Firing At Clayworks

Clayworks does not rent full kilns to individuals not affiliated with Clayworks

***NEW POLICY AS OF JULY 1, 2024***

As part of our ongoing commitment to promoting ceramic arts, advancing artists and students, and enriching the comunities it serves, Clayworks must continually evaluate how to best use its resources to promote its mission. As part of this effort, Clayworks is announcing that it will no longer be extending full kiln rental services to students after July 1, 2024.

As many of you are aware, Clayworks has experienced a significant surge in the demand for both ceramic classes and community engagement dedicated to reaching under-served communities in and around Charlotte. As a result, our kilns are operating at full capacity to meet the firing needs of our classes, our community engagement programs, and our studio artists. Clayworks is fundamentally a teaching facility and, given the significant levels of production in these three core programs, providing kiln rentals to individual students is no longer sustainable for the studio.

We thank you for your understanding as Clayworks strives to foster a vibrant creative hub, and as we schedule even more classes to accommodate the influx of interest in the ceramic arts in Charlotte. If you would like to rent a kiln before July 1st, please speak with Erica.

Non-students

As of June 19, we no longer offer firing services to non-students.

Important Reminders

  • Clayworks does not rent full kilns.

  • We are a teaching studio and do not accommodate firing of production work.

  • Kilns will be fired at FULL CAPACITY ONLY - the time it takes for a piece to go through the system is contingent on the volume of work in the system.

  • Clayworks is not responsible for broken, cracked, or failed pieces.

  • You will be responsible for grinding and repairing any kiln shelves in the event of glaze dripping onto the shelf. The studio manager or your instructor will demonstrate how to accomplish this. 

  • All pieces to be fired are a minimum of $1.00.

  • Firing invoices should be paid within 24 hours of submitting you work. Failure to pay invoices will suspend your firing privileges.

  • We do not support more than two firings per piece, (one bisque at cone 06 and one glaze at cone 5). Be thoughtful during your building process and glaze application to ensure a successful item. 

  • Fees are calculated by cubic inch. Students can drop off their work to the intake area. Use the paper provided to leave your full name, phone number AND email address. An invoice will be sent to your email address from Square and payment is due upon receipt. We will only fire work after the invoice has been paid. Bottoms must be free of glaze or they will not be fired. 

    Price Per Piece

    • Bisque Cone 06 & Glaze Cone 5

      • $.06/cubic inch (length x width x height x $.06) $1 minimum charge per piece

Firing FAQs

  • All work going into the kiln.

  • Yes. Many open studios charge for firing.

  • The fee is calculated just once and will cover all costs of firing, bisque and glaze, including materials. 

  • The amount to be charged is based on the size of the greenware before it goes into the kiln. The size is determined by a quick measure of the three dimensions, then multiplying these to get the volume. This is the cubic inches of the work. The fee is $.06 cents per cubic inch.

  • A studio monitor will assist you in charging for the work made. We will then send you an invoice to be paid immediately. We cannot fire any work until it has been paid. 

  • Not at all. There is a new measuring box located in the kitchen that will make it simple and fast. 

  • It has always has been expensive. The studio has been absorbing a lot of those costs. Keep in mind that Clayworks is designed for the hobby and art potter, not the production potter. 

  • Clayworks will send you an invoice for work to be fired within 2-3 business days upon receiving your artwork. 

  • No. Firing fees are due when we send your invoice. We cannot render a service without it being paid for. 

  • No and Yes. If your piece breaks due the fault of another’s work, or an accident, then we will give you a firing fee credit. No firing credits for pieces that crack or blow up due to thickness or moisture.

  • No, we already fired it. The time to decide that is before firing it the first time. 

  • We round up the Height (H) to the next nearest whole inch, and round down the Width (W) and Depth (D).

  • A: Sure. A tea cup measuring 3.5” tall, by 4.5” long (include the handle) by 3.25” wide. 

    Following the rule to round up the height and round down the rest we come up with 4x4x3 inches. Multiply and we get 4X4X3 = 48 cubic inches. 

    At $.06 cents per cubic inch that gives us 48 X .06 = $2.88. 

    This $2.88 pays for both the bisque firing and glaze firing (and glazes).