- Kiln bookings must be made in advance – if you do not make an advance booking you may be unable to gain access to the kiln facilities.
- You must be a DCW member to book the kiln.
- Bookings are made on a first come, first served basis – kilns are not guaranteed as available on any particular date.
- Only technicians are authorised to use the kiln.
- Firings are carried out overnight wherever possible.
- DCW is not responsible for a piece cracking, breaking, blistering, exploding or other unsatisfactory results that might occur before, during or after a firing (note that work for bisque firing is safest to transport when it is leather hard).
- When sizing work, you must take into account that space should be left around the item to allow air to circulate in the kiln, and allow for the thickness of kiln shelves and furniture/props that might be needed.
- As kiln charges may vary, please confirm pricing at time of booking.:
- Any damage to the kiln shelf will incur a £10 charge, if the shelf is irreparable a £65 charge.
Booking a firing
Your firing will be booked with a DCW technician. When booking you may be asked:
- Are you a current DCW member?
- Preferred date of firing/any deadlines?
- Size of work to be fired?
- What firing temperature is required?
- Is your work dry or is drying required prior to firing?
- Is it possible for your work to be fired alongside the work of other members?
- If you’re using an unusual clay/glaze, can you confirm where this came from?
When booking you will also need to provide a completed firing form.
Our Kiln
DCW currently has one electric kiln – our standard glaze firing is 1240°c. Our maximum firing temperature is 1260°c. Should you require a firing at a temperature other than our standard firing temperature, we ask that you discuss this in advance with technicians – there may be a longer wait or the need to book the full klin. The following costs are per firing, regardless of the quantity of work fired. The cost may fluctuate to account for electricity prices.
Dimensions:
610mm deep
450mm wide
705mm tall
Prices
The following firing fees for private kiln hire are valid as of 20 June 2022:
Bisque or earthenware glaze (1000-1060°c): £50
Stoneware (1220-1260°c): £70.00
Small kiln (
Bisque Firing (1000-1060 degrees) – £42
Glaze firing (1200-1240 degrees) – £63
Please note that if: firing takes longer than expected; a large number of small pieces need to be loaded and unloaded into the kiln; or the technician needs assistance loading the kiln, extra charges may apply.
Firing schedule
We aim to do one bisque and one glaze firing each week. Due to demand, it can take between 2-4 weeks for work to be fired, particularly at busier times of year. Large quantities of work, or work that is larger in size or shape, may take longer than our standard two weeks to fire. We ask that you keep this in mind when working to deadlines – we’ll do our best to accommodate should you need work by a certain date.
Dundee Ceramics Workshop 