General guidelines for drying pottery:
- Even, slow drying is preferred
- Pottery should be bone dry before attempting any firing. Any presence of moisture will increase the likelehood of cracking.
- Make sure the pots are positioned so the air circulates freely around them
- hunid air flow is ideal because it adheres to the surface more evenly , especially the recessed areas. This can be achieved by enclosing a section of the studio/plant with plastic to create a humidity chamber, the wet ware creating a naturally humid enviroment. With smalll scale operations, covering the ware racks with cloth or plastic is a viable option.
-Depending on the style of piece being dried ( eg. complex shapes ), the placement , air flow adjustment and covering of fast drying areas with wax, all support eveness of drying.
-it can take several days for ware to dry in a natural enviroment( 2 days for a dessert bowl )
- If you don’t have a +100°C drying chamber, your kiln is the final stage batch drier. The addition of air flow to remove excess moisture could be considered. This can be achieved with a venting system.
- A consant air flow is needed along with tuning the humidity by adjusting the dry air rate in and the humid airflow out. Otherwise , slower drying in a humidity chamber is an acceptable alternative.
- Due to its higher density, you cannot expect porcelain to dry as well as stoneware or earthenware.
