Your work will have an expected 3-4 week turnaround, our kiln is always fired up and on so we work to consistently to exceed your expectations. Please note that longer wait times may be experienced for plates, taller pieces, or generally larger items.

It is always a good idea to phone ahead to discuss your firing needs as we need to determine if our service is the right choice for you.

Once we have determined the suitability of this service for your needs, we have a simple booking system in the studio. We communicate via email when you work is ready for collection.

We currently offer the following firing services:

BISQUE FIRING

For all types of clay this is the first firing. Please ensure that your pieces are bone dry before placing on our bisque shelves as we cannot be responsible for failures due to moisture content of clay.

When you come to collect your work we will weigh your work, and payment will be due. Please note, we have a minimum charge of $8 per firing, and Bisque work will be charged at $8 per kg

GLAZE FIRING | (CONE 6 only)

You’re ready for the second firing once you’ve collected and glazed your bisque work. You must ensure that the clay you choose matures at 1222°C for the second firing. We do not accept any clay bodies that fire under this temperature.

Your work will be weighed once it has been fired, and payment will be due at the time of collection. Please note, we have a minimum charge of $8 per firing and glazed work will be charged at $10 per kg finished weight.

For the safety of your work, the kiln, and the kiln furniture, please abide by these guidelines:

• All vessels must be clearly stamped with your makers mark.
• Unmarked vessels will not be fired.
• Wet greenware will not be accepted. All work must be bone dry when placed on the shelves.
• Work that contains any foreign material such as metal or wood will not be fired.
• Your work must be free from glaze (underglaze is OK), otherwise it will stick to the kiln shelf during the firing. (Please note, if your piece does stick to the kiln shelf due to glaze running, you will be responsible for the repair/replacement of the kiln shelf.)
• Kiln sitters or biscuits must be provided for any work that has a runny glaze on it or is made with an iron-rich clay such as BRT or FHB. Kiln setters or buscuits are clay discs made from high fire clay, used to protect the kiln shelf from glaze runs and contamination.
• Work with an overly thick application of glaze or layered glazes may be rejected.
• Solid or extremely thick pieces of work will be rejected as they can explode in the kiln, harming the kiln and potentially destroying othe people’s work
• Hollow enclosed work must have a hole to allow trapped air to release. The hole can be small, but must be visible.
• All work must be collected within two weeks of the firing completion date. Any work left at Firebird Studio for longer than six weeks will be repurposed or disposed of.

Please note, you are responsible for any damage your work causes to our kilns and/or kiln shelves. If a kiln shelf is damaged due to your work, you will be charged a $25 grinding fee. If a kiln shelf is ruined to the point where it cannot be used again, you will be charged for the cost of replacing that shelf $200.

If your work damages the interior of the kiln, you are required to pay a fine based on the severity of the damage.

PLEASE REMEMBER… this is a community studio and these are community kilns. There are many reasons that work fires with different results, wether it is the position in the kiln, the moisture content or thickness of your piece, the application of your glaze, proximity to the elements, proximity to other ingredients in other potter’s glazes, or the density which the kiln is packed at. All care will be taken to fire your work to achieve the best results. This being said, we cannot guarantee the results of your firing or the success of your pieces. If you require consistent and 100 percent success results then our community kilns are not for you. Please find another service.

You will be asked to sign a disclaimer to agree that your have been informed of the above information in order for us to fire your work.

To ensure the safety of your work, other people’s work, the kiln, and the kiln furniture, we ask that you please abide by the following guidelines:

• All work must be clearly stamped or named. Unmarked work will not be fired.
• There must be a clear 6 to 10mm between your glaze and the kiln shelf to ensure that if your glaze does not onto the kiln shelf during firing. Please note, if your piece does stick to the kiln shelf due to glaze running, you will be responsible for the repair/replacement of the kiln shelf.
• We do not do single firings.
• All work placed in the glaze kiln must be first bisque
• Extra large pieces may be charged at a Volume rate. IE; per Cubic centimeter instead of per kg.
• Work with an overly thick application of glaze or layered glazes may be rejected.
• We will not fire solid or extremely thick pieces of work as they can explode in the kiln.
• All work must be collected within 6 weeks of the firing completion date.
• Any work left at the studio longer than 6 weeks will be repurposed or donated.
• We glaze fire to Cone 6. All clay must be mid-fire clay and all glazes suitable to be fired to Cone 6 temps.
• There is a minimum charge of $8 for bisque and $10 for glaze per customer per firing
• All large quantity beads and earrings in the glaze kiln must be laid out in high fire clay biscuits and the weight of the biscuit will be charged for. For small quantity beads and earrings a minimum of $8 for bisque and $10 for glaze firing will be charged for handling .

Please note, you are responsible for any damage your work causes to our kilns and/or kiln shelves.

If a kiln shelf is damaged due to your work, you will be charged a $25 grinding fee. If a kiln shelf is not able to be repaired, you will be charged for the cost of replacing that shelf. If your work damages the interior of the kiln, you are required to pay a fine based on the severity of the damage.