Guide Cone Ceramics

Your ceramic ware provider can provide guidance on which cone to fire to for your specific ware.

Guide cone ceramics.

Temperature equivalent chart for orton cones cone 022 14 pyrometric cones have been used to monitor ceramic firings for more than 100 years. Pyrometric cones are designed to deform at certain moments during a firing. We wait for the visual indicator of lilac leafing and then we plant the peas. We allow the lilac bush to be our effective guide.

Pyrometric cones are the equivalent of indicator plants when it comes to firing work. Ceramic ware is most often fired to a cone as opposed to a temperature. Despite these labels many clays and glazes can also be fired over a range of temperatures and cone numbers with good results e g. Cone 022 is the lowest melting cone and requires the least amount of heat to deform or bend.

Cones used on the kiln shelf bend due to the effects of gravity pulling the tip down. This deforming action allows the kiln to shut off automatically at the pr. To describe a property of glaze or clay. Cone numbers orton makes cones from cone 022 up to cone 42.

During firing a cone softens and melts as it is heated. They are made of the same ceramic materials as our wares so cones respond to firing the same way our clays and glazes do. They are useful in determining when a firing is complete if the kiln provided enough heat if there was a temperature difference in the kiln or if a problem occured during the firing.