Firing
Firing Techniques
Wood
Gas
Salt
Raku
Isolated Piece firing
Firing Cones
These cones are placed inside the kiln during firing.
Each one will become soft and melt downward when
a certain temperature is reached.
Far left cone 05, melting temperature 1944 degrees F.
Far right , cone 10 melting point 2046 degrees F.
This makes it possible to gauge when the glazes are liquifying,
but, not too liquid as to flow off the pots.
An almost empty kilnThis preparation is for a gas firing.
Loading the kiln properly is essential to a successfully fired load.
The pieces must not touch each other.
Pieces are placed on special high firing shelves and held up by shelf stilts.
Once the kiln is loaded and rechecked one last time,
It is time to seal it shut by bricking up the front as illustrated above.
.
This load was fired using a Sprung Arch Kiln
Ken has pulled out the spy hole brick, he is checking many variables,
such as, the temperature
(watching to see which cones have liquified), 
indicating how hot the kiln is inside
the color of the flame 
(the chemistry of the heat and fire)
and glazes flowing and cooking on his pots.
In the above image the kiln is approaching white flames,
approximately 2400 degrees F.
The time it takes to reach this temperature varies
depending on many variables.
There is literally a fire going on inside the kiln.
Small gas test kiln used in isolated firings studying clay bodies and glazes.
