Let’s face it. Stoneware single firing schedules aren’t exactly difficult to come by, but for a good portion of the home potter who doesn’t know her clay, they can be a little intimidating. From a business perspective, they can be a scary proposition as well. As with all businesses, the key to a successful venture is finding the right balance between being too restrictive and being too easy.
You see, not everyone wants to be pushed into a corner and told to make something the old-fashioned way. There is a balance to be found between the freedom that a single firing schedule gives you and the time and attention that you have to devote to it.
If you are just getting started, you might wonder if a single firing schedule is right for you. If you are an experienced potter, you might wonder if a single firing schedule is right for your individual schedule. And if you are a parent, you might wonder if a single firing schedule is right for your family’s schedule.
To help you get a better idea of what a single firing schedule is, here are a few quick tips on how to get started.
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Make sure you have the right tools
One of the biggest challenges that new pottery artists experience is getting the hang of it. They are usually used to working with more flexible clay materials, like porcelain or earthenware, and they find it very difficult to adapt to a more rigid schedule. This may have something to do with the fact that many new starters don’t have the right tools for the job, or it could be that experienced potters find the right tools intimidating.
The good news is that most of the tools necessary for a single firing schedule are already included in your pottery wheel. So, as long as you have the clay and the fire, you are all set.
If you are a seasoned artist who works with a variety of clays, you might wish to read on. There are a few specialty tools that you may wish to invest in, but for the most part, you will be fine using the equipment that is available to you as a new potter.
Consider the effect of your firing schedule on your work
When it comes to determining the effect your firing schedule has on your work, you have a few options. One is to look at the finished product and see if it makes sense. If it doesn’t, try looking at the design and seeing if it fits the schedule. If it doesn’t, try moving the pieces a little closer to the fire until you get a better fit.
The other option is to look at the raw material and see if there is any indication of the effect that the schedule has on it. If there is, you can make aeducated guess as to what the schedule might do to your work.
One last thing to keep in mind is that there is no such thing as a perfect schedule. If you make a mistake, the punishment might just be to spend more time on the mistake, not to mention the cost of abandoning your schedule. As with most businesses, the right balance is the key to success.
Don’t hesitate to adjust your schedule
If your schedule does not allow for a single firing schedule, or you are having trouble making time for a single firing schedule, there are a few things that you might want to consider.
The first is that you might want to consider making a separate schedule for your single firing schedule. For example, you might have a lunch time schedule that allows you to work on weekends and weekdays during the week, but not at the same time that you would like to use for your single firing schedule.
The other option is to find a way to make your schedule flexible. If for some reason you need to work on a daily basis during the week, you could always make sure that you work on weekends. Or, you could make adjustments so that you work on a day that works best with your schedule.
Make sure you know what you’re looking for
When it comes to deciding what to make for your single firing schedule, there are a few things to keep in mind.
For one thing, you want your ceramics to be as close to natural as possible. While you don’t want to go so far as to use an actual pottery wheel, you also don’t want to stray too far from the traditional forms and designs.
For another thing, you want your clay to be hard. Stoneware clay should be hard enough to take a good edge from the fire, but still have some give to it so that your glaze does not adhere too tightly to the glaze mold.
And last but not least, you want your work to reflect the time, effort and care that you have put into your single firing schedule.
Bottom line
As with all businesses, the key to a successful venture is finding the right balance between being too restrictive and being too easy.
A single firing schedule is a schedule that allows you to make a single pot and to fire it only once. It offers stability while letting you collaborate on the design and uses of your single piece.
For these reasons, a single firing schedule is a great way to get started in the world of pottery. It is also an excellent way to find out if your single firing schedule is working for you and your business.
For more information on starting a single firing schedule, or to get started making pots, visit the Single Firing Schedule page.
