Soda Firing 7-2-24
The 13th Kiln Firing is just about here. 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 will make the bag wall one brick higher this time around.
Kiln Log:
Temps are for the Top pyrometer the Kiln.
Details from the firing will be logged here each hour. The link to this firing will be posted on Clay Q&A.
We fit almost everything! There are sooooooo many pots in this kiln. Lots of smaller work, cups, and class work from RCC. Exciting. We used ALL the 12” x 24” shelves for the first time and all but a few of the larger shelves. Candling overnight with both burners went well. I’ll do more turn-ups before bed next time and try to candle at 1” (so 1/2 # hotter overnight).
We used 3# of soda in 2 gallons of water. I’d like to try. 3.5 or. 4 next time. Looking for juicier results!
We did get some bloating on two pots with high iron content.
Check out all the photos below!
Back stack (Chris Stacked)
Middle Stack (Sarah Stacked)
Front Stack (Anika stacked)
Front Stack
Front Stack:
Notice, on the edges of most of the shelves, there is more soda present on pottery surfaces. Overall, good amounts of soda and even temperatures around the kiln.
Top shelf in fron stack
2nd shelf down on front stack
3rd shelf down of front stack
6th shelf down of front stack
4th shelf down of front stack
7th shelf down of front stack
5th shelf down of front stack
8th shelf down of front stack
9th shelf down of front stack
Center Stack
3rd shelf down of center stack
6th shelf down of center stack
9th/ bottom shelf down of center stack
Center Stack:
The top and bottom of this stack get a lot of soda. The middle of the center stack has the least soda and gets more soft flashing.
Top shelf of center stack
4th shelf down of center stack
7th shelf down of center stack
2nd shelf down of center stack
5th shelf down of center stack
8th shelf down of center stack
Back stack
3rd shelf down of back stack
6th shelf down of back stack
9th shelf down of back stack
Back Stack:
Top shelf down of back stack
4th shelf down of back stack
7th shelf down of back stack
2nd shelf down of back stack
5th shelf down of back stack
8th shelf down of back stack
See photo gallery of photos below!
Candling flame 2 hours into firing
8:00pm - Lit south burner, air on lowest setting. Gas low enough it does not read on the dial.
9:00pm - Top 335ºF. Lighting second burner.
Lots of little checks on the burners. Every 10-15 minutes.
The forced Air burners are touchy at first, sputtering, needing more air, needing more gas.
I’m looking for a steady blue flame.
9:30pm - Top 475ºF. Both burners on 0.5# and air on low. The damper is at 1”
10:00pm - Top 851ºF, Keeping everything the same. Great climb in temp. Gas 0.5/ Air Low/ Damper 1”
11:00pm - 961ºF, Gas up to 1#
3:00am - 1186ºF, pulled damper to 2”
7:00am - Top 1492ºF, successfully fired with both burners overnight for the first time so the firing is nice and hot after an overnight candle. (Same amount of candle time/ lower gas level/ same heat level in the morning.) Moved gas up to 1# on both burners, air to 3/4, damper in to 1”. The soft roar of the burners has started and the kiln is climbing nicely. 012 is just starting to get soft on top.
8:00am - Top 1546ºF/ Bottom 1443ºF (100º difference).
Bumped up the gas to 2#, damper at 2” Aid at medium
9:00am - Top 1670ºF/ Bottom 1603ºF (difference lessening)
Holding everything where it is. cone 012 is down top and bottom.
Cone 010 is starting to bend on top and when it is bent, I will start body reduction.
10:00am - Top 1752ºF/ Bottom 1715ºF (difference lessening)
Started body reduction at 9:30am. Bumped up gas to 2.5# and helped everything else. Air Medium. Damper 2” of flame flicking out of top and bottom peeps. 010 is down top and almost down bottom.
This soda firing is progressing very similarly to the previous one, so I am guessing that we will introduce soda around 3:30-4:30pm today.
11:00am - Top 1825ºF
Finished body reduction. Popped damper open to 3”. Let’s climb!
12:00pm - Top 1914ºF/ Bottom 1893ºF (20 degree difference)
Bumped gas to 3#, air to high, damper to 3.5” - Hoping for more climb.
C/o6 down top n bottom
1:00pm - Top 2023ºF/ Bottom 2014ºF
Holding gas at 3#. air on high, and bumped damper out to 4”
At this point I am guessing soda introduction between 3:30-4pm. Stay tuned.
Feel free to pop by and sit by the kiln anytime. I am dinking around doing studio chores : )
2:00pm - Top 2092ºF/ Bottom 2090ºF (Almost totally even/ 70º an hour climb)
C/4 is starting to bend top and bottom. pulled damper out 1/4”
We will likely soda around 3:30pm
4:00pm - Top 2193ºF/ Bottom 2194ºF (Soda starting)
We did 2 gallons of water with 3# of soda. Some got spilled, so it was a bit less, but we do not know exactly how much. We did counts of 5 instead of 7. The kiln cooled just a little more than 10 degrees on each round and that seems good. We waited for about five minutes for the kiln to get back up to 2190ºF to do another round. Hurray! Cannot wait to see the results! Finished up just before 5pm.
