Waiting to be Bisque Fired

Finally I'm making handles that I like and that has spurred me on to making lots of lidded casseroles. These are a few pots that are slowly drying before being bisque fired. Drying needs to be slow and even because of the tension where the slab bottom joins the walls. These guys will rest under plastic for another week before going into the electric kiln.

The last photo is of a pot I particularly like.

Oh Joy

It was a beautiful day today and my helpful husband brought the wheel up from the basement of our Anderson Island cabin so I could throw on the deck. It is so lovely to sit in the sun (a real treat in the Pacific Northwest) and throw pots. The violet green swallows were circling above ridding us of unwanted insects and the kingfisher couple chattered as they darted about. I didn't see any eagles but there are some on the island.

After throwing, the pots are set on the railing but I must be careful to not let the breeze and sun dry them out unevenly or too quickly.

Good news - the forecast for Sunday is also for sunny weather.

Bisque Firing Nirvana

Here is a photo of pots on the bottom shelf in last week's bisque firing.

Once upon a time, far, far away in the land of Drudgery, I used to bisque fire in the gas kiln. It has two small burners that allowed that risky practice but it meant checking the kiln frequently (usually every half hour) to make sure the temperature stayed around 200F. I was always turning the burners up or down, cracking the door wider or closing it tighter and finding that I would often overshoot my goal by heating or cooling too rapidly. One time I lost five pots.

Then along came a used Skutt kiln with an electronic kiln master and life has been bliss ever since. (At least on the bisque firing front.) I push a few buttons, check the kiln's progress a couple times and be sure to hang around when it is time for it to shut off. I love electricity and electronics!