5 January 2012

Wood firing and the Weather

It's official - 2011 was the wettest year on record in Scotland and I'll bet that this winter is one of the windiest. After one nasty gale when we lost the power for a couple of days (and water for 4 days, too nasty to go talk about in public) we also lost the lid for the kiln chimney. This 'lid' is a piece of lead sheeting 18 inches/40 cm square, folded to fit neatly over the heavy steel cooker hood which sits above the chimney on the shed roof. I eventually found in a gorse bush below the high side of the shed about 15 feet away. It had been blown off the hood and up the slope of the roof. I must get something to measure the wind speed when I'm firing, would be interesting to calculate the effect. Old sea dog husband can measure it by the whistling through his ears but that's not quite scientific enough for a potter.

2 comments:

  1. Hi Patricia

    I am Steve Tootell working as a potter and teaching pottery in Japan for 27years and also an anagama firer and wood firer-I have my own Euan Craig fast fire wood soda kiln at Brookhouse Pottery in Denbigh-the Frith Pottery . I built it there about 6 years ago and come back to Uk for 8 weeks each summer and to make and fire then show at Hatfield/Pens/Park and other venues

    Geoff Cox sent me your blog link

    I am just starting a blog… as an educator/potter I want it to be as instructional as possible and to bring together the many wonderful artists and musicians I work with in my professional life

    I enjoyed your commentary –like the “wind whistling through his ears” bit

    I hope to see you either at the Pens or the Park in 2012 since I am doing both

    Here is a link to my 6 day anagama firing in Mashiko Japan

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiuhLWnmDac&list=UU3OnwLqF7S0KAnrCW22ovLw&index=9&feature=plcp

    Here is a link to my Mashiko anagama unpacking and showing the work which I sold in Tokyo to raise about $3,000 to build an art school in Old Tafo Ghana.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8t0R1EKufLs&feature=related

    Steve

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  2. Hi Steve, what a lot for me to look at, thank you. I'm trying to keep the blog going but haven't been able to do any firings of the little wood kiln since september - wet weather, work, Christmas and more 'weather'. Thanks for the Euan Craig link, that kiln sounds like what I'm looking for to replace the little one. See you at Potfest in the Park this year.
    Patricia

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