Electric Pottery Kiln Cones

Series Summary

Ceramics are art works made out of clay bodies that harden with the application of heat. Originating in Chinese, Cretan, Greek, Roman, and Mayan cultures, ceramics have a long history that dates back to the third millennium BC. Pottery was used to create food and water jars, decorative bowls, sacred urns, and religious idols. Potters most traditionally use their hands, but several tools have been developed to aid in the ceramic making process, including the potter's wheel. Ceramics range from functional vessels to decorative sculptures, and remain both a long loved craft as well as a fine art. An important aspect of ceramics is the kiln. Kilns are high temperature ovens that reach up to around 2,400 degrees Fahrenheit, and bake clay pieces to a durable material. In this free ceramics video series, a master potter will demonstrate the correct way to use an electric pottery kiln. Learn about different firing techniques, kiln furniture, and correct kiln loading. Also, find out how you can maintain your kiln to last for years, or even decades. Proper pottery kiln handling is crucial for your own safety and for the best outcome of your ceramic pieces of art.

Video Transcript

"We're going to talk a little bit about how to use an electric pottery kiln. The traditional method for determining how hot a kiln is going to get is by using pyrometric cones. These are specially formulated to melt at a certain temperature. You want to put the one that's going to end the soonest on this end, and the one that's going to melt last on this end. You have holes in your kiln that you can peep through to see, so if you're going to use pyrometric cones, you want to set that up to where you can see it through a hole. You're going to be checking to see when those are melting, so that you know when to stop your firing. There are also kilns that have electric interfaces with knobs that have a little kiln sitter; I don't have one of these; that holds a miniature cone in place, and when that cone melts it drops a lever, and turns the kiln off automatically. What I'm using is a computer programmed kiln interface. This thing can do everything. You can set your own program. You can use any of its various pre-programmed modes, and this particular kiln can fire up to cone ten. It is a high fire kiln. It's important to have your kiln in a different room then the one you're working in, because it's going to emit fumes both in the first firing; which is called the bisque; and in the second firing; which is callled the glaze firing. So do keep it away from your work area, or have special ventilation if you can't have it in a separate room."