New in the Studio

Leatherhard casseroles with slip trailing & dropped handles. After firing and the attendant shinkage, these will hold about 2 quarts. Dropped handles wil be our next turtorial!

Firing Results

We fired the soda kiln at the Watershed Center on May 2, and just unloaded it today. This was our second firng in this kiln, and we definitely improved on the first:


As usual, I find the bottoms of bowls almost more handsome than the rest.

One great addition this firing was the use of Bauer Orange Flashing Slip:

41.9 EPK
41.9 OM 4
5.7 Borax
10.5 Zircopax

Apply very thinly to bisque. Works on greenware, too. Do not apply over glaze.

This week:
Monday -- Beginner's Class, Portland Pottery
Tuesday -- Fiona getting spayed! Find sub for Intermediate class.
Wednesday -- Trim lids & finish casseroles
Thursday -- Car to Lewiston for new head gasket. Glaze cat urns.
Friday -- Glaze & load
Saturday -- Firing; photograph new pots.
Sunday -- Mother's Day in So Po; unload kiln.

May 3 Firing

The last time we fired this kiln, we had a tough time keeping it in a sufficiently strong reduction. This I blamed on a very loose door of castable bricks, so we took steps after we loaded to address the problem. Using door mud (50% fire clay, 50% alumina) we filled in the gaps, then papered over the door with newspaper dipped in a slurry of recycled clay:




Relaxing while waiting for cones to fall:

Adding the soda mix:

We had no trouble reducing this time! Unloading Sunday. In the pouring rain, probably. I'll keep you "posted."