Does anybody single fire their bonsai pots?

*vixta*

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Hi there. Just wondering if anyone single fires their bonsai pots? I have managed to glaze them without bisque firing and my plan is to fire them to 1260 degrees but I am struggling with a firing program. I am not sure how many hours my firing schedule should go for. Any help will be much appreciated!
 

penumbra

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Hi there. Just wondering if anyone single fires their bonsai pots? I have managed to glaze them without bisque firing and my plan is to fire them to 1260 degrees but I am struggling with a firing program. I am not sure how many hours my firing schedule should go for. Any help will be much appreciated!
There are a few that I have talked to over the years who single fire. I always fire twice, except when I am correcting a flaw or modifying outcome with a third firing. The only advice I have for single firing a bonsai pot is to not do it. Making pottery, and in particular making frost proof bonsai pots, is to do all your entire firing processes as slowly as you have patience for. This is especially true for glazed pots. Glazes, like clay bodies, need to mature.
Just one potters opinion. Best of luck.
 

mwar15

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Hi there. Just wondering if anyone single fires their bonsai pots? I have managed to glaze them without bisque firing and my plan is to fire them to 1260 degrees but I am struggling with a firing program. I am not sure how many hours my firing schedule should go for. Any help will be much appreciated!
I have a couple times. More as an experiment. It was a couple years ago
 

ForrestW

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Every once in a while when I would do a wood soda firing. In those the firing does much of the decorative work, but I prefer to bisque first so I can better navigate the glazing process. There are a lot of functional potters (very traditional styles and glazes) that single fire and there is nothing wrong with it-- but in my opinion it can have more obstacles/challenges.
 

Colorado

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I have single fired some unglazed pieces. I stopped doing that, because I found that I like to do some wet sanding work on the pot after it’s been bisque fired.

I also feel like you get a little less warping when you fire twice, but maybe that’s just in my head 🤣
 
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