Beginner intro to the Cone chart and Firing process (Very Basic) 

the information at the beginning of the video is incorrect, the number of a cone corresponds to its ratio of silica to alumina in the clay body, if you were to look at the chemical composition of lets say, 00 to 05 to 10, the materials would increase proportionally. However, as I'm sure you know, the temperatures of each of those different cone firings are not proportional at all and often pretty strange numbers. This is because the temperature is only reflects the point at which a given ratio of silica to alumina begins to melt.

Have taken pottery classes, but none of them taught anything about the firing process beyond “don’t have glaze on the bottom of the piece or you will ruin the kiln shelf!!!” Now I would like to make pottery at home and know nothing about the kiln side of things. Thanks for being here.

I am as green of a beginner as they come and I love your videos. I find it crazy that all these people always feel the need to add to or correct you with their comments! You handle it well, much more humbly than I think I could! Lol Anyway, thanks for sharing your knowledge. (And humor!) It's helping a ton :)

Fantastic help, and you have great energy when explaining so I didn't feel like I was about to fall asleep so thank you!!!

Thank you, you made that so understandable, relateable and amusing ❤

Glad you told me at the beginning that you're not doing Celsius 😂 will find another video

Great overview. I did a bit of pottery work many years ago, and had forgotten what little I knew. I have a kiln I haven’t used in 35 years. All I could remember is that it topped out at cone 7. Now I’ll think about getting some supplies and playing around with it.

Thanks so much for this video. This basic video is very helpful for someone like me who is learning to throw pottery on my own. Now I have a better understanding of the term cone and it makes more sense when I visit a clay shop. Thanks.

You're awesome!! Thank you for sharing your knowledge with the rest of us!!!

This was most helpful. wish I'd watched it before my first glaze firing today. Waa waa waaaaa

I’m just learning and so glad I found your videos! Great teacher. Fun videos.

Aaaactually ... cones don't measure temperature so much as they measure "heat-work". [Hobby-potter and scientist here.] See, you're actually "putting energy into" the clay, causing it to undergo chemical as well as physical changes. That's why Donte kept saying that we "fire *to*" cone 6 or cone 06, or cone 10, and not "fire at". We're not doing baking here. How fast or slow the temperature *changes* is just as important as what temperature you reach. The same cone-6 cone will bend over at 2165 F if you're climbing at 27 F/hr, at 2232 if you're at a 108 F/hr rate, and at the even higher 2269 F if you're climbing at 270 F/hr. There's also more physical changes than from "solid" to "liquid" to "gas". A solid can have many different phases yet still be solid: "vitreous", "ductile", and more. That's why you don't need to actually melt steel to make it structurally unsound, you just need to change it from the "flexible-but-strong"-phase to the "bendy"-phase or to the "vitreous-and-brittle"-phase. In clay, there are two "danger" phases: the "alpha" and "beta" phases. Both are solid, but have different thermal properties, and if you speed through the change from one to the next, your bisque will crack. [And that, Donte, is why your firing schedules have those changes in how fast the temp is climbing.] Now, there is *some* melting going on, during the bisque firing. All of the little clay-particles that were being held together by water and static-cling while it was greenware? Those guys get melty and sticky at their edges, fusing together. And they stay stuck together when the firing is done, creating a nice, solid pot. The chemical changes that are also going on, I don't really know about. My husband's more the expert in that. You definitely have chemical changes going on in the glaze firing. Which is why most glazes look grey or rust-red before firing, then turn all manner of colors afterward.

Great explanations, ideal for us begginners & very humorous - many thanks and greetings from your viewers here in the uk xxxx

Congratulation not usual see tutorial well explained like yours, well done! I love it!

That was awesome and funny! you rock sir.

Thank you for another instructional video!

This was awesome! Thank you for sharing your knowledge and doing it with humor.. the best video so far!

Fantastic video, thank you!

Good show, well explained.

awesome video - Im just getting into ceramics - your a great teacher and funny as hell

Watched two videos on the intro buying guide to wheels and kilns and had to sub, love your witty humor and info!

thanks for your videos, very informative and funny :)

Very useful video, thanks! Learned a lot.

Thanks it was very helpful. I jus bought a nrw kilm. Ive always did traditional firing.

setting up my own studio after years of doing pottery and no one bothered explaining this to me. I this point I was too afraid to ask haha. Thanks for this video, made everything simple

Thank you thank you thank you as someone who loves to use Clay but always used to somebody else to fire it this was amazing information thank you. I have so much for understanding that I had before so looking forward to learning more from you and having a go.

I love the subliminal 911 conspiracy reference

Thanks for the refresher it has been a long time since I've fired anything.

