offcntr | Kiln report

So the kiln may have been packed a little tighter than usual. Lots of bowls and plates and pie dishes. Extra tight stacking of mugs, because of the way Great Harvest mugs and painted mugs fit together. Hardly any tall pots at all.

So I shouldn't have been surprised not to have cones yet when I came in at 5:30 am, though I did have nice orange heat. Body reduction by 6 am, slow but steady rise after. Surprisingly, the bottom was hotter than the top. I used to get this regularly, a couple of years ago, but more recently, the bottom runs cold, and I have to do a lot of fiddling with the damper to even things out. This time, I could just set it and let it go. Once the bottom reaches temperature, even if the top is half a cone cooler, carryover heat will manage the rest.

It was a late finish, 8:45 pm, but I had cone 10 down on the bottom, starting to bend on top. 78 units of gas, which is a bit high, but the heater in the main studio was running all day as well. That's just what happens, firing in winter.

Unloaded the kiln Thursday morning, with gorgeous results.