Wednesday, December 17, 2014

The students fire salt

 When I started teaching this summer the students were only firing their work cone 6. In and out of the electric kilns.
We have a salt kiln and 2 gas kilns that have sat quietly waiting on the sidelines. In talking with one of my students, who was in his finale semester, he and I decided that we would work a salt firing in. He wanted to show a diversity in what he could do for his senior show. It did not take much convincing to have other students join in.
The kiln was loaded a week ago Monday, fired on Tuesday ( with the expert help of Dan Triece from Dirtworks pottery), and unloaded last Friday.

The kiln had not been fired for about 2 years and the excitement  filled the air when we unloaded.
I'm planning to make this happen again next semester.
I think we can easily work our way back to some gas firing.  
 There was lots of running.
Some grinding to be done.
But the results were over all very good.
Just 2 pots with some unwanted brick in them.

I took a glance at the gas kilns yesterday and thought- you might be next on my list.
 The semester is over.
I hope that means I can get some things done around here...

Merry Christmas.
Happy Holidays.
Many Cheers!
M

7 comments:

Linda Starr said...

what a lot of fun, wish I lived closer would love to fire with gas and try a salt firing too.

Dennis Allen said...

Merry Christmas

Tracey Broome said...

Love salt fired pots! seems to me with all the pottery resources around that school, they could have had those kilns firing, they are lucky to have you breathing some life in that program!

cookingwithgas said...

I'm working on it Tracey. I'm working with some great people.
Merry Christmas to you all.
Linda, come on!

Lori Buff said...

The pots in the pictures look great. I hope your students were very happy with them and the experience.
Good job.

Gary's third pottery blog said...

How awesome :)

cookingwithgas said...

It went really well, I think we were all happy.