Cone 5 Specialty Firing Scheduled End of October

Ceramics
#1

If you have an item or a few that you would like to go through a cone 5 firing we will be scheduling one the last week of October.

Please place your items on the shelf labeled Cone 5 (right, top shelf) or near this shelf with a note to please fire at Cone 5.

Your items should be on the shelf prior to the morning of the 26th. If you are unable to meet this time frame and we do not have enough pieces to fire on the 26th we can push the firing a couple of days.

Please reach out if you have any questions.

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#2

I’m fairly new to understanding all the glazing, but would the Raku glazes from AMACO work in this firing?

#3

No, raku glazes only work outside (poisonous) in the raku technique. Cone 5 is only slightly cooler than Cone 6, they go to a temperature around 2000 degrees.

#4

OK thank you

#5

Yes, thank you for asking.

#6

I think the Raku glazes are set for a lower temperature than we run. While they aren’t food safe, because most metallics aren’t, I think that’s more that they are porous, rather than a solid surface. That’s what I’ve always been told.

And, we once accidentally fired a raku-glazed little cup. It ran like an SOB. I even blame myself a little. The lady doing the glazing made a comment about the lovely copper glaze. I was a bit surprised because I hadn’t noticed that we had a copper, but she had the jar turned so that I didn’t see that it was one of the raku glazes. If I’d been a bit more wary at the time, I would’ve asked to see the jar. I’d ignored it because it was a raku glaze. That was when we moved the raku glazes to a special spot so that the uninformed didn’t accidentally pick them up.

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#7

Ok interesting!

So what are the cone 5 firings typically for?

#8

Hmm, good question, information about clays and cone firing should be covered in the ceramics 100 class and the glazing class. The specialty events require additional information. Basically you can use Amaco 5-6 glazes and they may come out slightly different, red may be more true.

#9

Some darker clays may have less bloating.

#10

Monika is sponsoring this months specialty firing, so may have more info.

#11

There are a few of the Amaco glazes that just do “better” at Cone 5. Most pinks and purples fade out if you fire them to Cone 6. This affects the Celadon line, and most underglazes. Plus the Stroke-n-Coats. If you were using the Stroke-n-Coats, you’d check the bottle for the “Mid-range Results”. If it says it’s starting to fade, you’d want it in a Cone 5 kiln if you’ve used them on the regular Cone 5/6 clay that we use.

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#12

The underglaze tests in the ceramics area were fired to cone 6.

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#13

The reason the group asked for the special cone 5 firing was mainly for particular clays that work better at Cone 5. Some of these clays bloated in our cone 6 firings.

There had also been the request to see glaze results at Cone 5. There are some potters who think that some of the Amaco Glazes look better at a Cone 5.

So in essence, Beth and Anette hit all the points I’ve heard of :grinning:

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#14

Raku glazes work off heavy reduction.
Once you pull the piece from the kiln the process of using your flammable materials then covering it starves the glaze for oxygen.

#15

Not relevant to the discussion whether raku glaze can be used in a cone 5.

#16

All, please remember to place your pieces on the shelf for our Cone 5 firing prior to the morning of 10/26.

Thank you!!

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#17

I used the wrong word, should be toxic (not poisonous), though arguably you should not drink it either.

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#18

I was just giving some insight to how Raku glazes function and to answer the question someone had posted earlier.

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#19

One more reminder…

Please place your items on the cone 5 shelf before the morning of 10/26, Monday.

Thank you

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#20

Cone 5 firing will be done tomorrow evening At 5:30. All pieces you would like in the firing should be on the shelf by 5:30 PM

Thanks

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