April 4th, 2023
Objective:
The objective for this firing is to test the application of crater glazes on cylinders, as well as testing Glossy Gloop [ref. CO-98] with various colorants, Kuan Snowflake Crackle [ref. CO-84] with an extremely thick application, and Bronze Glaze (Murfitt) [ref CO-92] in various places throughout the kiln. Also being tested is the use of Glossy Gloop in combination with various crater glazes in the first firing and refiring a moon jar with a coating of Black Crater and some Glossy Gloop.
Schedule:
Line 00 | Start |
Line 01 | Time 0:00; Temp 5C |
Line 02 | Time 0:30; Temp 140C |
Line 03 | Time 0:10; Temp 140C |
Line 04 | Time 0:20; Temp 260C |
Line 05 | Oxidation 150 |
Line 06 | Time 1:36; Temp 600C |
Line 07 | Time 1:53; Temp 1052C |
Line 08 | Time 1:38; Temp 1150C |
Line 09 | Time 4:14; 600C |
Line 10 | Cooling |
Line 11 | Time 7:30; Temp 50C |
Line 12 | Stop |
Started at: 2:21 PM on April 4th, 2023.
Unloaded at: 10:16 AM on April 5th, 2023 at about 86C after venting for a bit. Wait until cooler before unloading next time. (Don’t unload if you can’t do it without gloves Chucker says)
Photos Before:
Photos Before
Photos After:
Photos After
Gas Consumption
Roughly 12 x 100 cubic feet.
Conclusion:
This firing represents a lot of highs and lows. To start with the positive - the glazes worked wonderfully. The surfaces that I got out of these pots, especially when combining multiple glazes, is exactly what I was hoping for. That comes with the drawback that the red and white craters, when applied thickly or as the outside layer, caused an absolute mess. Interestingly, when these were applied with a different glaze over top - such as the black or blue crater, they seem to have been “restrained” to some extent. This definitely warrants testing in regards to whether this was due to a thinner layer of these glazes, or if it truly is the interaction with the other crater glazes pulling them in a bit. The gloops definitely provided areas of interest for some glazes, however it appears that they very much ran with the craters rather than independently of them, which provides for an interesting look - just not what I had expected. I’d like to try firing these at a lower temperature.
Tha kiln itself fired woefully unevenly. Some areas of the kiln fired to a probable cone 8, while others fired to what looks to be around cone 4. The middle seems to have fired to about a perfect cone 5. As of right now, I’m not quite sure how to fix this. The solution may be to introduce a hold at the end of the cycle, or to formulate for a higher temperature, that way the kiln has more time to even out the temperatures. Ultimately though, given the kiln is firing on a single burner, this may just be an effect of that.