Kiln Schedule, Booking & Processes — Colchester Makerspace

ℹ️ Note This schedule is a general guide and may change. Firings may be postponed until the kiln is full. Check the live calendar for up-to-date information.

📅 View live firing calendar

⚠️ All firings deadline All work must be labelled, correctly placed and ready the day before your firing.

Technician Firings

Day	Kiln	Type
Tuesday	Kiln 3 (New Large)	Bisque
Sunday	Kiln 3 (New Large)	Stoneware
Sunday	Kiln 4 (Toploader)	Earthenware

⚠️ First Sunday of each month Kiln 4 is reserved for class work on the first Sunday of every month.

Independent & supported firing availability

Kiln	Available days	Cycle	Notes
Kiln 1 (Small)	Mon, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat	~48hrs	1-day cooling gap required between bookings. Shares power with Kiln 3 — cannot fire at the same time.
Kiln 3 (New Large)	Thu or Fri only	~48hrs	Supported firings only. 1-day cooling gap required. Shares power with Kiln 1.
Kiln 4 (Toploader)	Tue–Sat	~24hrs	Consecutive bookings allowed. Another member may unload your work depending on timing.

ℹ️ Kiln 1 & Kiln 3 share a power source They cannot be fired at the same time. Always book on alternate days.

Firing Type	Kiln 3 — New Large		Kiln 1 — Small		Kiln 4 — Toploader
Firing Type	Stoneware	Bisque	Stoneware	Bisque	Earthenware (Small)	Bisque	Earthenware
¼ Tray	£3.30	£2.25	—	—	—	—	—
½ Tray	£6.60	£4.50	—	—	—	—	—
Full Tray	£13.20	£9.00	—	—	—	—	—
Supported Firing	£39.00	£29.00	£26.00	£21.00	£23.00	£20.00	£22.00
Independent Firing	—	—	£18.00	£11.00	£13.00	£10.00	£12.00
Tall Item Surcharge (per item, over 18cm)	£2.50	£2.50	—	—	—	—	—
* Non-members charged at 200%

⚠️ Tall item surcharge Any item over 18cm tall incurs a surcharge. Maximum height is 30cm. For taller objects contact the Team at members@makercampus.co.uk for a custom quote.

🕛 Universal start deadline All firings must be fully packed and started by 12 noon on the day of firing. This applies to all firing types.

Payment must be completed before firing begins
Cancellations are allowed up to 48 hours before your booking
A £5 surcharge will be applied to any transfer or cancellation request
Include your intended firing temperature in the booking notes

Fair access — kiln booking limits

Members may book no more than one Independent or Supported firing per fortnight on Kiln 1 (Small) or Kiln 3 (New Large).

Kiln 4 (Toploader) is exempt from this limit.

If you need to fire more frequently, get in touch with the team to request an exception.

ℹ️ Policy under review This policy will be reviewed as Kiln 2 (Old Large) comes into operation over the coming months.

Step by step

1Take an empty small tray from the foyer.
2Fill it with your work.
3Complete the correct coloured slip:
Green = Bisque · Red = Stoneware · Blue = Earthenware
4Pay via QR code on the form or the Members' Shop.
5Place your tray on the next available shelf slot. Each tray must have its own form.

Collection

When the kiln is loaded, photos of the firing slips are posted in the WhatsApp Ceramics Member Chat
When the kiln is emptied, photos of the fired work are posted in the same chat
Work is placed in collection trays in the foyer
Please collect within one week — uncollected work may be recycled

🟡 Supported (full kiln) firings — step by step

1Take a small tray and fill it with your work. Please do not use the wide trays — these are to be kept free for the Makerspace Team to put Work for Collection.
2Complete a white Independent & Supported Firings form.
3Pay via QR code or via Section 6 — Book & Pay For Your Firing. (Not via Members' Shop.)
4Attach the form to your tray and place it on the Supported & Independent Firings shelves.

Rules — Supported Firings

Work may only stay in the Supported & Independent area for one week before or after your booked slot
Only the booked member may load, unload and liaise with the team
If sharing a firing, each participant must complete their own white form and payment

🔵 Independent firings — eligibility & rules

ℹ️ Fully kiln-inducted members only You must have completed kiln induction training before booking an independent firing.

Follow the same preparation steps as Supported Firings above. For shared firings, each member must complete their own white form and payment.

Start deadline

🕛 Must start by 12 noon Late starts may result in the kiln being switched off.

Unloading

You must unload your kiln promptly
If staff have to unload due to delay, a fee applies
Kilns may only be opened when below 70°C
Kilns must be fully unloaded by midday the next day (if below 70°C)

Bunging

Bisque: bung at 600°C
Glaze: bung between 300°C and 600°C
Late bunging causes extra wear and incurs a penalty
Remote bunging is available for Kiln 4 (New Large)
No bung required for the toploader

Monitoring your firing

You must monitor the firing throughout
Report any issues immediately
Unmonitored firings that cause extended run times may incur repair fees

Packing and damage

You are responsible for packing safely
Damage to shelves, thermocouples or the kiln interior must be paid for
If you fire someone else's work, you accept responsibility for any damage their work causes

The kiln cam lets you monitor your firing remotely. Access is granted on request.

1Request access via WhatsApp Enquiries & Information.
2Visit home.google.com.
3Log in to the Makerspace kiln account using the details provided by the team.
4Wait for the Makerspace Team to supply you an authentication code.

Firing type	How to pay
Technician Firing — Bisque	QR code on form, or Book Bisque →
Technician Firing — Glaze	QR code on form, or Book Glaze →
Independent Firing	QR code on form, or Book Independent → Not via Members' Shop
Supported Firing	QR code on form, or Book Supported → Not via Members' Shop

Technician Firings

Independent & supported firing availability

Fair access — kiln booking limits

Step by step

Collection

🟡 Supported (full kiln) firings — step by step

Rules — Supported Firings

🔵 Independent firings — eligibility & rules

Start deadline

Unloading

Bunging

Monitoring your firing

Packing and damage

Fees may apply for