Thursday, April 3, 2008


Spring is about on us and I've brought out my shorts. Some trees are starting to bloom and the cherry blossoms will be coming on fairly soon. Chase, my oldest son, Laura, wife and Shelby (pictured) are stationed in Japan (a little south of Tokyo) and he said the blooms are in full and it is warming up nicely. I am hoping that I will get to go over there, cause there is a lot I want to see and do, especially going to Kyoto, where the big kilns are located.
It has been almost a year since my wood kiln chimney fell in, and I have cleaned up the stack area and laying out where my new kiln will be built. I have been gathering brick for the pass two years from several different spots. My wife Maria had located two large pallets of odd brick for a barrel shaped kiln that are used at the plant where she works. I will have to tear the old kiln completely down and clean up before I can pour the footers.
I am looking at a two chambered kiln with an exterior firebox, so I can reduce the ash that is deposited on the work. The Will Ruggles design (I have now) was just a bit too much ash and my drawings just disappeared under the ash. It was a very good kiln to work with and learn on, but I need a larger and cleaner firing kiln. I'm considering the first chamber as a car kiln sprung arch ( I need to think about this a bit, not much information available) and the second chamber be a salt/soda chamber. There is another potter, Bandana Pottery, that has built a single chambered anagama kiln that is as large as a small house and can be fired in less than 24 hour. Take a look at it on michael and Naomi's web site: http://www.michaelhuntpottery.com/ .
I am glazing and loading my gas kiln, it has taken me longer to load than usual, I guess that I am taking longer to design and draw the image on each piece, but I hope to finish today and fire it tomorrow. Have a good one today, make good pots.

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