a good start

First firing this year, and it went well all considering the cold and damp start! Once the flue warmed up, it started drawing air through and I could relax. Until then it can overheat at the top, and fill the workshop with fumes! Needless to say the door and windows are open to start with!!
I missed the first gas bottle running low, so it spent half an hour gaining three degrees, but after changing over to the other bottle all went well. I have enough gas for the next bisque firing, I wouldn't risk another glaze firing from it as I wouldn't like to run out mid firing!

This firing's Menagerie!!
My Best Black Glaze- almost finished now, and I haven't been able to replicate it with commercial oxides. A good reason for a visit to North Wales!!
I may have glazed this a little too thick- this glaze always needed to be thickly applied. It could also be that it is the end of the glaze bucket...
I'm still trying to learn how to work with this kiln, to regulate the atmosphere- there is evidence of reduction throughout the kiln. Here the inside of the green jug is pink!!
This glaze has a tiny bit of copper as well as cobalt, giving pink flashes on the blue glaze.

Always learning, never stop!

I feel I have to master working with this kiln before I move to another. It is teaching me much, not just about the basic firing, but also about how the weather affects how I have to adjust damper and gas pressure .