Kiln Firing Service Agreement

Use of Kiln
Kiln is available to rent with a minimum of a half shelf (15″x7.5″) up to the full kiln. The kiln will only be fired when there is a full kiln (up to four 15″ diameter shelves and 22″ height total), so it may take up to three weeks with a minimum of two firings a month. You will need to fill out the kiln firing service form prior to drop off.

Note: Due to the nature of clay bodies, glazes, kilns, electricity, and human error there are occasionally anomalies in fired pieces (bisque and finished glazed pieces). We will try our best to avoid these anomalies; however, we cannot guarantee a perfect firing every time. Please be prepared for the possibility of a misfire.

Picking Up Work:
The studio will email, text, or call you to let you know your work is finished and ready to be picked up. You must schedule your pick-up time.

Please note that we will hold your work for 14 days; if this time has elapsed with no communication from you, your work will become property of the studio and will be donated or thrown away.

You must schedule drop off by the last Saturday of each month for firing. Drop offs can be scheduled for most Saturdays between 11 am to 9 pm. when the studio is open. Additional drop off times and dates are only available by appointment. 

You are responsible for transporting work to the studio and unloading it into the assigned location. Studio will load your work into the kiln and fire per agreement form. Once it is fired, the studio will unload work and leave it in the assigned location. You will be responsible for taking work off the shelves, repacking it, and taking it home. Please take any packaging with you as there is no storage for packing materials.

Note: On rare occasions, additional delays may occur due to availability of the studio. You will be notified immediately in these cases.

We use Advancer shelves to minimize firing damage. However, if your clay or glazes cause damage to our kilns, you may be assessed an additional fee to replace shelves, posts, or other equipment ranging from $2-30 for kiln stilts, $8 per element holder, $10 per kiln posts, $65 per element wire, $170-270 per kiln shelf, and $1500-2500 for the kiln. Repeated issues may result in cessation of firing services.

Kiln Firing Fees are as follows:

For each cone 04 bisque and cone 6 glaze fire

$7 per half shelf (15”x7.5”), $9 per half shelf if piece exceeds 8” in height

$12 per shelf (15”x15”), $15 per shelf if piece exceeds 8” in height

$40 for full kiln, up to four full shelves (required for any firings up to cone 6 that are not cone 04 or cone 6, unless it qualifies as a special firing)

Special firings (any firing requiring a special schedule, e.g. luster, crystal glaze, single firing, etc.)

$50 for full kiln, up to four full shelves

Fees are collected upon pickup. Note, greenware pieces can be stacked to a reasonable degree, so you may be able to fit more in bisque fires.

Additional fees may be assessed and determined prior to and after drop off. You will be notified of any additional fees before firing.

A kiln ticket is only refunded, minus a processing fee, if you miss the dropoff deadline. Please note repeated no-shows for dropoff may result in future refusals to fire your work.

Work will not be fired if the clay body and glaze temperatures are unknown. You must provide written or visual documentation of the clay and glazes used and their appropriate firing temperatures. This could include a snapshot of a clay box label or a glaze bottle label sent to us via email or text. We cannot fire your work without this documentation.

You can also purchase clay through the studio. Clay bodies available are generally from Clayworks Supplies, but specialty clays are sometimes available.

Any adjustments to this agreement must be made in writing.

Studio Responsibility:

• The studio is not responsible for any loss or damage of artwork.
• The studio will re-fire any work if the electricity goes out.
• The studio has the right to refuse to fire a piece for any reason.
• The studio will fire pieces within 14 days of receiving items and return them to the client at the earliest time possible after firing completion (generally 24-30 hours for cooldown and removal). If the need arises, the client will be informed as soon as possible. An exception to all the above may be made for greenware that may need additional drying time before firing.
• The studio is not responsible for breakage of work or poor glazing results in the kiln due to maker error. However, every effort will be made to load and unload all items carefully and firing information including full firing scheduled will be shared, if needed.

Client’s Responsibility:

• Client is responsible for any shelf or kiln damaged caused from over-glazing, poor construction, or wrong information of firing temperature of clay or glaze.
• Client is responsible for informing the studio if cookies/stilts are needed to protect the kiln shelves from running off glazes and drips. Cookies/stilts can be provided by the studio with advanced notice, but excessive damage to these pieces will incur a fee for replacement. Client can provide their own cookies/stilts for use. Warped pieces caused by cookies/stilts are not the responsibility of the studio
• Client is responsible for bringing their own packing material and boxes and taking those with them as the studio does not have space to store them.
• Client is responsible for payment prior to or at the pick-up of work.
• Client must drop off work by designated date when purchasing kiln firing service.
• Client must pick up work within 14 days unless another date is arranged. All work will be forfeited to the studio within 2 weeks from the last communication if not claimed.

The studio shall not be liable at any time for any loss or damage to any work or property at any time occasioned by or arising out of any act or omission of the client or use of the equipment, or directly or indirectly for any state of condition of the premises unless such liability is the result of any act or omission on the part of the studio.

Although the utmost care will be taken when firing the work provided, there is always a chance the piece will crack or potentially explode due to issues such as errors in craftsmanship, excessive thickness, inclusions accidentally mixed into the clay, potential kiln malfunction, or accidental mishandling of a piece. The studio will assume no responsibility for any of the above-mentioned firing or building issues that may occur, and you are still responsible for payment in full for firing services. The studio has the right to refuse any work.