Salt Wood Firing at Clay Talk – Kiln Access & Firing Event

Location: Clay Talk Ceramic Centre, Montsalvat (Eltham)

Overview

This listing is for anyone who wants to learn salt firing through hands-on participation, or fire their own work in the Clay Talk salt kiln. Whether you're an experienced potter or new to atmospheric firing, this is a rare chance to fire in a catenary arch wood kiln.

Why Salt Firing

When salt is introduced into the kiln, it vaporises and the sodium bonds with silica in the clay and slip, forming a sodium silicate glaze over the pots. Depending on clay body, slip, and wood used, results can include glossy salt glaze effects, vibrant and varied colour, distinctive textures such as the "orange peel" effect, and completely one-of-a-kind surfaces. Every vessel becomes a record of the firing, a patient, elemental collaboration between artist, clay, fire, and salt.

The Kiln

The Clay Talk catenary arch kiln was built over six months under Arts & Education Manager Sergei Shatrov, with over 20 contributing volunteers and students, countless hours of labour, and community donations and reclaimed materials. The result is a fast-fire, cross-draft wood kiln that now stands alongside our Anagama kiln on the grounds of Montsalvat, at the heart of Clay Talk's educational and artistic programs.

How It Works

This is a shared kiln firing: all participants join one group booking for a single firing. Wood, labour, and running costs are largely fixed regardless of group size, so pricing is per person and scales down as the group grows.

Full participation includes:

• Assisting with packing, wood prep, and stoking shifts
• Attendance at one full firing shift minimum (not all shifts required)
• Unpacking and collecting your work at the kiln opening
• Up to one wine box carton of bisqued pieces (30 x 30 x 15cm) per person.

All work must be bisque fired and suitable for high-temperature wood firing (cone 10 stoneware clays).

Pricing – Per Person

Group size:

Price is per person

1 person $3,500

2 persons $1,750 each

3 persons $1,150 each

4 persons $875 each

5 persons $700 each

6 persons $580 each

7 persons $500 each

8 persons $435 each

9 persons $390 each

10 persons $350 each

11 persons $320 each

12 persons $300 each

The smaller group or single person firing option is a dedicated private firing, suited to professional makers who want full control over placement, atmosphere, almost unlimited sizes of pieces and scheduling without the complications of sharing the kiln with a larger group.

Note: the booking system on this listing only calculates pricing for a group of 12 and will not price smaller groups correctly. To book for fewer than 12, use the price guide above and email claytalk@montsalvat.com.au to arrange it manually rather than booking through "Book a Private Session." If your group size doesn't match the brackets above, or you'd like to enquire about a private firing, email us to discuss.

Please Note

• Finished work must be collected at unloading. Work not collected within 7 days may be sold or disposed of to cover handling and storage costs.
• Clay Talk reserves the right to cancel or postpone the firing due to a sudden change in fire danger conditions, advice from authorities (including but not limited to health warnings), or unforeseen unavailability of wood-firing crew members or the team leader.
• If postponed due to above listed circumstances, the firing will be rescheduled at a time that is agreeable for Clay Talk and participants.
• Upon booking, please ensure you've read Clay Talk's Terms & Conditions and Conditions of Entry.

Why Wood Firing Costs More

Wood firing is labour- and fuel-intensive. Sourcing timber and kiln shelf materials, and running a firing team over multiple days and nights, takes significant time and resources. Fees go toward fuel, kiln operation and maintenance, and staff labour. We keep pricing as accessible as we can while honouring the work and expertise these firings demand.

About Sergei Shatrov

With over 31 years of experience, Sergei is a ceramic artist, wood firer, and educator. He trained across the NSW TAFE system and at the Australian National University's School of Art, then travelled extensively through Japan and the USA to refine his craft. Born in Sydney to Ukrainian-Russian heritage, Sergei now lives in Melbourne and is Lead Artist & Coordinator at Clay Talk Ceramic Centre. His knowledge and dedication to clay make every session both inspiring and enriching.

Questions About Wood Firing?

Email directly: claytalk@montsalvat.com.au

TERMS & CONDITIONS

To secure your place in a class, course or workshop we require full payment at the time of booking.

