Prepping the soda kiln

Here are the results of my lackadaisical approach to the wood kiln, not bad. For those of you in the 'know' the outsides of these pots were sprayed with a Bauer flashing slip with the addition of 25% Mason Stain. I am treating these as maquettes. How big, you might be thinking......well take a close look at my soda kiln.

I spent a good part of my day preparing the soda kiln for another voyage. Last year I had an awesome intern who was kind enough to do all this dirty work. This year I had the help of studio elves, aka friends of clay who are as determined as I am to see pots come out of this kiln! 

This is my 20 cubic foot cross draft kiln, it was designed by Vince Pitelka of the Appalachian Center for Craft. For those considering exploring the realm of ∆10 soda or salt firing this is a great starter kiln and Vince will send you a great set of plans if you merely ask.

Now this is what a truly dedicated friend of clay might look like. Not only dedicated to seeing the kiln getting prepped and readied to be fired but also a big reason why this kiln even got put together. Some folks have tireless energy to bring to these types of endeavors and for that I am very grateful.

For those of you who might have spent time wielding an angle grinder this picture might make you cringe. For the rest of you, there is still time. 

The white pads on the shelves and bricks is called wadding and is a mixture of clays, sawdust, and alumina hydrate. It is designed to not stick to the surface of whatever it is on. It does work, although from the photo and the recount of many a potter with hammer and chisel in hand that 'stick' is a relative term.

By the way rock dust has this smell that is very hard to describe.....let's just say you will never forget it. What we are mainly trying to remove from these silicon carbide shelves is the accumulation of soda which has turned into silica and yes, I wear a mask.

Now this makes me feel much better. Next step is getting the propane tank refilled as it is down to 30% and I never like feeling rushed when firing the kiln. I can only hope that the cost of propane has dropped to a low enough level to not break the bank. 

By the way we are currently accepting donations for all things studio related, including the occasional six pack of fine IPA.

Gifts from the wood kiln!

The wood kiln opening was well underway by the time I got the two boys fed and dressed. I also had to swing by the village, Noah wanted Holly B's. 

The first rank was already down and I had to peer over shoulders and in between heads to get a peak. I only had two pieces in the kiln and did absolutely nothing to get this kiln prepped, stacked, or fired. Not my usual participation in this annual event. 

The stacks were coming down and the pots were being delivered to the many waiting hands ready to hold them, appreciate them, and critique them. 

So much information is stored on the surfaces of these pots. For the trained eye there are details and recordings of what happened in the kiln......and other times we can only stare in wonder. 

The scorched bricks, slick ash deposits, broken wadding, even the tiniest pot deserves a gander. 

When you hold these pots everything goes silent, just for a moment. It's like you are transported to someplace where it's only you and this thing. 

The kiln isn't just full of mantle fodder. The coffee cup is the quintessential potters mark, it's the workhorse of the ceramics world. What better way to start your day? What better way to spread the joy and beauty that is found in this kiln? 

Possibly my favorite object that comes out of this kiln is the Unomi or handless cup. It brings to mind the evenings spent clutching some peaty scotch, or watching the sun rise with freshly brewed green tea. These things not only transport us to another plane of existence they ground us to the elements that surround us; fire, earth, water, wood, and air. To consume these elements is inevitable, but to be left with such a record.......

These firings require many, many hours of back breaking labor, planning, and discussion. Although it takes many hands to accomplish this task it falls on the shoulders of one individual to spearhead this endeavor. Jim is our kiln father, without his generous heart and strong back none of this would be possible.

A wonderful week of rain, sunshine, and clay

It has been a very busy week. Tuesday was a great day in the studio and I hardly had time to take pictures (due to the fact that I have to wash my hands in order to take a picture.) But I managed to grab a few important moments. First of all Joyce and I went up to see the wood kiln cooling down. It had fired Last weekend and was still quite warm. Not so warm that I couldn't stick my camera inside to grab a few photos! Here is my favorite. It looks so peaceful in there, which is a major contrast from only a few days earlier. Kiln opens this Saturday morning and I have two pieces that I am anxious to see.

I have a special order I am working on for a small distillery in Seattle who makes Sochu, a fermented and distilled Japanese liquor. It tastes kind of like Sake but it is made with pearled Barley. These little cups have a stamped tag on the front with the companies logo and despite my best efforts occasionally delaminate. I slip and score them and compress the seem with a small plastic tool however due to a curved surface and tension from the tag drying it can curl off like the one pictured. Now I cannot press it back down because the tag is now leather hard. 

These are fixable! I started using paper clay to repair these cups and the results are great. 

Paper clay is simply clay, water, sodium silicate (a teaspoon), and a soft paper such as toilet paper, eco batting, or even newsprint. I mix up about a quart as the rotting paper can smell over a long period of time. I have even used this on broken bisque ware and re bisqued......I know your thinking this is impossible but it does actually work!

I got to finish my time in the studio with a small workshop. Teaching one hour workshops to folks with little to no experience is very rewarding. Watching them create and play and see there cup or bowl come to life is hard to put into words. They all have the same expression on their faces, concentration, mixed with joy and wonder. 

As I finish these projects it is often hard for folks to leave. Who could blame them, after all, I still find it hard to turn off the lights and go home.