fire it up baby!

Well, we started loading the anagama on Saturday morning around 9:30. We had way more work than we needed and hopefully we didn't try to squeeze too much in. This kiln likes to be loaded a bit loose, took me a long time to learn that, if I did at all! Loading went fairly well, I did get a little grumpy about 2/3rds of the way through the day, but in my defense I am not drinking these days so it was my first loading without that crutch! We start firing  Thursday night and will wrap up the firing by Saturday at midnight or a bit later. I will post pics of the unloading, hoping for some good pots.

shane

Almost sleepy sleep time!

Working towards a firing in early may means late nights. 6 a.m. seems much earlier for this salty dog than it did just a few years ago! Pic is a detail of a 20 inch bottle. Stick some handles on and off to bed, alarm rings for school and a new day begins.

Moving forward

So we are going to fire up the big beast again! We had a successful fall firing and the new crew and I have decided to go again! I am squeezing in pots between teaching and kiln biz. I hope to make more pots this year and get back on the pottery scene! 

Header course

I love when its header course time! Little soldiers all lined up! This is sarah house's new/used rebuilt kiln going up!

Glazing for joara festival this saturday

Just another bottle, probably sideways

Test after switch

Switched my email acct over to my gmail, lets see if all is working

Med size jars with new bases

more fun around the town

well, Three weekends of work down in asheboro resulted ina finished and loaded kiln. One of the pics below (I seem to longer care about the order they appear ;P ) is of Donna inside the kiln with spectators watching on. Man she has two giant pots in there. They had to be every bit of 3.5 feet tall! It was a pleasure to help and watch the last bit of loading after i hung the stoke door. I was glad to see a local (but non local aussie) had mudded the kiln for me and did an amazing job, thanks keith! WEll I had fallen behind on some things around the studio, so last saturday, i got up, worked on pots, finished the stoke door, and then headed out for asheboro around 3 pm, got to donna's around 6 or so and after the door was up and pyrometer holes drilled, donna, susan and I had a few beers and some good conversation! I rolled for home about 11:30 pm!!! I know crazy! I then spent all day sunday prepping for a firing at western piedmonts salt kiln. The other pic of a loaded kiln is how i spent my labor day, enjoyed loading this kiln all by myself, headphones on and all! Tomorrow i will head down, fire the kiln and catch up on some grading and lecture writing. STick around mudpuppies, i will post pics of my new pots. shane

yet another back breaking brick laying adventrue

well well well you blog people. yes, the lost boy of blogging is back. well not back as in i will blog everyday, but,,, well i won't even say it. So The crew (me, will baker, micah cain) drove down to asheboro to start the build for Donna Craven's new barrel arch tube kiln. This is a fairly big kiln, not a giant pot eater, but for donna and her working style i think the design and size is perfect. She currently is using a smaller version of this style thats maybe 40 inches tall inside and 3 feet wide and about 6 feet long. This new kiln is 60 inches at the crown, almost five feet wide and 10 feet long. I didn't just use regular and usual kiln dimensions on this one as far as firebox length, and firewall height because i hope that i can achieve a similar firing style to Donna's old kiln. The exit flue wall will have multiple exit flues side to side and up the wall. I even plan on putting in a couple 4.5x5 flues above the dampers! Donna crash cools her kiln which can be dangerous with really big pots. The idea is a quick cool down to 2000 degrees rather than 1800, then the kiln will still cool quickly due to the open flues. We got to the point you see in the last image. Tomorrow Evan and I will drive down early, with Ross Edwards signing on to help, work for 7 or 8 hours laying the chimney and back exit flue wall (they go up at the same time becuase they are shared up to the top of the arch) Hopefully if the roof is up by now we can go ahead and unroll the fiber on the arch. I will likely be going down the next 3 weekends to work and fire the kiln with Donna. I will post pictures of the finished kiln and possibly the firing!!! This kiln was almost the death of my kiln building career, at one point after 4 12hour days my back was so locked up i could barely walk. But never fear, Shane Mickey kiln designs is open for business, so tell your friends and neighbors. see ya round the brick yard shane