Post #795484 by GROG on Sun, Jun 2, 2019 3:38 PM

Thanks Wendy. GROG enjoy watching your process too, even if GROG doesn't always comment when GROG check in..

GROG did bisque fire yesterday and for some reason the bowl didn't blow up. It's been a LONG time since GROG fire the kiln, and it wasn't working right at first. GROG was going to "candle" the bowls----you fire them for a number of hours at a real low temperature to drive out all the moisture before you begin the firing cycle. But, for some reason, the upper section (where the "Volcano" bowl was) went up to red hot even though it was set on low. GROG turn it off and turn it back on, then it started firing correctly. So GROG got cracks in the Volcano bowl, either because it went up in temp too quick, or it was going to crack anyway. GROG could cover them with glaze and they'd be OK, but GROG going to go ahead and fill the cracks with paperclay and refire. That's only going to give GROG a few weekends to do glaze, and glaze fix fires. I't going to be close.
GROG didn't want to just fire three bowls in the kiln, so GROG had some Disney figures that were greenware that had been cleaned that GROG fire, too.

Small cracks in the bowl.

Cracks in the lava to be fixed.