Advanced Soda Fire Workshop
Registration for this workshop is limited to those registered for a Fall 2024 course at the Ceramics Program, Office to the Arts at Harvard.
Instructor: Tom Hubbard
Level: Advanced
This intensive, multi-session workshop led by instructor Tom Hubbard, is for advanced students who embrace and welcome the variation and unpredictability that soda firing offers. A brief review of the firing process will lead to discussions of slips and glazes for soda firing. Additionally, loading and wadding strategies will be discussed and a firing plan established which may explore reduction cooling or firing in oxidation.
Participation Requirements: You must participate in at least one of the two loading sessions AND the unload/cleanup session to take this Soda Firing Workshop. Please check your schedule carefully before registering to ensure you can fulfill these requirements.
Space Limitations: While we make every effort to accommodate a variety of work by each participant in the workshop, the size of the kiln limits what can be fired. We cannot guarantee that every piece you produce for the workshop will be included in the firing.
Workshop Schedule
Orientation:
Friday, October 18, 10:00-11:00am
Glazes, Slips, and Wadding demo:
Tuesday, October 22: Glazes, Slips & Wadding, 1:00-2:00pm
Loading:
Monday, November 18: Load, 10:00am-1:00pm
Tuesday, November 19: Load, 1:00-4:00pm
Firing:
Wednesday, November 20 (spraying time TBD)
Unload, Cleanup, and Critique Work:
Friday, November 22, 11:00am-1:00pm
WHAT MAKES SODA FIRING SO DIFFERENT?
Soda firing is similar to the cone 10 reduction firing, but with these differences.
- The outside of the piece does not need to be glazed since the soda affect will create a finished surface without glazing.
- The soda ash will create more melting with a glaze on the outside surface, which will make some glazes more fluid causing them to run if the glaze is applied too thick.
- Not all high fire reduction glazes are suitable for soda firing.
- Since the bottoms of pieces fired in the soda kiln are wadded with a mixture of clay and alumina hydrate, more space needs to be left between the lower edge of the outside glazed area and the bottom of the piece.
- It’s a requirement to participate in either the loading or unloading and cleanup of the soda kiln if work is fired in the soda kiln.
Registration for this workshop is limited to those who are registered for a Fall 2024 course at the Ceramics Program, Office to the Arts at Harvard. Cost: $125 for those enrolled in the Fall 2024 term; FREE for Harvard Undergraduates. Registration for this workshop will open on Wednesday, August 21 at 10:00am. A link to register for this workshop will be sent by email to those enrolled in a Fall 2024 course.