{"id":15776,"date":"2026-06-25T19:30:59","date_gmt":"2026-06-25T19:30:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cursist-courses.com\/is-my-pot-ready-to-go-into-the-kiln\/"},"modified":"2026-06-26T12:16:45","modified_gmt":"2026-06-26T12:16:45","slug":"is-my-pot-ready-to-go-into-the-kiln","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cursist-courses.com\/en\/is-my-pot-ready-to-go-into-the-kiln\/","title":{"rendered":"Is my pot ready to go into the kiln?"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Why does pottery need to be dry before it goes into the kiln?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Clay containing too much moisture can crack or even explode in the kiln. The heat causes the moisture in the clay to boil and expand, putting pressure on the pot’s structural integrity. The drier the clay, the less moisture it contains, and the smaller the risk of cracking. <\/span><\/b><\/p>

Workable clay has a moisture content of about 20%. This water starts to evaporate as soon as the clay is in contact with the air, which means the clay is drying. As a potter, it can be difficult to tell whether your pot is ‘completely dry’. The layers of clay under the surface could still be damp even if the outer layer feels dry. Your pot is only completely dry once the water has evaporated from these deeper layers too. <\/span><\/p>

Candling<\/strong>The term ‘completely dry’ can be confusing. In reality, even ‘completely dry’ pots contain water molecules. As clay dries, it takes on the same moisture level as the air in the room. If you want to remove the last traces of moisture, you can dry your pot out in the kiln at a low temperature before firing it. This process is called ‘candling<\/strong>‘. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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But how can you tell if the clay is completely dry?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The first rule is that you can\u2019t trust your eyes. A piece may look dry, but that doesn\u2019t mean it actually is. Fortunately, there are a few ways to check how much moisture is still in the clay. <\/p>

Temperature checkOne way is to do a temperature check, which is the fastest way to determine whether the clay is completely dry. Hold the pot against your wrist or face and feel the temperature of the clay. Does it feel cold or cool at all? If so, then the clay has not dried out yet. If the clay feels about the same temperature as the room, it\u2019s probably dry enough to go into the kiln. <\/span>Not sure? Wait an extra day or two. Better safe than sorry! <\/p>

Test tiles<\/strong>Make a couple of test tiles from the same clay as your pot, with a similar thickness and size. If you think your pot is dry, break one of the test tiles and check the inner layers of clay. Do they look dry? Do they feel dry? Test tiles are a great way to determine how much moisture is left in the clay. <\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The drying process of clay<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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There is no set rule for how long it takes clay to dry. Experienced potters have learned that there is quite a bit of variation in the amount of time it takes clay to dry. This depends on the thickness and size of the pot, as well as the humidity and room temperature. <\/span><\/p>

As a rough guide, expect about a week of drying time per half centimetre of clay.<\/strong> Avoid unnecessary risks and check how dry the clay is using a temperature check or some test tiles. In the world of pottery, \u201cpractice makes perfect\u201d. The more experience you have, the better you will be at judging how dry your clay is. <\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Where can you find a kiln?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Just because you\u2019re starting to learn pottery doesn\u2019t mean you need to buy a kiln straight away. It’s not necessary. Most potters use a studio to fire their pieces<\/strong>. Once your work is ready for the kiln, it’s useful to know that there are two types: front-loading <\/strong>and top-loading<\/strong>. The type of kiln used does not affect the firing schedule. <\/p>

This website has a useful list of places where you can take your pottery to be fired<\/a>. If you want to know how to transport your pots safely to the kiln, read this article.<\/a> <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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From clay to pottery<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The transformation from clay to pottery happens in different stages. You can read about this process in this free overview of the different stages of clay<\/a>. But here’s a quick summary: <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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1. Clay powder<\/strong>Completely dry clay looks like powder. To be able to do anything with it, you need to add water. <\/p>

2. Clay slip<\/strong>If you add a lot of water to clay powder, you get clay slip. This can be used to glue the different components of your project together or to apply certain decorative techniques. <\/p>

3. Plastic clay<\/strong>Plastic clay is the easiest type of clay to work with. At this stage, the clay feels cold and wet, and is ready to be sculpted, kneaded or thrown. <\/p>

4. Leather-hard clay<\/strong>Clay that has been left to dry for a while is called leather-hard. If you bend the clay at this stage, it will tear but not break. This is the perfect time to carve<\/a>, smooth out and add finishing touches. <\/p>

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5. Dry clay<\/strong>Once completely dry, the clay has the same temperature and moisture content as its environment. At this stage, the clay is very fragile. <\/p>

6. Bisque-fired clay<\/strong>A completely dry pot can be fired. This first trip to the kiln is called bisque firing<\/a>, and the clay is fired at around 950\u00b0C. When it comes out of the kiln, your pot will be a lighter colour and will have shrunk slightly. The main result of bisque firing is that the clay hardens permanently. In principle, you can call it ceramic. <\/p>

However, it is not yet waterproof. To achieve this, you need to glaze it and fire it a second time. A bisque-fired pot is perfect for glazing because the clay easily absorbs the glaze at this stage. <\/p>

7. Glaze firing<\/strong>The second firing, or glaze firing, usually happens once you have applied the glaze. This is often done at a temperature of about 1200 to 1300\u00b0C. After this firing, the glazed clay will have a glass-like appearance. Your work is now watertight and, when tapped, will produce a high-pitched sound. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Want to know how much your pot will shrink in the kiln in advance?
<\/strong><\/em>Then download the Cursist shrinkage ruler!<\/i><\/a><\/h4>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Firing clay in the kiln<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The firing process takes between eight and ten hours. This is followed by a cooling period. The firing process happens very gradually. The temperature increases very slowly. The clay changes bit by bit. <\/p>

First, the remaining moisture in the clay evaporates and the organic particles in the clay start to oxidise. When the temperature reaches 573\u00b0C, quartz inversion<\/strong> occurs. The quartz crystals in the clay rearrange themselves, causing the clay to expand by around 1% in volume. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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If this process occurs too quickly, the clay will crack. This is why it is important to raise the temperature slowly!<\/strong> At around 750\u00b0C, the graphite and other carbon particles in the clay begin to burn. Once again, this process must happen slowly. If it happens too quickly, the carbon will end up trapped inside the pot. This results in the clay blackening and blistering. <\/span><\/p>

Between 850 and 900\u00b0C, the clay begins to sinter<\/strong>, whereby the silica particles melt and form a glass-like layer<\/strong>. This makes the clay even more solid and waterproof. Another consequence is that your pot will shrink significantly. The sintering particles stick more closely together, filling the empty spaces created when organic particles burn up. <\/span><\/p>

After both rounds of firing, your pot needs to cool off. In other words, your pot is no longer clay. It has officially become ceramic<\/strong> in the kiln. <\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Different types of clay, different firing temperatures<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Clay is divided into three major categories<\/a>, each of which requires a different firing temperature: <\/span><\/p>