Cone 012 temperature
Orton cone 012 bends at 1582 °F (861 °C) at 108 °F/hr and 1620 °F (882 °C) at 270 °F/hr. It sits in the low fire range — cone 11 of 38 on the chart, counting up from 022.
108 °F/hr · 60 °C/hr
1582 °F861 °C
Medium — the rate most charts quote
270 °F/hr · 150 °C/hr
1620 °F882 °C
Fast — typical of a quick electric firing
Orton self-supporting regular cones; rate measured over the last 200 °F of the firing. Source: Orton °F chart; °C converted. Cones measure heat-work, so a controller set to 1582 °F is not the same as firing to cone 012 — put a witness cone on the shelf.
Cone 012 is not cone 12
The leading zero means cone 012 counts down from cone 1 — it's a low fire temperature (1582 °F). Cone 12 is 801 °F hotter (2383 °F), in the above studio range range.
What cone 012 is used for
Low fire — Below the usual bisque range. Some low-fire glazes, glass, and enamel work land here; cone 010–08 appears as a soft bisque for very porous ware.
Cone 012 compared
| Comparison | At 108 °F/hr | Difference (medium) | Difference (fast) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| cone 012 vs cone 12 | 1582 → 2383 °F | 801 °F (445 °C) | 799 °F (444 °C) | cone 12 is hotter |
| cone 012 vs cone 013 | 1539 → 1582 °F | 43 °F (24 °C) | 38 °F (21 °C) | cone 012 is hotter |
| cone 012 vs cone 011 | 1582 → 1607 °F | 25 °F (14 °C) | 21 °F (12 °C) | cone 011 is hotter |
| cone 012 vs cone 06 | 1582 → 1828 °F | 246 °F (137 °C) | 235 °F (131 °C) | cone 06 is hotter |
| cone 012 vs cone 04 | 1582 → 1945 °F | 363 °F (202 °C) | 351 °F (195 °C) | cone 04 is hotter |
| cone 012 vs cone 5 | 1582 → 2167 °F | 585 °F (325 °C) | 585 °F (325 °C) | cone 5 is hotter |
| cone 012 vs cone 6 | 1582 → 2232 °F | 650 °F (361 °C) | 649 °F (361 °C) | cone 6 is hotter |
| cone 012 vs cone 10 | 1582 → 2345 °F | 763 °F (424 °C) | 761 °F (423 °C) | cone 10 is hotter |
Convert
cone 012 bends at
1582 °F(861 °C)
At 108 °F/hr (60 °C/hr) — medium. Faster firing → the same cone bends hotter. Everything about cone 012 →
Questions
- What temperature is cone 012?
- Orton cone 012 bends at about 1582 °F (861 °C) when the kiln climbs at 108 °F per hour, and about 1620 °F (882 °C) at 270 °F per hour. Cones measure heat-work — temperature over time — so the faster you fire, the hotter the kiln has to get for the same cone to bend.
- What is cone 012 in Celsius?
- 861 °C at 108 °F/hr (60 °C/hr) and 882 °C at 270 °F/hr (150 °C/hr), converted from Orton's Fahrenheit chart for self-supporting regular cones.
- Is cone 012 the same as cone 12?
- No — and this is the most common cone mix-up. Cones with a leading zero count down toward cone 1, so cone 012 is cooler than cone 12: about 1582 °F versus 2383 °F at 108 °F/hr, a difference of 801 °F. Read the zero as "oh", not as nothing.
- What is cone 012 used for?
- cone 012 sits in the low fire range. Below the usual bisque range. Some low-fire glazes, glass, and enamel work land here; cone 010–08 appears as a soft bisque for very porous ware.
- How far is cone 012 from cone 013 and cone 011?
- At 108 °F/hr, cone 013 bends 43 °F cooler (1539 °F) and cone 011 bends 25 °F hotter (1607 °F). One cone step is not a fixed number of degrees — the spacing varies across the chart.
Firing to cone 012? Claybench schedules the kiln around it.
Clay body, glazes, and firing schedule are matched by cone before a plan is saved.