Make your own clay pots in an electric kiln.
Making your own pottery items serves as an enjoyable and creative hobby. You can make pots, vases, bowls and other items for your own use or to give as gifts. Knowing fire your clay pots and other items in a kiln isn't necessarily a difficult task, but it does require attention to safety and patience so you can create quality pieces.
Instructions
1. Open the kiln by pulling down on the door. You will see one or more shelves. If you're making only one pot, remove all but the center shelf.
2. Dip a paintbrush into a bowl of prepared kiln wash, which is used to protect kiln shelving from hardened clay and other spillage. Slather the paintbrush along the top surface of the shelf.
3. Place a medium-sized pyro cone beneath the shelf. These cones provide your pots and other clay items with flame while in the electric kiln. This is what attributes to the fire-glazed look of pottery items.
4. Turn the switch on the kiln to a bisque setting. This is a standard setting for fired clay pots and other simple items.
5. Place your formed clay bowl on the center of the shelf. Make sure your clay bowl has already been formed and has sat out to dry for at least 48 to 72 hours before being placed in the kiln. This assures that it doesn't warp. The timer on your electric kiln will go off when the bisque setting is complete, otherwise, let a medium-sized clay pot fire for about 30 minutes.
6. Remove the clay pot from the kiln after it has cooled, which takes up to 8 hours. Spray it with pottery glaze, liberally. Let it dry for an additional 8 hours.
