Fire in the Hole
The Phenix rises in 2018!
After firing my works in various kilns around Seattle, it is time to fire up my kilns at the studio. They have been in the yard waiting for a match. This week I unloaded my gas kiln. No, not with pots, yet. Ya see, the big kiln has been a storage place for my electric kiln, parts, shelves and whatever else I crammed in there during my hiatus. I unloaded the electric kiln and put it back in its home in the studio. It needed a lot of love. So, I tore the thing apart, rewired and refreshed all the elements. Unfortunately tine was not on its side as the timer solenoid was fried. Now what? Solution : go old school - tear it out, don't rely on the parts and fire it like any ole' potter back in the day would...with guts and luck!
Two bisque firings later... it keeps on ticking! My electric kiln is now basic bare bones: bricks and wire and me. The gas kiln -she just needed a vacuum and a match. Time to fill it and fire.