Firing again

Just finished 2 loads of pots in 72 hours. Whew I am pooped!

I am amazed at the magnitude of the effect the smallest thing can do to your firing. In my firing on the 3rd I turned my target brick sideways to allow the slightest amount of flame to get around it and reach the front of the kiln, there was about a 1.5 inch gap. This caused cone 12 to fall on the bottom with 11 half down on top. In this last firing I moved that target brick so no flame got around it and in this last firing cone 11 is flat on top with only 9 down on the bottom. Just the slightest move and the kiln temperature inversion is flipped.....ugh.

I will post some picture of the pots from both firings soon. Keep posted!

Peace to you!
Greg

Summer is in the air! Time to prduce pots!

Got some good pots out of the last 2 firings! I am still working on glaze tests towards a glaze book that will be out someday! At the rate of success I am having it will be at least 10 years! :)

I have finally figured out these forced air burners at George Fox. I have had to slow down the my heat rise in the last 5 hours of the firing by keeping the kiln reducing. So much air flows through these forced air burners that this seems to be the only way to get the results I am looking for. If I don't do this the glazes will look dull and under-fired (un-melted). This tip came from Dan wheeler and Mathew Patton, Thanks guys! I have posted a bunch of new pots on etsy and have taken a large load of work to mossy creek pottery! I am excited to see how my work does this year.

Thanks!
Greg

Packing Pots

I just spend a few hours on this dreary saturday to pack up some work for Mossy Creek Pottery! I pulled the pots out of the kiln about a week ago. It is funny how after a week I like them more! Perhaps my expectaiotns work against me. Either way the last load was pretty good, lots of deep color and very few flaws. I am exploring with some shino as well as with some other special effects glazes. Everything else was copper red with my "Gambler" glaze reacting to all sorts of special effects glazes. I had good luck with the shino on porcelain but the other tests were a waste. I will be adding more fine porcelain worrk to my etsy in a few days. I will add them slowly to keep things fresh.

I am loving making pots and attracting buyer online. It is so exciting to see work go to New York, DC, and other various cities. I need to again thank each one of you who has ever bought one of my pieces! You keep me going! I owe you so much and I attribute a large amount of my success to you!

Greg