"Speed is NOT your Friend."

A recent kiln blow-up in a glaze firing led us to some online searching to try to understand the cause. When I posted a query to Electric Cone 6 & Other Ways w/ Clay, one of the responders referenced the article "Speed is NOT your Friend" and posted its link at Dogwood Ceramic Supply.

The article explains in detail why we don't want to dry pieces too quickly,  fire pieces that aren't bone-dry, or open a kiln too soon after firing is complete. While some of the article gets a little complex (OK, a lot complex), it's worth a read--especially to understand the heating/cooling processes a kiln goes through.

We're still trying to figure out why several of the bisqued "cookies" shattered, damaging a few pieces (shards embedded in glazed surfaces). We know the kiln was fired at medium speed, not fast; the cookies had been used before so they weren't wet; there was no glazed greenware in the load.

We'll keep mulling this over.

Say hello to Hairy Buffalo Aug13 glaze

Kinda fun! :)

Thanks Nancy for providing pic.

 

Studio Policies

The revised clay studio policies are now posted in the blog. We're still working on plans for the daily non-monitored open studio hours and will fill in the details as soon as we can. In the meantime, please review the policies, enjoy open studio time, and check out the new fall schedule for ceramics: you might find a class you'd like!

Glaze kiln started tonight

FYI :)

The rumor of the demise of our glazes has been greatly exaggerated; and - the return of Philly Green!

I've heard lots of rumors of how we're almost out of the current glazes. While it is taking a little longer than we'd hoped to get going with our "Cindy Glazes," I cleaned and sorted all our existing glaze last night to see what's what and this is what I found.

These are glazes we still have (anything not on this list was completely dried out or just had a few cc's left :)

• Jen's juicy
• red orange liner
• antique iron
• Ernst green
• cream breaking red
• bone
• temmoku gold
• waterfall brown
• anderson ranch red
• black aka licorice (glossy)
• satin matte black
• burgundy
• amber (I was able to revive it I think - I switched it to a smaller bucket - please feel free to check and see how it's doing and use it if it's ready! - not very much but enough for pouring)
• tan (reviving also in a small bucket, enough for pouring - please use!)
• woo yellow dark
• Linda's yellow MV (? this had my handwriting on the outside it looked like but I have no idea when it appeared; I know we didn't make it with Ernst - I have no idea what it looks like)
• spearmint
• commercial matte white
• commercial matte blue
• commercial clear (the one that does not really come out clear but faintly whitish and does some pink/purple-ish --if I remem. correctly--  when it's thick)
• clear gloss (this bucket did not look familiar to me either)

Some of them are too low to dip but still have a fair amount - many have 1/4 or 1/3 bucket still, tho a few are ones no one uses, 'tis true.

What we might do soon is another glaze poll to find out which we might go ahead and toss. I know a few are from various classes and don't really work with our cone 6 firings, etc. 

And perhaps the most exciting thing for some of you: Meredith and I mixed a new batch of Philly Green (it was the top choice from the poll of glazes you'd like to keep). It has not been tested yet but I will do test tiles tomorrow night and if anyone wants to go ahead and use it you're certainly welcome.

Also we're starting something that they do at Hartworks: glazes (of the same cone number) which are way too low to use but there is just a bit left, they pour together and have a running mixed-leftovers surprise glaze (which obviously changes from time to time as more leftovers are added, etc.) Meredith and I started one; so far it contains: leftover Philly Green, leftover commercial matte blue and "Mystery White." Look for it in a bucket labeled "Hairy Buffalo Leftover Glaze." :)  I'll do at least one test tile of it tomorrow night so we can see how it turns out with the current mix - cross your fingers!

Please do try to get in and do some glazing if at all possible; we are anxious to do some more test tiles for the Cindy Glazes and we'd like to have a full kiln if we can. There are still a lot of glazing possibilities with the choices above and Mindy ran a big bisque Sunday so there are lots of pieces anxious for glaze!

At the very least, go in and see our nice clean closet, which you can now actually walk into and thru without tripping on glaze buckets! It looks great, if I do say so myself!