Frequently Asked Questions

Info below last reviewed/updated 3/8/2024
Thank you for your interest in Burnish Clay Studio!
In case you are NEW to BCS, please understand that we are a very small team and not always able to be as responsive to emails and voicemails as we would like to. Before you reach out, please check out the below answers to the most frequently asked questions - we typically review this page quarterly to ensure it remains current. If your question is not answered below or elsewhere on this website then please email [email protected] and we will get back to you as soon as we are able (please allow 3-5 days).

​Thank you for your patience and understanding. 

CLASSES

• Registration typically happens roughly 6 weeks before classes start. 
  • January classes: Registration in November
  • April classes: Registration in February
  • July classes: Registration in May
  • September classes: Registration in July
• The only way to get notified of upcoming class registration is to join our mailing list by clicking here or by following us on Facebook or Instagram.
• Starting with the Spring 2023 classes, we have transitioned to a Raffle system for class registration to make the process more accessible for people. 
• Classes are typically 10-weeks long (sometimes 8-weeks in Summer), cost is $395 plus $42 for each 25lb bag of clay. How many bags each student goes through depends on how often they come in to work. Usually 1-2 bags per session for someone who has never touched clay before, but more prolific makers can go through as much as a bag per week or more.
• Adult students have access to 70 hours per week of open studio time to practice and make work. 
• Adult classes will offer a mix of wheel, hand building, weekday, weeknight, and weekend days similar to the current session.
• 1 day classes & private lessons/parties: we do not have capacity to host parties, 1-day try it out classes, or private lessons at this point in time. You may want to check out Creativitea in Fairhaven - they have both glass projects and paint your own ceramics available. Clayhouse in Anacortes is a new studio that does offer drop-in projects and 1-day classes. Make it a full day and drive down Chuckanut and stop for goodies in Bow along the way... You are also welcome to purchase clay to take home and use YouTube tutorials for some fun and easy hand building projects. See below for info about buying clay, firing services, and glazing options. There is a new studio in Bellingham that I believe is also offering private lessons - Mud Ceramics.

 
MEMBERSHIP

• We have a monthly membership program to offer open studio access to people who have enough clay experience that they do not need instruction. The details are available on the website by clicking here.
• Our membership program is currently full. Rather than working from a waiting list, we are now only transitioning people from classes to membership based on who has been taking classes the longest. Access to classes is now done on a raffle system to make the process more fair and accessible. 
• We do not have any options for hourly or daily studio rental. Given the duration of making/drying/firing cycles it is usually not possible to finish a project in a single sitting.  Clayhouse in Anacortes is a new studio that does offer drop-in projects and 1-day classes. Make it a full day and drive down Chuckanut and stop for goodies in Bow along the way... 

 
SUPPLIES FOR SALE – clay, tools, glaze

• CLAY: We have clay available for sale to use at home (or elsewhere).
• We also have an assortment of tools, glazes, and underglazes
• Come in to the studio any time during our Retail Hours of Tues-Sat noon-6pm to buy clay, glazes, or tools.
• Clay comes in 25 lb blocks and most are $17-20/bag – porcelains and Laguna brand clays are more in the $25-35/bag range.
• If we do not have what you want I most likely can order it for you. We get deliveries from Clay Art Center in Tacoma every 6-8 weeks. You are welcome to visit their website too - they will ship anything that will fit in a USPS flat rate box including 50lbs of clay. https://clayartcenter.net/

 
FIRING SERVICES

• We do offer firing services as a routine service.
• Cost is $10/sq ft or about $1 per fist-size piece.
• Maximum dimensions are 14x14x14 inches.
• No minimum dimensions but if your project is a collection of small items (like jewelry) then please also make a slab bowl/plate to hold them.
• We will bisque fire any type of clay.
• For glaze firing, approval is required first: please provide a photo of the label of both the clay and the glaze. Firing an incompatible clay/glaze can, at minimum, ruin a shelf ($50 each), or even destroy the kiln completely and you probably do not want to have to buy me a new kiln.
• No appointment needed to drop off or pick up work to be fired, come in any time during our retail hours of noon-6 Tues-Sat. 

 
GLAZING OPTIONS

• If you are making work at home (or elsewhere) the final step in the process is to apply glaze before it is fired the 2nd time. If you have never glazed pottery before, we suggest buying some commercial glazes that you paint on at home is an easy way to get started. We sell them in the studio, or there are many online retailers, but make sure you are looking for firing temperature range of CONE 4-6, NOT 04-06, that 0 is the critical difference between low fire and mid-range temperature, similar to a negative number.
• If you do not plan to eat/drink off the finished piece and it does not need to hold water (like a vase) then you can skip the final glaze fire and paint your pieces with any type of paint – acrylic, nail polish, tempera, etc. Google is your friend for ideas and instructions.
• If you have recent studio experience, preferably at Burnish, and can glaze using dipping and pouring glazes unassisted then you can make a glaze appointment to come in and use the studio glazes. Cost is $15 for up to 3 hours plus the firing fees.

 
EQUIPMENT

• I do not have any used equipment to sell.
• I do not need any additional equipment.
• Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace is your best resource for both. 

Buy a Wheel:

• If you are looking to purchase a new wheel, I recommend the Shimpo VL Lite. Unless the user is planning on going into business making 25lb planters, it has plenty of horsepower for standard throwing sizes at almost half the price of the other name brands.
• Your best bet for purchasing is to try the bigger clay supply websites that often have deals and free shipping – Clay King, The Ceramic Shop, Sheffield Pottery, etc. Google is again your friend to find the best deal but do beware the plethora of super cheap options on Amazon, you get what you pay for there.  

Buy a Kiln:

• For brand new, I recommend Skutt, purchased and installed by Clay Art Center - https://clayartcenter.net/. If you are trying to locate a used kiln, keep checking Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace.
• If you need your kiln hooked up, Garrett at Aperture Electrical (360.421.3963) did a great job doing the electrical work at Burnish. Through the problems/issues with the weird electrical I inherited in this building, he now has a lot of experience hooking up kilns.