You will recall that I got a used kiln from the county dump's reuse store the other day, my dream kiln! In new condition! You will also recall that it seemed to work well, and I test fired a small glaze batch yesterday, OH WOW! I was so excited and nervous to get up today, would it look good? This is the before and after firing, it is sooooooo perfect. The firing went VERY fast, even though I was trying to slow it down--less than 6 hours from room temp to 2200 degrees. I will slow it down more in the future, but it is much easier to slow a kiln down than speed it up, you know? You are probably thinking that teapot looks like the one in the header, and it is a smaller version, yes indeedy. BTW, the new kiln came with clean new shelves, but I wanted to use my crusty old ones to test....
The vet comes over Monday to see Buster, our old lab on the left here. He is not strong and he is very old for a big dog, about to turn 13, but he is doing very well......
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9 comments:
looks great!
wishing Buster a clean bill of health from the vet.
Good news on the kiln and Buster. So glad he is doing well.
I kept my shepherd-collie mix going until 14 with brewer's yeast and kelp added to his dog-kibbles. He'd started getting wobbly in the hind legs before that, but he perked right up.
the glazing/firing is magic to me. I cannot see any pattern/painting/drawing on the unfired items and of course they are all the wrong color. (I'm sure you hear that a lot) finished pieces look beautiful. congrats on finding the kiln.
here's to the vet agreeing that Buster have many more years of living the comfy life.
Golly! You sure were in the right place at the right time. (I have wonderful images of you fending off would be buyers.) Six hours is still pretty fast....will you also slow down your bisque firings? I think one reason I can bisque and glaze in the same firing is that the program I use is slow....but that could be superstition! At any rate it looks like a most successful firing!
Good wishes for Buster! I know how hard it is to see a beloved pal aging. We lost our white shepherd, Breezy, at well over 13 & 1/2 years last September. We gave her glucosamine/chondroitin for the last few years...it was amazing how it perked her up to her naturally insane self!
GOOOOO BUSTER !!!!!
Buster gets glucosamine, and I do too :) I will slow both types of firing to more like ten hours, with an hour at the end of glaze firing for a hold and temperature soak, so that the glazes mature and crystals (speckles!) form.
You're very fortunate to have found that kiln and Buster. I hope his vet visit is as positive as the kiln firing.
Buster is gorgeous and we never get to see enough of him. He is like the oldest sibling who gets shafted out of all the photos because he isn't as little and cute like the young ones.
Well, Buster is semi-retired, mostly, and is asleep most of the time :)
Glad the kiln worked. With such a quick firing I was concerned that you may have blown everything up. I have heard that dull thump of exploding pots in the kiln. Not a pretty sound. I am amazed that you could transport the kiln in your car! I am used to much bigger kilns that need the tractor with the forks on just to move them.
My Missy was a 16 yr old black lab when the angels came for her.
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