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!
Does anybody single fire their bonsai pots?
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Natty Bumppo
Yamadori
Why no interest in whether any married b-nutters fire their bonsai pots?
penumbra
Imperial Masterpiece
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
Omono
I have a couple times. More as an experiment. It was a couple years ago
ForrestW
Mame
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
Masterpiece
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
I also feel like you get a little less warping when you fire twice, but maybe that’s just in my head
Cajunrider
Imperial Masterpiece
To be on the safe side, I prefer double tap over single fire.
MMJNICE
Shohin
I do.. just one fire because I don't glaze most times.. and I have never had a pot break from cold that is.. I mean I break my pots all the time by other means on Accident hehehehe..
penumbra
Imperial Masterpiece
Most of my pots are not glazed but I do use oxides for stains. These have to be applied and wiped in layers necessitating a bisque piece to work with.
MMJNICE
Shohin
Yeah I guess a stain would require a bisque fire.. but Odd enough I final fire everything and sometimes add glaze to final fired pots then re-fire them to get the gaze I want. The glaze doesn't adhere properly but it makes for some interesting effects.. at least I think it does.
RonS
Seedling
I've single fired a few times but I prefer separate bisque and glaze firing. I've never single fired a bonsai pot.
When bisque firing you need to raise the heat up slowly and let the kiln cool down naturally on it's own.
When glaze firing you need to control how slow it cools. With some glazes I use a hold on the top temperature then I control my cool down to 125°F per hour
With single firing you need to control both how slow the kiln heats, include any holds that are may be needed and then how slow it cools.
Start off by combining your bisque and glaze firing schedules, then test, experiment and test again until you get the results you want.
When bisque firing you need to raise the heat up slowly and let the kiln cool down naturally on it's own.
When glaze firing you need to control how slow it cools. With some glazes I use a hold on the top temperature then I control my cool down to 125°F per hour
With single firing you need to control both how slow the kiln heats, include any holds that are may be needed and then how slow it cools.
Start off by combining your bisque and glaze firing schedules, then test, experiment and test again until you get the results you want.
michaelj
Chumono
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