We have four kilns that we use for our firing services:
One Test kiln -- full load only -- Cone 018-cone 10
Two Larger kilns -- full or partial loads -- cone 05 or cone 5 only unless paying for a full load
One Extra Large kiln -- full loads -- cone 05 only -- we prefer to use this kiln for bisque purposes only
We cannot fire above cone 5 at this time except in the test kilns and we do not fire glass or precious metal clay.
Due to the high electric costs in the State of California, we have been forced to slightly raise some of our prices.
Prices are effective December 1, 2007
PARTIAL KILN LOAD RATES:
| Cone 05 Super Slow Bisque | $22 per cu square foot (22 hour firing includes candling of the piece -- recommended for thicker tiles and sculptural pieces with thicker walls) |
| Cone 05 Slow Bisque | $15 per cu square foot (14 hour bisque) |
| Cone 05 Fast Glaze | $12 per cu square foot (7 hour glaze firing) |
| Cone 5 Fast Glaze | $18 per cu square foot |
FULL KILN RATES:
| Firing prices for Smedley -- 8"x8"x9" -- test fire | |
| full kiln price cone 018-05 glaze test | $12 |
| full kiln price cone 04-5 glaze test |
$18 |
| Firing prices for Harriet -- Smaller Kiln 3.3 cu square feet | |
| full kiln price cone 05 super slow bisque | $75 |
| full kiln price cone 05 slow bisque | $50 |
| full kiln price cone 05 fast glaze | $40 |
| full kiln price cone 5 fast glaze |
$60 |
| Huckleberry -- Larger Kiln (23" opening, 27" tall) 7 cu square feet | |
| full price cone 05 super slow bisque | $155 |
| full kiln price cone 05 slow bisque | $105 |
| full kiln price cone 05 fast glaze | $85 |
| full kiln price cone 5 fast glaze |
$125 |
| Doc v. 2 -- Extra Large Kiln (28" opening, 27" tall) 9.9 cu square feet | |
| full kiln price cone 05 super slow bisque | $220 |
| full kiln price cone 05 slow bisque | $150 |
| full kiln price cone 05 fast glaze |
$120 |
| Due to our experience in firing and producing tiles, we do not use tile setters or stackers due to breakage and cracking.
The prices following are our tile rates for glaze firing. |
|
| Tile prices for Cone 05 glaze firing: | |
| 4" x 4" tiles | $1.35 each |
| 6" x 6" tiles | $1.75 each |
| 8" x 8" tiles | $2.65 each |
| 12" x 12" tiles |
$5.30 each |
| Tile prices for Cone 5 glaze firing: | |
| 4" x 4" tiles | $1.95 each |
| 6" x 6" tiles | $2.60 each |
| 8" x 8" tiles | $3.90 each |
| 12" x 12" tiles |
$7.80 each |
How to calculate the Cubic square footage:
Multiply the length, depth and height of your pieces.
In a Bisque Firing, we can stack pieces together so we can fit more into a kiln.
In a glaze firing, the pieces can't touch so we can fit a smaller amount into a kiln.
We have to have room on each kiln shelf for posts (around 1" each -- up to 3 or 4 kiln posts)
Stilts and supplies: We have a bead rack, decorating spurs and a variety of different sized stilts.
We reserve the right to charge extra for any pieces requiring extra work stilting or special loading situations.
Payments must be made in cash or by check.
Payments must be made in cash or by check.
Liability Waiver and Financial Information
The basics: We are not liable for any cracking, exploding or glazing issues (pitting, crawling, crazing, running, wrong colors, thickness of color, etc.).
Our responsibility is to provide the utmost care in loading and unloading your piece. We are professional ceramic artists and will fire your piece at the correct speed at the correct temperature. We will maintain our kilns, shelves and equipment to the highest possible standards to ensure a successful firing process. We will also attempt to fire all pieces in a timely manner.
1. To ensure proper firing of your piece, please ensure the following:
- Without a doubt, know what cone your clay and glaze can fire too. For instance if you fire a cone 05 glaze in a cone 5 kiln, your glaze will run all over
the place, not only ruining your piece but also ruining our kiln shelves which can cost you up to $55 to replace. It can also run into the elements, which can cost up to $44 to
replace. This is the most costly and detrimental error you can make and you are completely liable for any damage to our kilns.
- Make sure the pieces are not so fragile that they will be difficult to load - small parts tend to break off easily.
- Make sure to properly slip and score pieces that are being attached together to minimize breaking and cracking.
- Pieces thicker than an inch should be hollow on the inside. Use a pin tool to put holes through closed in spaces. Heat inside a closed piece can hold in pressure
that can eventually explode as the temperature rises creating basically a little clay bomb. This clay bomb may ruin not only your own piece but also your neighbor's piece. We are not liable for your clay bombs and what they do to other client’s artwork.
- Thick pieces should be dried for a longer period of time and may take longer to fire as we will wait until the piece is completely dry before loading it into the kiln.
- We will not fire any piece that isn't completely bone dry to minimize potential for breakage and explosion.
- Wedge your clay properly to release air bubbles in the clay. Air bubbles can also create pressure that can cause blowouts.
Our suggestion for glazing is to flow at least three coats of glaze drying thoroughly in between each coat. We use a hair dryer to speed up the drying process. Glaze should be evenly coated.
Testing of glaze colors is always encouraged on special pieces. We are more than happy to fire test samples for you. Please see the price sheet for Smedley and Doc, our two test kilns.
When glazing your piece, you must notify us of any glaze requiring special stilting or if a catching plate is required due to extra runny glazes. For example, some Laguna glazes, namely the Moonscape series at cone 06 WILL run a lot. You are completely liable for any damage to kiln shelves, posts, elements, bricks, stilts, tiles setters due to overly runny glazes and you will be required to replace any damaged equipment due to an overly runny glaze.
If you glaze the bottom of your piece, we will stilt it with metal tipped stilts. The glaze will stick to the stilts and you will be required to cut the stilts off with a cutting disc and will need to sand out the stilt marks. If this occurs, you will be liable for the cost of the stilt.
3. All pieces must have a name, label, initial or particular identifying mark on your work that will survive the firing process. Any pieces that are not labeled will not be fired.
4. Firing prices are non-refundable. Fees must be paid prior to service.
5. Any pieces held more than three weeks after firing completion will be thrown out unless prior arrangements and begging are previously made.