December 26, 2008, Newsletter Issue #325: Stacking for bisque

Tip of the Week

Items may be stacked on and inside one another for bisque firings. They wonīt stick together. However, you can cause problems by doing this.
* The carbons may not burn out completely from an area that is covered by another piece, and this may cause defects during the glaze firing.
* Some items may break if they are not allowed to expand and contract freely. So if stacking two bowls for example, make sure there is plenty of room between them. Remember that items will shrink during firing.
* Stacking may cause more uneven temperatures throughout the kiln.
* Some people think the tighter they stuff the bisque load, the better. And you may have success with this method. But other people find that they do better when pieces are given space. My advice is that you can pack a bisque load tighter than a glaze load, but donīt overdo it.

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