Hey everyone,
I’m new to the maker space community.
I am a high school ceramics teacher at wt white high school and I am really excited to use the facility.
I have a small studio setup at my home with a wheel
What I was wondering is how dose the firings take place? Is there a shelf you leave stuff on? And are there certain days or times you guys fire?
Thank you for the help
I don’t hang out in ceramics much, but I believe the answer is “as often as needed” and there’s a set of shelves for the different types of firings, and people who volunteer to move stuff from the shelves to the kilns and back from time to time.
Hey! You might be a new volunteer!
We have a shelving system. There’s a set for greenware-ready-to-fire, finished bisque, glazed-ready-to-fire, plus the Work-in-progress shelves.
Yeah, we fire when we’ve got enough. Our kilns (at least 2) are a decent size, but by no means large, so that’s not a huge amount of ware. Right now may be a smidge “special” since folks are just trickling back. We were firing each type 2-3 times a week before the closure. I haven’t been back to look, but folks are working, so probably at least one bisque and one glaze a week until everybody feels comfortable coming back out of their hidey-holes.
Ok sounds good. Is there a way to be a part of the firing team?
The Firing Team has been pretty much come-one-come-all-unless-the-powers-that-be-don’t-like-you. So, odds are good that you could do that. Come to our Committee Meeting on July 1st. Up in the big front lobby room if you’re comfortable showing up in person, or the call-in numbers are listed on the event calendar if you’d prefer the remote version. We’ll be practicing social distancing, so I consider it safe. I, on the other hand, am not overly paranoid. I do the mask and the distancing and hand-washing. It will be a good way to meet a selection of us.
Welcome Tracy!
Yes, we have a firing team, there’s a group here on talk to help us co-ordinate. Usually fire bisque to cone 04 and glaze to cone 6. Not sure yet what the schedule will look like as we are reopening. Hope to see you at the space.
Hi Tracy and welcome to Ceramics!
If you would like I can get you added to the group of Team Ceramics so you will receive all notices or information sent to that group. Sometimes messages do not go to the full ceramics group.
As for firing, prior to the shut down we had a kiln firing every day if not every other. Folks are right that it does depend on when shelves are full and when the volunteers who have been trained are available to load a kiln.
If you would like to be on the firing team I can add you to the group message about firings. ALL are welcome to join the team and go through the training. We use that thread to inform the others on the team what is being loaded, by who, and training times for new firing team folks. The training consists of 3 times watching both a bisque and a glaze load, then we have you load 3 times of each with someone checking your work. Once you have completed the training you are free to load kilns on your own, although it always goes faster with two 
We are not holding our Ceramics 100 classes right now due to distancing. This class gives you an overview of the department, tools, shelving system, firing, and cleaning procedures. Right now all of the kiln staging shelves are in our old area and the “In Progress” Shelves are in the new area. I would be happy to meet you at the space to walk through a high level of our area if you’d like me to just let me know when would be a good time. You can message me on talk to coordinate that.
Once again, welcome and looking forward to meeting you!
I would love to be added to the chat.
I can meet you next week at any time that is best for you I’m on summer break as a teacher so I have plenty of time right now 
How about Monday morning about 10? That way I can get you started 
That works for me I can meet you at the main entrance?
How do I get added to the chat you mentioned.
Yes main entrance and I’ll add you to team ceramics
Can you also add to it that this is a community firing schedule and not all of one persons items? I feel someone might think once you are trained to load and unload, you are free to do only your own pieces, which is not what we want to have happen.
Done as part of the training process but good point.
Thank you 
See you at 10AM tomorrow. Looking forward to meeting you!