Kiln Share is on a mission to make kiln hire more accessible for potters around the world whilst supporting kiln owners to earn extra income. It is a FREE and easy-to-use global kiln directory, providing a platform where potters and local kiln owners can connect!
From helping you to offset your firing costs, to building new local relationships with potters, there are so many positive reasons to list your kiln on Kiln Share (best of all, it’s FREE to join!). If you need a nudge to sign up, this blog post is for you.
Note: It’s 100% FREE to list your kiln on Kiln Share! You are free to edit or delete your listing page at any time. We do not charge commission or process rental fees (FAQs).
EARN EXTRA INCOME
Hiring out kiln space is a great way to create another revenue stream alongside selling your pottery or running classes and events. Connecting with a local potter who regularly needs kiln space could generate a steady stream of added income, helping you to pay off the price of your kiln or giving you some extra cash to spend on some new studio equipment or tools!
Not every potter can afford or has the space to have their own kiln so by listing your kiln on Kiln Share you are helping to make pottery more accessible for everyone in your local area. You can probably charge more than you think for kiln hire too! If you are new to renting kiln space and have no idea what to charge, this useful blog post should help.
When you join Kiln Share you do not need to show prices on your kiln listing page. Prices can be discussed as and when potters get in touch with you through the platform (leaving you to adapt your firing prices for each enquiry if needed).
BUILD NEW LOCAL RELATIONSHIPS
Do you think you are an “out-in-the-sticks” in the middle of nowhere kinda potter? You will be surprised just how many other potters are based around you!
From hobbyists creating at home to professionals working from beautiful garden studios, there are potters everywhere (many of whom do not own their own kilns!).
From sharing firing knowledge or glazing tips to carrying out wild pottery experiments together, building new relationships with other local potters is possibly one of the best added benefits when listing your kiln on Kiln Share. With interest in pottery booming worldwide, there has never been a better time to start kiln sharing.
Although listing your kiln for hire on a website might be a relatively new concept, renting kiln space to other potters is fairly common in the industry. Kiln Share simply makes it easier to reach more local potters, making kiln hire accessible for everyone!
FIRE YOUR KILN MORE OFTEN
Do you find yourself firing up your kiln at only half capacity or having to wait ages before you make enough work to turn your kiln on?
Connecting with local potters who are looking for somewhere to fire their own work could help you to improve your firing efficiency. In the long-run, this could significantly impact your own costs when firing your own items, helping you to make more profit on work that you sell. Kiln sharing from time to time might even help you to keep a constant flow of newly-fired work coming through (as opposed to huge firing sessions during the year when you can fill and fire your kiln at full capacity).
Most kiln owners on Kiln Share offer rental space per shelf or by half or full load – but how you choose to rent your kiln is completely up to you! Some listings even allow single items to be fired, which can be perfect for when you have just that little bit of free space available in your kiln before shutting the lid.
KEEP YOUR KILN FIRING
As every kiln owner already knows, it is good practice to keep your kiln firing as often as you can. This helps you to learn and understand its firing personality, timing schedules, spot damage or uncover faulty elements and maintenance issues quickly.
Whether you are firing for others or just yourself it is a good idea to keep a kiln logbook to record your firing calendar. A logbook is a simple way to stay in tune with your kiln and to remember technical details about a firing that you will never remember several months later down the line!
And last but not least…
YOU SET THE FIRING RULES & PRICES
For some kiln owners hiring kiln space to another potter can be a daunting prospect – especially if you have never hired out kiln space before! However, when you list your kiln in our directory, you are always in control.
Kiln Share has been built with kiln owners in mind. From setting a minimum turnover time or only firing work on cookies, to asking for a deposit to cover damages (should they happen), you set the firing rules and prices and are free to disclose your full address only when you are happy to do so.
It is common that kiln owners only fire certain clay/glaze types or only fire to a certain cone level – it’s absolutely okay to state these rules on your listing page. Potters looking to hire kiln space are more than accommodating to follow your rules as they want to have access to a kiln to fire their work. If you need help with setting rental prices, read this page. We also recommend reading our advice about what to discuss with potters before firing their work.
You do not have to fire a potter’s work just because they contacted you, this is always up for you to decide.
