The high temperatures achieved by kilns bake clay pieces into ceramics. Part of that process is ensuring the clay pieces absorb enough of the heat from the kiln in order to transform them. The amount of time it takes for the pieces to absorb this heat energy is measured by...
In most processes, such as plastics manufacturing, material is produced and then formed into the final product. Making ceramics is a process wherein the form takes place before the final material has been created. A potter takes the clay, molds it into the desired shape and dries it. Once dried,...
Pottery kilns are more or less ovens for heating clay and ceramic pottery. They function much the same as the oven in a home kitchen. Just as if a person is baking a cake, the ingredients are heated to form a new substance. Instead of cake, the pottery kiln produces...
No matter the style of ceramic being fired, potters know that a piece must first survive being fired in a kiln to be decorated. Damage can occur in any kiln. Clay loses its water and shrinks up to 2% during the heating and cooling processes. Kiln operators have long known...
Kilns create an amazing transformation with clay, and they turn a dark and heavy substance into an entirely new material. The composition of the original piece, along with the temperature and time it spends in the kiln, turns clay pieces into pottery, porcelain or china. This is not a random...