Hi Donte! As I promissed I will post my critique here. Firstly great, simple way of putting the cone charts. I get that you made some oversimplifications in order to make the subject understandable. And this is great actually! I couldn't make sense out of this chart and now it is less weird for me. (I don't get the idea of using Fahrenheit scale if you have centigrade Celsius scale :P ). Secondly - every potter has his/hers own way of bisque firing pottery. I see you like your bisque a bit more refined (finer) as fired in higher temperatures than I do (for me it is 800-900 C). For glazing I use temperature range from 960 (my clear) to 1100 (the Oleander I've sent you). To wrap it up - it's a great educational video about cones for someone who never used them in his entire life! :D Keep these comming and I will watch every second! Cheers mate!

This was very helpful. Thank you!!

Thanks for taking the time to make this video It's very informative. I just got a new used kiln and this was the best video which explained what the heck the cones are. thanks again.

Thank you for this video!!! Finally…. Someone explains the process perfectly!!!!!🥰

Thank you!! Now I understand it!

Thank you for this :)

Awesome! Thank you. Just got a refurbished Cress Kiln. I have no idea how to use it. I feel less insecure about using it. You are so funny. Really, you are good at teaching.

This is great, thank you. The cones is black magic to me at the moment, so I'll have to watch it few more times and take notes :)

Thank you!! I had no idea wth I was doing! This helped so much!

This is sooooooo helpful :D thanks

Ok so if I collected my clay from my backyard or a lake/river/street/field how do I know at which cone to fire? Also as I am working with different cones of store bought clays and have left over scraps of different cones and different colors of clay with and without sand/grog/temper or what have you in it what temperature or I fire my pottery made with mixed up clays? Please answer. Thank you

"We give our toilets a lot of crap" - I think I'm going to keep a quote book just on some of your punny pottery comments. Thanks for sharing this. It's really helpful to newbie potters like myself. Enjoying your videos. Thanks for keeping it simple for stoopid. :)

hay donte good work with the videos.. im a up coming potter but im a potter to heart my mom worked pottery most of her life, i guess i follow in her foot steps.. but just a little info. i live in the pottery capital of the u.s at one time.

Wait so jet fuel can’t melt steel beams

thank you so much . question for you ... I am just starting out and have a bunch of potters choice glazes and Celadons and Matt Shinos from Amaco... what cones do you recommend for each of these categories and how long do you hold for ? thanks in advance

This was incredibly helpful! Heard a lot of people saying they fire bisque to cone 4 and now I'm worried they meant cone 04 and expected me to know that as a beginner. Just got a manual kiln and this was incredibly helpful. I'm glad you didn't explain the silica nuance right out the gate but it also helped getting technical language in the comments, minus their tone.

Very nice video that sums up all I need to know as a beginner. I have a question. I bisqued a big plate at cone 05, glazed it, and put it in my kiln at cone 5. It cracked with two fine lines at the edge. is there any relationship between these two cone numbers? TIA

I am new. So, I have an older manual kiln with a kiln sitter. I am using low fire slip, cone 04. So, do I do low with lid opened a little bit for 2 hours, then medium with lid opened a little for 2 hours, then close lid and put on high until cone melts? What about glaze? Luster? I am confused about low and medium times, peep holes open or closed, and lid opened a little or closed. Thanks

Hey @earthnationceeamcis I have a question? Can you fire cone 10 clay at a lower cone to reduce cracking?

Great info

Thanks so much for your great and fun videos ! What do you mean by reduction could you explain ? :)

Big problem i think. Havean old duncan kiln, glaze firing for the first time, it shut off after 5 hours tried to fire to cone 6. i dont know what to do next? can my pieces be saved?

"and now it looks like your ex boyfriend" thank you i needed that lmao

I m bigger thanx a lot. U clear many confusion Love ur video

DAMN helpful as per usual.

Really helpful ty.

How long do you leave pieces in the kiln once they hit temperature

Thank you!!!!!!

hi I fired a load of casting clay at 06 and my cone stuck to my kilin setter can you tell me what I'm doing wrong.ty

hi just do pouring in a moulds like christmas trees and I use cone 05 is this wrong.

Super late but thanks so much for the best explanation video on cones.

Could you glaze a recently cured concrete planter? I'd like to make a couple of "rotemburo"s (Japanese outdoor soaker tub, think of a giant flower pot full of hot water as a temporary hot tub). I'm very comfortable working/sculpting concrete and would like to cast a couple of pots about 3' in diameter by 30" deep. Concrete, no matter how good you are, doesn't finish ultra smooth like a glazed pot though. I'd like the smoothest surface possible for my backside. So how can I glaze a 600lb concrete pot on location? Thoughts? Could you use a roofing blowtorch or something like it to bake it in place? I've got skills, tools, and energy to make something work that is good enough, I'm just missing experience and wisdom. Thank you in advance for your thoughts.

the jet fuel and steel beam bit LMAO

Never heard of cone 00 but I have a feeling it would be awesome

Thank you!

can you go over the firing process? like how slowly do I need to raise up the temperature. how long do I keep it at Max temperature. and how slowly should I lower the temperature back down. I'm using a propane torch in a stone oven.