Bookings are only accepted through our online portal at www.

Payment of class, course or workshop fees can only be made through our online portal at  www.

ACCESS

Clay Talk studio is located on the grounds of Montsalvat. For this reason, there are security measures in place to prevent trespassing and maintain your safety. Upon booking you will receive an Information Kit which has instructions on how to access Clay Talk studio. Please read this before coming to class.

REFUNDS / ABSENCE / TRANSFERS/ CANCELLATION

• We do not offer refunds if you change your mind after you have made the booking. Please be sure you are able to commit to the class, course or workshop dates and times prior to booking.
• Transfers are done upon email request and subject to available spaces only. Failure to transfer successfully will mean receiving a credit note or being transferred to a later term of the same class.
• If you are unable to attend a class, please contact us at claytalk@montsalvat.com.au on the day of your class. In exceptional circumstances, we can make alternative arrangements to compensate for lost class time.
• Retrospective requests (a request for a make-up from last term for example) for class make-ups are not accepted. We request you make contact via email or phone to Clay Talk as soon as you can’t make class so that we can make alternative arrangements for you.
• Clay Talk reserves the right to cancel a class due to unforeseen circumstances such as insufficient enrolments or illness or for maintenance works. You will be notified prior to the class if cancellation of the class is deemed necessary, or if there will be another date scheduled, or if a pro-rata refund will be provided.

ILLNESS

If classes and workshops are cancelled due to illness of a tutor, and the inability to find a suitable replacement, Clay Talk will endeavour to provide rescheduled dates for classes and workshops.

In the event that students cannot attend the rescheduled classes, students must email claytalk@montsalvat.com.au as soon as possible prior to the commencement of the rescheduled class or workshop.

If a student is unable to attend the rescheduled classes or workshop Clay Talk may, at its absolute discretion, provide either a credit note, or a pro-rata refund (minus an administration fee of 10%).

 GIFT VOUCHERS

Gift vouchers are only available through our online portal www. Gift vouchers can be purchased for a minimum of $20 and are valid for 3 years from purchase.

Gift vouchers can only be used for booking classes, courses and/or workshops at Clay Talk through our online portal. Gift vouchers can be applied at check out when booking a class, course or workshop.

FIRING OF WORK 

Most workshops and classes include firing and glazing of a specific number of pieces. Check the workshop listing description on our online platform.

We take extreme care with your work however accidents do happen, and we are unable to guarantee fully that your work will be successfully fired. Clay Talk takes no responsibility for failure or breakage of work.

Term classes:

Firing of 2.5kg of finished work per student is included in the term class fee.

Students can make and fire more work over this limit however additional charges apply.

Students must label each of their pieces with their Makers Mark (your Makers Mark is made up of the initials of your first, middle & last name and your class code e.g. John Adam Smith = JAS). No Makers Mark could mean losing your pieces.

If a kiln shelf is badly damaged from your work due to materials brought to Clay Talk from elsewhere, you will be charged for the cost of replacing that shelf.

Incorrect glazing or wrong clay body type in the wrong firing type will incur a penalty fee for damages.

• If your work damages the interior walls, burners or elements of the kiln, you will be required to pay for the damage to be determined by the Clay Talk Studio Manager.

COLLECTION OF WORK

• Firing, glazing and packaging of your work takes approximately 2-4 weeks after your class/workshop.
• You will be notified by a written or digital notification, an email, or the Clay Talk Newsletter when your work is ready for collection.
• Clay Taster & Kids School Holiday programme students have 30 days to collect their pieces from the time they received notification of their pieces to be collected before uncollected works are repurposed elsewhere.
• Non-returning term student work must be collected on the last Friday before term classes begin.
• Non-returning term students must talk with their teachers to understand the process of collecting their work and clearing student shelf items on the last day of their class. 
• Uncollected works, bisqued pieces, items on student shelf including tools and clay - unless the student notifies staff at Clay Talk that they wish to make alternative arrangements to collect their work - will not be guaranteed safe keeping or storage and will be re-purposed.
• EMAIL / SMS NOTIFICATIONS
• Clay Talk takes no responsibility for students not reading or checking their messages, emails or checking their spam/junk mail regarding work collection.