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full moon firing?

updated tue 2 feb 10

 

gary navarre on sun 31 jan 10


Not exactly Folks,=3D0A=3D0A To glaze or not to glaze the taller Dragon Pot=
s I'=3D
m ending up making to fill some space up front has been a stalling point...=
=3D
=3D0A=3D0Ahttp://public.fotki.com/GindaUP/ca/kpap/lc/one-glazed-3-unglazed-=
4.ht=3D
ml=3D0A=3D0A... because a couple there are made with Wendt Porcelain. Since=
I'v=3D
e got a half dozen more on this shelf made with mixes of my different clays=
=3D
I went ahead and chanced slathering an Albany Black for a liner on one and=
=3D
a Spodumene Ash for another. Some Copper Apple Ash on Dragons and Black Co=
=3D
pper Ash under Rutile Ash Slip for the flame, maybe I'll get some red like =
=3D
colors, and just the rutile ash as background. Another liner is 50/50 Cornw=
=3D
all Stone and Strawberry Lake Red Slip and a Dragon painted in Dunham Blue =
=3D
with barium carb, saturated iron and cobalt with a good dose of titanium ox=
=3D
ide. I must have lost my 5lbs. of rutile so I have to substitute straight t=
=3D
itanium, add Iron, and skip the trace minerals. Another has a thin coat of =
=3D
clear with a touch of copper carbonate and a hint of cobalt. =3D0A=3D0A I s=
ure =3D
wish I could bring myself to set some unglazed to check out flashing but my=
=3D
early attempts took three firings to began to become as interesting...=3D0=
A=3D
=3D0Ahttp://public.fotki.com/GindaUP/ca/nsep/pots_008.html=3D0A=3D0A... as =
some w=3D
ith glaze...=3D0A=3D0Ahttp://public.fotki.com/GindaUP/ca/nsep/pots_011.html=
#med=3D
ia=3D0A=3D0A... because up front or along the roof line the speed of the fl=
ame =3D
takes the fly ash with it before it has a chance to settle and stick on the=
=3D
pot surface. In a way I have nothing to loose if I don't glaze the matchin=
=3D
g pair right up front because it is still a 50/50 chance any of the glazed =
=3D
pieces will turn out decent. I guess that's what tests are all about eh?=3D=
0A=3D
=3D0A So while I'm waiting for some of the glazed pieces to dry completely =
I =3D
decided to practice bricking the door...=3D0A=3D0Ahttp://www.youtube.com/wa=
tch?=3D
v=3D3DjTVs7Fh6vh8=3D0A=3D0A... and lighting the pignose a couple times whil=
e it w=3D
as below 0=3DB0...=3D0A=3D0Ahttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3D3DcD1bgQeZw2U=
=3D0A=3D0A Af=3D
ter the fire got going I had a lot of condensation in the vent holes out th=
=3D
e stack but I think it came from wood that got rained on and not the load. =
=3D
I let that whole thing set warm temporally bricked up while I glazed and it=
=3D
rained. I lit it in less than a half hour and burned slow and steady for 8=
=3D
hours yesterday and again tonight. At the moment I set a cap on the stack =
=3D
and left 4 small vent holes open while I let the fire die. The last I check=
=3D
ed the firebox thermometer was about 120=3DB0, the front pyrometer was abou=
t =3D
175=3DB0, rear still 100=3DB0, and the shelves were warm to the touch when =
I re=3D
ached in to check. Cold air was rushing in through the loosely bricked door=
=3D
so I covered it back up with the sleeping bag and I'll let it sit overnigh=
=3D
t and if it isn't to cold tomorrow load what I have that is dry and light a=
=3D
nother small fire. Then I'll decide if I make more or "fire the dang thing"=
=3D
as a friend quipped. It really could use a few more things up in
the crown to even things out...=3D0A=3D0Ahttp://public.fotki.com/GindaUP/c=
a/kp=3D
ap/lc/space-on-top.html=3D0A=3D0A... and that would be the last of my 12"x2=
4" s=3D
helves. All I have left that is risky to use is a warped clay shelf from th=
=3D
e over fire in my old kiln. Maybe I can flip it and straighten it out with =
=3D
an extra prop to act as a stop in the un-warping. I'll figure that out late=
=3D
r but for now I added some pots to the load and it is 37=3DB0 in there so I=
b=3D
etter get a fire going to keep it warm so stay in there eh! =3D0A=3D0A =3D0=
AGary =3D
Navarre=3D0ANavarre Pottery=3D0ANavarre Enterprises=3D0ANorway, Michigan, U=
SA=3D0Ah=3D
ttp://www.youtube.com/GindaUP=3D0Ahttp://public.fotki.com/GindaUP/=3D0A=3D0=
A=3D0A=3D
=3D0A=3D0A