EXHAUST HOOD/FAN IS INSTALLED!

This exhaust hood is made from a huge piece of sheet metal.   Terry fashioned it in a couple days and installed it in one day.   Today he added the brass fan switch and wired up the electricity.   Can you believe this man can do ANYTHING!?

This is the front view.  There are two metal brackets that go to the wall that stabalize the whole thing.  The chains from the ceiling, well, they hold it up!! (:

The corner of the room where the kiln sits is to the left of the entry to the building.  There are shelves to the left of the kiln, a table where I glaze, and whenever the heat is connected, my wheel will go to the right of the entryway.   I love my little ceramics building!   Livin' the dream!

TWO GLAZE FIRINGS DOWN...

The kiln is loaded for its first glaze firing.   This will be the first time the old girl has been asked to make it up to cone 6 (approx. 2230 degrees!).   Will it work?  Will the house burn down?  Will the kiln die?...

The firing is done and all is well.

     Below is the second shelf of the first firing.   Deanna's tiles are in a tile setter and unfortunately they warped and some even stuck together.  No more tile setter for us!   The ones on the top shelf (see above photo) did not warp as much--almost not at all.   The corners of the square one lifted slightly, the round one stayed flat.
   The gray mugs are glazed with Coyote Cone Six Light Blue Shino.

     Below is the second firing.  Deanna's buttons are scattered among the pots.   The orange pots are glazed with Coyote Cone Six Peachy Shino.  The "tulip" pot is multi-colored using Amaco Decorating Underglazes with Coyote Clear over them.  Notice the brown?  I mistakenly thinned the Coyote Light Blue Shino (see the gray mugs above) and lost all the gray/blue coloration.  ):

Time to get busy glazing more pots!!    Off to Capitol Clay Arts* in Charleston for more glazes!

*The best (and only) little clay supplier in West Virginia!

FIRST FIRING EVER!

At last!   The kiln has been wired up and is functioning.   I have done two bisque* firings.

Now it's time to glaze...eeek!   This is the make it or break it stage.  A beautifully made pot can be ruined by a lousy glaze or a lousy glazing job. 

*the first firing which changes raw clay to pottery by heating it so high that it transforms into its hardened  permanent state.  The temperature of this  firing is lower than the glaze firing to keep the clay absorbent.  It is necessary for the pot to be somewhat absorbent to accept the glaze.    When the glaze is applied it adheres because the water in the glaze soaks into the pot leaving the powdered ingredients on the surface.