SIMON LEACH - Converted (electric to propane gas) kiln firing results !!

www.simonleachpottery.com ....The kiln fired well I thought, and as good a result as i could have hoped for as a first time firing.It was fairly even in temperature & the reduction was well distributed. Nest time I will go just a little hotter though & I think the result will be even better. PRACTICING as ever !! -are you ? SL

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[CLAYCRAZYPOTTERY]

When you say you sprayed the gp bowls with wood ash on the outside, what exactly is the wood ash? At one point in a much earlier clip you sprayed a piece with water and then tossed dry wood ash on the pot, ( in spain I think) Is that what you are referring to, or did you mix up a wet solution? If so can you explain what the solution was.

[sleachpots]

@CLAYCRAZYPOTTERY Take a wood ash , from a pure source of burnt wood then sieve it , mix with water & spray on ( an atomiser sprayer is the simplest & best for this . SL

[spiritjourneypots]

I would love to have that paddled bowl with the crosshatched pattern. :) I love the shino glaze. Nice.

[sleachpots]

@spiritjourneypots - you can ! what is your email address ! SL -

[jeremydwalsh]

What happened to the pig you had packed in the kiln?

[neiljackson7]

Congratulations!! A real triumph.

Was the burner that failed to work properly attached to the gas bottle that was almost empty? Could it be the low pressure in the gas bottle causing the problem rather than a fault with the burner? Is it worth trying the faulty burner on a full gas bottle before taking it to pieces?

[spiritjourneypots]

@sleachpots GHA! I only just checked this... sorry. :(  nat123n@telus.net

[slopez5o5]

quick question simon... how exactly are you controlling the reduction in the kiln? i dont think i remember you saying that you were going to be using a damper in the other video of you making this kiln.

-thank you, sam

[avidgolfr]

i also would like to know how long it takes to go to cone 10 and how much propane you have to use. Can you go to a cone 6 with gas?

[Boykas1]

Simon, can you tell us more about the reduction and timing of this firing? Did you close the chimney and when for how long? What do you have on top of the chimney? All this is very inspiring for making a kiln for shino firing!

BK

[Greennatt123]

Simon, I've been watching this series of clips with great interest, but I have been waiting for the bit where you explain how to achieve reduction in this particular kiln! Do you have to restrict the air getting in, or is it something to do with the flame? And how long do you do it for? In fact it would be great to have some practical instruction about reduction in a clip, as I suspect quite a lot of us watching have only used electric kilns in oxidation.

Cheers.

[guywolff]

Simon this is really fun.A low inpact way to get to cone 10 . I guess you will be making a larger spy hole to see the cones !!! The kiln is so smal its hard to tell how the flame is moving but it seems to be happy to get there so your doing somthing right . My first try would have been to force the flame up with a baffle wall where on the fire mouth side and have a daughft sluceway on the oppisid side leading under the floor to your chimeny Its great your method works so well. Yours Guy

[smullis7]

Interesting the differences due to temperature. It took me a whole day to throw 4 bowls that match and you have a whole kiln of them! :-) Love all of it, but the large pitcher is my favorite.

[DASRAY]

Simon, would you please discuss " Carbon Trapping"

and why it ( IS ) or ( Isn't ) desirable?

I have a raku piece I made that has a great deal of carbon trapping and I really like it, however, it's sounds as if it's not a desired look?

Also the glaze on your favorite "Moon Bowl" seems very bubbly and course, again could we see close ups on some of these effects and why you or others perfer them.

Many of us love the look of gas fired pieces, but not had the opportunity except in Raku.