Decal

I have been reading the decal on the pottery. Keith Phillips and Cynthia Guajardo describes their process at his and her blog. That makes me very curious. I bought the HP 1020 laser printer and the laser printer decal paper off the ebay last week.  I made the decal of the Hungerford Urban Artisan logo on the glaze fired cups, and put in the bisque kiln to cone 06.



Most recommended to cone 04, though I like the bisque pieces to cone 06 for better fit of the glaze. The toner of the laser printer contains 50% iron, that is fused to the glaze, and become very nice sepia color. I like how the test turned out, especially with the rutile blue and the amber glaze combination.


Today, I was glazing and loading the kiln for firing tomorrow.  I wanted several cups made with logo before the studio opening this weekend, but don’t have enough time to glaze fire, attach the decal and bisque fire them.  So, I glazed the cup, waxed over it, and attached the decal on the waxed surfcae. I have no idea this would work or not.


I think making a design for the decal to fit with the glaze would be the most difficult part, and have a whole winter to think about.

Two in the row

I opened the kiln today, and yes, it all reduced. The saga of oxidation is finally over!  I guess I have been reducing way too much, and choking the kiln. The setting now is very similar to what I have fired at my previous home studio.   It has been three years since I moved the studio, and I really do not remember how and when I changed the way I fire last couple years.   I change a setting, and guess the result and change again .  Bad spiral and going deep to a black hole, that I felt last 12 months.

Couple things to note are 1)  I begin the body reduction earlier. 2) oxyprobe reading maybe off .10 to .15 now.  Last firing, the reading at the end of the firing was .54, which is lowest I ever been, and I was very afraid of oxidation.  But the kiln temperature was climbing (it stalled at .60)  and I got both spy holes getting back pressure.

I enjoy now until another thing to headache with.

Getting ready for the open house

I have been glazing last couple days and am firing tomorrow. I mailed  postcards to Rochester area customers and was working on the map of the hungerford building for the building wide open house.  The kiln is loaded with slightly new setting, moving the target brick 1/2" toward burner, and I will ease the reduction at the end of firing.  I hope to have another firing after this load before the open house.

Studio Open House and Sale

December 4th (5PM to 9 PM) & 5th (10AM to 5PM)

In conjunction with “A-MAZE-ING Hungerford”
- Art at the edge Building-wide open studio over 25 Hungerford Urban Artisans

Come to the door 2.  There will be the elevator operator helping you to my floor, and other artisans floors.

1115 East Main Street Suite 422, Rochester, NY 14607

I will put a map at next post.

Cups

I threw a bunch of small cups today to use at the studio open house on December 4th and 5th. I will serve a hot drink in it.

I had great experience when I visited the Craft People just outside Woodstock, NY last fall, who carries my work. We had great time with Rudy and Mary. The store carries vast variety of potteries in one of their building, and otehr ctaft items over others. If you are near Woodstock, NY, I highly recommend to stop by. Anyway, they served a hot apple sider with sprinckle of cinamon with slice of lemon in Rudy's handmade Demitasse, that I was thinking today.

Got reduction

I peeked the kiln yesterday, and came home depressed. I saw bad crawling, and the bottom looked oxidized. This have been the pattern last two years.

With my great surprise, I just lost three pieces with crawling, that I saw yesterday. Reduction, reduction and reduction. Bottom was lightly reduced, but reduced. This is the second time a whole kiln reduced in three years. Last time was in June, but I could not reproduce the effect then.

Firing a kiln has not been fun for a while. I became addicted to the pottery after watching the flame dance in the kiln. It was magical feeling, and just fascinating to watch the edge of pottery starts to melt. Last couple years, opening the kiln was not pleasant.  80%-85% of pottery came out of each kiln beautiful. But that 10 to 15% of loss was big problem for me. I threw the pottery knowing that is placed at the bottom shelves for oxidation.   Firing kiln was not fun recently.  More I changed the setting, the deeper the problem goes.  Just frustrating. Now I got the good firing! I hope this new setting brings me back the fun of firing.

Sunset

Firing is done. Gorgeous sunset today.

New setting

Kiln is loaded.  I am testing couple new settings to reduce the oxidation area on the bottom.  I have changed the target brick setting to allow more flame going to the front/ bottom of the kiln. Do you remember the flame comparison on the last post? The first one I have been firing since moving to the studio, and the second was I used to fire before moving to the studio.  I have no idea how I have changed the setting to begin with. The theory is that first one was way too much reduced flame, and I have been choking the kiln, and therefore I am not getting the correct circulation. I know supplying the air to the flame cures another problem, orange peel look on the glaze.  I will fire the kiln all way from the body reduction to the end with the second flame, instead of giving the first flame at the body reduction stage.  Hope this will reduce the oxidation area, and not a big disaster.

Forced burner and open studio

Which is the correct flame setting for the reduction? Either or neither. I have been working with help of the special person.

[caption id="attachment_953" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Flame setting 1"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_954" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Flame setting 2"][/caption]

I am getting ready for the open studio.  December 4 (5pm-9pm) and 5 (10am-5pm).  I will post more details later.