Firing
There are two kinds of firing that happen in the kiln. There is the lower temperature bisque fire which changes dried clay pieces into ceramic. Before the bisque fire a piece will make a dull "thunk" noise when tapped. Clay at this stage can be put into water and reused. A ceramic piece after the bisque fire will sound like glass when tapped and can no longer be reused.
The second firing is the glaze fire. This happens at a much higher temperature and turns the glaze, a chalky material that has been applied to the pieces, into a permanent, glassy surface. After this firing a piece is finished and can be used.
Before glaze fire: | After glaze fire: |
Glazing
Glazing is a multi-step process. First a greenware piece must go through the bisque fire to become bisqueware. Once it is bisqueware a piece can be glazed. This involves either covering a piece entirely in overglaze or in painting designs which can then be covered in a transparent glaze. The piece must then go through the glaze fire as described above.
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