How to Bake Ceramic Stoneware
Stoneware is a ceramic material made from some type of clay. It is heated for a longer period and at higher temperatures than other ceramics, making it stronger and less porous. Stoneware is often used to make cooking containers and floor tiles.
Things You'll Need:
- Stoneware clay
- Ceramic glaze
- Molding tools
- Wax
- Kiln
- Select ceramic clay that can tolerate high temperatures. The clay used to make stoneware should be rated as mid-range or high-fire clay.
- Mold the clay into the desired shape, ensuring it contains no air bubbles. This is important for all ceramics, but tightly packed clay is essential for making good stoneware.
- Fire the ceramic in a kiln at a bisque-firing temperature, which is at least 1,000 degrees Celsius. This temperature removes imperfections on the surface of the clay and provides a terra-cotta finish.
- Get the bottom of the ceramic object in wax to protect it from the floor of the kiln. Glaze the object, ensuring that you do not allow glaze on the bottom of the object.
- Fire the object in the kiln and a high temperature to create the stoneware. The final firing temperature for midrange clay is between 1,160 and 1,225 degrees Celsius. The final firing temperature for high-fire clay is between 1,200 and 1,330 degrees Celsius.
- Allow the stoneware to cool gradually inside the kiln. More rapid cooling can cause ceramic materials to crack.
- Line the stoneware with vegetable oil if you plan to use it for cooking. The oil will give the stoneware a nonstick surface.