So this is quick.
during the five or 10 minutes I spend writing that last entry, I notice now I have lost all color (from flames) inside the kiln- this is a good thing. Oxydation(blue flame) will do that. But when I open the lower peep hole, I gat a wave of heat about 600F, have to stand back about a foot to look inside.
Should still take a good 1 1/2 hours until I begin to get even a dull orange glow.
*I screwed up. While making my cone packs(1), I negated to place a biswue cone( cone 04) in there. That is generally the point you start a body reduction to get the clay monoclues prepared for the glaze reduction. It's been a while, but I think I can do the load by color judgment at least to where I have the cone 8, 9, and 10 visible.
(1)cone packs are just a series of pyrometric cones made of glazes and fluxes that bend and melt at a given temperature. I usually place them at about a 30 degree angle on a piece of claymaybe 3/4"X4" so i don't get them running on to the shelves.
This time I have four packs placed in various parts of the kiln. Two are visible through peep holes(reminds me I need a piece of welders glass to see inside when I get over cone 6. The other two are placed in various parts of the kiln so when I'm unloading the kiln I can gague any temperature variations . It's good to know where the hot spots are and the cool spots. As well as where I can get the best reduction, etc. While ideally, it will be an even firing through out, I don't live in a perfect world, and some places in a kiln of this size will naturally have slightly different temperatures as well as richer reduction atmospheres.
I remember firing the kilns back in college. Part of one of my directed studies was maintiainint and loading the kilns for the ceramics I and II students. I bet I fired those things at least 50 times each. Knew them better than anyone. well, Ion this one kiln, I knew the sweet spot and would stratigically place the best pieces(not necessarly or alwasy mine) in those sweet spots.
Ah. memories of the university life place such warm memories in my mind. I need to get back to that environment soon.
Oh, on another aside note, The other day I got a call from an art teacher at this private elementry school. She is a friend of a friend, and wanted to knowe if I could come out there and give like a two day mini workshop got the students. They have an electric kiln hasn't been used in years. It could be really fun. She offered to pay me for my time, but as always in such cases, I declined any payment. Just the opportunity of showing kids(so impressional) that there is more to life than a $2 plastic coffee mug bought at Walmart is compensation enough. The bummer side to it though is when I get these bulk envelopes loaded with thank you cards from the kids. I like the notes, and makes me feel good. until I run acorss the ones where some say they want to be a potter when they grow up!. I've since stressed during demonstrations that there isn'tr much of a living being a potter/artist, and such a very few % of us actually make a living solely on our art. But that doesn't deture a few of them to harbor the dream, I guess that is good ina way too. I will have to do some research to determine how I will fire up their kiln. I do know of some recipies that are designed to give reduction like quairies to oxidation firing.
Gonna go get some coffee right now. Wish I'd had brushed my teeth before taking off from the house this morning(okay, maybe you didn't need to know that<GGG>) |
