Bisque & Glaze Firing Guidelines – Community Clay
Bisque and glaze firing are essential steps in the ceramic process, transforming your raw clay pieces into finished pottery. To ensure a smooth and efficient firing experience, please follow these stacking, handling, and pickup guidelines.
Bisque Firing Guidelines
Bisque firing is the first stage of firing, turning dried clay into durable, porous bisqueware that’s ready for glazing.
Wareboard Allotment & Stacking Guidelines
Each wareboard measures 9" x 18" x 3.5", and you may stack items to maximize space. How you stack items on the wareboard is how they will be fired.
Stacking Best Practices
⚠ Improper stacking may cause cracking, fusing, or distortion. Follow these recommendations to protect your work:
✔ Nesting Safely – Ensure rims do not touch. Items that sit snugly inside another’s rim may fuse together during firing.
✔ Match Item Weight – Avoid placing a heavy piece inside or on top of a thin or delicate one.
✔ Consider Clay Body Differences – Different clay bodies shrink at different rates. Leave extra space between different types of clay.
✔ Mind Dark & Light Clays – Dark clay bodies may mark lighter ones. Keep them separate.
✔ Underglaze Precautions – Underglazes may transfer onto nearby items. We will leave extra space around these pieces to prevent affecting other members' work.
Glaze Firing Guidelines
Glaze-fired items may NOT be stacked, so when planning your firing fees, ensure your pieces are placed next to each other on the wareboard.
Glazing Options
🎨 Glaze Selection: You will choose your glaze color at drop-off. To preview available glaze colors, visit our Instagram.
✔ Underglaze Users: If you've applied underglaze, we will apply a clear glaze to seal your work.
✔ No Glaze Option: If you prefer no glaze, select "Glaze Firing (No Glaze)" when submitting your piece.
Firing Pickup Process
📩 Notification Email: You will receive an email once your pieces have been bisque-fired, along with a booking link to schedule your pickup appointment.
Important Firing Disclaimer
While Community Clay takes the utmost care in handling and firing your work, we cannot guarantee successful outcomes. The final result depends on factors such as:
- Clay composition
- Drying time
- Stacking choices
- Kiln conditions
By following these guidelines, you help create a seamless firing experience for everyone in our ceramics community.
🌀 Thank you for being part of Community Clay! 🎨
