When the kiln gets up towards the top temperatures, and the cones are dropping… it’s time to insert the soda mixture. Scoop it onto the angle iron, pull a peep brick, insert the angle iron, dump the mixture, pull out the angle iron & put the brick back in. Easy-peezy… as long as you watch out for the flames!!! Then we let the mixture vaporize & fly around inside the kiln leaving soda “glaze” deposits all over the pots inside.

Towards the end of the soda-firing yesterday, it was time for my “workshoppers” to mix up the soda mixture & prep it for putting it into the kiln. I like to insert the mixture by scooping it onto a long angle iron that will then go into the kiln through two peeps that are directly over the fire boxes.

Yesterday was my firing day for the 3-DAY SODA-FIRING WORKSHOP. So much fun firing the kiln when the flames start to peek out during “body reduction.” Basically, when the gas-to-air ratio is a bit out of whack and the flames are searching for more air!

Cones are finally dropping… “body reduction” in full force!!!

The heat is on… and the kiln is warming up nicely!
Just waiting for some cones to start dropping.

Early this morning…. the door is all sealed, pyrometers in place… and we have IGNITION!!!

So much fun watching Kelsey get so enamored by the flashings & patinas on some of the crusty kiln door bricks. Sure, it might have slowed down our process a little… but Kelsey is right… some of the bricks are GORGEOUS!!!

After stacking the kiln full of pots, it was time to close the door last night… brick-by-brick, one at a time. Luckily, I had some eager volunteers to help with the process. The bricks of the kiln door have been well-used & well-worn through MANY soda-firings, so stacking them is an ever-changing challenge. With that, a little sealing of the bigger cracks with some wadding always helps. They all persevered and we finally got it closed up & put to bed for the night.

It was a LONG night of loading, with my SODA WORKSHOP students learning a lot & did a lot of the work! They did a great job collectively… working together to make some loading decisions & working together to get all of their pieces in! Most of them had never loaded a kiln before… so this was.a great learning curve for them!

Last night we started with an empty kiln for my 3-DAY SODA-FIRING WORKSHOP. So my “workshoppers” started their evening with glazing & wadding their bisqued pieces. The goal for last night was to FILL this kiln… and they did!!!