Tight Schedule, Loose Firing

Trying to squeeze out a firing before the Maine Pottery Tour, with not quite enough time and not quite enough pots means a loose stack and a tight schedule.

I got the kiln loaded last night, but today and tomorrow are taken up with classes. When I get home late Tuesday night, I will brick up the door and light the burners. Wednesday I will fire it off, and then late Friday, I will unload. Or...

I debated (am still debating) doing the unloading as a pottery tour event. It's a chance for visitors to see that exciting moment of the great reveal - kind of a natural for the tour, actually. But I don't have a lot of inventory - my constant problem - so Day 1 would start out a little thin. The opening could be right away Saturday morning, but pots are never ready to go right out of the kiln, they need spiffying up; mostly they need the bottoms sanded.

And then there's the chance that the firing will not be good. The kiln has been a little weird since I rebuilt the stack, so there is that possibility. That wouldn't be the end of the world, but it could be embarrassing.

One good thing: this is a chance to test a theory that I have, that tight stacking might interfere with the flow of vapor through the kiln, resulting in dry areas.Will let you know how that turns out.

I keep reminding myself: either way it will be fine. Things usually are, even things that I get all wound up about.

Even when things go wrong, they are usually fine.