The Blanket Creek Production Process: Loading the Kiln
Production Process » Loading the Kiln
The ware is stacked on a cart that rides along a track in and out of the kiln
for ease of loading and unloading. This kiln was purchased from a potter who moved from the area shortly before I started this business. It had to be disassembled, brick by brick, and stored along with the burners and steel framework until I had a suitable place to rebuild it. I worked with a small electric kiln for the first year until I needed more firing capacity, then started construction on a kiln shed built from metal building studs and corrugated siding. I completed the kiln in mid-2003 and have done close to 300 firings with it so far.
The Importance of Stacking
Shelves are staggered whenever possible to help facilitate even heat distribution. Considerable effort is made to fill as much of the space as possible by including a variety of forms. Each load is a kind of three-dimensional puzzle which needs to be planned during the wheel-throwing process. The stackable space of the kiln is a substantial factor in determining the sizes of the various items I make available - and certain ones that never seem to fit just right often get put on the back burner, sometimes to the disapointment of customers.
It takes several hours to load the kiln and there are numerous details to consider which are critical to a good firing. One of the most important is that each glaze (and, to an extent, each item) seems to have a particular place in the kiln where it comes out best. The fact that the lower part of the kiln naturally cools faster than the top must also be factored in as this can have a noticeable affect on some glazes.
The Most Critical Step: Firing
The firing is the most critical step in the process, and also the most difficult to control. My approach has been a scientific one, keeping detailed records of every firing from my first as an apprentice to the present. I frequently refer to these notes when considering changes to the firing schedule or troubleshooting any number of problems that can arise during this stage.
The duration of the firing, final temperature and how long the kiln is "soaked" at that temperature each have a major affect on the finished work; and all this information must be recorded along with the results of each firing. Achieving consistently high-quality results with minimal losses has required more research and experimentation than any other aspect of this business. I had to exhaust all available resources, both online as well as in books and magazines, while also taking every opportunity to exchange info with other potters.
Refining the Product Line
Refining this product line is an ongoing project and the quest for perfection, as unattainable as it is, continues to fuel my interest in the process year after year. Despite the rather extreme efforts I have made to this end, I have never seen a "perfect" firing as there is always at least one pot that I don't consider good enough to sell, which is given away. It serves as a joyful reminder of Who is really in control of my life. Interestingly, some of my happiest customers have been those who received these "seconds" as gifts - and, to my surprise, they rarely see them as such.
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