I am looking for a video that show the temperature for glazing because my little hobby electric kiln is manual and I need to put the temperature bemusedly and increase each hour, I know it’s crazy but that is all I got please help me

Great video! Do you know where I can get a manual for a Gare kiln model 1818?

Thanks for the great video Donte. I have a few questions. You mentioned the one piece was fired with reduction, what does that mean? Also when the foot or bottom of a piece is wiped or waxed so it does not get glazed does that mean that area is still in the bisque phase? And is that part water proof and would it and all pottery be dishwasher safe? Also nice innuendo you threw in there, lol.

Heck yeah, ‘murica! Thanks for actual temps. I want to fire in my blacksmith forge.

Thank you❤

Thanks a lot for this info. I'm a noobie potter and am trying to suck up as much as I can. I'm east of Sac. and looking to take classes at Sierra, where did you take classes? Keep the videos coming!

Thank you❣️

would you suggest getting an electric kiln up to cone 7, or recommend getting a hire fire up to 10 that requires getting electrician to rewire?

Oh lord this is blowing my mind! I wish I understood 😔 this does help but I’m so lost.

Thank you for posting these videos for people who are new to ceramics! I love your videos and you make learning about it easier! I am wondering.. when you referenced to mid range glaze firing you called it oxidation and high fire cone 10 you called it “made in reduction”... what exactly does that mean?

Your awesome bro.

Semi related question! My professor's earthenware red clay recipe can actually make it to cone 6-10 without melting. Does that make it stoneware when fired at cone 6 (not 06) like we usually do for glaze? Or is the earthenware name dependent on what's mixed into the clay rather than the temperature it's fired at?

Hey Donte! I like what're you're doing with your channel. I've watched a few videos. Funny and informative. I was going to make a cone explanation video myself but I this one pretty much covers it. Great job! *hits subscribe button*

Thank you

Just from the intro, I KNOW I clicked on the right video

Can I fire a cone 10 clay at a low temperature say 1000F?

Thanks

Thank you!! I am an intermediate- potter. I am designing a multi media studio and this is extremely useful info! I would love to incorporate a kiln! I was just “offered” one for $500 that goes to cone 3. I think I need to cone 5 or 6. My guild fires glazed to cone 5. I now understand what the difference is!! Thx!!

When to fire to vitrification? My clay vitrifies to 1% absorption at cone 02, but my glaze says food safe at cone 05/06, so what do I do to get the absorption rate but still b food safe?

4 seconds in!! Thank you!

I have a kiln cone 3, I’m trying to look on more info on this and this video made me want to sell my cone 3 kiln 😂😂😂

How would u clean a melted pot off a kiln shelve like if it’s completely melted also what would make one piece melt and the one right next to it not melt my poor classmate just messaged me in tears glaze fired cone 10 stoneware at cone 6 but her cones blew out and one piece is now just a puddle she set it for cone 6 because she used mayco glazes I feel so sorry for her

Total n00b here.... how do you make clay that melts where you want it to melt when you are not just buying a box that tells you so? Can you take clay made for cone 6 and Dr it for cone 10 and can you use cone 10 in a cone 6 firing or is that also bad?

I'm not a potter but I do have questions.. If your clay is rated cone 6 but if you do the lust glazes like you mentioned at cone 018. If the item is bisque fired, do you not have to fire at cone 6? Or do you have to buy glazes only rated cone 6? This is the one thing that confused me 😰

the second i heard steel beams i was waiting for jet fuel 😂

👍👍👍👍

My friend got me a bag of "cone 10 clay" do I still bisque at 06?

what exactly are those little cones for??

I like how at 9:11 seconds he discusses how steel beams melt at 2,750 and jet fuel at 800f (open air) to 1,500 (controlled).

If your cones are old are they still reliable?

Thumbs up for the steel beam melting point and jet fuel burning temps. Absolutely lost my shit 🤣

I know a few potters who specialise in marbled clay that once-fire their pieces at cone 2, so there you go. Has all to do with glazing all in one go.

I loved ceramics in High School despite a very hateful teacher who literally said he didn't give a sh•t because he was retiring at the end of the year ... never was able to learn much beyond what I figured out myself.

Jet fuel and steel beams meme never gets old

Oh god thank you for the info . i am now less stupid.

Why do most schools fire at cone 10?