The final firing

The final firing of this little kiln that is.
Number 27, 7th July 2012

That was the Wimbledon weekend when Andy Murray finally made it to the final and I realised on Friday that I had to fire on Saturday in order to watch the tennis on Sunday. Only the realisation happened on Friday evening after he won the semi, which I had been watching instead of packing the kiln (keep up there).

If I packed in the morning and fired into the night I would get enough sleep to be awake again in time for the final. That's if the forecast bad weather held off long enough.

Another fairly loose pack. Flat black clay tiles on the bottom shelf 'wadded' on silica sand, two more shelves, large platter on the top shelf. Cones 7, 8, 9, 10.

Midday Saturday, high cloud, gusting from the North and North East, a bit chilly really but DRY and NO midgies.  Lit the gas to get it going. The gas blew out so for the first time I started with wood alone. Usually the kiln has absorbed so much moisture from the humidity that I have to dry it out for at least a couple of hours on gas. However whilst the covers have been going on at Wimbledon and England is doing an impression of Atlantis this corner of The Misty Isle is having a drought.

Five hours later with the pyro reading 993ºC I reckoned it was as good a time as any to let the kiln do a fast fire!
After 7 hours it was at 1158ºC after which it started to slow a little
After 8 hours it was at 1168ºC but touching 1200º so I put the soda in, about 250g
          9 hours               1212ºC  cone 7 bending
         10 hours              1220ºC  cones 8 & 9 softening, getting a good temperature rise with thin pine branches about 2 - 3 inches diameter.

After 10 and 1/2 hours it reached 1251ºC with cone 10 softening. End of firing.  At least 3 hours shorter than normal.

Bed, sleep then sit back and watch Andy lose! But just like woodfiring it's the taking part that counts not just the results.

Back to Anagama in Cumbria

  Back to Cumbria before I forget too many details.

After 60 hours I had the feeling to stop. Already 20 hours more than the previous firing with cone 10 down at the front after 30 Hours. So we are certain we have achieved much higher and more consistent heat  than before. I would have liked to have seen the results from this point of the firing but we are on a roll. There's still half a ton of wood left (good and dry to start the next firing I argued) but pyromania takes hold and we keep going.

 The wind picks up. Not so good for pizza on the flue, the top won't cook despite the covering kiln shelf.  Two seconds at the open fire mouth sorts that, five seconds and it's carbonised. The wind is in the trees blowing crazily. Little oblongs of light between the bricks at the top of the chimney become bigger, squarer, lower down too. The chimney is listing away from the kiln. Loud harsh cracks from a tree as it starts, in slow motion to snap. It's not offering itself to the firing but seems to want to get away from it. It's the only thing to pull our attention away from the kiln.

The wood is running low, the rain sets in, the chimney looks dangerous. The kiln is as happy as Larry, I have the impression it would continue for another 6 tons and reach higher temperature.   We call time, I'm really a bit scared that the chimney might go, like a giant red hot Jenga.  As we load up the fire box to finish off, the tree finally snaps and twists as it falls across the drive.
72 hours.

And here's the culprit

The offending shelf

 Thinking back to when I was packing this firing, there was a loud crack when I was filling the top shelf. As nothing moved then it just didn't occur to me that something had bust. There was no sign of a crack when I painted on the batt wash.

Half baked, smokey pots

I'm getting closer to wanting to build a more substantial kiln. With a proper arched roof and door into the chamber. In fact I've heard of some 2nd hand bricks needing a home....

The pots looked rather beautiful with their dusting of soot and ash and useful to see how the early ash settles on the surfaces.

So now the kiln is packed again and waiting for the weather to come good, the exhibition to end, the trip away to be over, the dog walker to be at home again etc etc

Perfect day for firing no. 16.......

6 am - sooo good to be alive

9 am -

6am start the firing with gas
9am turn off the gas and abandon firing at only 300 degrees

Putting the first pieces of wood in about 8am I noticed one of the kiln shelves which form the chamber floor has cracked and slipped. You can just see it in this photo. It has to come out. Unfortunately this is the shelf which supports the main prop holding up the shelves of pots. I can't risk continuing.

OH *!***!.*

All I can do now is cut the grass on this perfect summer day.

Firing 13 in the planning

The frustration of not firing for a couple of months is getting to me. I find that I start to lose sight of what I am aiming for in my work. This time I am planning to fill the kiln with about 50% sell-able wares and fewer but more focused test pieces.

 We took delivery of the new iron framework (Caledonian Sheet Metal works in Inverness).  The kiln now has a detachable firemouth door and vertical supports at the corners. This should minimise some of the movement from firing and unbuilding for packing.  I suspect that a complete rebuild will be in order next year, at which point I might as well increase the size, it just isn't big enough.

 The door is a sandwich of fibre/kiln shelf/fibre, tin foil and weldmesh on the outer face. Two pieces of vermiculite board on the side which I dismantle for packing. We'll see how well that survives over time.
Isn't it smart? But......

Daylight between chimney hood and roof as the filler has burned out, letting the rain in of course.