I loaded up a bisque today and it's firing. Forgot to take a photo of the bottom shelf which holds the fork and spoon, the bread board, and the experimental mason stain plate and a couple of other appetizer plates. This shelf holds the other experimental mason stain plates. To be sure items will fit on lower shelves I measure them alongside the height of the post.
Here's the top shelf packed to the gills. At the last minute I placed a ruler over the top to be sure a sculpture would fit. Under the plates I used silica sand. I use the sand to allow the plates to move freely as they shrink during firing. I ran out of porcelain sand. I notice the silica sand is much finer than the porcelain sand. Not sure what the difference is, any thoughts? I got the porcelain sand from Aardvark Clay in Los Angeles and the silica sand from Davens Ceramic Center in Atlanta. We shall see how it all works out. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.
Hello Linda,
ReplyDeleteIt is so exciting wondering what the final results will be.
The plates look very pretty but what colours the designs will be after firing is, we imagine, quite different from what we see now. It is a kind of alchemy that brings magic into life.
Hi Jane and Lance, thanks, these are some experiments so I am anxious to see how the colors turn out during bisque, then I have to glaze fire these, and yes it is also the alchemy which keeps us guessing most of the time.
DeleteExperiments are always interesting! When you are in the middle of doing or making it's hard to break the flow and take a picture!
ReplyDeleteYou really pack your kilns. I do too, as I think it makes for a better firings. Aside from the simple cost of electricity!
Hi Suzi, thanks, I could have put more in there but I wasn't sure three vases were dry so I decided not to take a chance. I have heard that the firing is better with a packed kiln for bisque but heard that a glaze firing should have more room and be loaded in a balanced way, not always able to do that though. Sometimes I try to duplicate my glaze firing like I do my bisque so I like to take a photo and then I can refer to it when I glaze, saves time putting a piece in the kiln only to have to take it out again cause it doesn't fit. yes the cost of electric is higher here than it was in Florida I think and I always thought the Tennessee Valley Authority electric was the least expensive in the country but not I think electric rates have been standardized, thanks to gov't intervention, don't quote me on that one though, I think Gary told me that. ha
DeleteSuzi, looks like Gary was wrong and so was I, see this table for electric rates around the USA
Deletehttp://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/epm_table_grapher.cfm?t=epmt_5_6_a
We have different electric rates right here in Seagrove. Outside of town limits we have Randolph Electric Co-op which is less expensive than Duke energy within town limits. Our rates in NH seem higher than here.
ReplyDeleteI don't like to load the bisque kiln. We stack things rim to rim with smaller things inside other pots. Jeff won't shut the lid until every space is filled. I end up with a pot that won't fit and Jeff comes along, tweaks it a little and finds room... I am just not good at it! I would rather load the gas kiln with glazed pots any day.
Hi Michele, thanks, look at the chart above, NH is definitely more expensive than the southern states, I had some flat pieces crack once when items were placed on top of them so now I don't stack stuff, I don't have the volume as you two so I don't have to worry about not fitting items. I did have two other platters that didn't fit but I don't have enough for another load either. If these plates turn out I may think of investing in a plate stackers, we shall see.
DeleteOh and look at commercial electric rates, they pay half of what residential do, ugh
Stacking works best when things can fit rim to rim or if the bottom sits level on what it is placed in. I always second guess myself, which is why I leave it to Jeff! My house electric bill in NH was higher than it is here which includes with firing bisque kiln and using air conditioning.
DeleteThis is one aspect of having your own kiln for your studio that I miss, by using a community studio for firing my things. Can't wait to see how your mason stains come out, Linda!
ReplyDeleteHi Barbara, thanks, I get much better results when I have control over the loading and firing of the kiln than I ever have in community studios. But I have also never been a communithy studio that was that serious, your's seems to be much more professional than the few I've participated in. I will show photos of after the bisque tomorrow so you can see then I'll also take photos after the glaze firing, Hopefully I can post them all together in one post to show the results, good for my notes too. ha.
DeleteGood Luck with the firing! Can't wait to see how the pieces turn out!
ReplyDeleteHi Pam, thanks, I am now doing the glaze firing so stay tuned.
DeleteWoo Hoo. Given how excited I am, I can only imagine your feelings.
ReplyDeleteHi Sue, thanks, now they have to survive the glaze firing.
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