I’m still in the glaze testing mode!  Does that EVER end?!  I just want the PERFECT glaze combination and PERFECT reduction and PERFECT colours!  Actually, I want at least ONE gorgeous piece out of this firing!

So the kiln is stacked.  I raised the bottom shelf about 4 inches to see if that makes the lower shelf reach temperature – which it had not done in the past!

This firing started at 9:45 and ended at 10:00pm-so right at 11 hours.  I started reduction at 850 degrees celcius – hoping to get reds!

Although I tried to keep the kiln in reduction the whole time, the kiln stalled out at 1250 and then dropped back to 1216. So I added more oxygen and dropped back the reduction.

The flames coming out of the top of the kiln were both green and yellow?!  I didn’t know what that meant and was hoping for the best.
Because I placed the cone packs in bad viewing spots, I could only see the top peep hole cones.  Although they bent, I kept the kiln going til I got it back to 1276.  I should have stopped it when the cone 10 cone bent totally, but depended on the pyrometer and that was a mistake!
The results showed that we didn’t keep the reduction and the glazes were “over-fired” – glazes almost melting off the pots and “boiling” glazes that never settled back down.

I did, however, get some good results!  I guess that is the way we have to look at it – hoping for at least a few good pieces!  Else I’d go crazy with frustration!!!

Here’s a bowl that has been retired.  Initially, it was mid-fired to Cone 8 in an electric kiln.  I wasn’t happy with the results, so added some glaze and retired it.

Here’s the outside of that bowl – I added a rutile blue to the previously fired glaze.

This is a lovely little dessert set with a tenmoku glaze.
This is a funky little cookies and milk set.
So, all in all, I got a few pieces that I liked, learned a lot, and will refire many of the pieces soon!