Got temperature

I managed to get cone 11 down at about 4.30 pm. The glaze on the pots looked like it had melted. I will have to wait until I open the kiln to find out.

Cold start but going well

It was a crisp morning when I rose at 4.30 but the kiln started off well. I made a small fire in the kiln last night and let it burn down to preheat it a bit. So when I started this morning the kiln was warm and a little bellow 100 degrees. Burning odd bits under the grate works well. Especially when there are so many sticks lying around under the talk gums.

Packing the kiln

Because of favorable weather conditions I have decided to proceed with firing the kiln this weekend. I spent the best part of yesterday packing the kiln and getting things ready to fire today. I managed to fit all the work in except two pieces. Photo below shows final stages of packing.

I have started the firing now and have a small fire burning at the front of the kiln ( below the grate).

Preparing to fire

I have spent the last couple of Saturday's making up glaze recipes and applying them to my works. With this load of pots I have made a range of various sizes and explored some new forms. I am hoping that the range of sizes and variation of form will allow me to pack more work into the kiln and fire it more efficiently. The photo below shows all the pots for the next firing.