Sunday 7 March 2010

Test firing results

I don't think that I will be firing THAT fast again!! All the clay pads that held the cones had disintegrated.
However that is cone 06 on the left, so the two pyrometers (one through a hole above the spyhole where these cones were, one down through the middle of the kiln roof) that read 1000 degrees C weren't far out
top
spyhole level
going down
bottom shelf and bagwall ends
Cone Corpses!!

I need to find my old kiln logs from the late 70s and 80s. I'm sure I did bisque firings at 900 degrees or so.
There has been discussion on the Clayart forum lately as to the merits or otherwise of bisque firings varying from cone 05 to 07.

Perhaps all the arguments are why I ended up raw glazing my slipware back then!! I would like to do so again, but I've heard that it isn't possible with a white earthenware body. Now that I'm using porcelain at times, and a white stoneware body, the thought of having red clay as well in a small workshop brings nightmares!!

All I need now is a white stoneware body that will withstand the rigours of a salt firing as well as doing fine in 'ordinary' stoneware firings!! I know, asking the Earth!!

6 comments:

Zhoen said...

You have my admiration. I loved seeing what happened to my wee pots after the fire, but left the doing to the real potter.

Any chance I can talk you out of the On The Page comments? Takes three tries to get it to work.

gz said...

Do you mean on your blog?

gz said...

I think we are both on Blogger. Strange, works fine on here. Perhaps because I'm on ubuntu/linux not microsoft/windows? I don't know.
AS I say, "my computer has an L plate"... I shall still enjoy your writing, please visit and talk here

Anonymous said...

You certainly got a reaction! I too admire you, you are a true artist! Despite the disintegration it all looks amazing!

gz said...

Ah, difficult to post on mine I think, instead of the little page coming up....need to find out about that one!!

Zhoen said...

Much better, thank you.