All the tiles are now numbered on the backs and cranked up ready to start their first firing called the 'quick fire'.  This firing takes seven hours and goes up to 700 degrees. This first firing helps the paint stick to the tiles.  Once the kiln has reached it's temperature, it takes a further twelve hours to cool enough to open the kiln door.  At this point, the quick fired tiles are all ready to be glazed.  The glaze is mixed to a specific recipe.  Each tile is then hand dipped with great care and then cranked back up to dry out for at least nine hours.  Finally, once all the tiles are dry, they then go in for a second kiln fire called the 'glaze fire'.

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The glaze fire takes thirteen hours to reach its top temperature. This temperature turns the liquid white glaze in to a hard transparent gloss finish.  The kiln then takes a further twenty or more hours to cool. The kiln is never opened before it has naturally cooled to a safe temperature to avoid breakages. This is the exciting time of laying out the tiles and seeing the design finished.  It's also the time when we can find breakages.  The glaze fire is extremely hot and the tiles are at their most vulnerable in this firing.  We do experience hair line cracks which are very frustrating as that tile needs to be repainted, and then go through the whole process again.