How We Move On

Maple, myself and Ellie

Thanks to everyone who has reached out since Ray's passing...he was laid to rest on Thursday amidst a multitude of family and friends. Ray's granddaughter Clare (that's Joe and Trudi's girl) is compiling a number of people's thoughts and writing on a website and she invites you to visit. www.rayfinch.co.uk

Jason practicing his 'limbo' moves...he's got a ways to go.
Or was he showing me his 'Ministry of Silly Walks' moves?
I forget....

But, of course, life moves on and we've been making slow and steady progress on the new kiln. We're set to put the arch up, but now I need a welder to assemble the frame. That might slow us down. The arch form needs to be made before long and Jason and I worked on that some today.

I like to wrap the interior wall with ceramic fiber. It acts like the Tyvec fabric that builders wrap houses with. It keeps the kiln from sucking air through the joints in the brick. I don't use mortar so this really makes the kiln tight. I'm particularly pleased with my new and improved spyhole. Shortly after I finished my wood kiln I saw this idea and I was envious...By cutting the bricks on an angle along each side it provides a significantly bigger 'picture' of the interior and gives you much more latitude in where you can place the cones. It took me a while to figure out how to cut it with the wet saw/grinder method but the came out great. It's difficult to show it in a photograph.

looking from the inside out

looking from the outside in

Tomorrow is our Empty Bowls event. I think almost 400 bowls were made and fired at LibertyTown this month. After many years it is a well oiled machine with many people doing their part. Last year we raised more than $40,000.00! And, as always, it has been sold out for days. Thanks everybody!