Kiln Yard Participation
What does it mean when you sign up for a kiln fire?
Kiln firing is an experience to grow and learn more intimately about how to interact with your ceramics though the dynamic effect of fire. Beyond that, do you wish to learn how to fire the kilns themselves? We will teach you! No gatekeeping here.
This is a community based experience, meaning your involvement is key to the process. Why is this important? Here at the Kiln Yard it’s a hope that you show a willing ness to learn and better understand how working the kilns effects your work. How does kiln placement matter? How does the length of time and quality of reduction effect your work? How do you properly maintain and care for equipment at the yard? Participating in a fire here means better understanding answers to these questions which will impact your work and your ability to control, predict and understand the results.
What we offer and also expect...
What are you signing up for?
When signing up for a fire you are required to participate in all 3 elements:
1: You are agreeing to bring your work to the kiln the day of loading. To wad your work and
stay and work with the community to see that yours and every one’s work is safely loaded in
the kiln. You’ll be given the chance to participate in every step of the process to learn and
understand the importance of how to load a balanced kiln, meaning a kiln that with fire at even
temperature from top to bottom and front to back. Loading in a way to ensure dynamic
distribution of the soda as it flows through. Keeping all this in mind to relate back to the result
we see as we unload.
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2: To participate in the fire.
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It understood that since this is often a whole day event and you
may not have the means to commit to the time, there will be a sign-up board for people to sign
up for shifts to participate. There are a variety of ways you may participate. Participating may
mean stopping by to bring the fire crew a snack or refreshing drinks. This process makes for a
long day and the comradery of snack breaks help the time go by and or relief from working in
the hot or cold weather. Support the group firing your work!
the most crucial step of adding soda requires a minimum for 4 participants but more is
suggested. Cooking and soda slurry and spraying into the kiln in teams of 2 people at a time,
this process may take upwards of an hour depending. This is hot work and multiple groups give
chances for cool down. Clothing that covers your arms legs and cloths toed shoes are required
for this step. Masks or respirators are a good idea and we have some that can be borrowed.
3: Finally unloading day!
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Be witness to your results and where it was found in the kiln, use this
insight for how to plan for next time. The container here at the kiln yard is not a suitable space
for storage after the fire. If you can’t be here to collect your work, please ask a friend or family
member to come for you. If you come to collect your works you are required to stay for the
clean-up. there is a system in place to minimize contact with dangerous tools and plenty of
ways to help depending on physical limitations. This process goes smoothly and is typically take
only 30 min. proper clothing including close toed shoes and pants are advised but not required.
You will need ear protection, N95 masks, gloves and eye protection.
Learning how to care for the equipment that is so essential to being able to fire is essential and
folks should take pride in their work to help ensure more fires to come!
How does the communication flow? On the day of loading, phone contacts will be
collected and a text thread established. The kiln master will use this thread to communicate
with the group throughout the course of the fire, and rally for help if its needed. After the kiln
fires there is a minimum of 3 days required cool down before the kiln will be unloaded. It’s
typical that the unload will happen 1 week from time of loading.
Further Q&A
What should go in the kiln?
If this is a Soda fire, no red or colored clay should go into the kiln. Here’s why; the soda reacts
with iron in red clay causing and excessive fluxing making works bend and bloat in
unpredictable ways. Likewise, heavy Iron bearing glazes may run with excess as they interact
with the soda in the atmosphere, so be warned.
In a Soda fire it’s common to have more bare clay to let the soda glaze for you. However, liner
glazes is recommended as well at some kiln of glaze, wash or flashing slip is encouraged.
Glaze vs flashing slip.
Glaze has glass formers in the contents to coat ware. Flashing slip is a clay slurry with no glass
former. The flashing, describes the color response taking place on the ware, the color is
derived from the close interaction of heat and flame weaving between and around the ware.
So placement in the kiln matters as a result particularly where flashing slip is concerned.
How do I get access to flashing slips and glaze?
The cost of glazes and flashing slips are not calculated into the cost of purchasing a square foot
in the kilns. Glazes and flashing slips can be assessed through the SJCC as a member, punch
card holder or the purchase of a day pass. Paying for just a bisque fire with the SJCC doesn’t
automatically give accesses to glazes either. To take up space and resources in the glazing lab
does require either a punch card or day pass. Work you glaze for the soda or reduction fire
can’t be left at eh SJCC studios. Works you are putting in the kilns need to be brought to the
kiln yard the day of loading. No exceptions.
What temperature can Soda firing happen?
The world of soda firing is not exclusively the realm of High fire aka Cone 10. In fact, it has been
a popular course to take soda firing lower to midrange where you may have a larger color range
and save on time and fuel by taking the pots to lower temperatures. Folks, Soda Ash can
vaporize at 1564 degrees, that’s cone 013! Its catching on and low fire folks are starting to
include soda in their repertoire. It’s a myth that soda fire has to be high fire. Likewise any one
kiln is able to do both low and high fire, but not all are best suited for high fire or soda, that is a
special kiln requirement.