During our Covid-19 stay-at-home time, here is an opportunity to make some pots at home. You would have a lot of freedom to explore your creative self. Your could rent a wheel or do hand-building, try some new clays and forming techniques, make some large- scale work, and fire your work at our studio, using our glazes. You can invite others in your household to make work as well. The details of this proposal are below.
First of all you would need to use only clays that would not turn to liquid at the high-fire temperature in our kiln. If the clay melts it will cause thousands of dollars in damage. Read more about the clay pricing and properties.
Option One: Hand-building is something we do not normally permit at Fireborn because of space limitations. However, at home you have can have more freedom with size and techniques. You could do slab work, pinch, coil, slump or sculpture, and you don’t need a wheel at all. This could be a great opportunity for you.
Option Two: Rent a wheel and throw at home. You can pick up a wheel, two bats, a stool, and Grolleg #257 clay at Fireborn. Or you could get an approved clay at the Clay Place if you want to try throwing with some other clay bodies. You could even try making some larger pots, or sectional pots as a challenge.
Approved Clays: These are the only clays we will allow you to fire in our kilns: Standard Ceramics #257 Grolleg Porcelain (which we use at the studio), Standard #108 Red Clay with grog, and Standard #182 White Stoneware with grog. You can purchase clay at The Clay Place in Carnegie, PA. They are a division of Standard Ceramics which is right next door. They are accepting email orders at orders@standardceramic.com
Firing Fees: The rate is two cents per cubic inch (height*width*length*$0.02). For example, for a round vase is 6 high and 3 inches in diameter the calculation would be 6*3*3* .02=$1.08. An oval bowl might be 4*7*5*.02=$2.80. All measurements are rounded up to the nearest inch. Anything under one inch (such as plates and tiles) will be charged at 3 cents per cubic inch. Firing fees for work made at home needs to be separate from work made during class. The offer to fire work made at home is only extend until we reopen for regular classes.
Acquiring Clay: Fireborn charges $36 for 25 pounds of #257 porcelain. That is the only clay we stock. For #108 and #182 visit The Clay Place website for their prices, hours etc. They are accepting pick-up orders by email during Covid-19 retail restrictions. You might want to buy a few extra bats, too. You can purchase clay at The Clay Place in Carnegie, PA. They are a division of Standard Ceramics which is right next door. They are accepting email orders at orders@standardceramic.com
Bisque and Glazing: Times will be scheduled for you to drop off, glaze and pick-up work.
Clay Properties:
- We use #257 Grolleg Porcelain at Fireborn. It is very white and throws well. It is a poor choice for hand building.
- Clay #108 Red with medium grog is excellent for large forms and sculpture. It will fire to a terra-cotta red at bisque temperature and be porous like a flower pot. At cone 11 reduction, it will be dark red, vitrified and non-porous.
- Clay #182 with fine grog is a nice off-white throwing or hand-building clay body.
