Bisque

Five pieces fire tonight.

Kiln 2, cone 6. Eleven hours to the top.

Firing locks the programme until the kiln is back under 60 °C.

  1. Ember bottleStoneware, cone 10. Waits for kiln 1.
  2. Faceted vaseStoneware, cone 6. One of a pair; its twin cracked.
  3. Three teabowlsPorcelain, cone 6. Celadon at an eight-second dip.
  4. Serving platterEarthenware, cone 04. It would slump at 6.
  5. Tea caddyPorcelain, cone 6. The lid fires in place.

Kiln 2 programmeCeladon soak, long cool

Cone 6 in oxidation. An eleven-hour climb to 1,222 °C, ten minutes at the top, then a drop to 1,100 °C and a two-hour soak while the glaze settles. The slow cool runs unattended through the night.

Now: 20 °C, climbing
  1. 1. Dry60 °C an hour to 120 °C, then hold 45 minutes.
  2. 2. Climb150 °C an hour to 1,100 °C.
  3. 3. To cone 660 °C an hour to 1,222 °C, hold 10 minutes.
  4. 4. SoakDrop to 1,100 °C, hold two hours. Heals pinholes.
  5. 5. Slow cool80 °C an hour to 760 °C, then off.

Sea-glass celadon, dip test

  1. 2 secondsToo thin to green the well.
  2. 4 secondsPale, bare on the ridges.
  3. 6 secondsPools, thin at the rim.
  4. 8 secondsTonight's teabowls. Pools without running.
  5. 10 secondsRan over the lip.

7kg left

Enough celadon for one more glaze day at eight seconds. Reorder before Friday; the next load of teabowls needs about four kilos.

Both kilns, this weekKiln log

WhenKilnLoadConeResult
TonightKiln 2Celadon soak, long cool: vase, three teabowls, tea caddy6Loaded, not fired
WednesdayKiln 1Bisque load, 25 pieces0424 of 25 whole. One faceted vase cracked across the base.
TuesdayKiln 2Celadon teabowls, twelve, and the nested tea set616 of 16 whole. Six-second dip; pale at the rims.
NextKiln 1Ember bottle and stoneware10Waiting for a full shelf. Six more pieces.