We have the equipment and specialist technical knowledge to fire your work for you, all you need to do is arrange a date, deliver the work and then pick it up when ready. Call us on 0141 550 8030 to book a firing.

How booking a firing works:

A firing is booked with one of our professional member artists who are qualified to fire the kiln for you. That person will book a kiln on your behalf and you should make an appointment with them personally to receive your work when you are ready to bring it in, preferably a day or two before your kiln booking.

Please note that we are an artist's cooperative and are located within a secure building. This means that everyone has their own separate schedule, so you must make an appointment with one particular artist to be there to meet you when you arrive. We do not have a secretary or a technician. If you arrive without an appointment, you may find that you are unable to gain access to the studio.

It is often safer to transport work when it is leather hard. Please mention it when making your kiln booking if you would like your work dried in our drying cupboard prior to firing.   

Firings are usually booked at least one week in advance. At some busy times of the year, it is better to book even further in advance. These times include the lead up to Open Day (September), the lead up to Christmas (late October and November each year) and the lead up to the Edinburgh Festival (July). 

Electric Kiln Firings

Unless you have produced very large sculptural work or porcelain pieces which need to be fired over 1260ºC, an electric kiln firing will be the cheapest and easiest option for you. The maximum firing temperature for our electric kilns is 1260°C. Cost is per firing, regardless of kiln size or number of pieces to be fired. The cost may fluctuate as it is based on electricity prices.

The largest electric kiln we own has a chamber size of 63cm deep, 46cm wide and 71 cm tall at arch center. Also please note when sizing work that you must leave some room around the edges of work (ie it cannot touch the elements), and when firing several pieces, also allow for the thickness of kiln shelves and space taken up by kiln props.

Firing prices

The following prices are valid as at 1st February 2012:

Bisque or earthenware glaze (up to 1060°C) £14.00

Earthenware and mid-range (up to 1200°C) £22.00

Stoneware (up to 1260°C) £36.00

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Terms and conditions

• Kiln bookings must be made in advance.
  
  
• Kiln bookings are made on a first-come first-served basis and kilns are therefore not guaranteed available on any particular date.
  
  
• Work needs to be dropped off at and picked up from the studio. (To ensure your work arrives at our studio unbroken, we recommend that you transport raw clay while it is leather hard rather than bone dry. We can offer the use of our drying cupboard where your work can be dried prior to firing).
  
  
• A small technician's charge (around £10) may need to be negotiated with one of our artists to cover their time packing, unpacking and firing the kiln.
  
  
• Firings can not be carried out overnight.
  
  
• For health and safety reasons studio equipment may only be operated by qualified studio members.
  
  
• The electricity used in all firings is metered. Prices displayed above are based on the average expected electricity usage. If the firing is much longer than usually expected (if the work is not dry or is unusually thick-walled) extra charges may apply.
  
  
• As there are a myriad of factors which can affect the final outcome of the work after firing (including construction technique, drying times and stresses during transport) the Glasgow Ceramics Studio can not be held responsible for any unsatisfactory results.
  
  
• Although every effort is made for accuracy on this site, kiln charges may vary at studio discretion. If in doubt, please ask for confirmation of the price at the time of making the booking.

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Gas kiln firings

We also own and operate two industrial quality gas kilns which have been built for us by Stanton Kilns. These kilns are currently undergoing rigorous testing and fine tuning to ensure optimal operation to suit our needs.

Currently we can offer bisque and earthenware firings in our large trolley kiln to anyone wishing to fire large sculptural work. High firings (up to 1300ºC) are available in the small gas kiln only.

When the testing process is complete, we will also be offering reduction firings and high firings up to 1300°C (both reduction and oxidation) in both kilns. Please book all gas firings either with Susan O'Byrne or Stuart Grant only. 

Please note, that due to the nature of gas kilns, the temperature rises very quickly in the initial stages of the firing. If you are making large sculptural work it should be made of a groggy (rough) clay and completely bone dry prior to firing. 

Prices for gas firings are based on current gas prices, the firing duration and top temperature. These are available on application. As gas firings are much more labour intensive for the artist who is firing the kiln for you, the technical charge may be higher than for using an electric kiln.   

If you would like to fire work at the Glasgow Ceramics Studio,

please call us on (0141) 550 8030.

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Kiln bricks and casing for sale

Our old large gas kiln has been disassembled to make room for the new kilns. We are looking preferably for someone who would like to rebuild the kiln and give it a new lease of life elsewhere or in the very least for a home for the constituent parts. These include the metal casing, burners and ridiculous numbers of high temperature refractive bricks (although many of these have already gone). The kiln arch, for instance, is still complete, if you would like bricks to make a new arch in your own kiln. (The kiln casing dates back to 1948, but the kiln had been rebuilt since then, so the bricks were produced much more recently).

All of this is available on a first come first served basis. All items must be uplifted by the purchaser. We do not have the space to store these for long.

To find out more about this please call the studio on (0141) 550 8030 and ask to speak to Stuart Grant. 

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