A car kiln is a large kiln with a wheeled platform (the “car”) that rolls in and out for loading. Ceramic work is placed onto the car outside the kiln, allowing potters to load heavy, large-scale, or numerous pieces with ease. Once loaded, the entire platform is rolled into the kiln chamber. Car kilns are frequently used in production pottery, community studios, and universities for their efficiency and capacity.
Car kiln
OH NO… I bisque fired my work to cone 6! Can I still glaze that?
Yes, but it could be tricky. Your clay is no longer as absorbent as it would be so the clay will have a harder time accepting the glaze. Try heating the piece in the oven first and/or blotting glaze on as opposed to brushing it.
I was firing my kiln and I got an error. What do I do?
There are many errors that can occur with your kiln. Please get out your kiln manual and see if the error code is listed. This makes troubleshooting a lot easier and contact us for more help with the error code.
What types of other fees can I expect in custom firing?
Additional fees could include large quantities of very small pieces, scraping glaze off the bottom of ware, stilt fee for cone 6 firings, and cleaning/repairing damage caused by glaze runs (could result in an entire kiln shelf fee).
My piece broke in firing. Do I still have to pay for it?
Unfortunately, firing in public kilns carries that risk and breakage does happen on a rare occasion. We do our very best to handle all with care, but can’t control what happens in the kiln during firing. If your piece was fired in our kiln, you still have to pay for it whether it broke or not.
I just got my bisque piece back! Can I glaze at your store?
We do not have a studio or station available for glazing in our store or warehouse.
Can I load my pieces myself? Can I watch?
We do not load your pieces the same day and our dedicated staff member will load your pieces. We do not allow an audience for loading/unloading.
I made a clay piece using 2 boxes of clay. It weighs 100 pounds and it took 3 people to get it in my car. Can I fire that?
We take large pieces on a case-by-case basis. Please call ahead and be prepared to answer questions about the dimensions of your piece and possibly send photos. If we will need a winch or forklift to load or unload, the answer will be no.
I made a teapot with a lid and my lid broke in the bisque firing. What do I do?
Buy a LidMaster. This is a caliper with the ability to give a measurement for 12.5% shrinkage. people to get it in my car. Can I fire that?
I glaze fired my piece and the glaze did not come out well. Can I re-glaze it?
Yes, just allow more room for the glaze to potentially run. If your piece stuck to the shelf in the flrst firing and you want to re-glaze a piece, you MUST remove the offending glaze either with a rub stone or a Dremmel before re-firing.
I used a new glaze combination that may be runny. Can I fire that?
Yes but consider providing a waster or clay cookie to fire the piece on.
I got too excited about the new glaze I bought and glazed my greenware piece before it was bisqued. Is that okay for you to fire?
In most cases, no. We do not once fire greenware to glaze temperature. Sometimes this will cause pin holing in a glaze. Please let us know when a piece has glaze OR wonderglaze on greenware as they can melt and stick pieces if they are stacked or touching; glaze and wonder glaze should be applied to bisque ware only.
I made a really fragile sculpture with a lot of terrifying appendages. Can I fire that?
Yes, but consider buying a scrap of kiln shelf to bring it on so we don’t have to touch it. Please know that we do our best with fragile items but are not responsible if they break during firing or in transport to/from the kiln. before it was bisqued. Is that okay for you to fire?
Still not finding what you need?
Our friendly clay experts are ready to help. Give us a call at 503-283-1353 or fill out the form below, and we’ll get right back to you.