ATX Kiln Club

What is Kiln Club?

Pottery firing services for home-based potters, independent artists, and ceramics lovers.

How it works:

  • Members will receive a tote (we offer multiple sizes). Members can fill their tote with work and then drop it off at our location to be fired. Members will be charged a flat rate per tote per firing and are welcome to fill it as they like. 

  • Members will also pay an enrollment fee upon joining the club and will be given 24/hr access to pickup or drop off work at our location in southwest Austin. This fee will include a refundable deposit which covers your firing tote and any incidental kiln damage from your work.

  • We plan on firing regularly to cones 05 and 5, and we will fire to cone 019 for lusters if and when enough work becomes available to fill the kiln. Reach out if you’d like to get in on a luster fire.

  • Wait list folks will have first dibs on spots as they become available. We open up registration to waitlist members every quarter or so.

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Membership & Firing Fees 

We are currently offering three tiers of club membership to accommodate a range of firing needs.

The Regular Membership ($15/month) is meant for folks who plan on only firing occasionally. The monthly membership rate will be lower for that tier while firing rates are higher, making firing less frequently more affordable.

Folks who need to fire more often should join our Pro level ($35/month), which features lower firing rates and faster turnaround times. The monthly membership rate is higher, but firing rates are lower, making firing a higher volume more affordable. Pro members will also get priority in line for firing since they are more likely to be pressed for time.

Senior Memberships ($15/month) are meant to help out the elder members of our artist community by making firing a little more affordable. Please only sign up for this membership if you are 65 years old or older.

At this time we are not offering firing services for folks not enrolled in the club.

Membership Levels

A chart displaying Kiln Club membership levels, including Pro, Regular, and Senior Member, with monthly fees and firing fees for each level, on a yellow and orange gradient background with flame illustrations.

Things to Know

  • Clay Bodies & Glazes

    • Commercial clay bodies and glazes only. No wild clay, reclaimed mixes, or homemade glazes without prior testing (by us!)

    • Members must know with 100% certainty the cone rating of the clay and glazes they are using.

    Firing Temperatures

    • We plan on firing regularly to cone 05 (low fire) or cone 5 (mid fire). 

    • Occasional luster firing available at Cone 019 – availability will be based on demand

    Preparing & Transporting Work

    • No organic materials can be present on pots being fired. This damages the elements. Examples are: paper, macaroni, leaves, etc.

    • Work must not be more than 1/2” thick. This helps avoid explosions.

    • All work must be bone dry BEFORE being brought in for firing. Exploded pots put everyone’s work at risk so please be sure your work is dry and bubble-free.

    • All bottoms must be free of glaze. Waxed is best! No stilts or racks will be used.

    • Members are responsible for packing their work carefully for transportation. We recommend using bubble wrap, thin towels, or corrugated paper. Keep in mind that green ware is especially fragile!

    A Note on Mixed Totes

    • Keeping the content of our totes in one firing temperature helps keep us organized and makes accidents easier to avoid. If you need to include more than one firing temperature in your drop off, we ask that you request an additional tote for your work ($20 deposit required). You’ll then drop off two totes - one for each temperature - each with a completed firing slip. Thanks for your undersanding.

    • Members will be responsible for the cost of any damage caused by user errors such as incorrect glazing, mistaken clay body, etc. Any costs beyond the initial deposit amount must be submitted by the member within 30 days, and the deposit must be replaced before firing again.

    • Members accept the risks to work associated with community firing. We are not responsible for damage to your work that occurs as a result of another maker’s work. (Example: if your neighbors pot explodes and damages yours.)

    • Greenware and bisque ware can be very fragile. We will do our best to handle everything with care BUT we are not responsible for items being broken.

    • Turnaround time: We plan on firing as often as the kiln is filled. Right now, we expect work to be finished and ready for pickup within 1-2 weeks from drop off. We will do our best to update the expected wait times as we go along.

    • Results: Pottery is unpredictable by nature. Small differences in temperature, atmosphere, etc. can make two identical pots turn out very differently! We are not responsible for the reasonable and expected variances that happen during firing.

    • Neighbors: Firing a variety of clay bodies, glazes, etc. means that there can be possible unexpected reactions going on inside the kiln. This is the nature of community firing, so please be ready to accept the results! Having more precise control is an advantage that comes with owning your own kiln.

The Process

  1. Sign up for the club’s waiting list by email.

  2. You will be alerted when memberships are open. Put in an application and choose your tote size.

  3. When you are invited, you will receive an email with a payment link. Forms of payment accepted include credit cards, PayPal and Venmo.

  4. Upon enrollment, you will be provided with your own firing tote and a personal code to access our storage shed.

  5. Bring home your tote and fill it with bone-dry greenware or glazed bisque. Pack your tote carefully and close the lid carefully. Totes will be stacked, so it’s important not to over-fill your tote!

  6. Bring your filled tote to our firing location. Use your code to open the pickup/drop-off shed. Stack your tote inside the shed and send a quick text to sign it in. Be careful to lock the door when you leave.

  7. You will be alerted by text when your work is ready to be picked up! You will receive an invoice for your firing fees - pay that and then come pick it up the same way you dropped it off.

  8. Your membership will automatically renew monthly.

Ending your Membership

  1. Let us know via text or email when you decide to end your membership.

  2. Memberships renew automatically, so your current membership will be useable until your current payment period is over.

  3. Return your tote within 14 days and text us one last time to let us know it has arrived. Totes not returned within 14 days forfeit deposit.

  4. Your deposit will be returned via Venmo or PayPal within 1-3 days.

  5. Join the wait list again if/when you would like to join the club again. You will be put back into the queue and contacted when a new opening becomes available.

Deposit Loss

We’ll do our best to work with members to end their membership in a way that is fair and equitable. That being said, memberships that are terminated due to lack of communication, repeated non-payment, damage, safety concerns, or irregular circumstances will forfeit their deposit.

Join the Waitlist

Club Member Waitlist:

  • We will be adding new club members as our operation grows and new spots become available.

  • Sign up below to get your name on the list and to be notified when new openings are available.

Workshop and Event Updates:

  • This mailing list is also used to update folks on workshops and special events. Sign up below to get the scoop.