Can someone tell me if this is possible to find things that are like I think they call it bisque and you paint them and then leave them to be fired is is that a thing and if so, where do we find bisque items? Do we go online or is there a local place or or is there stuff like that at makers? I’m really new to this and just curious before I jump into doing ceramics
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I believe Evan’s sells bisqued items that you can glaze, and they’ll fire them too.
If I remember correctly, you can’t bring their bisqued items to be fired at Make because Evan’s fires at different temperatures. So bisqueware that comes from Evan’s needs to be fired at Evan’s.
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Oh, and if you’re timely, there’s a free bin just outside of our ceramics room. You can sometimes find bisqueware in there. If you get lucky like that, you can glaze and fire at Make too.
Just a couple days ago, there was a pretty nice bowl that had been bisque fired in the free bin.
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So if Make can’t fire Evan’s bisque, does that mean all things fired at makers are custom?? Trying to get the lay of the land…
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Not exactly. At Make, we bisque fire to Cone 04 and we glaze fire to Cone 5. The “Cone” rating indicates the temperature of the kiln.
On the other hand, the bisqueware you can buy at Evan’s is a different clay than we normally use. So, those pieces need fired to cone 06 which is much cooler than cone 5 or cone 6. I couldn’t find that information on the Evan’s website, but someone told me that recently, so I think it’s still true.
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Isn’t that usually called greenware?
It’s been nearly 39 years since I purchased, glazed and arranged firing for some items that were slipcast.
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My understanding is that greenware is clay that has not been fired yet. After the initial bisque firing, regardless of cone number, it becomes bisqueware.
I might buy some cone 5 slip from Evan’s soon. Never done so before, but I’m very interested in slip casting!
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Ah, but I just remembered that maybe you were remembering “earthenware.” This is a descriptor of the clay body itself, and describes that it matures at a relatively low cone, like cone 06. So the bisqueware at Evan’s is earthenware.
I think what we do at Make is good for “stoneware,” which matures around cone 5. Further beyond that is porcelain, up to even cone 10 or higher.
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Yes the items we fire at makeict are handmade by members. All clay and glaze needs to be rated for mid-fire Cone 5-6. We fire to cone 5.
If you are looking for a place to just glaze an already handmade piece, Evan’s is a great choice. You can buy your piece there and let them know you will glaze and for there and they will give you the all inclusive price for whatever piece you pick out.
Do not try to bring any premade pieces from Evans to makeict. The glazes we use at makeict are not for low fire pieces. Also if Evans low fire pieces were to accidentally end up in a glaze kiln firing at makeict they piece would melt completely. It would ruin the kiln shelf, other members work and possibly the kiln itself.
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I had asked if the big top shelf of glaze class stuff could also be a “things to paint” shelf - like, if there’s only 10 things here don’t take it we need it for glaze class, but if there’s enough for the next five glaze classes let’s get it to good homes? It seems like a surplus. There’s not even a glaze class posted. Last time I asked about it Tony was cool and set some things aside for me - although I secretly put two of them back on the glaze class shelf, I was more making a suggestion about the top shelf in general. It would be really cool for there to be a supply of pre-made things to paint, people would pay for them even, I know I would.
I keep meaning to bring this up at ceramics meetings but I keep having conflicts and missing them - 6pm tonight is another conflict for me dang it.
Also the free stuff bin works, it’s little stuff like ornaments.
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If you just want to glaze, I should be able to find some things for you to glaze at Make. If you want to make your own then we have lots of molds and a few people that have been successful in making items. As previously stated, you can buy slip at Evans, tell them you will be making it at Make ICT for slip casting, and then make your own projects from our molds but cannot use Evan’s items at Make. MakeICT ceramics studio mostly focuses on slab and wheel creations, but slip casting (with the proper slip) is getting more popular. I have been trying to find someone to teach a class on it, but no luck so far. There is a growing knowledge base and hopefully we can get a class.
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The reason I brought this subject up… I have a group of ladies that has gone to the ‘paint your pot’ or whatever they call it… and its expensive. So… my thought was to facilitate a small group to get together and paint something premade… these ladies would not want to ‘make a pot’. I have retired the idea… but the info here is good. 
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We don’t really have the glazes available that you would find at a pick a piece and “paint” it with glaze place either. Those type studios typically would use stroke and coats, which are expensive, especially to keep a variety. Those here who use stroke and coats and/or underglazes buy our own from outside makeict to use on the pieces we create. All glazes and other Pottery supplies have gone up considerably in price in recent years. Our studio is really set up asa maker space for people to create their own pottery pieces- start to finish.
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Sorry to add to an old topic, but Evans can totally pour the proper temp/cone slip into whatever mold you want! I’ve had them do it a time or two, or at least Virginia made it happen for me. It will just take time for them to pour the mold, trim the seams, and fire it to bisque to be ready to paint/glaze. I don’t believe they charge extra, either. It’s time that is the true factor here.
Alternatively (and for best result with the stroke & coats glazes), just refire it in the bisque kiln. This will ensure the colors stay as true as possible (some stroke & coats and other varieties of glazes that come in a rainbow tend to become muted in color when you fire at higher temperatures).
Evans is probably the cheapest in town to do a Paint Your Own Pottery thing at.
@tonyreid I am not a member (I took a tour early this year or late last year, I don’t remember, but life got in the way), but I know about slip casting if you want to reach out to me about that class. I’ve taught pottery classes before at Wichita Pottery.
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You will need to take a “How to Teach a class” class to get any classes in the system. I would love to have someone teach a slipcasting class, I get questions on it and don’t know much about it. If you are not a member that will make it a little harder to get in and out of the building to teach a class
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I would be willing to take the time to set everything up in advance. I think this would be really cool…
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On Thu, Sep 18, 2025 at 10:31 AM Tony Reid via MakeICT Forum <noreply@talk.makeict.org> wrote:
| tonyreid MakeICT Member
September 18 |
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You will need to take a “How to Teach a class” class to get any classes in the system. I would love to have someone teach a slipcasting class, I get questions on it and don’t know much about it. If you are not a member that will make it a little harder to get in and out of the building to teach a class
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I don’t mind becoming a member and taking the necessary steps (though it’s exhausting to think about the process, lol, so much bureaucratic drudgery). How often do they offer that “How to Teach a Class” class?
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Fairly often, check the MakeICT calendar . Basically how to go through the system to put a class in the calendar, log people in, and get paid 
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On Sep 18, 2025, at 11:33 AM, Lore via MakeICT Forum noreply@talk.makeict.org wrote:
| Lore
September 18 |
- | - |
I don’t mind becoming a member and taking the necessary steps (though it’s exhausting to think about the process, lol, so much bureaucratic drudgery). How often do they offer that “How to Teach a Class” class?
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In Reply To
September 18 |
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You will need to take a “How to Teach a class” class to get any classes in the system. I would love to have someone teach a slipcasting class, I get questions on it and don’t know much about it. If you are not a member that will make it a little harder to get in and out of the building to teach a cl…
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