2017-12-12 - Tuesday - Glazing

Tuesday night I was glazing for an upcoming  cone 10 kiln firing. Everyone is trying to get the last firings in at the end of the year to finish up work. As I've mentioned many times, it takes a long time for me to glaze. Tuesday was no exception.

8:45 pm.

01:00 am.

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2017-10-26 - Thursday - Firing kiln

Thursday we fired the gas kiln. It was kept in reduction all day starting at cone 012 (~1582F), all the way up to cone 10 (~2345F). At the very end of the firing we do a "final soak" when we put the kiln into heavy reduction by starving it of oxygen. When that happens a beautiful green flame (copper) goes all the way up the flue and out the top to access oxygen.

After the final soak we shut it down and wait for it to cool for two days before opening it.

I've said it before: People who don't fire kilns only get one Christmas per year.

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2017-02-16 - Thursday - Unloading the kiln

Thursday night we unloaded the gas kiln. I was pleased with my part of it. Here are some quick snapshots of the work. I will get around to nicer photos soon.

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2016-10-03 - Monday - Firing Cone 10

Monday Jeff and I fired the cone 10 gas kiln. Since we only had to check the kiln every hour or so, I brought my laptop to Clayworks and did some work in the break room while we were firing. The firing went quickly and it was a bit strange since the atmosphere inside was "murky" in the bottom peep and clear in the top one. The murkiness showed we had good reduction (free carbon) atmosphere, but the top being clear was a concern.

Caught sight of this old spiderweb
outside by the loading dock door.

We got to 2287 F and the bottom 10 cone was pretty much down
and the top 10 cone was only soft. Done.

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2016-10-02 - Sunday - Raku and gas kiln = busy day

Sunday we were loading the gas kiln and while waiting for Jeff to finish glazing his work I fired some of the raku pots I've been making.

Raku paraphernalia all ready to go.

While waiting for the raku kiln to heat the first load
I glazed some more raku pots for another firing.

First couple of loads with underglaze and clear crackle.

During the raku firing I also made my first ever cone 10 cone packs. I know! The people I fired with always made them. Now I've done it too.

My first cone packs.

Another batch of raku, mostly luster glazes.

Same pots, other side.

This video is of the second batch of clear crackle pots
that Deborah helped me with by spritzing the pots
with water to promote crackling.

Finally it was time to start loading the gas kiln. We had a fairly loose pack due to Jeff needing to get some plates fired (and that we didn't have enough work for a tight pack). And here I thought I was making too much work...

Back stack.

Front stack (along with my cone packs)
and you can see by the flames that we started
"candling" the kiln.

By the time I left, the temperature was up to 866 F.
It will go to 1590 F and hold until
the morning when we start the firing process.

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2016-09-30 - Friday - Glaze-a-thon

Friday found me glazing my cone 10 work. I had a lot of it to get through and I dove right in.

I only got the first round (mostly shino) finished before I had to leave this note.

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2016-07-27 - Wednesday - New forms & no room

Wednesday I played around with some new forms in raku clay. I quite like this shape and these marks. I believe I will play with this form some more and see where it takes me.

Meanwhile... back at the shelf...

I have no room. I've got bisqueware and greenware everywhere. I need to fire a bisque kiln and then I need to get on the schedule for the cone 10 gas kiln.

I have another problem looming. I have been throwing a bunch of raku pots and have no glazes. I need to get the chemicals and mix some raku glazes very soon.

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2016-07-09 - Saturday - Bisque kiln and more pots

Saturday I loaded a bisque kiln and made some new pots. I'm on a roll.

Bottom layer.

Top layer.

New pots. Raku in the back, cone 10 gas in the front.

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2016-05-19 - Thursday - Glaze tiles

Our friend Kim Marcadis is moving back to Indiana and as one of her departing gifts she made a new cone 10 glaze tile board. It turned out really well and since I have a label maker, she asked me to label the board. On Thursday night I put the labels on it.

Thanks Kim!

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2016-03-08 - Tuesday - Salt firing

Tuesday night we finished firing the salt kiln by adding salt and soda to it. I don't have any photos of the salting since I was one of the salters.

These photos show Adrienne, Cindy, and Daniel spraying soda into the kiln. Adrienne pulled the brick, Cindy sprayed the soda, and Daniel held the sprayer can up so she could reach. If you've never sprayed soda in a kiln at cone 9 or 10, there are some interesting things to note.

1. When you spray the soda to a count of five, you then have to quench the brass sprayer nozzle in a bucket of water before spraying the next one to avoid it melting.

2. The light you are seeing in the photos is solely from the glow of the hot end of the brick Adrienne is holding (with a glove) in her hand. 2300+ degrees will do that.

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2016-03-05 - Saturday - Glazing

Today a bunch of us were glazing at Clayworks. We're hoping to fire the cone 10 kiln next weekend so we were furiously trying to get it all done.

I didn't get finished today so I'll have to head back in on Sunday.

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2015-05-28 - Thursday - New pots

Thursday was a big day as I got lots of work out of the cone 10 and cone 5 kilns. I was very pleased with the results from the different types of firings.

My favorite method is cone 10 reduction firing and I am very pleased with my pots from this firing. The shinos have a nice variation in hues with lots of carbon-trapping. There was also a lot of crazing on some of them and I'm not sure why. Perhaps it's a heating/cooling rate issue, but I'm not complaining as it adds another layer to these forms which are not meant for food anyway.

Good firing.

Shino w/crazing.

A closer look.

More shino crazing.

 

Another closer look.

Another batch of bowls with graphic designs came out too. I am enjoying these as I get to play by doodling in them with underglaze using different applicator and brush techniques.

Bowls w/cobalt.

Inside one.

The last group of bowls I retrieved was a commission from my high school friend, Stan Godlewski. He requested a large bowl and I ended up making three just in case one didn't come out the way I wanted it to. The orange color is not one I normally use, but it was his choice and I like the way it works.

Attention!

At ease.

I just had to include a close-up of
Eddie. He was waiting for it.

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2015-05-25 - Monday - Glazing and kilns

I finally finished glazing on Monday and got everything in kilns. It was a long run and I was worn out by the end of it. I have helped to fire the gas kiln at Clayworks many times, but this was the first time I fired my own electric kiln there. Moving through the process, step by step...

I have a whole cone 5 electric kiln and some things in the cone 10 gas kiln.

Refreshments and music help the glazing process.

The electric kiln on the rise.

Ditto the gas kiln.

Nice reduction flame
searching for oxygen outside the kiln.

The salt kiln was also loaded today.

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