Electric Kiln Firing Workshop November 14/15 2026

A$350.00

Learn how to pack and fire an electric kiln in this comprehensive two-day course at Strathnairn Arts!

The course will run over two days and includes:

  • Information about electric kilns and how they are constructed and run.

  • How to build a cone pack and prepare materials and equipment for firing.

  • Firing for different types of clay and glazes.

  • Safety considerations for working with ceramic materials in kilns.

  • Learning about the firing cycle and how to troubleshoot firings.

  • Packing for bisque and glaze firing.

  • Programming controllers for electric kilns.

  • Maintenance and repair of electric kilns and equipment.

    Participants must have some clay experience including a basic understanding of types of clay and glazes. Students will pack a kiln for bisque on the afternoon of day 1 of the course and the space in the kiln will be shared evenly among participants.

    Please bring a small box of work to be bisqued! Extra information will be sent to workshop participants as the commencement date approaches.

    We look forward to meeting you and introducing you to our kilns!

    Please note that on completion of the electric kiln firing course, one supervised firing must be completed before members can book and operate electric kilns.

Learn how to pack and fire an electric kiln in this comprehensive two-day course at Strathnairn Arts!

The course will run over two days and includes:

  • Information about electric kilns and how they are constructed and run.

  • How to build a cone pack and prepare materials and equipment for firing.

  • Firing for different types of clay and glazes.

  • Safety considerations for working with ceramic materials in kilns.

  • Learning about the firing cycle and how to troubleshoot firings.

  • Packing for bisque and glaze firing.

  • Programming controllers for electric kilns.

  • Maintenance and repair of electric kilns and equipment.

    Participants must have some clay experience including a basic understanding of types of clay and glazes. Students will pack a kiln for bisque on the afternoon of day 1 of the course and the space in the kiln will be shared evenly among participants.

    Please bring a small box of work to be bisqued! Extra information will be sent to workshop participants as the commencement date approaches.

    We look forward to meeting you and introducing you to our kilns!

    Please note that on completion of the electric kiln firing course, one supervised firing must be completed before members can book and operate electric kilns.

Note

Completion of this course does not guarantee access to the electric kilns at Strathnairn Arts. Participants will be offered the opportunity to gain access to kiln hire with an online assessment after completion of the two-day workshop.

Course Outline

Day One

  • Understanding heat and how to measure it

  • Demonstration of how to build a cone pack

  • Understanding the firing cycle

  • Safety considerations for a kiln firing program

  • How to calculate the time of a kiln firing schedule

  • Shelf types

  • How to pack a kiln

  • How to program a kiln

Day Two

  • Read the cones from the firing put on the day before

  • Unpack a kiln prepared a couple of days before

  • Basic maintenance

  • Grinding and washing shelves

Please bring

  • Up to five unglazed raw pieces for bisque firing

  • Notebook, pen and camera

  • P2 dust mask (preferably non-disposable)

  • Eye protection

  • Gardening/riggers gloves

Location

The workshop will be held in the Foundry Workshop.