The process of opening electric kiln for Yixing teapot.

[PotterZ]

1,
The zhuni teapots in kiln is more sensitive to temperature temperature.
It is easier to crack if we open the kiln too early when the temperature inside is too high.
We always open the kiln about 200 centigrade when teapots made of other clay, like qing shui ni clay, zi ni clay, dicaoqing clay and so on.
As for zhuni,we usually open the kiln untill the temperature is below 150 centigrade.
We can pull out the plug to accelerate the colling slowly at this temperature.

[PotterZ]

2,With the protect of gloves, we put the take the teapot from the kiln and put it on wooden tray.

[PotterZ]

3,The teapot will shrink and deformation after the firing.

[PotterZ]

4,After a burst of continuous and light knock with a wooden hammer, the lid and the body is separated.

[PotterZ]

5,Lovely teapot, isn'it?

[Chip]

Very interesting especially with the aid of photos.

Thank you for sharing.

[Poseidon]

Very informative! Thank you.

[William]

I really appreciate this kind of discussions. Many thanks!

[debunix]

Wonderful post, thank you.

And now wondering about firing lids on pots: does this ensure that they fit together even as the body shrinks? Is something put between lid and pot to keep them from sticking together? And is this 'tap' a time when there is a high risk of breakage?

[PotterZ]

Good question，the white powder between the lid and body in the above picture is quartz.The melting point of quartz is about 1750 centigrade,and the temperate of firing teapot usually no more than 1200 centigrade.

[the_economist]

That's what that powder is for!

[chrl42]

Very thanks for your pictures.

Now I hear electric kiln and gas kiln are major kilns used in Yixing for pottery....and how do you differentiate? Gas kilns are still used more often than electric kilns, right?

[PotterZ]

The electric kiln in the picture is smaller space usage and safer and more environmental clean than gas kiln.Very suitable for family workshop. But the kiln powered by household two-phase electricity cannot reach the temperate of Dian in clay.

[PotterZ]

The electronic kiln is usually used in family workshop. The gas kiln can fire much more teapots at one time,and can fire bigger pottery, which may even bigger than my electronic kiln.

[Tead Off]

What percentage of the pots break or deform when you are firing zhuni?

Where are you getting the zhuni from?