Things You'll Need:
- A kiln Kiln wash Glass wash, if needed Freshly made pottery pieces Gloves Protective eyewear/goggles Kiln tools to extract pottery pieces, such as a tray and retriever
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Step 1
Prepare the kiln to heat up if it hasn't been used in awhile. Do this by using kiln wash on the bottom. Brush the wash in one direction with a cloth, repeating the process four times. Depending on if you are firing pottery or glass, you may need to repeat the kiln wash procedure once more, but with glass wash instead.
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Step 2
Leave the wash in the kiln and fire it up to 550 degrees Fahrenheit; let it cool naturally with the lid on. This helps prepare the kiln to be extremely hot.
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Step 3
After the kiln has cooled, place your pottery into the kiln, starting at the very bottom. Use a kiln plate it desired. If you have multiple pottery pieces, work your way up to the shelves, making sure the pottery isn't touching.
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Step 4
Set the time and temperature for the firing process. Depending upon your materials, this may differ. The usual temperature for pottery to be fired is around 1700 degrees Fahrenheit. You can keep an eye on your pottery from the kiln peep hole to ensure it does not become too baked. Signs of this include excessive cracking or blackening (if the material is not supposed to). Fortunately, it is pretty difficult to "overfire" pottery. For the first firing, pottery is usually in the kiln between 14 and 18 hours.
