Cone 12 temperature
Orton cone 12 bends at 2383 °F (1306 °C) at 108 °F/hr and 2419 °F (1326 °C) at 270 °F/hr. It sits in the above studio range range — cone 36 of 38 on the chart, counting up from 022.
108 °F/hr · 60 °C/hr
2383 °F1306 °C
Medium — the rate most charts quote
270 °F/hr · 150 °C/hr
2419 °F1326 °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 2383 °F is not the same as firing to cone 12 — put a witness cone on the shelf.
Cone 12 is not cone 012
Cone 012 — with the leading zero — is 801 °F cooler (1582 °F), in the low fire range. Read the zero as “oh”; a glaze labeled for one will not behave at the other.
What cone 12 is used for
Above studio range — Hotter than nearly all studio work. Used for some porcelains, refractories, and industrial ceramics; most studio kilns are not rated for it.
Cone 12 compared
| Comparison | At 108 °F/hr | Difference (medium) | Difference (fast) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| cone 12 vs cone 012 | 1582 → 2383 °F | 801 °F (445 °C) | 799 °F (444 °C) | cone 12 is hotter |
| cone 12 vs cone 11 | 2361 → 2383 °F | 22 °F (12 °C) | 20 °F (11 °C) | cone 12 is hotter |
| cone 12 vs cone 13 | 2383 → 2428 °F | 45 °F (25 °C) | 39 °F (22 °C) | cone 13 is hotter |
| cone 12 vs cone 06 | 1828 → 2383 °F | 555 °F (308 °C) | 564 °F (313 °C) | cone 12 is hotter |
| cone 12 vs cone 04 | 1945 → 2383 °F | 438 °F (243 °C) | 448 °F (249 °C) | cone 12 is hotter |
| cone 12 vs cone 5 | 2167 → 2383 °F | 216 °F (120 °C) | 214 °F (119 °C) | cone 12 is hotter |
| cone 12 vs cone 6 | 2232 → 2383 °F | 151 °F (84 °C) | 150 °F (83 °C) | cone 12 is hotter |
| cone 12 vs cone 10 | 2345 → 2383 °F | 38 °F (21 °C) | 38 °F (21 °C) | cone 12 is hotter |
Convert
cone 12 bends at
2383 °F(1306 °C)
At 108 °F/hr (60 °C/hr) — medium. Faster firing → the same cone bends hotter. Everything about cone 12 →
Questions
- What temperature is cone 12?
- Orton cone 12 bends at about 2383 °F (1306 °C) when the kiln climbs at 108 °F per hour, and about 2419 °F (1326 °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 12 in Celsius?
- 1306 °C at 108 °F/hr (60 °C/hr) and 1326 °C at 270 °F/hr (150 °C/hr), converted from Orton's Fahrenheit chart for self-supporting regular cones.
- Is cone 12 the same as cone 012?
- 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 12 used for?
- cone 12 sits in the above studio range range. Hotter than nearly all studio work. Used for some porcelains, refractories, and industrial ceramics; most studio kilns are not rated for it.
- How far is cone 12 from cone 11 and cone 13?
- At 108 °F/hr, cone 11 bends 22 °F cooler (2361 °F) and cone 13 bends 45 °F hotter (2428 °F). One cone step is not a fixed number of degrees — the spacing varies across the chart.
Firing to cone 12? Claybench schedules the kiln around it.
Clay body, glazes, and firing schedule are matched by cone before a plan is saved.