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Arbuckle: Re-firing

Re-firing ceramic works

Moststudioceramicworksarecreatedfromplasticclayorcast,dried,bisquefiredtoatemperaturebelowbody
maturity(usuallyaroundcone0605)sothattheworksremainporousandwillacceptglaze,andarethenglazed,
andglazefiredtothebodyandglazematuritytemperature.

Therearetimeswhenanadditionfiringorfiringsarecalledfor.
Repairofglazingfaults.Theremaybethinapplicationareas,craters,orpinholesthatmaybehelpedby
theapplicationofadditionalglazeandrefiring.
Improvementofglazesurface.Kilnsthatwereunderfired,hadcoldspots,orwerecooledtooquicklymay
produceglazesurfacesthatarenotthebesttheycanbe.Crystallinemattsurfaces,forinstance,develop
duringcooling.Ifasaturatedironglaze(oftencalledatomatored)iscooledtooquickly,itwillproducea
brownercolor.Slowercoolingallowsironcrystalstoformonthesurfaceofappropriateglazes,andwill
yieldrustyorangecolors.Lithiumandtitaniumpromotecrystalgrowthandwillproducemattswith
slowercooling.
Applicationoflowerfiringlayersofsurface,suchasluster,Chinapaint,overglazedecals,orlaserdecals.
Luster,Chinapaintandoverglazedecalswillbefiredinthecone018to016range.Laserdecalswillbe
firedtovarioustemperatures,dependingonthefusingtemperatureofthebaseglaze.Seethelaserdecal
handoutformoreinfo.Artistssometimesaddadditionallayersofglaze,slip,orcolorantsandrefireat
varioustemperatures.Usualpracticeistofirethehottestfiringmaterialsfirst,thendolowerfirings
subsequentlysothereislessstressonthebody.

Sculpturebodiesmayremainporousandallowforeasyapplicationofwaterbasedmaterialsforrefiring.Pottery
bodiesareoftenvitrifiedoratleastfairlydenseatmaturity,andtheresultinglowabsorbencymaycreatedifficulty
inapplyingadditionallayersofwaterbasedmaterialsafterthefirstglazefiring.

Strategiesusedtoreglazeworkswithlowabsorbencyincludeheatingtheworkbeforeapplyingmoresurface(so
itwilldryquickly),flocculatingtheglazeorslipanddipping,oraddingabinder(somepeopleaddasugarsyrupor
anorganicgum).Sprayingordippingmaybebetterwaystobuildupalayerofmaterialonalowabsorbency
surface,asbrushingmultiplelayersoftenmovesthelayerbelow.

Whilethereareconcernsduringbisquefiringwithwaterturningtosteamat212degreesFandthepotentialfor
suddencreationofsteamblowingupthework,heatingfrom212to1000isnotcomplex.At1000,silicaundergoes
quartzinversion,andbecomesabitlarger.Goingthroughthispointgracefullyishelpful,especiallywithlarge
worksthatmaynotbeheatingevenly.Afterthat,therearenomajordangerpointsinthefiring.

Whenfreesilica(i.e.silicanotchemicallycombinedwithsomethingelse)isfiredoveraboutcone03,itbeginsto
formcristobalite.Majorformationofcristobalitestartsabout2000degreesF,andcontinuesoverlongtimetovery
hightemperatures.Thecristobaliteformofsilicainvertsbecomes3%smallerat438degreesF.Noticeonthe
graphhowsuddenthischangeis.Thefartheryoufireaboveabout2000degreesF,andthelongeryoufire,the
morecristobalitewillbeformed.Somecristobaliteisagoodthing,asitwillputaglazeundercompressionduring
coolingandcounterthetendencytocrazing,especiallyforearthenwarepottery.Toomuchcristobalitemaycause
aglazetoshiver.Unevenlygoingthroughthischangeincoolingorinreheatingmaycauseduntingcracks
throughtheglazeandbody.

Thiscrucialpointisverycloseto451degreesF,thetemperatureatwhichpaperburns.Commonpracticein
checkingakilntoseeifitscoolenoughtoopenisinsertingpaperintoapeephole.Ifitsmokes,chars,orbursts
intoflame,youreabove451degreesF,andhavenotyetgonethroughcristobaliteinversion.Thiswillbemore
criticalforhighfirekilnsthanearthenwarebecausethereislikelytobemorecristobaliteformedduringfiring.

Refiring.docx

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Arbuckle: Re-firing

Whenreheatingglazefiredwork
foranadditionalfiring,its
importanttoheatevenlythrough
thecristobaliteinversion,aswellas
quartzinversionaround1000
degreesF(redheat).Largeworks,
wheretheedgesmaybecloserto
theheatsourcethantherestofthe
work,orthickworksthatmayheat
moreslowlyinsomeplacesmay
crackduringreheating.

Highfiredworkswithmore
cristobalitewillbemoresensitive
thanlowfireworks,althoughall
maybesubjecttocrackingifheated
tooaggressively.

Strategies
Thereareseveralthingsyoucantrytopreventcrackingduringrefiringbypromotingmoreevenheating:
Usealargerkilnandfiretheworkclosertothecentersothattheworkedgesarenotclosetothe
elements,andtheedgesdontheatfasterthanthecenter.
Elevatetheworksothatthebottomheatsbetter.Whenyouhaveaworkwithalotofcontactwiththe
kilnshelf,theshelfandtheworkhavetoheatup,whileedgeswillheatfaster.Proppingtheworkupon
stilts,bricks,orkilnpoststoallowmoreheatcirculationunderneathmayhelp.
Heatslowlyformoreevenheatingthrough438degreesFand1000degreesF.
Artistsmakingverylargeworksthatareclosetothesizeofthekilnshelfhavetriedputtingtheworkin
thecenterofthekiln,andusingonlytheelementsaboveandbelowtheworktopreventheatingthe
edgesfasterthantherest.

Resources

Hamer,FrankandJanet,ThePottersDictionaryofMaterialsandTechniques,4thed.,1997.Thisbookhasvery
completecoverageofcristobaliteandsilicaissues.

Refiring.docx

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