Soda Firing 10-30-24

This will be our 15th Kiln Firing. Follow along with the firing as I update this page on the hour.
Cones in our cone packs 012, 010, 06, 1, 4, 5, 6, 7

We moved the target bricks backward a few inches toward the burner inlets. Also in the October firing I will be reducing more during soda application aiming at more carbon trapping at the end of the firing. This may result in more grey on surfaces and glazes with copper being reduced in some areas of the kiln. We fit all the bisque ware outside on the soda ware carts.

I will be firing overnight and hoping to have an earlier soda-introduction like last time between 12 noon-1pm Wednesay. Please message on the App if you think you will join in adding soda to the kiln.

Kiln Log:

I will log at the top of the hour here what temperature, gas, damper, and notes pertaining to the firing.

• 6:00pm - KILN START TIME - Both pilots are lit. I figured out how to log both the top and bottom temperatures. So there will be two lines in the graph that will capture these.

• 6:30pm - Top Temp 49ºF/ Bottom 53ºF,
  South burner lit. It’s getting colder as the kiln is candling. Damper at 1”. Air at Low.
  All the peeps are in.

• 7:00pm - Top Temp 55ºF/ Bottom 85ºF,

  North Burner Lit.

• 7:30pm - Both burners on with 0.5# gas, the Damper at 1”. Air at Low-medium.

• 8pm - Top Temp 55ºF/ Bottom 85ºF,

  Both burners on with 1# gas, the Damper at 1”. Air at Low-medium/ dial is straight up.

• 9:00pm - Top Temp 694ºF/ Bottom 975ºF
  A little trouble with the pyrometer… I think it was not quite ready right at first.
  But I think it is good now. Everything stays the same except the damper is a 1.5” now
  Both burners on with 1# gas. Air at Low-medium/ dial is straight up.

• 10:00pm - Top 1076ºF/ Bottom 854ºF
  The top has over taken the bottom.
  Both burners on with 1# gas. Air at Low-medium/ dial is straight up, damper at 2” ( a little farther out than last time. I will get up at 2am and bump the gas up.

• 3:00am - Top 1552ºF/ Bottom 1417ºF
  Cone 012 was down on top so I have put the kiln in body reduction.

  Both burners on with 2# gas. Air at Low-medium/ dial is straight up, damper at 1.75”

• 8:00am - Top 1914ºF/ Bottom 1834ºF
  The kiln is cruising!
  Both burners on with 3# gas. Air at High, damper at 3”

  We will likely add soda in 3-4 hours, so between 11am-12pm. Stay Tuned!

• 9:00am - Top 2048ºF/ Bottom 1976ºF - Top and bottom cone 1’s down

  Both burners on with 3# gas. Air at High, damper at 3”
  I am guessing the soda introduction will be closer to 12noon.

• 10:00am - Top 2108ºF/ Bottom 2045ºF

  Both burners on with 3# gas. Air at High, damper at 3.5”
  It is very likely soda will be at noon.

• 11:00am - Top 2170ºF/ Bottom 2116ºF
  Usually we add soda around 2200ºF
  I am preparing the soda now… Will check in soon.
  The kiln is increasing in temperature about 60º an hour…

• 12:00pm - Top 2180ºF/ Bottom 2135ºF
  All cones down on top.
  Bottom front cones are cool - 5 is down, but not 6 or 7
  All side cone 6’s are down or soft.
  SODA TIME.

• From 12-1pm we did about 7 rounds of spraying in soda - 4 pounds was disolved in 2 gallons of water. Jessica, Chris, Taylor and I took turns. we finished spraying by 12:30. The pyrometer readings were dead even top and bottom when we were done with soda. From 12:30-12:45 we let the kiln get up back up to temperature. From 12:45-1:00 we turned down the kiln and kept it in light reduction.
  Then the kiln was shut down. Peeps covered. Burners covered. Tools stowed.