Cone 03 temperature
Orton cone 03 bends at 1987 °F (1086 °C) at 108 °F/hr and 2019 °F (1104 °C) at 270 °F/hr. It sits in the between the ranges range — cone 21 of 38 on the chart, counting up from 022.
108 °F/hr · 60 °C/hr
1987 °F1086 °C
Medium — the rate most charts quote
270 °F/hr · 150 °C/hr
2019 °F1104 °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 1987 °F is not the same as firing to cone 03 — put a witness cone on the shelf.
Cone 03 is not cone 3
The leading zero means cone 03 counts down from cone 1 — it's a between the ranges temperature (1987 °F). Cone 3 is 119 °F hotter (2106 °F), in the between the ranges range.
What cone 03 is used for
Between the ranges — Upper earthenware and lower mid-range. Less common as a target than the cones either side; some commercial glazes and sculpture bodies specify it.
Cone 03 compared
| Comparison | At 108 °F/hr | Difference (medium) | Difference (fast) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| cone 03 vs cone 3 | 1987 → 2106 °F | 119 °F (66 °C) | 119 °F (66 °C) | cone 3 is hotter |
| cone 03 vs cone 04 | 1945 → 1987 °F | 42 °F (23 °C) | 48 °F (27 °C) | cone 03 is hotter |
| cone 03 vs cone 02 | 1987 → 2016 °F | 29 °F (16 °C) | 33 °F (18 °C) | cone 02 is hotter |
| cone 03 vs cone 06 | 1828 → 1987 °F | 159 °F (88 °C) | 164 °F (91 °C) | cone 03 is hotter |
| cone 03 vs cone 5 | 1987 → 2167 °F | 180 °F (100 °C) | 186 °F (103 °C) | cone 5 is hotter |
| cone 03 vs cone 6 | 1987 → 2232 °F | 245 °F (136 °C) | 250 °F (139 °C) | cone 6 is hotter |
| cone 03 vs cone 10 | 1987 → 2345 °F | 358 °F (199 °C) | 362 °F (201 °C) | cone 10 is hotter |
Convert
cone 03 bends at
1987 °F(1086 °C)
At 108 °F/hr (60 °C/hr) — medium. Faster firing → the same cone bends hotter. Everything about cone 03 →
Questions
- What temperature is cone 03?
- Orton cone 03 bends at about 1987 °F (1086 °C) when the kiln climbs at 108 °F per hour, and about 2019 °F (1104 °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 03 in Celsius?
- 1086 °C at 108 °F/hr (60 °C/hr) and 1104 °C at 270 °F/hr (150 °C/hr), converted from Orton's Fahrenheit chart for self-supporting regular cones.
- Is cone 03 the same as cone 3?
- No — and this is the most common cone mix-up. Cones with a leading zero count down toward cone 1, so cone 03 is cooler than cone 3: about 1987 °F versus 2106 °F at 108 °F/hr, a difference of 119 °F. Read the zero as "oh", not as nothing.
- What is cone 03 used for?
- cone 03 sits in the between the ranges range. Upper earthenware and lower mid-range. Less common as a target than the cones either side; some commercial glazes and sculpture bodies specify it.
- How far is cone 03 from cone 04 and cone 02?
- At 108 °F/hr, cone 04 bends 42 °F cooler (1945 °F) and cone 02 bends 29 °F hotter (2016 °F). One cone step is not a fixed number of degrees — the spacing varies across the chart.
Firing to cone 03? Claybench schedules the kiln around it.
Clay body, glazes, and firing schedule are matched by cone before a plan is saved.