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Cone 9 temperature

Orton cone 9 bends at 2300 °F (1260 °C) at 108 °F/hr and 2336 °F (1280 °C) at 270 °F/hr. It sits in the high fire range — cone 33 of 38 on the chart, counting up from 022.

108 °F/hr · 60 °C/hr

2300 °F1260 °C

Medium — the rate most charts quote

270 °F/hr · 150 °C/hr

2336 °F1280 °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 2300 °F is not the same as firing to cone 9 — put a witness cone on the shelf.

Cone 9 is not cone 09

Cone 09 — with the leading zero — is 612 °F cooler (1688 °F), in the low fire range. Read the zero as “oh”; a glaze labeled for one will not behave at the other.

What cone 9 is used for

High fire — Traditional stoneware and porcelain, especially in gas reduction. Cone 10 is the classic high-fire target; cone 9–10 is where shinos, celadons, and copper reds live.

Cone 9 compared

ComparisonAt 108 °F/hrDifference (medium)Difference (fast)
cone 9 vs cone 0916882300 °F612 °F (340 °C)630 °F (350 °C)cone 9 is hotter
cone 9 vs cone 822802300 °F20 °F (11 °C)16 °F (9 °C)cone 9 is hotter
cone 9 vs cone 1023002345 °F45 °F (25 °C)45 °F (25 °C)cone 10 is hotter
cone 9 vs cone 0618282300 °F472 °F (262 °C)481 °F (267 °C)cone 9 is hotter
cone 9 vs cone 0419452300 °F355 °F (197 °C)365 °F (203 °C)cone 9 is hotter
cone 9 vs cone 521672300 °F133 °F (74 °C)131 °F (73 °C)cone 9 is hotter
cone 9 vs cone 622322300 °F68 °F (38 °C)67 °F (37 °C)cone 9 is hotter

Neighboring cones

ConeMedium °F / °CFast °F / °CRange
cone 112361 / 12942399 / 1315Above studio range
cone 102345 / 12852381 / 1305High fire
cone 92300 / 12602336 / 1280High fire
cone 82280 / 12492320 / 1271High fire
cone 72262 / 12392295 / 1257Mid fire

Convert

cone 9 bends at

2300 °F(1260 °C)

At 108 °F/hr (60 °C/hr) — medium. Faster firing → the same cone bends hotter. Everything about cone 9 →

Questions

What temperature is cone 9?
Orton cone 9 bends at about 2300 °F (1260 °C) when the kiln climbs at 108 °F per hour, and about 2336 °F (1280 °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 9 in Celsius?
1260 °C at 108 °F/hr (60 °C/hr) and 1280 °C at 270 °F/hr (150 °C/hr), converted from Orton's Fahrenheit chart for self-supporting regular cones.
Is cone 9 the same as cone 09?
No — and this is the most common cone mix-up. Cones with a leading zero count down toward cone 1, so cone 09 is cooler than cone 9: about 1688 °F versus 2300 °F at 108 °F/hr, a difference of 612 °F. Read the zero as "oh", not as nothing.
What is cone 9 used for?
cone 9 sits in the high fire range. Traditional stoneware and porcelain, especially in gas reduction. Cone 10 is the classic high-fire target; cone 9–10 is where shinos, celadons, and copper reds live.
How far is cone 9 from cone 8 and cone 10?
At 108 °F/hr, cone 8 bends 20 °F cooler (2280 °F) and cone 10 bends 45 °F hotter (2345 °F). One cone step is not a fixed number of degrees — the spacing varies across the chart.

Firing to cone 9? Claybench schedules the kiln around it.

Clay body, glazes, and firing schedule are matched by cone before a plan is saved.

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