Hey Guys! Thanks Andrzej. I was just in Poland this spring. Gdansk where my daughter and son-in-law live. Beautiful of course. Been there many times, but the last time in Warsaw it was very dark and dingy. That was 1989 so I know well that things have changed since then.
Cory! Thanks for the thoughts on my bowls, I have such huge respect for your work you know.
The soda is introduced with angle iron. We can do the sprayer too, but I like the angle iron. This rebuilt kiln is VERY good. I fired a little differently this time. I fired to ^9 and added the soda (Na2CO3(3 lbs), NaHCO3(3 lbs), and CaCO3(2 lbs) mixed like wadding then broken into chunks) through the burner ports. Soda introduction lasting about 45 minutes through 4 batches. Then I took the kiln to ^10/11 and soaked for half an hour in medium reduction then crash cooled to ^7 while maintaining reduction. Then shut off and closed the flues and ports. Opened two days later at about 200*f.
Results were exceptional. The slips that normally get wetter were a little dry, but interesting. (Substituted Kentucky Ball Clay for OM4, that might be the reason) the colors are deeper reds than oranges I used to get. The soda is heavy all along the burner channels on the sides of the kiln and the back wall. I overhang the shelf directly above the burner channels to get flashing on the walls of the pieces there on the top shelf as well. Middle of the bottom shelf gets almost no soda but nice, subtle flashing.
Looking from the back wall of kiln towards front and burner ports (not visible)
The liner is Temmoku. I mixed up the Currie #10 Teadust, which is pretty standard, but includes 3.8% Magnesium Carbonate to create teadust. I crash cooled too fast, so I didn't get much but there is a little, but very very small crystals.
Currie #10 teadust (Cust Feld 50.3, EPK 7.1, MgCO3 3.8, Whiting 16.6, Silica 22.2, Fe2O3 8 )
Probably too much info, but I get excited about stuff like this...
