works!
 

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