I spent a few hours cleaning up at the kiln site and taking quick peeks inside. I also pulled rings from the salt chamber. They show great promise and everything I could see made me hopeful!
Both chambers were hovering around 1200 degrees F. and felt too hot to look for long. This is always a time of the most exquisite agony.
Everything about the wood chamber felt better this time around and while I expect that the reduction in the salt chamber is still uneven, I kind of welcome that. There is a nice variation from light to dark that works just fine for me when it varies like that.
I am still exploring the active/passive dampers as they relate to the second chamber. Creating some back pressure seems to slow the cooling of the first chamber but really increases the smoke and flame in the second. It's possible that this would give me more even reduction?
The cooling of the first chamber while firing the first is perhaps my biggest challenge.
Both chambers were hovering around 1200 degrees F. and felt too hot to look for long. This is always a time of the most exquisite agony.
Everything about the wood chamber felt better this time around and while I expect that the reduction in the salt chamber is still uneven, I kind of welcome that. There is a nice variation from light to dark that works just fine for me when it varies like that.
I am still exploring the active/passive dampers as they relate to the second chamber. Creating some back pressure seems to slow the cooling of the first chamber but really increases the smoke and flame in the second. It's possible that this would give me more even reduction?
The cooling of the first chamber while firing the first is perhaps my biggest challenge.
3 comments:
I don't know how you do it, but even this dry technical stuff about firings is made into fine reading by your writing skill. I am so glad that I will never have to know how to do this kind of work. Would love to see it in action, though. It IS a fascinating process and I'm looking forward to seeing what treasures are uncovered.
Here's to good stuff when you open.
Look forward to seeing some lovely things. I've been out of touch because I've been away and I'm firing too this weekend - looks like you've been mighty busy, fingers crossed for you.
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