: timbo_heff - Viewing Profile

Greetings Kiln Masters !
I am about to fire a small (70 cu ft setting) anagama inspired tube kiln.
There seem to be as many different opinions as there are people but I thought I might as well pick the brains of you all who have lots more experience than I do.

Some details:
Shooting for cone 11/12 front 9/10 back
Mostly sheffield clays : Z, Wood Light, 42, T1, T3, 95400 white stoneware, some bMix. Some greenware so long campfire preheat.
4 day firing is the goal; with about 4 cords of mixed hardwoods.
Some unglazed in the front, shino, Mark's tenmoku and other miscellaneous glazes throughout.
Shino is "Gustin shino" : (not carbon trap.)

With the goal of maximizing the beauty of the shino:
Question 1) At what cone to do body reduction and for how long ?
Question 2) At what cone do you start glaze reduction and for how long?
Question 3) How long do you oxidize at the end?
Question 4) Do you down fire? and if so what 's your firing schedule for that?

Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience. This crazy sport of wood firing seems more like alchemy than science so all opinions are welcome !
best
-tim.

Any advice on how to control the expansion in this low fire white casting slip?
It is shivering off commercial glazes:

.400 TEXAS TALC
.250 C&C
.200 HYDRITE FLAT
.100 MINSPAR 200
.050 VICRON 25-11Any ideas much appreciated !

Anyone have experience with Fireshade underglazes?

Question probably for Neil.

Someone was told by one of the kiln companies not to do a hold for more than 30 minutes at high temperature... that it would destroy elements or some such thing.
Sounds like misinformation to me. I could imagine a long hold being extra work for the relays but does anyone know what the kiln maker might have been talking about?

Thanks!
Tim

This is great:
Master potter Shiho Kanzaki making a coil/ pinch and throw tea bowl. What a great lesson this is !
http://youtu.be/8T4bsH8XQv4

I tried to mimic what he does exactly: funny but somehow mine did not quite come out the same (;

Anyone have one of these massive banding wheels packed away that you might be willing to part with? Want, want want !

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/8T4bsH8XQv4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>