General
Read this tip to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Firing and other Ceramics topics.
General
To glaze our pots, we will usually be dipping them in liquid glaze. If we dip greenware in liquid, we run a good chance of it absorbing too much water and falling apart. This is why we bisque fire the work before glazing. The main purpose of the bisque firing is to harden the work in order to glaze it. Bisqued clay (or bisqueware) is porous, so it will absorb water to ensure a sufficient glaze coating. Bisque firing also burns off organic compounds in the clay (molds, bacteria, lignite, carbonates, and sulfates) that can cause problems if they burn off through the glaze. For stoneware firing the bisque is usually fired to about cone 06 (18400F).
| Guru Spotlight |
| Lynne Christen |
